RAB1A haploinsufficiency phenocopies the 2p14-p15 microdeletion and is associated with impaired neuronal differentiation.

Hereditary spastic parapareses (HSPs) are clinically heterogeneous motor neuron diseases with variable age of onset and severity. Although variants in dozens of genes are implicated in HSPs, much of the genetic basis for pediatric-onset HSP remains unexplained. Here, we re-analyzed clinical exome-sequencing data from siblings with HSP of unknown genetic etiology and identified an inherited nonsense mutation (c.523C>T [p.Arg175Ter]) in the highly conserved RAB1A. The mutation is predicted to produce a truncated protein with an intact RAB GTPase domain but without two C-terminal cysteine residues required for proper subcellular protein localization. Additional RAB1A mutations, including two frameshift mutations and a mosaic missense mutation (c.83T>C [p.Leu28Pro]), were identified in three individuals with similar neurodevelopmental presentations. In rescue experiments, production of the full-length, but not the truncated, RAB1a rescued Golgi structure and cell proliferation in Rab1-depleted cells. In contrast, the missense-variant RAB1a disrupted Golgi structure despite intact Rab1 expression, suggesting a dominant-negative function of the mosaic missense mutation. Knock-down of RAB1A in cultured human embryonic stem cell-derived neurons resulted in impaired neuronal arborization. Finally, RAB1A is located within the 2p14-p15 microdeletion syndrome locus. The similar clinical presentations of individuals with RAB1A loss-of-function mutations and the 2p14-p15 microdeletion syndrome implicate loss of RAB1A in the pathogenesis of neurodevelopmental manifestations of this microdeletion syndrome. Our study identifies a RAB1A-related neurocognitive disorder with speech and motor delay, demonstrates an essential role for RAB1a in neuronal differentiation, and implicates RAB1A in the etiology of the neurodevelopmental sequelae associated with the 2p14-p15 microdeletion syndrome.

Disruption of the autism gene and chromatin regulator KDM5A alters hippocampal cell identity.

Chromatin regulation plays a pivotal role in establishing and maintaining cellular identity and is one of the top pathways disrupted in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The hippocampus, composed of distinct cell types, is often affected in patients with ASD. However, the specific hippocampal cell types and their transcriptional programs that are dysregulated in ASD are unknown. Using single-nucleus RNA sequencing, we show that the ASD gene, lysine demethylase 5A (KDM5A), regulates the development of specific subtypes of excitatory and inhibitory neurons. We found that KDM5A is essential for establishing hippocampal cell identity by controlling a differentiation switch early in development. Our findings define a role for the chromatin regulator KDM5A in establishing hippocampal cell identity and contribute to the emerging convergent mechanisms across ASD.

The genetics of autism spectrum disorder in an East African familial cohort.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a group of complex neurodevelopmental conditions affecting communication and social interaction in 2.3% of children. Studies that demonstrated its complex genetic architecture have been mainly performed in populations of European ancestry. We investigate the genetics of ASD in an East African cohort (129 individuals) from a population with higher prevalence (5%). Whole-genome sequencing identified 2.13 million private variants in the cohort and potentially pathogenic variants in known ASD genes (including CACNA1C, CHD7, FMR1, and TCF7L2). Admixture analysis demonstrated that the cohort comprises two ancestral populations, African and Eurasian. Admixture mapping discovered 10 regions that confer ASD risk on the African haplotypes, containing several known ASD genes. The increased ASD prevalence in this population suggests decreased heterogeneity in the underlying genetic etiology, enabling risk allele identification. Our approach emphasizes the power of African genetic variation and admixture analysis to inform the architecture of complex disorders.

Genomic strategies to untangle the etiology of autism: A primer.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in communication, diminished social skills, and restrictive and repetitive behaviors and interests. ASD affects approximately 2.3% of the population and is highly heterogeneous, both phenotypically and genetically. As genomic technologies advance, our understanding of the genetic architecture of ASD is becoming clearer, encompassing spontaneous and inherited alterations throughout the genome, and delineating alterations that are either rare or common in the population. This commentary provides an overview of the genomic strategies and resulting major findings of genetic alterations associated with ASD.

