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A Highly Polymorphic Poly‐Glutamine Stretch in the Potassium Channel KCNN3 in Migraine
Author(s) -
Mössner Rainald,
Weichselbaum Annette,
Marziniak Martin,
Freitag Christine M,
Lesch KlausPeter,
Sommer Claudia,
Meyer Jobst
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
headache: the journal of head and face pain
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.14
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1526-4610
pISSN - 0017-8748
DOI - 10.1111/j.1526-4610.2005.05027.x
Subject(s) - familial hemiplegic migraine , migraine , aura , migraine with aura , candidate gene , allele , medicine , etiology , genetics , neuroscience , bioinformatics , gene , biology
Objective.—The present study is designed to further elucidate the molecular genetic basis of migraine with and without aura. Background.—Migraine is a common disease of as yet unknown etiology. Interest in ion channels in migraine has been spurred by molecular genetic findings in familial hemiplegic migraine, since familial hemiplegic migraine type 1 is caused by mutations in the calcium channel gene CACNA1A. Methods.—Given this role of ion channels in migraine, we assessed the potassium channel KCNN3 as a candidate gene for common migraine. We analyzed the highly polymorphic repeat region coding for a poly‐glutamine stretch, which constitutes part of the cytoplasmic tail of the channel protein. Results.—We found an excess of the allele coding for 15 poly‐glutamines in migraine patients. Conclusions.—The potassium channel KCNN3 may thus be of pathophysiological importance in migraine with and without aura.