A novel XPA gene mutation and its functional analysis in a Japanese patient with xeroderma pigmentosum group A

Most Japanese patients with xeroderma pigmentosum group A (XPA) have the homozygous intron 3 splicing mutations (AlwNI mutation). Here, we report a Japanese XPA patient, XP79KO, a compound heterozygote with a newly identified T to G transversion at splice donor site in intron 1 in one allele, and with the AlwNI mutation in another allele in the XPA gene. The mutation in intron 1 creates two new abnormal splice sites that resulted in two types of aberrant mRNA. These abnormal splicings cause frameshifts that make stop codons downstream. No XPA protein was detected in XP79KO fibroblasts.