TESTING FOR MUTATIONS IN EXON 17 OF THE BETA-AMYLOID PRECURSOR PROTEIN GENE IN FINNISH ALZHEIMER PATIENTS AND NORMAL SUBJECTS

Mutations in the beta-amyloid precursor protein gene on chromosome 21 were shown to cause a small proportion of Alzheimer's disease. We stud ied the occurrence of the point mutations in exon 17 of the beta-amylo id precursor protein gene in a sample of Finnish familial Alzheimer pa tients and nondemented controls using polymerase chain reaction and a single strand conformation polymorphism technique. In addition, mutati ons in familial Alzheimer's disease patients were studied by sequencin g the amplified products. Interestingly, two probable polymerase chain reaction errors were detected in codons 717 and 693 of the exon 17. H owever, no mutations in the exon 17 were confirmed adding the study to the body of literature that mutations in the exon 17 are a rare cause of familial Alzheimer's disease.