Validity of the Short Weekly Calendar Planning Activity in patients with Parkinson disease and nonmanifesting LRRK2 and GBA carriers.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Subtle executive dysfunction is common in people newly diagnosed with Parkinson disease (PD), even when general cognitive abilities are intact. This study examined the Short Weekly Calendar Planning Activity (WCPA-10)'s known-group construct validity, comparing persons with PD to healthy controls (HCs) and nonmanifesting carriers of LRRK2 and GBA gene mutations to HCs. Additionally, convergent and ecological validity was examined. METHODS: The study included 73 participants: 22 with idiopathic PD (iPD) who do not carry any of the founder GBA mutations or LRRK2-G2019S, 29 nonmanifesting carriers of the G2019S-LRRK2 (n = 14) and GBA (n = 15) mutations, and 22 HCs. Known-group validity was determined using the WCPA-10, convergent validity by also using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and Color Trails Test (CTT), and ecological validity by using the WCPA-10, Schwab and England Activities of Daily Living Scale (SE ADL), and Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly (PASE). RESULTS: Known-group validity of the WCPA-10 was established for the iPD group only; they followed fewer rules (p = 0.020), were slower (p = 0.003) and less efficient (p = 0.001), used more strategies (p = 0.017) on the WCPA-10, and achieved significantly lower CTT scores (p < 0.001) than the HCs. The nonmanifesting carriers and HCs were similar on all cognitive tests. Convergent and ecological validity of the WCPA-10 were partially established, with few correlations between WCPA-10 outcome measures and the MoCA (r = 0.50, r = 0.41), CTT-2 (r = 0.43), SE ADL (r = 0.41), and PASE (r = 0.54, r = 0.46, r = 0.31). CONCLUSIONS: This study affirms the known-group validity for most (four) WCPA-10 scores and partially confirms its convergent and ecological validity for PD.

Novel variants in genes related to vesicle-mediated-transport modify Parkinson's disease risk.

OBJECTIVES: VPS35 and VPS13 have been associated with Parkinson's disease (PD), and their shared phenotype in yeast when reduced in function is abnormal vacuolar transport. We aim to test if additional potentially deleterious variants in other genes that share this phenotype can modify the risk for PD. METHODS: 77 VPS and VPS-related genes were analyzed using whole-genome-sequencing data from 202 PD patients of Ashkenazi Jewish (AJ) ancestry. Filtering was done based on quality and functionality scores. Ten variants in nine genes were further genotyped in 1200 consecutively recruited unrelated AJ-PD patients, and allele frequencies and odds ratio calculated compared to gnomAD-AJ-non-neuro database, in un-stratified (n = 1200) and stratified manner (LRRK2-G2019S-PD patients (n = 145), GBA-PD patients (n = 235), and non-carriers of these mutations (NC, n = 787)). RESULTS: Five variants in PIK3C3, VPS11, AP1G2, HGS and VPS13D were significantly associated with PD-risk. PIK3C3-R768W showed a significant association in an un-stratified (all PDs) analysis, as well as in stratified (LRRK2, GBA, and NC) analyses (Odds ratios = 2.71, 5.32, 3.26. and 2.19 with p = 0.0015, 0.002, 0.0287, and 0.0447, respectively). AP1G2-R563W was significantly associated in LRRK2-carriers (OR = 3.69, p = 0.006) while VPS13D-D2932N was significantly associated in GBA-carriers (OR = 5.45, p = 0.0027). VPS11-C846G and HGS-S243Y were significantly associated in NC (OR = 2.48 and 2.06, with p = 0.022 and 0.0163, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Variants in genes involved in vesicle-mediated protein transport and recycling pathways, including autophagy and mitophagy, may differentially modify PD-risk in LRRK2-carriers, GBA carriers, or NC. Specifically, PIK3C3-R768W is a PD-risk allele, with the highest effect size in LRRK2-G2019S carriers. These results suggest oligogenic effect that may depends on the genetic background of the patient. An unbiased burden of mutations approach in these genes should be evaluated in additional PD and control groups. The mechanisms by which these novel variants interact and increase PD-risk should be researched in depth for better tailoring therapeutic intervention for PD prevention or slowing disease progression.

