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.

  • Article
  • Published:

Mutations at the PAX6 locus are found in heterogeneous anterior segment malformations including Peters' anomaly

Abstract

Mutation or deletion of the PAX6 gene underlies many cases of aniridia. Three lines of evidence now converge to implicate PAX6 more widely in anterior segment malformations including Peters' anomaly. First, a child with Peters' anomaly is deleted for one copy of PAX6. Second, affected members of a family with dominantly inherited anterior segment malformations, including Peters' anomaly are heterozygous for an R26G mutation in the PAX6 paired box. Third, a proportion of Sey/+ Smalleye mice, heterozygous for a nonsense mutation in murine Pax–6, have an ocular phenotype resembling Peters' anomaly. We therefore propose that a variety of anterior segment anomalies may be associated with PAX6 mutations.

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. Peters, A. Uber angeboren Defektbildung der Descemetschen Membran. Klin. Mbl. Augenheilk. 44, 27–40 (1906).

    Google Scholar 

  2. Stone, D.L., Kenyon, K.R., Green, W.R. & Ryan, S.J. Congenital central corneal leukoma (Peters anomaly). Am. J. Ophthalmol. 81, 173–193 (1976).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Holmstrom, G.E., Reardon, W.P., Baraitser, M., Elston, J.S. & Taylor, D.S., Heterogeneity In dominant anterior segment malformations. Br. J. Ophthalmol. 75, 591–597 (1991).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  4. Hittner, H.M., Kretzer, F.L., Arrtoszyk, J.H., Ferrell, R.E. & Mehta, R.S. Variable expressivity of autosomal dominant anterior segment mesenchymal dysgenesis in six generations. Am. J. Ophthalmol. 93, 57–70 (1982).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Bopp, D., Burri, M., Baumgartner, S., Frigerio, G. & Noll, M. Conservation of a large protein domain in the segmentation gene paired and functionally related genes of Drosophila. Cell 47, 1033–1040 (1986).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Walther, C. et al. Pax: a murine multigene family of paired box-containing genes. Genomics 11, 424–434 (1991).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Chalepakis, G., Tremblay, P. & Gruss, P. Pax genes, mutants and molecular function. J. Cell Science (suppl.) 16, 61–67 (1992).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Ton, C.C.T. et al. Positional cloning and characterization of a paired box-and homeobox-containing gene from the aniridia region. Cell 67, 1059–1074 (1991).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Walther, C. & Gruss, P. Pax-6, a murine paired box gene, is expressed in the developing CNS. Development 113, 1435–1449 (1991).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Jordan, T. et al. The human PAX6 gene is mutated in two patients with aniridia. Nature Genet. 1, 328–332 (1992).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Glaser, T., Walton, D.S. & Maas, R.L. Genomic structure, evolutionary conservation and aniridia mutations in the human PAX6 gene. Nature Genet. 2, 232–239 (1992).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Hanson, I.M. et al. PAX6 mutations in aniridia. Hum. molec. Genet. 2, 915–920 (1993).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Hill, R.E. et al. Mouse Small eye results from mutations in a paired-like homeobox-containing gene. Nature 354, 522–525 (1991).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Fantes, J.A. et al. Non-radioactive in situ hybridization for the rapid analysis of submicrosoopic deletions at the WAGR locus. Am. J. hum. Genet. 51, 1286–1294 (1992).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  15. Martin, P. et al. Characterization of a paired box-and homeobox-containing quail gene (Pax-QNR) expressed in the neuroretlna. Oncogene 7, 1721–1728 (1992).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Krauss, S. et al. Zebrafish pax[zf-a]: a paired box-containing gene expressed in the neural tube. EMBO J. 10, 3609–3619 (1991).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  17. Burri, M., Tromvoukis, Y., Bopp, D., Frigerio, G. & Noll, M. Conservation of the paired domain in metazoans and its structure in three isolated human genes. EMBO J. 8, 1183–1190 (1989).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  18. Treisman, J., Harris, E. & Desplan, C. The paired box encodes a second DNA-bindlng domain in the Paired homeo domain protein. Genes Dev. 5, 594–604 (1991).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Hoth, C.F. et al. Mutations in the paired domain of the human PAX3 gene cause Klein-Waardenburg syndrome (WS-III) as well as Waardsnburg syndrome type I (WS-I). Am. J. hum. Genet. 52, 455–462 (1993).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  20. Glaser, T., Lane, J. & Housman, D. A mouse model of the aniridia-Wilms' tumor deletion syndrome. Science 250, 823–827 (1990).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Green, M.C. Catalog of mutant genes and polymorphic loci. In Genetic variants and strains of the laboratory mouse (2nd edn) (eds M. F. Lyon & A. G. Searie) 12–403 (Oxford University Press, Oxford, (1989).