Analysis of recent shared ancestry in a familial cohort identifies coding and noncoding autism spectrum disorder variants.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a collection of neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by deficits in social communication and restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior or interests. ASD is highly heritable, but genetically and phenotypically heterogeneous, reducing the power to identify causative genes. We performed whole genome sequencing (WGS) in an ASD cohort of 68 individuals from 22 families enriched for recent shared ancestry. We identified an average of 3.07 million variants per genome, of which an average of 112,512 were rare. We mapped runs of homozygosity (ROHs) in affected individuals and found an average genomic homozygosity of 9.65%, consistent with expectations for multiple generations of consanguineous unions. We identified potentially pathogenic rare exonic or splice site variants in 12 known (including KMT2C, SCN1A, SPTBN1, SYNE1, ZNF292) and 12 candidate (including CHD5, GRB10, PPP1R13B) ASD genes. Furthermore, we annotated noncoding variants in ROHs with brain-specific regulatory elements and identified putative disease-causing variants within brain-specific promoters and enhancers for 5 known ASD and neurodevelopmental disease genes (ACTG1, AUTS2, CTNND2, CNTNAP4, SPTBN4). We also identified copy number variants in two known ASD and neurodevelopmental disease loci in two affected individuals. In total we identified potentially etiological variants in known ASD or neurodevelopmental disease genes for ~61% (14/23) of affected individuals. We combined WGS with homozygosity mapping and regulatory element annotations to identify candidate ASD variants. Our analyses add to the growing number of ASD genes and variants and emphasize the importance of leveraging recent shared ancestry to map disease variants in complex neurodevelopmental disorders.

A Brief Survey of Medical Practitioner Knowledge and Attitudes Regarding Autism Spectrum Disorder in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) continues to climb in prevalence worldwide. Developed nations have focused on aligning their medical and research communities in order to investigate the mechanisms of pathogenesis, diagnosis, and societal impact of this disorder. A simultaneous rise of ASD has impacted developing nations, such as Ethiopia, without a commensurate ability to research the knowledge, beliefs, resources, and training regarding this condition in the country. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We administered a brief survey during a medical conference in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia, to investigate some of the education, information, and experiences with ASD within a small sample of medical and mental health providers in Ethiopia. RESULTS: The data provided insight into the following areas pertaining to ASD in Ethiopia: perceived causes, knowledge, training, and areas of need. CONCLUSIONS: Understanding local beliefs for causes and cures, as well as gaining indigenous opinions regarding what is needed for ASD education and resources in their nation, is the first step towards understanding the impact of this disorder and the approach to its treatment in Ethiopia.

KDM5A mutations identified in autism spectrum disorder using forward genetics.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a constellation of neurodevelopmental disorders with high phenotypic and genetic heterogeneity, complicating the discovery of causative genes. Through a forward genetics approach selecting for defective vocalization in mice, we identified Kdm5a as a candidate ASD gene. To validate our discovery, we generated a Kdm5a knockout mouse model (Kdm5a-/-) and confirmed that inactivating Kdm5a disrupts vocalization. In addition, Kdm5a-/- mice displayed repetitive behaviors, sociability deficits, cognitive dysfunction, and abnormal dendritic morphogenesis. Loss of KDM5A also resulted in dysregulation of the hippocampal transcriptome. To determine if KDM5A mutations cause ASD in humans, we screened whole exome sequencing and microarray data from a clinical cohort. We identified pathogenic KDM5A variants in nine patients with ASD and lack of speech. Our findings illustrate the power and efficacy of forward genetics in identifying ASD genes and highlight the importance of KDM5A in normal brain development and function.

Homozygous deletions implicate non-coding epigenetic marks in Autism spectrum disorder.