The natural history study of preclinical genetic Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD): a prospective longitudinal study protocol.

BACKGROUND: Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) is the most common prion disease in humans causing a rapidly progressive neurological decline and dementia and is invariably fatal. The familial forms (genetic CJD, gCJD) are caused by mutations in the PRNP gene encoding for the prion protein (PrP). In Israel, there is a large cluster of gCJD cases, carriers of an E200K mutation in the PRNP gene, and therefore the largest population of at-risk individuals in the world. The mutation is not necessarily sufficient for the formation and accumulation of the pathological prion protein (PrPsc), suggesting that other, genetic and non-genetic factors affect the age at symptoms onset. Here we present the protocol of a cross-sectional and longitudinal natural history study of gCJD patients and first-degree relatives of gCJD patients, aiming to identify biological markers of preclinical CJD and risk factors for phenoconversion. METHODS: The study has two groups: Patients diagnosed with gCJD, and first-degree healthy relatives (HR) (both carriers and non-carriers of the E200K mutation in the PRNP gene) of patients diagnosed with gCJD. At baseline, and at the end of every year, healthy participants are invited for an "in-depth" visit, which includes a clinical evaluation, blood and urine collection, gait assessment, brain MRI, lumbar puncture (LP), and Polysomnography (PSG). At 6 months from baseline, and then halfway through each year, participants are invited for a "brief" visit, which includes a clinical evaluation, short cognitive assessment, and blood and urine collection. gCJD patients will be invited for one "in-depth" visit, similar to the baseline visit of healthy relatives. DISCUSSION: This continuous follow-up of the participants and the frequent assessments will allow early identification and diagnosis in case of conversion into disease. The knowledge generated from this study is likely to advance the understanding of the underlying clinicopathological processes that occur at the very beginning of CJD, as well as potential genetic and environmental risk factors for the development of the disease, therefore advancing the development of safe and efficient interventions. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study is an observational study. It has registered retrospectively in https://clinicaltrials.gov/ and has been assigned an identification number NCT05746715.

Glucocerebrosidase Activity is not Associated with Parkinson's Disease Risk or Severity.

BACKGROUND: Mutations in the GBA gene, which encodes the lysosomal enzyme glucocerebrosidase (GCase), are risk factors for Parkinson's disease (PD). OBJECTIVE: To explore the association between GCase activity, PD phenotype, and probability for prodromal PD among carriers of mutations in the GBA and LRRK2 genes. METHODS: Participants were genotyped for the G2019S-LRRK2 and nine GBA mutations common in Ashkenazi Jews. Performance-based measures enabling the calculation of the Movement Disorder Society (MDS) prodromal probability score were collected. RESULTS: One hundred and seventy PD patients (102 GBA-PD, 38 LRRK2-PD, and 30 idiopathic PD) and 221 non-manifesting carriers (NMC) (129 GBA-NMC, 45 LRRK2-NMC, 15 GBA-LRRK2-NMC, and 32 healthy controls) participated in this study. GCase activity was lower among GBA-PD (3.15 ± 0.85 µmol/L/h), GBA-NMC (3.23 ± 0.91 µmol/L/h), and GBA-LRRK2-NMC (3.20 ± 0.93 µmol/L/h) compared to the other groups of participants, with no correlation to clinical phenotype. CONCLUSIONS: Low GCase activity does not explain the clinical phenotype or risk for prodromal PD in this cohort. © 2021 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

The GBA-370Rec Parkinson's disease risk haplotype harbors a potentially pathogenic variant in the mitochondrial gene SLC25A44.

GBA variations are common risk factors for Parkinson's disease (PD), and are found in 21.7% of Ashkenazi PD patients (AJ-PD), 4.23% of them carry an allele, 370Rec, which is different from the common GBA-N370S allele. Using whole-genome-sequencing of 370Rec carriers, N370S carriers, and non-carriers, we characterize the unique 370Rec haplotype in AJ-PDs, and show that it harbors a missense variant replacing the highly conserved methionine-27 with valine in the transmembrane domain of the mitochondrial SLC25A44.

A Possible Modifying Effect of the G2019S Mutation in the LRRK2 Gene on GBA Parkinson's Disease.

