학술논문

Identification and characterization of a novel genetic mutation with prolonged QT syndrome in an unexplained postoperative death.
Document Type
Academic Journal
Author
Hata Y; Department of Legal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences for Research, University of Toyama, 2630 Sugitani, Toyama, 930-0194, Japan.; Mori HTanaka AFujita YShimomura TTabata TKinoshita KYamaguchi YIchida FKominato YIkeda NNishida N
Source
Publisher: Springer International Country of Publication: Germany NLM ID: 9101456 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1437-1596 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 09379827 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Int J Legal Med Subsets: MEDLINE
Subject
Language
English
Abstract
Introduction: The human ether-à-go-go-related gene (hERG) encodes the α-subunit of a cardiac potassium channel. Various mutations of hERG, including missense mutations, have been reported to cause long QT syndrome (LQTS) and severe arrhythmic disorders such as sudden cardiac death. We identified a novel hERG frameshift mutation (hERG(ΔAT)) in the S5-pore region from a LQTS patient who died suddenly and analyzed its genetic profile and the molecular and electrophysiological behaviors of the protein product to assess the pathogenicity of hERG(ΔAT).
Methods and Results: We performed direct sequencing of hERG and evaluated its transcript level by using a whole blood sample from the patient. We performed immunoblotting, immunocytochemistry, and patch-clamp recordings of HEK-293 T cells transfected with hERG(ΔAT), wild-type hERG (hERG(WT)), or both. The patient demonstrated an AT deletion (c.1735_1736del) in hERG and a decrease in hERG mRNA transcripts. HEK-293 T cells showed lower production and cell surface expression of hERG(ΔAT) compared with hERG(WT) protein. In addition, the hERG(∆AT) protein failed to form functional channels, while the activation kinetics of functional channels, presumably consisting of hERG(WT) subunits, were unaffected.
Conclusion: The ΔAT mutation may decrease the number of functional hERG channels by impairing the posttranscriptional and posttranslational processing of the mutant product. This decrease may partly explain the cardiac symptoms of the patient who was heterozygous for hERG(ΔAT).