Purpose: A mutation in the PAX6 gene is thought to be the genetic cause of aniridia. Here we search for PAX6 gene mutations in Indian aniridia patients.
Methods: We amplified the coding exons of the PAX6 gene from the genomic DNA of 15 unrelated aniridia patients using polymerase chain reaction technology. We then performed single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis and heteroduplex analysis to search for sequence variants.
Results: Sequencing of shifted bands in two patients revealed PAX6 gene mutations. One of these was a novel mutation, 1180insA, located in exon 10 at the start of the PST domain. The other mutation, 1080C->T (R240X), located in exon 9 within the homeodomain, and is another example of the most commonly reported PAX6 mutation.
Conclusions: Although PAX6 gene mutations and polymorphisms have been reported from various ethnic groups, we report for the first time the identification of PAX6 gene mutations in Indian aniridia patients.