BACKGROUND: The phenotype of Parkinson's disease (PD) is milder among patients with LRRK2-PD and more severe among patients with GBA-PD; however, whether an additive phenotypical effect occurs among dual-mutation carriers requires validation. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to explore the phenotypic expression of patients with PD who carry mutations in both genes compared with a single-mutation presentation. METHODS: Patients with PD were genotyped for the G2019S-LRRK2 mutation and 9 mutations in the GBA gene. Subjects were classified into 5 groups: idiopathic PD, mild GBA-PD, severe GBA-PD, LRRK2-PD, and LRRK2+GBA-PD. Clinical symptoms were evaluated using performance-based measures. RESULTS: A total of 1090 patients with idiopathic PD, 155 patients with LRRK2-PD, 155 patients with mild GBA-PD, 56 patients with severe GBA-PD, and 27 patients with LRRK2+GBA-PD participated in this study. The patients with LRRK2-PD and LRRK2+GBA-PD exhibited lower scores on total Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (P < 0.01) and better olfaction (P < 0.01) compared with GBA-PD. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with LRRK2+GBA-PD were symptomatically similar to patients with LRRK2-PD, suggesting a dominant effect of LRRK2 over GBA in the phenotypic presentation. © 2020 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

Revisiting the non-Gaucher-GBA-E326K carrier state: Is it sufficient to increase Parkinson's disease risk?

BACKGROUND: GBA variants are the most common genetic risk factors for Parkinson's disease (PD) world-wide, and can be found in up to 20% of Ashkenazi PD patients. The E326K variant, which is not considered a Gaucher's disease causing mutation, was recently shown to increase the risk for PD. Since E326K is a common variant among Europeans, Finnish and Ashkenazi (2.4, 8.6 and 1.2% carrier rate, respectively), we aimed to refine its involvement in PD. METHODS: 1200 consecutively recruited PD patients of a full Ashkenazi origin were genotyped for 10 GBA variants, the LRRK2-G2019S and the SMPD1-L302P. Alleles' frequencies were compared to controls, composed of 378 elderly healthy individuals and the non-neuro gnomAD Ashkenazi database. Odds-Ratio (OR) and age-at-motor-symptom-onset (AAO) were also calculated for all genotypes. RESULTS: All allelic variations tested had significant allelic ORs, demonstrating a wide range (1.86-12.84). The lowest allelic OR was observed for E326K (p = .013). Forty-five patients (of 1200, 3.75%) had at least two mutations (of the 12 tested), compared to 2 (0.53%) among 378 controls (p = .0013). Of the E326K carrier patients, 37% (10/27) carried additional mutations and the genotypic OR for individuals who carried only the E326K variant was 1.07. It did not reach statistical significance even when simulating the expected carrier frequency of E326K in 100,000 Ashkenazi controls (p = .39). In addition, an additive effect was demonstrated for risk in carriers of two mutations, the LRRK2-G2019S and a mild-GBA mutation (N370S or R496H), compared to carriers of only one mutation in one of these genes (simulated OR 11.79 compared to 7.58 and 2.49, respectively). An additive effect was also suggested for earlier AAO (5.0 years earlier than in non-carriers, compared to 3.1 and 2.2 years, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Compared to previous studies, we demonstrate here a higher frequency of PD patients that carry two mutations. The GBA-E326K is more likely to affect PD risk when accompanied by another mutation, and an additive effect on risk and earlier AAO was proposed for carriers of LRRK2/mild-GBA double mutations. Altogether, these data support an oligogenic approach to PD genetics.

