Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Genetic mapping of chronic childhood-onset spinal muscular atrophy to chromosome 5q1 1.2–13.3

Abstract

SPINAL muscular atrophy (SMA) describes a group of heritable degenerative diseases that selectively affect the α-motor neuron. Childhood-onset SMAs rank second in frequency to cystic fibrosis among autosomal recessive disorders, and are the leading cause of heritable infant mortality. Predictions that genetic heterogeneity underlies the differences between types of SMA, together with the aggressive nature of the most-severe infantile form, make linkage analysis of SMA potentially complex. We have now analysed 13 clinically heterogeneous SMA families. We find that 'chronic' childhood-onset SMA (including intermediate SMA or SMA type II, and Kugelberg–Welander or SMA type III) is genetically homogeneous, mapping to chromosomal region 5ql 1.27#150;13.3.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Pearn, J. H. Adv. Neurol. 36, 121–130 (1982).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Emery, A. E. H., Davie, A. M., Holloway, S. & Skinner, R. J. Neurol. Sci. 30, 375–384 (1976).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Munsat, T. L., Woods, R., Fowler, W. & Pearson, C. M. Brain 92, 9–24 (1969).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Dubowitz, V. Muscle Disorders in Childhood, 146–178 (Saunders, London and Philadelphia, 1978).

    Google Scholar 

  5. Pearn, J. H., Carter, C. O. & Wilson, J. Brain 96, 463–470 (1973).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Pearn, J. H., Hudgson, P. & Walton, J. N. Brain 101, 591–606 (1978).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Kennedey, W. B., Alter, M. & Sung, J. G. Neurol. Minn. 18, 670–680 (1968).

    Google Scholar 

  8. Dubowitz, V. Brain 87, 707–718 (1964).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Fried, K. & Emery, A. E. H. Clin. Genet. 2, 203–209 (1971).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Pearn, J. H., Carter, C. O. & Wilson, J. Brain 96, 463–470 (1973).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Pearn, J. H. & Wilson, C. O. Archs Dis. Childh. 48, 768–774 (1973).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Pearn, J. H., Gardner-Medwin, D. & Wilson, J. F. J. Neurol. Sci. 37, 227–248 (1978).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Ott, J. Analysis of Human Genetic Linkage (Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, 1985).

    Google Scholar 

  14. Lander, E. S. & Botstein, D. Genetics 121, 185–199 (1989).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  15. Love, D. R. et al. Br. med. Bull. 45, 659–680 (1989).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Keats, B., Ott, C. & Conneally, M. Cytogenet. Cell Genet. 51, 459–502 (1989).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Guiffra, L. A. et al. Cytogenet. Cell Genet. 49, 313–314 (1988).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Johnson, W. G. et al. Ann. Neurol. 11, 11–16 (1981).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Cashman, N. R. et al. Ann. Neurol. 19, 568–572 (986).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Lathrop, G.M., Lalouel, J. M., Julier, C. & Ott, J. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 81, 3443–3446 (1984).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Gilliam, T. C. et al. Genomics 5, 940–944 (1989).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Leppert, M. et al. Science 238, 1411–1413 (1987).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Brzustowicz, L., Lehner, T., Castilla, L. et al. Genetic mapping of chronic childhood-onset spinal muscular atrophy to chromosome 5q1 1.2–13.3. Nature 344, 540–541 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1038/344540a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/344540a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing