Haplotypes and mutations of the PAH locus in Egyptian families with PKU

A high degree of molecular heterogeneneity at the phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH) locus was established by examining RFLP haplotypes and PAH mutations in the families of 13 Egyptians with phenylketenouria (PKU), Thirteen diff erent haplotypes were unequivocally determined in these kindreds, Haplotype s 1.8, 3.9, 4.3, 7.8, 22.11, 27.6, and 52.8 were found segregating with nor mal chromosomes, whilst haplotypes 1.8, 5.9, 23.8, 32.8, the newly assigned 73.9, and two as yet incomplete but novel haplotypes were found segregatin g with the mutant chromosomes, There was no particular preference for a sin gle haplotype among normal or mutant chromosomes. Nine different mutations were also identified among the 26 alleles. IVS 10nt11g (8/26), IVS 2nt5g-c (4/26), R261Q (3/26), R176X (2/26), Y206D (2/26), S231P (2/26) Y198fs [593- 614del22bp]; (2/26), G46fs [136/137delG]; (1/26), and E178G (Y26), Six of t hese mutations (IVS 2nt5g-c, R176X, Y198fs, R261Q, S231P, and IVS 10nt11g) are common to other Mediterranean populations, Two mutations not previously reported in the Mediterranean basin were also observed (Y206D and G46fs), These intriguing preliminary findings confirm IVS 10nt11g as a major mutati on among Mediterranean mutations and demonstrate the need for a more compre hensive study of Arab populations to confirm the uniqueness of the two nove l mutations to the Egyptian population.