Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 22, 2026

In Vivo Functional Study of Disease-associated Rare Human Variants Using Drosophila
Published on: August 20, 2019
A novel silent beta-thalassemia mutation in the distal CACCC box affects the binding and responsiveness to EKLF
Paolo Moi1, Valeria Faà, Maria Giuseppina Marini
1Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche e Biotecnologie, Universita' di Cagliari.
Abstract:
The silent beta-thalassemia mutation, beta(+)-101C-->T, is the only mutation currently described in the distal beta-globin CACCC box. We present a novel mutation, a C-->G transversion, in the same position. Expression analysis in heterozygous subjects demonstrated that the mutation determines a 20% reduction in the output of the beta-globin gene. DNA-protein interaction and transactivation analysis correlated the decrease in the beta-globin synthesis with the reduced binding and transactivation of EKLF to the mutant promoter. These data predict that the beta-101C-->G mutation will display a silent thalassemia phenotype similar to that of the beta-101C-->T mutation.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Alternative RNA Splicing
There are five types of alternative RNA splicing that vary in the ways the pre-mRNA segments are removed or retained in the mature mRNA. The first...
Translation
Translation is the process of synthesizing proteins from the genetic information carried by messenger RNA (mRNA). Following transcription, it constitutes the final step in the expression of genes. This process is carried out by ribosomes, complexes of protein and specialized RNA molecules. Ribosomes, transfer RNA (tRNA), and other proteins produce a chain of amino acids—the polypeptide—as the end product of translation.
Translation Produces the Building Blocks of Life
Translation
Translation is the process of synthesizing proteins from the genetic information carried by messenger RNA (mRNA). Following transcription, it constitutes the final step in the expression of genes. This process is carried out by ribosomes, complexes of protein and specialized RNA molecules. Ribosomes, transfer RNA (tRNA), and other proteins produce a chain of amino acids—the polypeptide—as the end product of translation.
Translation Produces the Building Blocks of Life
Mutations
Pharmacogenetics of Drug Targets: β₂-Adrenergic Receptors, Apo E, Thymidylate Synthase
Lethal Alleles
Lucien Cuénot discovered lethal alleles in 1905 while studying the inheritance of coat color in mice. The agouti gene is responsible for the color of the coat in mice. This gene codes for an agouti-signaling protein, which is responsible for melanin distribution in mammals. The wild-type allele gives rise to gray-brown coat color in mice, while the mutant allele gives rise to yellow coat color. In addition to coat color, the agouti gene is associated with the yellow...

