Low plasma cholesterol levels caused by a short deletion in the apolipoprotein B gene

Familial hypobetalipoproteinemia is a syndrome in which the plasma levels of apolipoprotein B (apo-B) and cholesterol are abnormally low. A truncated species of apo-B was identified in the plasma lipoproteins of members of a kindred with familial hypobetalipoproteinemia. DNA sequencing studies on genomic clones and enzymatically amplified genomic DNA samples revealed a four-base pair deletion in the apo-B gene. This short deletion, which results in a frameshift and a premature stop codon, accounts for the truncated apo-B species and explains the low apo-B and low cholesterol levels in this family.