WILSON DISEASE GENE

摘要

Wilson disease (hepatolenticular degeneration) is an autosomal recessive disorder of copper transport, resulting in copper accumulation and toxicity to the liver and brain. The gene (locus WND) has been mapped to chromosome 13 band ql4.3. On three overlapping yeast artificial chromosomes (YACs) from this region, a sequence similar to the proposed copper binding motifs of the putative ATPase (MNK) defective in Menkes disease was identified. It was shown that this sequence forms part of a P-type ATPase gene (Wc1) that is very similar to MNK, with at least six putative metal binding domains homologous to those found in prokaryotic heavy metal transporters. This gene lies within a 300 kb region that has been identified as a likely location for WND. The gene is expressed in the liver and kidney and is a candidate for Wilson disease.