AG DINUCLEOTIDE INSERTION IN A PATIENT WITH CHRONIC GRANULOMATOUS-DISEASE LACKING CYTOSOLIC 67-KD PROTEIN

The 67-kD cytosolic protein (p67-phox) is an essential component of th e superoxide-generating system in phagocytes, and its defect is known to cause chronic granulomatous disease (CGD). We sequenced p67-phox cD NA from one of seven patients found in Japan and his parents. In the p atient's cDNA, homozygous AG dinucleotide insertion at position 399 (o r 401) was found together with three other homozygous substitutions in a coding region (A-542 to G, T-895 to C and A-983 to G) compared with the sequence reported for HL-60 cells. In cDNA from his parents, the AG insertion was found to be heterozygous. In contrast, the other thre e substitutions were found homozygously in his father's specimen and t he latter two in his mother's specimen. The substitution of A-542 to G was heterozygous in his mother's cDNA. The AG insertion would induce a frame shift and bring about a stop codon at the position of 433. How ever, the other three differences would give insignificant changes for the protein function, if any, because the substitutions of A-542 to G and A-983 to G result in the conservative amino acid transitions, ie, Lys-180 to Arg and Lys-327 to Arg, and that of T-895 to C no amino ac id change. Neutrophils from the patients completely lacked superoxide generating activity whereas those from his parents generated substanti al amounts of superoxide anion upon stimulation. Thus, it is concluded that the AG dinucleotide insertion is responsible for the disease in this patient. (C) 1995 by The American Society of Hematology.