Journal article

Publication year: 2006

Pages: 83-89

Journal: Immunology

Volume number: 119

Issue number: 1

ISSN: 0019-2805

eISSN: 1365-2567

Open access status: Green

DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2567.2006.02408.x

Publisher: Wiley

Abstract: 
The neonatal Fc receptor, FcRn, plays a central role in immunoglobulin G (IgG) transport across placental barriers. Genetic variations of FcRn-dependent transport across the placenta may influence antibody-mediated pathologies of the fetus and the newborn. Sequencing analysis of 20 unrelated individuals demonstrated no missense mutation within the five exons of the FcRn gene. However, a variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR) region within the FcRn promoter was observed, consisting of five different alleles (VNTR1-VNTR5). Alleles with two (VNTR2) and three (VNTR3) repeats were found to be most common in Caucasians (7.5 and 92.0%, respectively). Real-time polymerase chain reaction revealed that monocytes from VNTR3 homozygous individuals express 1.66-fold more FcRn transcript than do monocytes from VNTR2/VNTR3 heterozygous individuals (P = 0.002). In reporter plasmid assays, the VNTR3 allele supported the transcription of a reporter gene twice as effectively as did the VNTR2 allele (P = 0.003). Finally, under acidic conditions, monocytes from VNTR3 homozygous individuals showed an increased binding to polyvalent human IgG when compared with monocytes from VNTR2/VNTR3 heterozygous individuals (P = 0.021). These data indicate that a VNTR promoter polymorphism influences the expression of the FcRn receptor, leading to different IgG-binding capacities.

Harvard Citation style: Sachs, U., Socher, I., Braeunlich, C., Kroll, H., Bein, G. and Santoso, S. (2006) A variable number of tandem repeats polymorphism influences the transcriptional activity of the neonatal Fc receptor α-chain promoter, Immunology, 119(1), pp. 83-89. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2567.2006.02408.x

APA Citation style: Sachs, U., Socher, I., Braeunlich, C., Kroll, H., Bein, G., & Santoso, S. (2006). A variable number of tandem repeats polymorphism influences the transcriptional activity of the neonatal Fc receptor α-chain promoter. Immunology. 119(1), 83-89. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2567.2006.02408.x