Prevention of premature fusion of calvarial suture in GLI-Kruppel family member 3 (Gli3)-deficient mice by removing one allele of Runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2).

Mutations in the gene encoding the zinc finger transcription factor GLI3 (GLI-Kruppel family member 3) have been identified in patients with Grieg cephalopolysyndactyly syndrome in which premature fusion of calvarial suture (craniosynostosis) is an infrequent but important feature. Here, we show that Gli3 acts as a repressor in the developing murine calvaria and that Dlx5, Runx2 type II isoform (Runx2-II), and Bmp2 are expressed ectopically in the calvarial mesenchyme, which results in aberrant osteoblastic differentiation in Gli3-deficient mouse (Gli3(Xt-J/Xt-J)) and resulted in craniosynostosis. At the same time, enhanced activation of phospho-Smad1/5/8 (pSmad1/5/8), which is a downstream mediator of canonical Bmp signaling, was observed in Gli3(Xt-J/Xt-J) embryonic calvaria. Therefore, we generated Gli3;Runx2 compound mutant mice to study the effects of decreasing Runx2 dosage in a Gli3(Xt-J/Xt-J) background. Gli3(Xt-J/Xt-J) Runx2(+/-) mice have neither craniosynostosis nor additional ossification centers in interfrontal suture and displayed a normalization of Dlx5, Runx2-II, and pSmad1/5/8 expression as well as sutural mesenchymal cell proliferation. These findings suggest a novel role for Gli3 in regulating calvarial suture development by controlling canonical Bmp-Smad signaling, which integrates a Dlx5/Runx2-II cascade. We propose that targeting Runx2 might provide an attractive way of preventing craniosynostosis in patients.

Noggin null allele mice exhibit a microform of holoprosencephaly.

Holoprosencephaly (HPE) is a heterogeneous craniofacial and neural developmental anomaly characterized in its most severe form by the failure of the forebrain to divide. In humans, HPE is associated with disruption of Sonic hedgehog and Nodal signaling pathways, but the role of other signaling pathways has not yet been determined. In this study, we analyzed mice which, due to the lack of the Bmp antagonist Noggin, exhibit elevated Bmp signaling. Noggin(-/-) mice exhibited a solitary median maxillary incisor that developed from a single dental placode, early midfacial narrowing as well as abnormalities in the developing hyoid bone, pituitary gland and vomeronasal organ. In Noggin(-/-) mice, the expression domains of Shh, as well as the Shh target genes Ptch1 and Gli1, were reduced in the frontonasal region at key stages of early facial development. Using E10.5 facial cultures, we show that excessive BMP4 results in reduced Fgf8 and Ptch1 expression. These data suggest that increased Bmp signaling in Noggin(-/-) mice results in downregulation of the hedgehog pathway at a critical stage when the midline craniofacial structures are developing, which leads to a phenotype consistent with a microform of HPE.

RAB23 regulates musculoskeletal development and patterning.

RAB23 is a small GTPase which functions at the plasma membrane to regulate growth factor signaling. Mutations in RAB23 cause Carpenter syndrome, a condition that affects normal organogenesis and patterning. In this study, we investigate the role of RAB23 in musculoskeletal development and show that it is required for patella bone formation and for the maintenance of tendon progenitors. The patella is the largest sesamoid bone in mammals and plays a critical role during movement by providing structural and mechanical support to the knee. Rab23 -/- mice fail to form a patella and normal knee joint. The patella is formed from Sox9 and scleraxis (Scx) double-positive chondroprogenitor cells. We show that RAB23 is required for the specification of SOX9 and scleraxis double-positive patella chondroprogenitors during the formation of patella anlagen and the subsequent establishment of patellofemoral joint. We find that scleraxis and SOX9 expression are disrupted in Rab23 -/- mice, and as a result, development of the quadriceps tendons, cruciate ligaments, patella tendons, and entheses is either abnormal or lost. TGFß-BMP signaling is known to regulate patella initiation and patella progenitor differentiation and growth. We find that the expression of TGFßR2, BMPR1, BMP4, and pSmad are barely detectable in the future patella site and in the rudimentary tendons and ligaments around the patellofemoral joint in Rab23 -/- mice. Also, we show that GLI1, SOX9, and scleraxis, which regulate entheses establishment and maturation, are weakly expressed in Rab23 -/- mice. Further analysis of the skeletal phenotype of Rab23 -/- mice showed a close resemblance to that of Tgfß2 -/- mice, highlighting a possible role for RAB23 in regulating TGFß superfamily signaling.

Lunapark deficiency leads to an autosomal recessive neurodevelopmental phenotype with a degenerative course, epilepsy and distinct brain anomalies.

