Cardiovascular Division, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
sizumo@caregroup.harvard.edu
DiGeorge syndrome is the most frequent contiguous-gene deletion syndrome in humans, occurring with an estimated frequency of 1 in 4,000 live births. Extensive microdeletion mapping in a large number of affected individuals has failed to identify a single gene or a combination of genes commonly deleted. Two new studies implicate the transcription factor TBX1 as a key candidate gene for the aortic arch malformations seen in DGS, and are consistent with the concept that some congenital diseases are caused by a reduced dosage of genes that control development. However, a similar study focusing on the adaptor protein Crkol shows that other genes within the deleted regions might affect the same developmental pathways.
