Lethal osteogenesis imperfecta resulting from a single nucleotide change in one human pro alpha 1(I) collagen allele

We have characterized a mutation in a pro alpha 1(I) procollagen gene (COL1A1) that results in lethal (type II) osteogenesis imperfecta. The mutation is a single base change that results in a cysteine-for-glycine substitution at position 988 of the triple-helical portion of half of the alpha 1(I) chains of type I collagen. The mutation thus disrupts the (Gly-Xaa-Yaa)n pattern necessary for triple-helix formation, where Xaa and Yaa are other amino acids. These experiments establish the minimal mutation in a type I collagen gene capable of producing lethal disease, and the lethality demonstrates a selective mechanism for the stringent maintenance of the collagen gene structure.