Down-regulation of B cell-related genes in peripheral blood leukocytes of Parkinson's disease patients with and without GBA mutations.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disorder, caused by aging, genetic and environmental factors. Many genes and genetic loci have been implicated in autosomal dominant and recessive PD, among them SNCA, LRRK2, GBA, Parkin, DJ1 and PINK1. Mutations in the LRRK2 and GBA genes are especially common among PD patients of Ashkenazi-Jewish (AJ) origin, accounting for over a third of the patient population. We aimed to identify genes and cellular pathways that may be involved in GBA-associated PD. Whole genome expression analysis was performed using peripheral blood leukocytes (PBLs) of PD patients with mutations in the GBA gene (PD-GBA, n = 59) compared to healthy controls (n = 59). Significant expression changes were detected in 26 genes, most of them were down-regulated in patients and annotated to B cell or immune-related functions. The expression levels of five membrane-bound B cell genes (FCRL1, CD19, CD22, CD79A and CD180) were further analyzed in four distinct populations: (1) Healthy controls (n = 20), (2) PD-GBA (n = 20), (3) PD patients who do not carry LRRK2 or GBA mutations (PD-NC, n = 20), (4) Asymptomatic 1st degree family members, with (n = 15) or without (n = 15) GBA mutations. In qRT-PCR analysis, all five genes were down-regulated in patients (PD-GBA and PD-NC) compared to controls. These changes in expression were not observed when comparing family members who carry GBA mutations to non-carrier family members. Furthermore, these expression levels were disease-duration dependent: the most significant decreased expression occurred after the first two years of onset, and remained steady after 6 years. These results further support the involvement of B cell-related genes in PD and correlate the level of reduced expression to disease duration.

Mild cognitive impairment among LRRK2 and GBA1 patients with Parkinson's disease.

BACKGROUND: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is common in Parkinson's disease (PD). We aimed to assess the incidence of MCI among patients with PD, carriers of mutations in LRRK2 and GBA1 genes, based on the movement disorder society (MDS) criteria for the diagnosis of MCI in early-stage PD. METHODS: Patients with PD were included if they scored ≤2 on the Hoehn and Yahr and ≤6 years since motor symptom onset. A group of age and gender matched healthy adults served as controls. A neuropsychological cognitive battery was used covering five cognitive domains (executive functions, working memory, memory, visuospatial and language). MCI was explored while applying two methods (level I and II). Frequency of MCI was assessed in comparison between groups. RESULTS: 70 patients with idiopathic PD (iPD) (68 % males), 42 patients with LRRK2-PD (61 % males), 83 patients with GBA1-PD (63 % males) and 132 age and gender matched controls (61 % males), participated in this study. PD groups were similar in clinical characteristics. Level I criteria were positive in 57.5 % of iPD, 43 % of LRRK2-PD and 63.4 % of the GBA1-PD (p = 0.071). Level II criteria was met by 39 % of iPD, 14 % LRRK2-PD and 41 % of GBA1-PD (p < 0.001), when using a 2 standard-deviation (SD) threshold. GBA1-PD and iPD showed impairments on multiple domains even in the more conservative 2 SD, reflecting MCI. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of our PD cohort was classified as MCI when assessed with strict criteria. GBA1-PD and iPD showed a more widespread pattern of MCI compared with LRRK2-PD.

A non-stop S-antigen gene mutation is associated with late onset hereditary retinal degeneration in dogs.

PURPOSE: To identify the causative mutation of canine progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) segregating as an adult onset autosomal recessive disorder in the Basenji breed of dog. METHODS: Basenji dogs were ascertained for the PRA phenotype by clinical ophthalmoscopic examination. Blood samples from six affected cases and three nonaffected controls were collected, and DNA extraction was used for a genome-wide association study using the canine HD Illumina single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array and PLINK. Positional candidate genes identified within the peak association signal region were evaluated. RESULTS: The highest -Log10(P) value of 4.65 was obtained for 12 single nucleotide polymorphisms on three chromosomes. Homozygosity and linkage disequilibrium analyses favored one chromosome, CFA25, and screening of the S-antigen (SAG) gene identified a non-stop mutation (c.1216T>C), which would result in the addition of 25 amino acids (p.*405Rext*25). CONCLUSIONS: Identification of this non-stop SAG mutation in dogs affected with retinal degeneration establishes this canine disease as orthologous to Oguchi disease and SAG-associated retinitis pigmentosa in humans, and offers opportunities for genetic therapeutic intervention.

Genomic deletion of CNGB3 is identical by descent in multiple canine breeds and causes achromatopsia.

