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Review

Spinal muscular atrophy: molecular genetics and diagnostics

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Pages 15-29 | Published online: 09 Jan 2014

References

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  • •• First comprehensive review demonstrating how to calculate genetic risks in various spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) clinical settings.
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  • ••Describes the identification of the diseasegene for SMA. A complete contig of the disease gene region on chromosome 5 is provided.
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  • ••Describes the first robust method toquantify the copy numbers of SMN/ and SMN2using competitive quantitative PCR
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  • •Demonstrated that the translationally silent single nucleotide polymorphism at position 840 in SMN2exon 7 is responsible for the inefficient splicing of the SMN2transcript.
  • Monani UR, Lorson CL, Parsons DW et al A single nucleotide difference that alters splicing patterns distinguishes the SMA gene SMN/ from the copy gene 51V1N2 Hum. Mal Genet. 8(7), 1177–1183 (1999).
  • •Demonstrated that the translationally silent single nucleotide polymorphism at position 840 in SMN2 exon7 is responsible for the inefficient splicing of the SMN2transcript.
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  • •Demonstrated that the translationally silent single nucleotide polymorphism at position 840 in SMN2exon 7 activates an exonic splice silencer.
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  • •Excellent overview of SMA.
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  • •Excellent review of the function of SMN.
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  • •Excellent review of the function of SMN.
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  • •First comprehensive review of SMNI mutations.
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  • ••Only comprehensive study investigatingthe frequency of SMNI small intragenic mutations for each SMA type.
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  • •First description of methods to quantify the copy numbers of SMNI and SMV2 using real-time PCR
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  • ••Largest study investigating the frequencyof SMV1 de novo deletions among SMA patients lacking SMN1.
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  • •Investigated the molecular evolution of the SMNgenes.
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  • •Established a mouse model of SMA.
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  • •Established a mouse model of SMA.
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  • •Describes methods to quantify the copy number of SMN/ and SMN2using TaqMan real-time PCR
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  • ••Describes methods to detect carriers withtwo SMN 1 copies on one chromosome 5 and a deletion/conversion on the other.
  • Skordis LA, Duncldey MG, Yue B, Eperon IC, Muntoni E Bifunctional antisense oligonucleotides provide a trans-acting splicing enhancer that stimulates SM/V2gene expression in patient fibroblasts. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 100(7), 4114–4119 (2003).
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  • Wirth B. Spinal muscular atrophy: state-of-the-art and therapeutic perspectives. Amyotroph. Lateral Scler. Other Motor Neumn Disord 3(2), 87–95 (2002).
  • •Excellent overview of SMA.
  • Andreassi C, Jarecki J, Zhou J eta]. Aclarubicin treatment restores SMN levels to cells derived from Type I spinal muscular atrophy patients. Hum. Mal Genet. 10(24), 2841–2849 (2001).
  • Chang JG, Hsieh-Li HM, Jong YJ etal Treatment of spinal muscular atrophy by sodium butyrate. Proc. Natl Acad. Sc]. USA 98(17), 9808–9813 (2001). tti Brichta L, Hofmann Y, Hahnen E et al Valproic acid increases the SMN2 protein level: a well-known drug as a potential therapy for spinal muscular atrophy. Hum. Mal Genet. 12(19), 2481–2489 (2003).
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  • Hahnen E, Schonling J, Rudnik-Schoneborn S etal Missense mutations in exon 6 of the survival motor neurone gene in patients with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). Hum. Mal Genet. 6(5), 821–825 (1997).
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