Osteoblasts from a mandibuloacral dysplasia patient induce human blood precursors to differentiate into active osteoclasts.

Mandibuloacral dysplasia type A (MADA) is a rare disease caused by mutations in the LMNA gene encoding A type lamins. Patients affected by mandibuloacral dysplasia type A suffer from partial lipodystrophy, skin abnormalities and accelerated aging. Typical of mandibuloacral dysplasia type A is also bone resorption at defined districts including terminal phalanges, mandible and clavicles.

Splicing mutations in glycogen-storage disease type II: evaluation of the full spectrum of mutations and their relation to patients' phenotypes.

Glycogen-storage disease type II is an autosomal recessive-inherited disorder due to the deficiency of acid α-glucosidase. A large number of mutations in the acid α-glucosidase gene have been described to date. Among them, ~15% are variations that may affect mRNA splicing process.

Long-term observational, non-randomized study of enzyme replacement therapy in late-onset glycogenosis type II.

Objectives: Type II glycogenosis (GSDII) is a lysosomal storage disorder due to acid alpha-glucosidase (GAA) deficiency. Enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) with human recombinant alpha-glucosidase (rhGAA) has been demonstrated to be effective in the treatment of infantile forms of GSDII, but little information is available concerning late-onset phenotypes. Long-term follow-up studies are not available at present.

Haplotype analysis suggests a single Balkan origin for the Gaucher disease [D409H;H255Q] double mutant allele.

Gaucher disease is an autosomal recessive lysosomal storage disease that is mainly due to mutations in the GBA gene. Most of the mutant alleles described so far bear a single mutation. However, there are a few alleles bearing two or more DNA changes.

Deconstructing Pompe disease by analyzing single muscle fibers: to see a world in a grain of sand..

Autophagy is a major pathway for delivery of proteins and organelles to lysosomes where they are degraded and recycled. We have previously shown excessive autophagy in a mouse model of Pompe disease (glycogen storage disease type II), a devastating myopathy caused by a deficiency of the glycogen-degrading lysosomal enzyme acid alpha-glucosidase. The autophagic buildup constituted a major pathological component in skeletal muscle and interfered with delivery of the therapeutic enzyme.

Altered intracellular redox status in Gaucher disease fibroblasts and impairment of adaptive response against oxidative stress.

Gaucher disease (GD) is a lysosomal storage disorder, due to glucosylceramide (GlcCer) accumulation in several body tissues, which causes cellular failure by yet unidentified mechanisms. Several evidence indicates that GD pathogenesis is associated to an impairment in intracellular redox state. In fibroblast primary cultures, reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and protein carbonyl content resulted significantly increased in GD patients compared to healthy donors, suggesting that GD cells, facing a condition of chronic oxidative stress, have evolved an adaptive response to survive.

Multiple cryptic splice sites can be activated by IDS point mutations generating misspliced transcripts.

Mutations in the gene encoding the enzyme iduronate-2-sulfatase (IDS) were reported as the cause of the X-linked recessive lysosomal disease, mucopolysaccharidosis II (MPS II). Amongst the different mutations, it emerges that nearly 10% are nucleotide substitutions causing splicing mutations. We now report the molecular characterisation of three MPS II patients with multiple aberrant transcripts due to three different point mutations.

Characterization of two novel GBA mutations causing Gaucher disease that lead to aberrant RNA species by using functional splicing assays.

The correct identification of disease-causing mutations from the background of harmless nucleotide polymorphisms/substitutions has become a critical issue in the investigation of human genetic diseases. Here, we describe two novel disease-causing splicing mutations in the glucocerebrosidase gene, g.4252C>G and g.

Pulmonary involvement in an adult female affected by type B Niemann Pick disease.

We describe the case of a 33-year-old woman who presented with a pattern of diffuse micronodular opacities with centrolobular distribution at high resolution chest tomography (HRCT) performed after exposure to the smoke of a home fire. An abdominal CT scan showed the presence of 3 rounded hypodense lesions in the spleen parenchyma. A bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was performed, showing the presence of lipid laden cells in the aspirated fluid.