BACKGROUND: Achromatopsia is an autosomal recessive disease characterized by the loss of cone photoreceptor function that results in day-blindness, total colorblindness, and decreased central visual acuity. The most common causes for the disease are mutations in the CNGB3 gene, coding for the beta subunit of the cyclic nucleotide-gated channels in cones. CNGB3-achromatopsia, or cone degeneration (cd), is also known to occur in two canine breeds, the Alaskan malamute (AM) and the German shorthaired pointer. RESULTS: Here we report an in-depth characterization of the achromatopsia phenotype in a new canine breed, the miniature Australian shepherd (MAS). Genotyping revealed that the dog was homozygous for a complete genomic deletion of the CNGB3 gene, as has been previously observed in the AM. Identical breakpoints on chromosome 29 were identified in both the affected AM and MAS with a resulting deletion of 404,820 bp. Pooled DNA samples of unrelated purebred Australian shepherd, MAS, Siberian husky, Samoyed and Alaskan sled dogs were screened for the presence of the affected allele; one Siberian husky and three Alaskan sled dogs were identified as carriers. The affected chromosomes from the AM, MAS, and Siberian husky were genotyped for 147 SNPs in a 3.93 Mb interval within the cd locus. An identical shared affected haplotype, 0.5 Mb long, was observed in all three breeds and defined the minimal linkage disequilibrium (LD) across breeds. This supports the idea that the mutated allele was identical by descent (IBD). CONCLUSION: We report the occurrence of CNGB3-achromatopsia in a new canine breed, the MAS. The CNGB3-deletion allele previously described in the AM was also observed in a homozygous state in the affected MAS, as well as in a heterozygous carrier state in a Siberian husky and Alaskan sled dogs. All affected alleles were shown to be IBD, strongly suggesting an affected founder effect. Since the MAS is not known to be genetically related to the AM, other breeds may potentially carry the same cd-allele and be affected by achromatopsia.

Variants in PSMB9 and FGR differentially affect Parkinson's disease risk in GBA and LRRK2 mutation carriers.

INTRODUCTION: Recent studies found an association between Parkinson's disease (PD) and alterations in the innate immune system. However, whether the involvement of this system in two of the known genetic forms of PD, GBA-PD and LRRK2-PD, and in patients who do not carry these mutations is different, is yet to be determined. We aimed to test if genetic variations in the innate immune genes are differentially associated with PD in these subgroups. METHODS: Innate immune genes were identified and classified into sub-lists according to Reactome pathways. Whole-genome-sequencing (WGS) was performed on 201 unrelated Ashkenazi-Jewish (AJ) PD patients including 104 GBA-PD, 32 LRRK2-PD, and 65 non-carriers-PD (NC-PD). To identify genes with different burden between these subgroups of PD, gene-based Sequence kernel association optimal unified test (SKAT-O) analysis was performed on innate immune pathways. Candidate variants within the significant genes were further genotyped in a cohort of 1200 unrelated, consecutively recruited, AJ-PD patients, and to evaluate their association with PD-risk their allele frequencies were compared to AJ-non-neuro cases in gnomAD database, in a stratified and un-stratified manner. RESULTS: SKAT-O analysis showed significantly different burden for PSMB9 (GBA-PD versus NC-PD) and FGR (GBA-PD versus LRRK2-PD). Two candidate variants in PSMB9 showed an association with GBA-PD-risk and NC-PD-risk while one FGR variant showed an association with LRRK2-PD-risk. CONCLUSION: Our data supports differential involvement of innate immunity risk alleles in PD and emphasizes the differences between the GBA- and LRRK2-PD subgroups.

MAPT Locus in Parkinson's Disease Patients of Ashkenazi Origin: A Stratified Analysis.

Introduction: MAPT locus is associated with Parkinson's disease (PD), which is located within a large inversion region of high linkage disequilibrium (LD). We aimed to determine whether the H2-haplotype protective effect and its effect size depends on the GBA1 or LRRK2 risk allele carrier status, and to further characterize genetic alterations that might contribute to its effect. Methods: LD analysis was performed using whole-genome sequencing data of 202 unrelated Ashkenazi Jewish (AJ) PDs. A haplotype-divergent variant was genotyped in a cohort of 1200 consecutively recruited AJ-PDs. The odd ratios were calculated using AJ-non-neuro cases from the gnomAD database as the controls in an un-stratified and a stratified manner according to the mutation carrier status, and the effect on the Age at Motor Symptom Onset (AMSO) was examined. Expression and splicing quantitative trait locus (eQTL and sQTL) analyses were carried out using brain tissues from a database. Results: The H2 haplotype exhibited significant association with PD protection, with a similar effect size in GBA1 carriers, LRRK2-G2019S carriers, and non-carriers (OR = 0.77, 0.69, and 0.82, respectively), and there was no effect on AMSO. The LD interval was narrowed to approximately 1.2 Mb. The H2 haplotype carried potential variants in candidate genes (MAPT and SPPL2C); structural deletions and segmental duplication (KANSL1); and variants affecting gene expression and intron excision ratio in brain tissues (LRRC37A/2). Conclusions: Our results demonstrate that H2 is associated with PD and its protective effect is not influenced by the GBA1/LRRK2 risk allele carrier status. This effect may be genetically complex, resulting from different levels of variations such as missense mutations in relevant genes, structural variations, epigenetic modifications, and RNA expression changes, which may operate independently or in synergy.

