Characterisation of human patched germ line mutations in naevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome

Mutations in the human patched gene have recently been detected in patients with naevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome. We have characterised a further 5 novel germ line mutations in patients presenting with multiple odontogenic keratocysts. Four mutations cause premature stop codons and one mutation results in an amino-acid substitution towards the carboxyl terminus of the predicted patched protein. No obvious genotype-phenotype correlations could be interpreted, consistent with previous studies.