Int J Sports Med 2008; 29(3): 257-263
DOI: 10.1055/s-2007-965127
Genetics & Molecular Biology

© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

The COL12A1 and COL14A1 Genes and Achilles Tendon Injuries

A. V. September1 , M. Posthumus1 , L. van der Merwe2 , M. Schwellnus1 , T. D. Noakes1 , M. Collins1 , 3
  • 1UCT/MRC Research Unit for Exercise Science and Sports Medicine, Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
  • 2Biostatistics Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
  • 3Exercise Science and Sports Medicine Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
Further Information

Publication History

accepted after revision January 11, 2007

Publication Date:
25 October 2007 (online)

Abstract

Genes encoding for tenascin C and a subunit of type V collagen have previously been reported to be associated with Achilles tendon injuries. Types XII and XIV collagen may be involved in similar biological processes as these proteins in tendons. The aim of this study was therefore to test the association between polymorphisms within COL12A1 and COL14A1 and Achilles tendon injuries. Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis was used to identify the relative frequencies of two polymorphisms within each of the COL12A1 and COL14A1 genes within 137 subjects with clinical symptoms of Achilles tendon injuries, consisting of 93 with Achilles tendinopathy and 44 with Achilles tendon rupture, and 131 asymptomatic control subjects. No statistically significant differences were identified in the genotype, allele or haplotype distributions between the affected and control subjects. The findings from this study suggest that although COL12A1 and COL14A1 are involved in similar biological processes as TNC and COL5A1, the polymorphisms tested are not associated with clinical symptoms of Achilles tendon injury within the investigated population.

