The V471A polymorphism in autophagy-related gene ATG7 modifies age at onset specifically in Italian Huntington disease patients.

The cause of Huntington disease (HD) is a polyglutamine repeat expansion of more than 36 units in the huntingtin protein, which is inversely correlated with the age at onset of the disease. However, additional genetic factors are believed to modify the course and the age at onset of HD. Recently, we...

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Main Authors: Silke Metzger, Carolin Walter, Olaf Riess, Raymund A C Roos, Jørgen E Nielsen, David Craufurd, REGISTRY Investigators of the European Huntington’s Disease Network, Huu Phuc Nguyen
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2013-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0068951
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author Silke Metzger
Carolin Walter
Olaf Riess
Raymund A C Roos
Jørgen E Nielsen
David Craufurd
REGISTRY Investigators of the European Huntington’s Disease Network
Huu Phuc Nguyen
author_facet Silke Metzger
Carolin Walter
Olaf Riess
Raymund A C Roos
Jørgen E Nielsen
David Craufurd
REGISTRY Investigators of the European Huntington’s Disease Network
Huu Phuc Nguyen
author_sort Silke Metzger
collection DOAJ
description The cause of Huntington disease (HD) is a polyglutamine repeat expansion of more than 36 units in the huntingtin protein, which is inversely correlated with the age at onset of the disease. However, additional genetic factors are believed to modify the course and the age at onset of HD. Recently, we identified the V471A polymorphism in the autophagy-related gene ATG7, a key component of the autophagy pathway that plays an important role in HD pathogenesis, to be associated with the age at onset in a large group of European Huntington disease patients. To confirm this association in a second independent patient cohort, we analysed the ATG7 V471A polymorphism in additional 1,464 European HD patients of the "REGISTRY" cohort from the European Huntington Disease Network (EHDN). In the entire REGISTRY cohort we could not confirm a modifying effect of the ATG7 V471A polymorphism. However, analysing a modifying effect of ATG7 in these REGISTRY patients and in patients of our previous HD cohort according to their ethnic origin, we identified a significant effect of the ATG7 V471A polymorphism on the HD age at onset only in the Italian population (327 patients). In these Italian patients, the polymorphism is associated with a 6-years earlier disease onset and thus seems to have an aggravating effect. We could specify the role of ATG7 as a genetic modifier for HD particularly in the Italian population. This result affirms the modifying influence of the autophagic pathway on the course of HD, but also suggests population-specific modifying mechanisms in HD pathogenesis.
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spelling doaj-art-9713d43f9dc645bfbdf87cb9a5a9c8f32025-08-20T02:22:39ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032013-01-0187e6895110.1371/journal.pone.0068951The V471A polymorphism in autophagy-related gene ATG7 modifies age at onset specifically in Italian Huntington disease patients.Silke MetzgerCarolin WalterOlaf RiessRaymund A C RoosJørgen E NielsenDavid CraufurdREGISTRY Investigators of the European Huntington’s Disease NetworkHuu Phuc NguyenThe cause of Huntington disease (HD) is a polyglutamine repeat expansion of more than 36 units in the huntingtin protein, which is inversely correlated with the age at onset of the disease. However, additional genetic factors are believed to modify the course and the age at onset of HD. Recently, we identified the V471A polymorphism in the autophagy-related gene ATG7, a key component of the autophagy pathway that plays an important role in HD pathogenesis, to be associated with the age at onset in a large group of European Huntington disease patients. To confirm this association in a second independent patient cohort, we analysed the ATG7 V471A polymorphism in additional 1,464 European HD patients of the "REGISTRY" cohort from the European Huntington Disease Network (EHDN). In the entire REGISTRY cohort we could not confirm a modifying effect of the ATG7 V471A polymorphism. However, analysing a modifying effect of ATG7 in these REGISTRY patients and in patients of our previous HD cohort according to their ethnic origin, we identified a significant effect of the ATG7 V471A polymorphism on the HD age at onset only in the Italian population (327 patients). In these Italian patients, the polymorphism is associated with a 6-years earlier disease onset and thus seems to have an aggravating effect. We could specify the role of ATG7 as a genetic modifier for HD particularly in the Italian population. This result affirms the modifying influence of the autophagic pathway on the course of HD, but also suggests population-specific modifying mechanisms in HD pathogenesis.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0068951
spellingShingle Silke Metzger
Carolin Walter
Olaf Riess
Raymund A C Roos
Jørgen E Nielsen
David Craufurd
REGISTRY Investigators of the European Huntington’s Disease Network
Huu Phuc Nguyen
The V471A polymorphism in autophagy-related gene ATG7 modifies age at onset specifically in Italian Huntington disease patients.
PLoS ONE
title The V471A polymorphism in autophagy-related gene ATG7 modifies age at onset specifically in Italian Huntington disease patients.
title_full The V471A polymorphism in autophagy-related gene ATG7 modifies age at onset specifically in Italian Huntington disease patients.
title_fullStr The V471A polymorphism in autophagy-related gene ATG7 modifies age at onset specifically in Italian Huntington disease patients.
title_full_unstemmed The V471A polymorphism in autophagy-related gene ATG7 modifies age at onset specifically in Italian Huntington disease patients.
title_short The V471A polymorphism in autophagy-related gene ATG7 modifies age at onset specifically in Italian Huntington disease patients.
title_sort v471a polymorphism in autophagy related gene atg7 modifies age at onset specifically in italian huntington disease patients
url https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0068951
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