THE GENE FOR BAZEX-DUPRE-CHRISTOL SYNDROME MAPS TO CHROMOSOME XQ

Bazex-Dupre-Christol syndrome is an inherited condition with skin canc er predisposition characterized bp folliicular atrophoderma, hypotrich osis, and early onset of multiple basal cell carcinomas. Previous repo rts suggested an X-linked mode of inheritance. We therefore performed linkage analysis with microsatellite markers of the X chromosome in th ree families. We obtained evidence for X-linkage and regional assignme nt to Xq24-q27 of this syndrome (maximal lod score 5.26 with a recombi nation fraction of 0% at the DXS1192 locus). This represents a first-s tep towards the identification of a gene involved in hair follicle dev elopment and skin tumor formation.