LNPK encodes a conserved membrane protein that stabilizes the junctions of the tubular endoplasmic reticulum network playing crucial roles in diverse biological functions. Recently, homozygous variants in LNPK were shown to cause a neurodevelopmental disorder (OMIM#618090) in four patients displaying developmental delay, epilepsy and nonspecific brain malformations including corpus callosum hypoplasia and variable impairment of cerebellum. We sought to delineate the molecular and phenotypic spectrum of LNPK-related disorder. Exome or genome sequencing was carried out in 11 families. Thorough clinical and neuroradiological evaluation was performed for all the affected individuals, including review of previously reported patients. We identified 12 distinct homozygous loss-of-function variants in 16 individuals presenting with moderate to profound developmental delay, cognitive impairment, regression, refractory epilepsy and a recognizable neuroimaging pattern consisting of corpus callosum hypoplasia and signal alterations of the forceps minor ('ear-of-the-lynx' sign), variably associated with substantia nigra signal alterations, mild brain atrophy, short midbrain and cerebellar hypoplasia/atrophy. In summary, we define the core phenotype of LNPK-related disorder and expand the list of neurological disorders presenting with the 'ear-of-the-lynx' sign suggesting a possible common underlying mechanism related to endoplasmic reticulum-phagy dysfunction.

Next-generation sequencing in childhood-onset epilepsies: Diagnostic yield and impact on neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis type 2 (CLN2) disease diagnosis.

Epilepsy is one of the most common childhood-onset neurological conditions with a genetic etiology. Genetic diagnosis provides potential for etiologically-based management and treatment. Existing research has focused on early-onset (<24 months) epilepsies; data regarding later-onset epilepsies is limited. The goal of this study was to determine the diagnostic yield of a clinically available epilepsy panel in a selected pediatric epilepsy cohort with epilepsy onset between 24-60 months of life and evaluate whether this approach decreases the age of diagnosis of neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis type 2 (CLN2). Next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based epilepsy panels, including genes associated with epileptic encephalopathies and inborn errors of metabolism (IEMs) that present with epilepsy, were used. Copy-number variant (CNV) detection from NGS data was included. Variant interpretation was performed per American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) guidelines. Results are reported from 211 consecutive patients with the following inclusion criteria: 24-60 months of age at the time of enrollment, first unprovoked seizure at/after 24 months, and at least one additional finding such as EEG/MRI abnormalities, speech delay, or motor symptoms. Median age was 42 months at testing and 30 months at first seizure onset; the mean delay from first seizure to comprehensive genetic testing was 10.3 months. A genetic diagnosis was established in 43 patients (20.4%). CNVs were reported in 25.6% diagnosed patients; 27.3% of CNVs identified were intragenic. Within the diagnosed cohort, 11 (25.6%) patients were diagnosed with an IEM. The predominant molecular diagnosis was CLN2 (14% of diagnosed patients). For these patients, diagnosis was achieved 12-24 months earlier than reported by natural history of the disease. This study supports comprehensive genetic testing for patients whose first seizure occurs ≥ 24 months of age. It also supports early application of testing in this age group, as the identified diagnoses can have significant impact on patient management and outcome.

A high-density association screen of 155 ion transport genes for involvement with common migraine.

The clinical overlap between monogenic Familial Hemiplegic Migraine (FHM) and common migraine subtypes, and the fact that all three FHM genes are involved in the transport of ions, suggest that ion transport genes may underlie susceptibility to common forms of migraine. To test this leading hypothesis, we examined common variation in 155 ion transport genes using 5257 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in a Finnish sample of 841 unrelated migraine with aura cases and 884 unrelated non-migraine controls. The top signals were then tested for replication in four independent migraine case-control samples from the Netherlands, Germany and Australia, totalling 2835 unrelated migraine cases and 2740 unrelated controls. SNPs within 12 genes (KCNB2, KCNQ3, CLIC5, ATP2C2, CACNA1E, CACNB2, KCNE2, KCNK12, KCNK2, KCNS3, SCN5A and SCN9A) with promising nominal association (0.00041 < P < 0.005) in the Finnish sample were selected for replication. Although no variant remained significant after adjusting for multiple testing nor produced consistent evidence for association across all cohorts, a significant epistatic interaction between KCNB2 SNP rs1431656 (chromosome 8q13.3) and CACNB2 SNP rs7076100 (chromosome 10p12.33) (pointwise P = 0.00002; global P = 0.02) was observed in the Finnish case-control sample. We conclude that common variants of moderate effect size in ion transport genes do not play a major role in susceptibility to common migraine within these European populations, although there is some evidence for epistatic interaction between potassium and calcium channel genes, KCNB2 and CACNB2. Multiple rare variants or trans-regulatory elements of these genes are not ruled out.

Functional interaction of AIRE with PIAS1 in transcriptional regulation.