    Google Scholar 

  22. Clayton, R.M. Developmental genetics of the lens. In The ocular lens (ed. H. Maisel) 61–92 (Marcel Dekker Inc, New York, (1985).

    Google Scholar 

  23. Hogan, B.L.M. et al. Small eyes (Sey):a homozygous lethal mutation on chromosome 2 which affects the differentiation of both lens and nasal placodes in the mouse. J. Embryol. exp. Morph. 97, 95–110 (1986).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Hogan, B.L.M., Hirst, E.M.A., Horsburgh, G. & Hetherington, C.M. Small eye (Sey): a mouse model for the genetic analysis of craniofacial abnormalities. Development (suppl.) 103, 115–119 (1988).

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. van Heyningen. V. et al. Role for the Wilms tumor gene in genital development? Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 87, 5383–5383 (1990).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Beauchamp, G.R. Anterior segment dysgenesis keratolenticular adhesion and aniridia. J. paed. Ophthalmol. Strabismus 17, 55–58 (1978).

    Google Scholar 

  27. Jotterand, V. et al. 11p13 deletion, Wilms' tumour, and aniridia: unusual genetic, non-ocular and ocular features of three cases. Br. J. Ophthalmol. 74, 568–570 (1990).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  28. Eiferman, R.A. Association of Wilms tumour with Peters anomaly. Ann. of Ophthalmology 16, 933–934 (1984).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Waring, G.O., Rodrigues, M.M. & Laibson, P.R. Anterior chamber cleavage syndrome. A stepladder classification. Surv. Ophthalmol. 20, 3–27 (1975).

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Hittner, H.M., Riccardi, V.M., Ferrell, R.E., Borda, R.R. & Justice, J. Variable expressivity in autosomal dominant aniridia by clinical, electrophysiologic and angiographic criteria. Am. J. Ophthalmol. 89, 531–539 (1980).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Beattie, P.H. A consideration of aniridia with a pedigree. Br. J. Ophthalmol. 31, 649–676 (1947).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  32. Kenyon, K.R. Mesenchymal dysgenesis in Peters anomaly, sclerocornea and congenital endothelial dystrophy. Exp. Eye Res. 21, 125–142 (1975).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Murray, J.C. et al. Linkage of Rieger syndrome to the region of the epidermal growth factor gene on chromosome 4. Nature Genet. 2, 46–49 (1992).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Heon, E. et al. Peters anomaly. The spectrum of associated ocular and systemic malformations. Ophthal. Paed. 13, 137–143 (1992).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Walter, M.A., Goodfellow, P.N. Disease and development. Nature 355, 590–591 (1992).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Asher, J.H., Morell, R. & Friedman, T.B. Waardenburg Syndrome (WS): the analysis of a single family with a WSI mutation chowlng linkage to RFLP markers on human chromosome 2q. Am. J. hum. Genet. 48, 43–52 (1991).

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  37. Tassabehji, M. et al. Mutations in the PAX3 gene causing Waardenburg syndrome type 1 and type 2. Nature Genet. 3, 26–29 (1993).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  38. Hill, R.E. & van Heyningen, V. Mouse mutations and human disorders are Paired. Trends Genet. 8, 119–120 (1992).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. Lichter, P. et al. High-resolution mapping of human chromosomes 11 by in situ hybridization with cosmid clones. Science 247, 64–69 (1990).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  40. Pinkel, D., Straume, T. & Gray, J.W. Cytogenetic analysis using quantitative, high sensitivity, fluorescence hybridization. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 83, 2934–2938 (1986).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Hanson, I., Fletcher, J., Jordan, T. et al. Mutations at the PAX6 locus are found in heterogeneous anterior segment malformations including Peters' anomaly. Nat Genet 6, 168–173 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1038/ng0294-168

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ng0294-168

This article is cited by

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