Brunner syndrome | |
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Other names | Monoamine oxidase A deficiency |
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This condition is inherited in an X-linked recessive manner. |
Brunner syndrome is a rare genetic disorder associated with a mutation in the MAOA gene. It is characterized by lower than average IQ (typically about 85), problematic impulsive behavior (such as pyromania, hypersexuality and violence), sleep disorders and mood swings. [1] [2] It was identified in fourteen males from one family in 1993. [1] [3] It has since been discovered in additional families. [4]
The following signs and symptoms occur in people with monoamine oxidase A deficiency, which causes Brunner syndrome: [5]
Brunner syndrome is caused by a monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) deficiency, which leads to an excess of monoamines in the brain, such as serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine (noradrenaline). In both mice and humans, a mutation was located on the eighth exon of the MAO-A gene, which created a dysfunctional MAO-A gene. [6] [7] The regular function of MAO-A, breaking down monoamines, is disrupted, and monoamines build up within the brain. Mice that lacked a functional MAO-A gene displayed higher levels of aggression, in comparison to mice with a functional MAO-A gene. [7]
No diagnostic method has been established yet.[ citation needed ]
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Brunner Syndrome was described in 1993 by H.G. Brunner and his colleagues upon the discovery of a particular genetic defect in male members of a large Dutch family. [6] Brunner found that all of the male family members with this defect reacted aggressively when angry, fearful, or frustrated. The defect discovered was later found to be a mutation in the gene that codes for monoamine oxidase A (MAOA gene). [6] Brunner said that an "MAO-A deficiency is associated with a recognizable behavioural phenotype that included disturbed regulation of impulsive aggression". [6]
A letter published by Hebebrand and Klug (1995) [8] criticized Brunner's findings for not using strict DSM criteria.
Brunner's findings have been used to argue that genetics, rather than decision-making processes, can cause criminal activity. [9] Evidence supporting the genetic defense stems from both Brunner's findings and a series of studies on mice. [10] To prove the correlation between MAO-A deficiency and aggression in courts, it is often contended that individuals cannot be held accountable for their genes, and as a result, should not be held responsible for their dispositions and resulting actions. [9] [10]
Monoamine oxidases (MAO) are a family of enzymes that catalyze the oxidation of monoamines, employing oxygen to clip off their amine group. They are found bound to the outer membrane of mitochondria in most cell types of the body. The first such enzyme was discovered in 1928 by Mary Bernheim in the liver and was named tyramine oxidase. The MAOs belong to the protein family of flavin-containing amine oxidoreductases.
Noonan syndrome (NS) is a genetic disorder that may present with mildly unusual facial features, short height, congenital heart disease, bleeding problems, and skeletal malformations. Facial features include widely spaced eyes, light-colored eyes, low-set ears, a short neck, and a small lower jaw. Heart problems may include pulmonary valve stenosis. The breast bone may either protrude or be sunken, while the spine may be abnormally curved. Intelligence is often normal. Complications of NS can include leukemia.
Stickler syndrome is a group of rare genetic disorders affecting connective tissue, specifically collagen. Stickler syndrome is a subtype of collagenopathy, types II and XI. Stickler syndrome is characterized by distinctive facial abnormalities, ocular problems, hearing loss, and joint and skeletal problems. It was first studied and characterized by Gunnar B. Stickler in 1965.
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ATP7A, also known as Menkes' protein (MNK), is a copper-transporting P-type ATPase which uses the energy arising from ATP hydrolysis to transport Cu(I) across cell membranes. The ATP7A protein is a transmembrane protein and is expressed in the intestine and all tissues except liver. In the intestine, ATP7A regulates Cu(I) absorption in the human body by transporting Cu(I) from the small intestine into the blood. In other tissues, ATP7A shuttles between the Golgi apparatus and the cell membrane to maintain proper Cu(I) concentrations in the cell and provides certain enzymes with Cu(I). The X-linked, inherited, lethal genetic disorder of the ATP7A gene causes Menkes disease, a copper deficiency resulting in early childhood death.
