Demonstration of the heterozygous state for I-cell disease and pseudo-Hurler polydystrophy by assay of N-acetylglucosaminylphosphotransferase in white blood cells and fibroblasts

A. Varki, M. L. Reitman, A. Vannier, S. Kornfeld, J. H. Grubb, W. S. Sly

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

30 Scopus citations

Abstract

The biochemical abnormalities of I-cell disease (mucolipidosis II) and pseudo-Hurler polydystrophy (mucolipidosis III) can be explained by a deficiency of the enzyme UDP-N-acetylglucosamine:lysosomal enzyme N-acetylglucosamine-1-phosphotransferase. The authors demonstrate here that obligate heterozygotes for these autosomal recessive diseases have intermediate levels of this enzymatic activity in homogenates of peripheral blood white cells and in extracts from cultured fibroblasts. This finding provides further evidence that the enzyme deficiency is the primary genetic defect in these diseases. In addition, the previous observation that obligate heterozygotes for mucolipidosis III have elevations of total serum β-hexosaminidase outside the range of normal was confirmed. In studies of three pedigrees of patients with mucolipidosis III, these techniques were used to score individuals at risk for the carrier state.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)717-729
Number of pages13
JournalAmerican journal of human genetics
Volume34
Issue number5
StatePublished - Dec 4 1982

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