Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
5534502 | Molecular and Cellular Probes | 2017 | 5 Pages |
â¢Large GGGGCC expansions in C9orf72 gene are frequent genetic cause of ALS and FTLD.â¢Intermediate GGGGCC expansions in C9orf72 gene are also associated with ALS and FTLD.â¢Intermediate-length alleles are also associated with other neurodegenerative diseases.â¢Current PCR-based methods may lead to incorrect sizing of intermediate-length alleles.â¢Our PCR-based protocol exactly sizes C9orf72 intermediate-length alleles.
Although large expansions of the non-coding GGGGCC repeat in C9orf72 gene are clearly defined as pathogenic for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration (FTLD), intermediate-length expansions have also been associated with those and other neurodegenerative diseases. Intermediate-length allele sizing is complicated by intrinsic properties of current PCR-based methodologies, in that somatic mosaicism could be suspected. We designed a protocol that allows the exact sizing of intermediate-length alleles, as well as the identification of large expansions.