Monoamine oxidase A, also known as MAO-A, is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the MAOA gene. This gene is one of two neighboring gene family members that encode mitochondrial enzymes which catalyze the oxidative deamination of amines, such as dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin. A mutation of this gene results in Brunner syndrome. This gene has also been associated with a variety of other psychiatric disorders, including antisocial behavior. Alternatively spliced transcript variants encoding multiple isoforms have been observed.
Ectrodactyly–ectodermal dysplasia–cleft syndrome, or EEC, and also referred to as EEC syndrome and split hand–split foot–ectodermal dysplasia–cleft syndrome is a rare form of ectodermal dysplasia, an autosomal dominant disorder inherited as a genetic trait. EEC is characterized by the triad of ectrodactyly, ectodermal dysplasia, and facial clefts. Other features noted in association with EEC include vesicoureteral reflux, recurrent urinary tract infections, obstruction of the nasolacrimal duct, decreased pigmentation of the hair and skin, missing or abnormal teeth, enamel hypoplasia, absent punctae in the lower eyelids, photophobia, occasional cognitive impairment and kidney anomalies, and conductive hearing loss.
The field of psychology has been greatly influenced by the study of genetics. Decades of research have demonstrated that both genetic and environmental factors play a role in a variety of behaviors in humans and animals. The genetic basis of aggression, however, remains poorly understood. Aggression is a multi-dimensional concept, but it can be generally defined as behavior that inflicts pain or harm on another.
RAPADILINO syndrome is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by:
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Inositol polyphosphate 5-phosphatase OCRL-1, also known as Lowe oculocerebrorenal syndrome protein, is an enzyme encoded by the OCRL gene located on the X chromosome in humans.
Chromodomain-helicase-DNA-binding protein 7 is an ATP-dependent 'chromatin' or 'nucleosome' remodeling factor that in humans is encoded by the CHD7 gene.
Monoamine oxidase B, also known as MAO-B, is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the MAOB gene.
Gamma-sarcoglycan is a protein that in humans is encoded by the SGCG gene. The α to δ-sarcoglycans are expressed predominantly (β) or exclusively in striated muscle. A mutation in any of the sarcoglycan genes may lead to a secondary deficiency of the other sarcoglycan proteins, presumably due to destabilisation of the sarcoglycan complex. The disease-causing mutations in the α to δ genes cause disruptions within the dystrophin-associated protein (DAP) complex in the muscle cell membrane. The transmembrane components of the DAP complex link the cytoskeleton to the extracellular matrix in adult muscle fibres, and are essential for the preservation of the integrity of the muscle cell membrane.
Cytochrome c oxidase assembly protein COX15 homolog (COX15), also known as heme A synthase, is a protein that in humans is encoded by the COX15 gene. This protein localizes to the inner mitochondrial membrane and involved in heme A biosynthesis. COX15 is also part of a three-component mono-oxygenase that catalyses the hydroxylation of the methyl group at position eight of the protoheme molecule. Mutations in this gene has been reported in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy as well as Leigh syndrome, and characterized by delayed onset of symptoms, hypotonia, feeding difficulties, failure to thrive, motor regression, and brain stem signs.
Marshall syndrome is a genetic disorder of the connective tissue that can cause hearing loss. The three most common areas to be affected are the eyes, which are uncommonly large, joints and the mouth and facial structures. Marshall syndrome and Stickler syndrome closely resemble each other; in fact they are so similar, some say they are the same. The condition is named for D. Weber.
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Jean-Louis Mandel, born in Strasbourg on February 12, 1946, is a French medical doctor and geneticist, and heads a research team at the Institute of Genetics and Molecular and Cellular Biology (IGBMC). He has been in charge of the genetic diagnosis laboratory at the University Hospitals of Strasbourg since 1992, as well as a professor at the Collège de France since 2003.
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Xandra Owens Breakefield is an American neurologist who is a professor of neurology at the Harvard Medical School. Her research makes use of molecular genetics to understand the origins of inherited neurological diseases.