Identification of novel Angiogenin (ANG) gene missense variants in German patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

J Neurol. 2009 Aug;256(8):1337-42. doi: 10.1007/s00415-009-5124-4. Epub 2009 Apr 12.

Abstract

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by the selective death of motor neurons in the motor cortex, brain stem and spinal cord. Recently, missense variants in the angiogenin gene (ANG), an angiogenic factor expressed in ventral horn motor neurons that is up-regulated by hypoxia, have been found in ALS patients of Irish/Scottish, North American, Italian, French and Dutch descent. To investigate the role of ANG in the German population, we screened for mutations by sequencing the entire coding region of the ANG gene in a large sample of 581 German ALS cases and 616 sex- and age-matched healthy controls. We identified two heterozygous missense variants, F(-13)L and K54E, in two German sporadic ALS cases but not in controls. Both missense variants are novel and have not been previously found in ALS cases. Our results suggest that missense variants in the ANG gene play a role in ALS in the German population and provide further evidence to support the hypothesis that angiogenic factors up-regulated by hypoxia are involved in the pathophysiology of ALS.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / ethnology
  • Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / genetics*
  • Central Nervous System / metabolism
  • Central Nervous System / physiopathology
  • Cohort Studies
  • DNA Mutational Analysis
  • Female
  • Genetic Markers / genetics*
  • Genetic Predisposition to Disease / genetics*
  • Genetic Testing
  • Genetic Variation / genetics*
  • Genotype
  • Germany / ethnology
  • Heterozygote
  • Humans
  • Hypoxia / complications
  • Hypoxia / genetics
  • Hypoxia / metabolism
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Mutation, Missense / genetics*
  • Oxidative Stress / genetics
  • Ribonuclease, Pancreatic / genetics*
  • White People

Substances

  • Genetic Markers
  • angiogenin
  • Ribonuclease, Pancreatic