Walter Edward Bradley

Genome-wide association study for Crohn's disease in the Quebec Founder Population identifies multiple validated disease loci

Genome-wide association (GWA) studies offer a powerful unbiased method for the identification of multiple susceptibility genes for complex diseases. Here we report the results of a GWA study for Crohns disease (CD) using family trios from the Quebec Founder Population (QFP). Haplotype-based association analyses identified multiple regions associated with the disease that met the criteria for genome-wide significance, with many containing a gene whose function appears relevant to CD. A proportion of these were replicated in two independent German Caucasian samples, including the established CD loci NOD2 and IBD5. The recently described IL23R locus was also identified and replicated. For this region, multiple individuals with all major haplotypes in the QFP were sequenced and extensive fine mapping performed to identify risk and protective alleles. Several additional loci, including a region on 3p21 containing several plausible candidate genes, a region near JAKMIP1 on 4p16.1, and two larger regions on chromosome 17 were replicated. Together with previously published loci, the spectrum of CD genes identified to date involves biochemical networks that affect epithelial defense mechanisms, innate and adaptive immune response, and the repair or remodeling of tissue.

Mutant frequency of radiotherapy technicians appears to be associated with recent dose of ionizing radiation.

The frequency of hypoxanthine phosphoribosyl transferase (HPRT) mutants among peripheral T-lymphocytes of radiotherapy technicians primarily exposed to 60Co was measured by the T-cell cloning method. Mutant frequencies of these technicians in 1984 and 1986 were significantly higher than those of physiotherapy technicians who worked in a neighboring service, and correlated significantly with thermoluminescence dosimeter readings recorded during the 6 mo preceding mutant frequency determination. Correlations decreased when related to dose recorded over longer time intervals. HPRT mutant frequency determination in peripheral lymphocytes is a good measure of recently received biologically effective radiation dose in an occupationally exposed population.

The aprt heterozygote/hemizygote system for screening mutagenic agents allows detection of large deletions

Frequencies of mutation at the hprt and aprt loci in various CHO cell lines were measured after exposure of the cells to ionizing radiation. In D423 and AA8-16, which are aprt+/- heterozygotes, the ratio of hprt- mutants to aprt- mutants ranged from 0.11 to 0.36. In D422 and AA8-5, which are aprt+/0 cell lines in which only one copy of the gene and its flanking sequences is present these ratios were greater than 5. In contrast, chemical mutagenesis generated mutations at both loci, in all cell lines, at equal frequencies. Southern blot analysis of DNA from hprt- and aprt- mutants of one of the aprt+/- heterozygous lines showed some apparently unaltered genes, some rearrangements and some complete deletions of hprt among hprt- mutants, but only complete deletions of aprt-linked sequences among aprt- mutants. These results strongly suggest that X-ray-induced mutational events are frequently larger than 40 kb (the length of the hprt gene) and that the difference among the frequencies observed at the two loci in the two types of cell lines were due to the presence of essential sequences close the respective target genes. The combined use of these cell lines in screening environmental mutagens should allow qualitative as well as quantitative analysis of the mutagenic potential of environmental agents.

Analysis of Second-Step Mutations of Class II and Class III CHO aprt Heterozygotes: Chromosomal Differences in Deletion Frequencies

We have determined the nucleotide sequence surrounding a BclI restriction fragment length variation near theaprt gene of CHO cells. By BclI digestion of the PCR-amplified DNA from a variety of APRT-deficient mutants derived from CHO cells, we were able to infer the following. First, all three heterozygotes of class II, which are known to undergo the second mutational step via a large deletion event occurring at high frequency, are mutant at the chromosome Z4-linked allele, and wild type at the Z7 allele. Second, both class-III heterozygotes, which mutate to the APRT− phenotype at low frequency, are mutant at the Z7 allele, wild type at the Z4 allele. A total of 12 class-I lines, defined as having already undergone a deletion event and yielding fully APRT− mutants at low frequency were all found to have lost the Z7-linked allele. We conclude that the Z7-linked allele is substantially more susceptible to mutation by the large deletion event than is the Z4-linked allele. This supports a hypothesis we advanced earlier to explain the existence of the class-III heterozygotes but does not support previous work suggesting that a chromosomal inversion break-point junction near the Z4-linkedaprt allele is responsible for the high frequency deletion event.

A mutational hotspot in the aprt gene of Chinese hamster cells

Early work with adenine phosphoribosyltransferase-deficient mutants of CHO cells suggested that a site existed in the third exon of this gene which was preferentially susceptible to mutation by ethyl methanesulphonate. To determine whether this was real we analysed a large collection of induced mutants, and generated a high-density mutational spectrum for this exon. In addition, 4 sites outside exon 3 were analysed by blot. 37 mutations were found in 19 available sites, six of which were at nucleotide 1365, 1 of 2 sites in the putative hotspot (P less than 0.02). One other site, 1308, also was mutated in 6 cell lines and may also be preferentially mutable.

Research paperThe aprt heterozygote/hemizygote system for screening mutagenic agents allows detection of large deletions

Frequencies of mutation at the hprt and aprt loci in various CHO cell lines were measured after exposure of the cells to ionizing radiation. In D423 and AA8-16, which are aprt+/− heterozygotes, the ratio of hprt− mutants to aprt− mutants ranged from 0.11 to 0.36. In D422 and AA8-5, which are aprt+/0 cell lines in which only one copy of the gene and its flanking sequences is present these ratios were > 5. In contrast, chemical mutagenesis generated mutations at both loci, in all cell lines, at equal frequencies. Southern blot analysis of DNA from hprt− and aprt− mutants of one of the aprt+/− heterozygous lines showed some apparently unaltered genes, some rearrangements and some complete deletions of hprt among hprt− mutants, but only complete deletions of aprt-linked sequences among aprt− mutants. These results strongly suggest that X-ray-induced mutational events are frequently larger than 40 kb (the length of the hprt gene) and that the difference among the frequencies observed at the two loci in the two types of cell lines were due to the presence of essential sequences close the the respective target genes. The combined use of these cell lines in screening environmental mutagens should allow qualitative as well as quantitative analysis of the mutagenic potential of environmental agents.