References

  • 1 Akutsu N, Milbury C M, Burgeson R E, Nishiyama T. Effect of type XII or XIV collagen NC‐3 domain on the human dermal fibroblast migration into reconstituted collagen gel.  Exp Dermatol. 1999;  8 17-21
  • 2 Ala-Kokko L. Genetic risk factors for lumbar disc disease.  Ann Med. 2002;  34 42-47
  • 3 Birk D E, Fitch J M, Babiarz J P, Doane K J, Linsenmayer T F. Collagen fibrillogenesis in vitro: interaction of types I and V collagen regulates fibril diameter.  J Cell Sci. 1990;  95 649-657
  • 4 Chiquet M. Regulation of extracellular matrix gene expression by mechanical stress.  Matrix Biol. 1999;  18 417-426
  • 5 Dublet B, van der Rest M. Type XIV collagen, a new homotrimeric molecule extracted from fetal bovine skin and tendon, with a triple helical disulfide-bonded domain homologous to type IX and type XII collagens.  J Biol Chem. 1991;  266 6853-6858
  • 6 Gerecke D R, Olson P F, Koch M, Knoll J H, Taylor R, Hudson D L, Champliaud M F, Olsen B R, Burgeson R E. Complete primary structure of two splice variants of collagen XII, and assignment of alpha 1(XII) collagen (COL12A1), alpha 1(IX) collagen (COL9A1), and alpha 1(XIX) collagen (COL19A1) to human chromosome 6q12-q13.  Genomics. 1997;  41 236-242
  • 7 Gordon M K, Gerecke D R, Olsen B R. Type XII collagen: distinct extracellular matrix component discovered by cDNA cloning.  Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 1987;  84 6040-6044
  • 8 Jarvinen T A, Jozsa L, Kannus P, Jarvinen T L, Hurme T, Kvist M, Pelto-Huikko M, Kalimo H, Jarvinen M. Mechanical loading regulates the expression of tenascin-C in the myotendinous junction and tendon but does not induce de novo synthesis in the skeletal muscle.  J Cell Sci. 2003;  116 857-866
  • 9 Jarvinen T A, Kannus P, Maffulli N, Khan K M. Achilles tendon disorders: etiology and epidemiology.  Foot Ankle Clin. 2005;  10 255-266
  • 10 Jones F S, Jones P L. The tenascin family of ECM glycoproteins: structure, function, and regulation during embryonic development and tissue remodeling.  Dev Dyn. 2000;  218 235-259
  • 11 Keene D R, Lunstrum G P, Morris N P, Stoddard D W, Burgeson R E. Two type XII-like collagens localize to the surface of banded collagen fibrils.  J Cell Biol. 1991;  113 971-978
  • 12 Kvist M. Achilles tendon injuries in athletes.  Sports Med. 1994;  18 173-201
  • 13 Lahiri K, Nurnberger J I. A rapid non-enzymatic method for the preparation of HMW DNA from blood for RFLP studies.  Nucleic Acids Res. 1991;  19 5444
  • 14 Mazzone M F, McCue T. Common conditions of the Achilles tendon.  Am Fam Physician. 2002;  65 1805-1810
  • 15 Mokone G G, Gajjar M, September A V, Schwellnus M P, Greenberg J, Noakes T D, Collins M. The Guanine-thymine dinucleotide repeat polymorphism within the tenascin-C gene is associated with Achilles tendon injuries.  Am J Sports Med. 2005;  33 1016-1021
  • 16 Mokone G G, Schwellnus M P, Noakes T D, Collins M. The COL5A1 gene and Achilles tendon pathology.  Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2006;  16 19-26
  • 17 Nishiyama T, McDonough A M, Bruns R R, Burgeson R E. Type XII and XIV collagens mediate interactions between banded collagen fibers in vitro and may modulate extracellular matrix deformability.  J Biol Chem. 1994;  269 28193-28199
  • 18 Rich S S. Mapping genes in diabetes. Genetic epidemiological perspective.  Diabetes. 1990;  39 1315-1319
  • 19 Riley G. The pathogenesis of tendinopathy. A molecular perspective.  Rheumatology. 2004;  43 131-142
  • 20 Risch N. The genetic epidemiology of cancer: interpreting family and twin studies and their implications for molecular genetic approaches.  Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2001;  10 733-741
  • 21 Schnittger S, Herbst H, Schuppan D, Dannenberg C, Bauer M, Fonatsch C. Localization of the undulin gene (UND) to human chromosome band 8q23.  Cytogenet Cell Genet. 1995;  68 233-234
  • 22 Schuppan D, Cantaluppi M C, Becker J, Veit A, Bunte T, Troyer D, Schuppan F, Schmid M, Ackermann R, Hahn E G. Undulin, an extracellular matrix glycoprotein associated with collagen fibrils.  J Biol Chem. 1990;  265 8823-8832
  • 23 September A V, Mokone G G, Schwellnus M P, Collins M. Genetic risk factors for Achilles tendon injuries.  International SportMed Journal. 2006;  7 201-215
  • 24 Shaw L M, Olsen B R. FACIT collagens: diverse molecular bridges in extracellular matrices.  Trends Biochem Sci. 1991;  16 191-194
  • 25 Thomopoulos S, Hattersley G, Rosen V, Mertens M, Galatz L, Williams G R, Soslowsky L J. The localized expression of extracellular matrix components in healing tendon insertion sites: an in situ hybridization study.  J Orthop Res. 2002;  20 454-463
  • 26 Todd J A. Human genetics. Tackling common disease.  Nature. 2001;  411 537-539
  • 27 Walchli C, Koch M, Chiquet M, Odermatt B F, Trueb B. Tissue-specific expression of the fibril-associated collagens XII and XIV.  J Cell Sci. 1994;  107 (Pt 2) 669-681
  • 28 Watt S L, Lunstrum G P, McDonough A M, Keene D R, Burgeson R E, Morris N P. Characterization of collagen types XII and XIV from fetal bovine cartilage.  J Biol Chem. 1992;  267 20093-20099
  • 29 Young B B, Zhang G, Koch M, Birk D E. The roles of types XII and XIV collagen in fibrillogenesis and matrix assembly in the developing cornea.  J Cell Biochem. 2002;  87 208-220
  • 30 Zhang G, Young B B, Birk D E. Differential expression of type XII collagen in developing chicken metatarsal tendons.  J Anat. 2003;  202 411-420

Dr. PhD Malcolm Collins

Exercise Science and Sports Medicine Research Unit South African Medical Research Council

PO Box 115

Newlands 7725

South Africa

Fax: + 27 216 86 75 30

Email: malcolm.collins@mrc.ac.za

    >