Molecular analysis of the HEXA gene in Italian patients with infantile and late onset Tay-Sachs disease: detection of fourteen novel alleles.

Tay-Sachs disease (TSD) is a recessively inherited disorder caused by the hexosaminidase A deficiency. We report the molecular characterization performed on 31 Italian patients, 22 with the infantile, acute form of TSD and nine patients with the subacute juvenile form, biochemically classified as B1 Variant. Of the 29 different alleles identified, fourteen were due to 15 novel mutations, two being in-cis on a new complex allele.

Functional in vitro characterization of 14 SMPD1 mutations identified in Italian patients affected by Niemann Pick Type B disease.

Niemann Pick disease (NPD) is an autosomal recessive lysosomal storage disorder caused by the deficient activity of acid sphingomyelinase due to mutations in the SMPD1 gene. We functionally characterized three novel SMPD1 mutations and 11 already reported in the Italian population. Mutant alleles were studied for enzyme activity and protein processing in transiently transfected COS-1 cells.

Identification and characterization of five novel MAN2B1 mutations in Italian patients with alpha-mannosidosis.

Mutation analysis performed on six Italian families with alpha-mannosidosis type II allowed the identification of five new mutations in the MAN2B1 gene: c.157G>T, c.562C>T, c.

Identification and functional characterization of five novel mutant alleles in 58 Italian patients with Gaucher disease type 1.

Gaucher disease (GD) is the most frequent lysosomal glycolipid storage disorder due to an autosomal recessive deficiency of acid beta-glucosidase characterized by the accumulation of glucocerebroside. In this work we carried out the molecular analysis of the glucocerebrosidase gene (GBA) in 58 unrelated patients with GD type 1. We identified five novel genetic alterations: three missense changes c.

Comparative in vitro expression study of four Fabry disease causing mutations at glutamine 279 of the alpha-galactosidase A protein.

Fabry disease is an X-linked lysosomal storage disorder caused by the deficiency of alpha-galactosidase A that results in the accumulation of neutral sphingolipids. We report a novel point mutation in exon 6, Q279K, carried by an asymptomatic child with a family history of classic Fabry disease. Moreover, we comparatively study the in vitro expression and enzyme activity of Q279K and three other already described mutants in glutamine 279.

Glycogenosis type II: identification and expression of three novel mutations in the acid alpha-glucosidase gene causing the infantile form of the disease.

Glycogenosis type II (GSDII) is an autosomal recessive disorder due to the deficiency of the lysosomal enzyme acid alpha-glucosidase (GAA). We identified three novel point mutations, C399A, T1064C, and C2104T, in three unrelated Italian patients with the infantile form of the disease. The C399A mutation was present in homozygosity in proband 1.

Identification of four novel mutations in the alpha glucosidase gene in five Italian patients with infantile onset glycogen storage disease type II.

Glycogen storage disease type II (GSDII) is an autosomal recessive disorder due to the deficiency of the lysosomal enzyme acid alpha glucosidase. Four novel mutations (C670T, G989A, G2188T, and Delta 23 nt 828-850) were identified in five Italian patients with the infantile form of the disease. The C670T mutation was present in two unrelated patients in heterozygosity; the effect on enzyme activity was assessed by in vitro expression.

Mycobacteria-containing phagosomes associate less annexins I, VI, VII and XI, but not II, concomitantly with a diminished phagolysosomal fusion.

We have studied the intracellular localization of annexins I,II, VI, VII, and XI in cells containing latex beads or Mycobacterium avium at different times after ingestion in order to establish whether a correlation existed between the association of annexins to phagosomes and phagolysosomal fusion, since the intracellular survival of mycobacteria is linked to an impairment of phagosome maturation. We demonstrate an important decrease in the levels of association of annexins I, VI, VII and XI, but not II to phagosomes containing either live or killed mycobacteria compared with phagosomes containing inert latex particles. The reduced association of annexins observed was detected only on M.