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CDKN2A is the major melanoma susceptibility gene so far identified, but only 40% of three or more case families have identified mutations. A comparison of mutation detection rates was carried out by 'blind' exchange of samples across GenoMEL, the Melanoma Genetics Consortium, to establish the false negative detection rates. Denaturing high performance liquid chromatography (DHPLC) screening results from 451 samples were compared to screening data from nine research groups in which the initial mutation screen had been done predominantly by sequencing. Three samples with mutations identified at the local centres were not detected by the DHPLC screen. No additional mutations were detected by DHPLC. Mutation detection across groups within GenoMEL is carried out to a consistently high standard. The relatively low rate of CDKN2A mutation detection is not due to failure to detect mutations and implies the existence of other high penetrance melanoma susceptibility genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CDKN2A/p16INK4a is an essential tumor suppressor gene that controls cell cycle progression and replicative senescence. It is also the main melanoma susceptibility gene. Here we report that p16INK4a 5'UTR mRNA acts as a cellular Internal Ribosome Entry Site (IRES). The potential for p16INK4a 5'UTR to drive cap-independent translation was evaluated by dual-luciferase assays using bicistronic and monocistronic vectors. Results of reporters' relative activities coupled to control analyses for actual bicistronic mRNA transcription, indicated that the wild type p16INK4a 5'UTR could stimulate cap-independent translation. Notably, hypoxic stress and the treatment with mTOR inhibitors enhanced the translation-stimulating property of p16INK4a 5'UTR. RNA immunoprecipitation performed in melanoma-derived SK-Mel-28 and in a patient-derived lymphoblastoid cell line indicated that YBX1 can bind the wild type p16INK4a mRNA increasing its translation efficiency, particularly during hypoxic stress. Modulation of YBX1 expression further supported its involvement in cap-independent translation of the wild type p16INK4a but not a c.-42T>A variant. RNA SHAPE assays revealed local flexibility changes for the c.-42T>A variant at the predicted YBX1 binding site region. Our results indicate that p16INK4a 5'UTR contains a cellular IRES that can enhance mRNA translation efficiency, in part through YBX1.

Although CDKN2A is the most frequent high-risk melanoma susceptibility gene, the underlying genetic factors for most melanoma-prone families remain unknown. Using whole-exome sequencing, we identified a rare variant that arose as a founder mutation in the telomere shelterin gene POT1 (chromosome 7, g.124493086C>T; p.Ser270Asn) in five unrelated melanoma-prone families from Romagna, Italy. Carriers of this variant had increased telomere lengths and numbers of fragile telomeres, suggesting that this variant perturbs telomere maintenance. Two additional rare POT1 variants were identified in all cases sequenced in two separate Italian families, one variant per family, yielding a frequency for POT1 variants comparable to that for CDKN2A mutations in this population. These variants were not found in public databases or in 2,038 genotyped Italian controls. We also identified two rare recurrent POT1 variants in US and French familial melanoma cases. Our findings suggest that POT1 is a major susceptibility gene for familial melanoma in several populations.

Several variant forms of the melanocortin-1 receptor gene (MC1R) have been associated with red hair, fair skin and an increased risk for melanoma. Their involvement in melanoma susceptibility is apparently linked both to skin sensitivity and to non-pigmentary pathways. We investigated the frequency of the MC1R variants in the Italian region of Liguria, where the occurrence and penetrance of melanoma are low and primary susceptibility is characterized by prevalence of the CDKN2A c.301G>T [p.G101W] founder mutation. Additionally, we attempted to establish the frequency of the red hair/fair skin phenotype in our region. As predicted by anecdotal evidence, the frequency of red hair/phototype I was very low (0.7%). Screening of 17 red-haired individuals and their red-haired relatives, 207 controls and 214 melanoma patients unselected for hair color but all of Ligurian descent, led to the detection of 8 novel substitutions (c.133T>C [p.F45L], c.248C>T [p.S83L], c.332C>T [p. A111V], c.479G>A [p.R160Q], c.637C>T [p.R213W], c.793G>A [p. V265I], c.923C>T [p. T308M], c.943T>C [p.C315R]), 1 novel deletion (c.520_523delGTC [p.V174del]) and 3 novel synonymous variants (c.366G>C [p. V122V], c.684G>A [p. Q228Q], c.726C>T [p.T241T]). Preliminary genotype/phenotype correlation seems to indicate that other genes involved in the regulation of human pigmentation may mask the recessive action of high-penetrance MC1R alleles, thus determining the low frequency of at-risk phototypes and of incidence and/or penetrance of melanoma in Liguria., (Copyright 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.)

Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from seventeen patients with primary myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) in advanced stage were enriched for blasts and tested for (1) karyotype, (2) genomic configuration and (3) expression of IL-3, GM-CSF, FMS and EGR-1 genes which are all located on the long arm of chromosome 5. The expression of the M-CSF gene, that has been recently reassigned to the short arm of chromosome 1 (lp), was also investigated. Aims of the study were to (1) assess the potential role of the expression of these genes in the maintenance and expansion of the neoplastic clones and (2) search for constitutional losses or rearrangements of one allele followed by a deletion of the second allele of the same genes in the leukemic cells. The latter issue was investigated by comparing, in 8 cases, constitutive DNA from skin fibroblasts with leukemic DNA. Eleven of the 17 patients had abnormal karyotypes. The M-CSF gene was expressed in 6 cases and the FMS and the EGR-1 genes were expressed in 2 of the latter cases. An autocrine mechanism of growth could be hypothesized only for the 2 patients whose cells expressed both the M-CSF and FMS genes. No germline changes or rearrangements were observed in any of the genes studied. Thus, deregulation of genes encoding for certain hemopoietic growth factors or receptors does not seem to represent a major mechanism of MDS progression.

Preparations from various sources (human urines, mouse placenta and pregnant uterus extract, and fibroblast conditioned medium) were examined comparatively with affinity chromatography on Sepharose-Concanavalin A for the presence of Colony Stimulating Factor (CSF). The preparations from all sources constantly revealed two protein peaks: the proteins of the first peak, without Concanavalin A affinity, contained CSF in the material from pregnant uterus and fibroblast conditioned medium, while human urine preparation was devoid of CSF: the inhibitor of CFUc growth, detected and titrated in this peak, probably does not explain the lack of CFUc growth. The proteins from the second peak, specifically eluted with alpha-methyl D-glucopyranoside revealed CSF in all the examined preparations.