Skip to main content
Log in

Mutations in PCSK9 cause autosomal dominant hypercholesterolemia

  • Brief Communication
  • Published:

From Nature Genetics

View current issue Submit your manuscript

Abstract

Autosomal dominant hypercholesterolemia (ADH; OMIM144400), a risk factor for coronary heart disease, is characterized by an increase in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels that is associated with mutations in the genes LDLR (encoding low-density lipoprotein receptor) or APOB (encoding apolipoprotein B). We mapped a third locus associated with ADH, HCHOLA3 at 1p32, and now report two mutations in the gene PCSK9 (encoding proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9) that cause ADH. PCSK9 encodes NARC-1 (neural apoptosis regulated convertase), a newly identified human subtilase that is highly expressed in the liver and contributes to cholesterol homeostasis.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Figure 1: Pedigree of family HC92 and genetic analysis with markers spanning the 1p34.1–p32 region.
Figure 2: Genetic analysis and mutation detection in families HC92 and HC60.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Varret, M. et al. Am. J. Hum. Genet. 64, 1378–1387 (1999).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Hunt, S.C. et al. Arterioscler. Thromb. Vasc. Biol. 20, 1089–1093 (2000).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Seidah, N.G. et al. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 100, 928–933 (2003).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Brown, M.S. & Goldstein, J.L. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 96, 11041–11048 (1999).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Elagoz, A., Benjannet, S., Mammarbassi, A., Wickham, L. & Seidah N.G. J. Biol. Chem. 277, 11265–11275 (2002).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Ruoslahti, E. Annu. Rev. Cell. Dev. Biol. 12, 697–715 (1996).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We are indebted to the family members for their cooperation and to C. Mugnier for expert assistance in computing the statistics. This work was supported by grants from Progrès-Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Pfizer, Fondation de France, Comité Français de Coordination des Recherches sur l'Athérosclérose et le Cholestérol and Canadian Research grants (to N.G.S.). M.A. was supported by grants from Société Française d'Athérosclérose, Comité Français de Coordination des Recherches sur l'Athérosclérose et le Cholestérol, Fondation de la Recherche Médicale, Université René Descartes, Conseil de Recherche de l'Université Saint-Joseph. M.V. was supported by a grant from Société Française d'Athérosclérose and Pfizer. L.V. and D.A. were supported by grants from Ministère de l'Education Nationale de la Recherche et de la Technologie.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Catherine Boileau.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing financial interests.

Supplementary information

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Abifadel, M., Varret, M., Rabès, JP. et al. Mutations in PCSK9 cause autosomal dominant hypercholesterolemia. Nat Genet 34, 154–156 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1038/ng1161

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ng1161

  • Springer Nature America, Inc.

This article is cited by

Navigation