AIRE (autoimmune regulator) promotes the establishment of self-tolerance by regulating gene expression in the thymus. Mutations in AIRE lead to an autoimmune disease, APECED. Here we have identified PIAS proteins as novel AIRE interaction partners. Although PIAS proteins function as E3 SUMO ligases, AIRE is not sumoylated. We expressed AIRE, wt PIAS1, and PIAS1 mutants with deleted SP-RING domain or SUMO interaction motif (SIM) in different cell lines and demonstrate that AIRE and PIAS1 localize to adjacent nuclear bodies (NBs). The expression of AIRE enhances the formation of PIAS1 NBs. The ability of PIAS1 to localize into NBs and interconnect with AIRE is neither dependent on the SP-RING domain nor the SIM. Further, we show that PIAS1 is able to attract AIRE into SUMO1-containing complexes and that the process is dependent on the SIM of PIAS1. PIAS1 and AIRE concurrently activate the human insulin promoter, a known target gene of AIRE, and the SP-RING is required for this activation. Moreover, AIRE represses and PIAS1 activates the CSTB promoter, used as a model for a housekeeping promoter, and both the SP-RING and SIM are needed for its activation by PIAS1. Collectively, our data suggest that AIRE and PIAS1 interact functionally to regulate the activities of the target genes of AIRE.

Cystatin B: mutation detection, alternative splicing and expression in progressive myclonus epilepsy of Unverricht-Lundborg type (EPM1) patients.

Progressive myoclonus epilepsy of Unverricht-Lundborg type (EPM1) is an autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disorder caused by mutations in the cystatin B gene (CSTB) that encodes an inhibitor of several lysosomal cathepsins. An unstable expansion of a dodecamer repeat in the CSTB promoter accounts for the majority of EPM1 disease alleles worldwide. We here describe a novel PCR protocol for detection of the dodecamer repeat expansion. We describe two novel EPM1-associated mutations, c.149G > A leading to the p.G50E missense change and an intronic 18-bp deletion (c.168+1_18del), which affects splicing of CSTB. The p.G50E mutation that affects the conserved QVVAG amino acid sequence critical for cathepsin binding fails to associate with lysosomes. This further supports the previously implicated physiological importance of the CSTB-lysosome association. Expression of CSTB mRNA and protein was markedly reduced in lymphoblastoid cells of the patients irrespective of the mutation type. Patients homozygous for the dodecamer expansion mutation showed 5-10% expression compared to controls. By combining database searches with RT-PCR we identified several alternatively spliced CSTB isoforms. One of these, CSTB2, was also present in mouse and was analyzed in more detail. In real-time PCR quantification, CSTB2 expression was less than 5% of total CSTB expression in all human adult and fetal tissues analyzed. In patients homozygous for the minisatellite mutation, the level of CSTB2 was reduced similarly to that of CSTB implicating regulation from the same promoter. The physiological significance of CSTB2 remains to be determined.

Loss of lysosomal association of cystatin B proteins representing progressive myoclonus epilepsy, EPM1, mutations.

Loss-of-function mutations in the cystatin B (CSTB), a cysteine protease inhibitor, gene underlie progressive myoclonus epilepsy of Unverricht-Lundborg type (EPM1), characterized by myoclonic and tonic-clonic seizures, ataxia and a progressive course. A minisatellite repeat expansion in the promoter region of the CSTB gene is the most common mutation in EPM1 patients and leads to reduced mRNA levels. Seven other mutations altering the structure of CSTB, or predicting altered splicing, have been described. Using a novel monoclonal CSTB antibody and organelle-specific markers in human primary myoblasts, we show here that endogenous CSTB localizes not only to the nucleus and cytoplasm but also associates with lysosomes. Upon differentiation to myotubes, CSTB becomes excluded from the nucleus and lysosomes, suggesting that the subcellular distribution of CSTB is dependent on the differentiation status of the cell. Four patient mutations altering the CSTB polypeptide were transiently expressed in BHK-21 cells. The p.Lys73fsX2-truncated mutant protein shows diffuse cytoplasmic and nuclear distribution, whereas p.Arg68X is rapidly degraded. Two missense mutations, the previously described p.Gly4Arg affecting the highly conserved glycine, critical for cathepsin binding, and a novel mutation, p.Gln71Pro, fail to associate with lysosomes. These data imply an important lysosome-associated physiological function for CSTB and suggest that loss of this association contributes to the molecular pathogenesis of EPM1.

Genome-wide association study of migraine implicates a common susceptibility variant on 8q22.1.

Migraine is a common episodic neurological disorder, typically presenting with recurrent attacks of severe headache and autonomic dysfunction. Apart from rare monogenic subtypes, no genetic or molecular markers for migraine have been convincingly established. We identified the minor allele of rs1835740 on chromosome 8q22.1 to be associated with migraine (P = 5.38 × 10⁻9, odds ratio = 1.23, 95% CI 1.150-1.324) in a genome-wide association study of 2,731 migraine cases ascertained from three European headache clinics and 10,747 population-matched controls. The association was replicated in 3,202 cases and 40,062 controls for an overall meta-analysis P value of 1.69 × 10⁻¹¹ (odds ratio = 1.18, 95% CI 1.127-1.244). rs1835740 is located between MTDH (astrocyte elevated gene 1, also known as AEG-1) and PGCP (encoding plasma glutamate carboxypeptidase). In an expression quantitative trait study in lymphoblastoid cell lines, transcript levels of the MTDH were found to have a significant correlation to rs1835740 (P = 3.96 × 10⁻5, permuted threshold for genome-wide significance 7.7 × 10⁻5. To our knowledge, our data establish rs1835740 as the first genetic risk factor for migraine.