The Influence of GBA and LRRK2 on Mood Disorders in Parkinson's Disease.

Background: Mood disorders have emerged as major non-motor comorbidities in Parkinson's disease (PD) even at the prodromal stage of the disease. Mutations in the LRRK2 and GBA genes are common among Ashkenazi Jews, with more severe phenotype reported for GBA-PD. Objective: To explore the association between genetic status and mood related disorders before and after diagnosis of PD and the association between mood-related medications, phenotype, and genetic status. Methods: Participants were genotyped for mutations in the LRRK2 and GBA genes. State of depression, anxiety and non-motor features were evaluated using validated questionnaires. History of mood disorders prior to diagnosis of PD and use of mood-related medications were assessed. Results: The study included 105 idiopathic PD (iPD), 55 LRRK2-PD and 94 GBA-PD. Scores on mood related questionnaires and frequency of depression and anxiety before diagnosis were similar between the groups (p>0.05). However, more GBA-PD patients used mood related medications before PD diagnosis than LRRK2-PD and iPD (16.5% vs 7.1% and 8.2%, p=0.044). LRRK2-PD and GBA-PD receiving mood-related medications at time of assessment had worse motor and non-motor phenotype compared to those that did not (p<0.05). LRRK2-PD receiving mood related-medications at time of assessment, scored higher on mood-related questionnaires compared to LRRK2-PD not receiving such medications (p<0.04). Conclusions: Prodromal GBA-PD are more frequently treated with mood related-medications despite equal rates of reported mood-related disorders, while LRRK2-PD with mood-related disorders experience high rates of anxiety and depression despite treatment, attesting to the need of more precise assessment and treatment of these genetic subgroups.

FUS-P525L Juvenile Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Intellectual Disability: Evidence for Association and Oligogenic Inheritance.

Background and Objectives: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is characterized by upper and lower motor neuron degeneration, with juvenile ALS (jALS) defined as disease with age at onset (AAO) before 25 years. We aimed to identify the genetic basis of 2 unrelated patients with jALS with very rapid deterioration and early age intellectual disability (ID) and to assess association of genetic findings with both phenotypes in a large cohort of patients with ALS and controls, and in the literature. Methods: Exome sequencing was performed in 2 unrelated probands and their parents. Trio analyses included de novo, rare homozygosity, and compound heterozygosity analyses. A TaqMan genotyping assay was used to genotype ALS cohorts. A systematic literature review was conducted and additional information from authors obtained to assess prevalence of fused in sarcoma (FUS)-ALS associated with ID. Results: A de novo mutation FUS-P525L was identified in both patients. Additional variations were identified in other genes related to intellectual disabilities. Among 8 additional unrelated juvenile patients, one carried the same FUS mutation and had a similar medical history of mild ID and fulminant ALS, whereas the others did not carry any FUS coding mutations and had no reported learning or intellectual disabilities (p = 0.0083). In addition, 486 patients with ALS with AAO ≥25 years were negative for this mutation. An extensive literature review showed that among all patients with FUS-related ALS with full phenotype reports, 10.3% exhibited additional learning/intellectual disabilities. Discussion: FUS-P525L mutation was identified in 3 among 10 patients with jALS (30%) in our clinical cohort, all with a very aggressive disease course and ID. Together with literature reports, these results support a novel association between mutations in FUS and early life ID. Additional variations identified in genes related to ID and brain development in our patients (GPT2, DNAH10, and SCUBE2) may suggest a complex oligogenic inheritance for this phenotype. We propose that this mutation should be screened in patients with ALS with very early AAO, aggressive disease course, and sporadic occurrence, especially when ALS is accompanied by ID.

