Two novel compound heterozygous mutations associated with types I and II protein C deficiency with unusual phenotypes

SummaryWe report genetic abnormalities of protein C gene in a male infant who developed neonatal purpura fulminans. DNA-sequence analysis of all exons in protein C gene in this family revealed two mutations. The first abnormality, derived from the mother, was a deletion of one of four consecutive G at nucleotide number 10758 in exon IX which would result in a frame shift mutation and completely change amino acid sequence from Gly381 in the carboxyl-terminal region of protein C. The second abnormality, derived from the father, was a single nucleotide mutation from G to A in the codon (GAG to AAG) at nucleotide number 2977 in exon III, which would result in a substitution of Lys for γ-carboxyglutamic acid (Gla)26. This change would be responsible for the reduced immunological protein C levels of the patient and the father, estimated by a monoclonal antibody which recognizes the Gla-domain in a Ca2+-dependent manner (3.8% and 57%, respectively). Partially purified abnormal protein C from the father’s plasma showed a normal amidolytic activity and a change in the electrophoretic mobility. We detected the above mutations in his family members using two methods; one was a creation of new restriction enzyme sites using mutagenic primers and the other was single nucleotide primer extension. Both methods are rapid and useful for the diagnosis of prenatal protein C abnormalities.

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Compound Heterozygous Protein C Deficiency Caused by Two Mutations, Arg-178 to Gin and Cys-331 to Arg, Leading to Impaired Secretion of Mutant Protein C

Thrombosis and Haemostasis ◽

10.1055/s-0038-1648967 ◽

1994 ◽

Vol 72 (06) ◽

pp. 814-818 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Yuichi Sugahara ◽

Osamu Miura ◽

Shinsaku Hirosawa ◽

Nobuo Aoki

Keyword(s):

Disulfide Bond ◽

Protein C ◽

Catalytic Domain ◽

Point Mutations ◽

Expression Vectors ◽

Compound Heterozygous ◽

Protein C Deficiency ◽

Peptide Cleavage ◽

Mutant Proteins ◽

Heterozygous Protein C Deficiency

SummaryThe protein C gene in a patient apparently homozygous for protein C deficiency was analyzed. Two different point mutations, each located in a different allele, were detected to reveal that the patient is a compound heterozygote. Mutation of Arg-178 (CGG) to Gin (CAG) [mutation I] was detected in exon VII, in the vicinity of activation peptide cleavage site by thrombin. Mutation of Cys-331 (TGC) to Arg (CGC) [mutation II] was found in exon IX, at one of the sites involved in disulfide bond formation in the catalytic domain of the heavy chain. The alteration of Cys-331 to Arg disables the formation of the disulfide bond and would alter the protein conformation. Transient expression assays using COS-7 cells transfected with protein C expression vectors containing each one of these two mutations suggested that each of the two mutations would lead to the protein C deficiency by an impairment of secretion of the respective mutant proteins.

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