Decreased delta-band event-related power in dementia with Lewy bodies with a mutation in the glucocerebrosidase gene.

OBJECTIVE: To compare event-related oscillations in patients with dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) who are carriers and non-carriers of glucocerebrosidase (GBA) mutations. METHODS: EEG was recorded during a visual oddball task in eight Ashkenazi Jewish DLB patients with the N370S mutation in theGBAgene (GBA-DLB) and eleven DLB non-carriers. The time-frequency power and inter-trial phase clustering were calculated from the Morlet wavelet convolution for the midline electrodes. RESULTS: Task performance and cognitive assessments were comparable between groups. While the within-non-GBA-DLB group analysis revealed delta-band power synchronization relative to the baseline (p = 0.01, Cohen's d = 1.0), the within-GBA-DLB-group analysis detected no event-related changes in power. Both groups showed an increase relative to the baseline in the delta and theta bands inter-trial phase clustering (all p < 0.03, d > 1.3). The between-group analysis revealed that event-related power - but not clustering - was lower in GBA-DLB compared to non-carriers in the delta band at Fz and Cz (p = 0.04, d = -0.9). CONCLUSIONS: GBA-DLB patients showed decreased delta-band power compared to non-carriers despite the similar cognitive performance, whereas inter-trial phase clustering was comparable in both groups. SIGNIFICANCE: Preserved inter-trial phase clustering possibly compensates for the impaired power by eliciting the appropriate functional configuration needed for stimulus processing and task performance.

Exonic SINE insertion in STK38L causes canine early retinal degeneration (erd).

Fine mapping followed by candidate gene analysis of erd - a canine hereditary retinal degeneration characterized by aberrant photoreceptor development - established that the disease cosegregates with a SINE insertion in exon 4 of the canine STK38L/NDR2 gene. The mutation removes exon 4 from STK38L transcripts and is predicted to remove much of the N terminus from the translated protein, including binding sites for S100B and Mob proteins, part of the protein kinase domain, and a Thr-75 residue critical for autophosphorylation. Although known to have roles in neuronal cell function, the STK38L pathway has not previously been implicated in normal or abnormal photoreceptor development. Loss of STK38L function in erd provides novel potential insights into the role of the STK38L pathway in neuronal and photoreceptor cell function, and suggests that genes in this pathway need to be considered as candidate genes for hereditary retinal degenerations.

C9orf72-G4C2 Intermediate Repeats and Parkinson's Disease; A Data-Driven Hypothesis.

Pathogenic C9orf72-G4C2 repeat expansions are associated with ALS/FTD, but not with Parkinson's disease (PD); yet the possible link between intermediate repeat lengths and PD remains inconclusive. We aim to study the potential involvement of these repeats in PD. The number of C9orf72-repeats were determined by flanking and repeat-primed PCR assays, and the risk-haplotype was determined by SNP-array. Their association with PD was assessed in a stratified manner: in PD-patients-carriers of mutations in LRRK2, GBA, or SMPD1 genes (n = 388), and in PD-non-carriers (NC, n = 718). Allelic distribution was significantly different only in PD-NC compared to 600 controls when looking both at the allele with higher repeat's size (p = 0.034) and at the combined number of repeats from both alleles (p = 0.023). Intermediate repeats (20-60 repeats) were associated with PD in PD-NC patients (p = 0.041; OR = 3.684 (CI 1.05-13.0)) but not in PD-carriers (p = 0.684). The C9orf72 risk-haplotype, determined in a subgroup of 588 PDs and 126 controls, was observed in higher frequency in PD-NC (dominant model, OR = 1.71, CI 1.04-2.81, p = 0.0356). All 19 alleles within the risk-haplotype were associated with higher C9orf72 RNA levels according to the GTEx database. Based on our data, we suggest a model in which intermediate repeats are a risk factor for PD in non-carriers, driven not only by the number of repeats but also by the variants' genotypes within the risk-haplotype. Further studies are needed to elucidate this possible role of C9orf72 in PD pathogenesis.