More than 98% of the human genome is made up of non-coding DNA, but techniques to ascertain its contribution to human disease have lagged far behind our understanding of protein coding variations. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been mostly associated with coding variations via de novo single nucleotide variants (SNVs), recessive/homozygous SNVs, or de novo copy number variants (CNVs); however, most ASD cases continue to lack a genetic diagnosis. We analyzed 187 consanguineous ASD families for biallelic CNVs. Recessive deletions were significantly enriched in affected individuals relative to their unaffected siblings (17% versus 4%, p < 0.001). Only a small subset of biallelic deletions were predicted to result in coding exon disruption. In contrast, biallelic deletions in individuals with ASD were enriched for overlap with regulatory regions, with 23/28 CNVs disrupting histone peaks in ENCODE (p < 0.009). Overlap with regulatory regions was further demonstrated by comparisons to the 127-epigenome dataset released by the Roadmap Epigenomics project, with enrichment for enhancers found in primary brain tissue and neuronal progenitor cells. Our results suggest a novel noncoding mechanism of ASD, describe a powerful method to identify important noncoding regions in the human genome, and emphasize the potential significance of gene activation and regulation in cognitive and social function.

The ubiquitin ligase UBE3B, disrupted in intellectual disability and absent speech, regulates metabolic pathways by targeting BCKDK.

Kaufman oculocerebrofacial syndrome (KOS) is a recessive neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by intellectual disability and lack of speech. KOS is caused by inactivating mutations in UBE3B, but the underlying biological mechanisms are completely unknown. We found that loss of Ube3b in mice resulted in growth retardation, decreased grip strength, and loss of vocalization. The brains of Ube3b-/- mice had hypoplasia of the corpus callosum, enlarged ventricles, and decreased thickness of the somatosensory cortex. Ube3b-/- cortical neurons had abnormal dendritic morphology and synapses. We identified 22 UBE3B interactors and found that branched-chain α-ketoacid dehydrogenase kinase (BCKDK) is an in vivo UBE3B substrate. Since BCKDK targets several metabolic pathways, we profiled plasma and cortical metabolomes from Ube3b-/- mice. Nucleotide metabolism and the tricarboxylic acid cycle were among the pathways perturbed. Substrate-induced mitochondrial respiration was reduced in skeletal muscle but not in liver of Ube3b-/- mice. To assess the relevance of these findings to humans, we identified three KOS patients who had compound heterozygous UBE3B mutations. We discovered changes in metabolites from similar pathways in plasma from these patients. Collectively, our results implicate a disease mechanism in KOS, suggest that it is a metabolic encephalomyopathy, and provide an entry to targeted therapies.

PSMD12 haploinsufficiency in a neurodevelopmental disorder with autistic features.

Protein homeostasis is tightly regulated by the ubiquitin proteasome pathway. Disruption of this pathway gives rise to a host of neurological disorders. Through whole exome sequencing (WES) in families with neurodevelopmental disorders, we identified mutations in PSMD12, a core component of the proteasome, underlying a neurodevelopmental disorder with intellectual disability (ID) and features of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We performed WES on six affected siblings from a multiplex family with ID and autistic features, the affected father, and two unaffected mothers, and a trio from a simplex family with one affected child with ID and periventricular nodular heterotopia. We identified an inherited heterozygous nonsense mutation in PSMD12 (NM_002816: c.367C>T: p.R123X) in the multiplex family and a de novo nonsense mutation in the same gene (NM_002816: c.601C>T: p.R201X) in the simplex family. PSMD12 encodes a non-ATPase regulatory subunit of the 26S proteasome. We confirm the association of PSMD12 with ID, present the first cases of inherited PSMD12 mutation, and demonstrate the heterogeneity of phenotypes associated with PSMD12 mutations.

Variability of Ponto-cerebellar Fibers by Diffusion Tensor Imaging in Diverse Brain Malformations.

To describe pontine axonal anomalies across diverse brain malformations. Institutional review board-approved review of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and genetic testing of 31 children with brain malformations and abnormal pons by diffusion tensor imaging. Anomalous dorsal pontocerebellar tracts were seen in mid-hindbrain anomalies and in diffuse malformations of cortical development including lissencephaly, gyral disorganization with dysplastic basal ganglia, presumed congenital fibrosis of extraocular muscles type 3, and in callosal agenesis without malformations of cortical development. Heterotopic and hypoplastic corticospinal tracts were seen in callosal agenesis and in focal malformations of cortical development. There were no patterns by chromosomal microarray analysis in the non-lissencephalic brains. In lissencephaly, there was no relationship between severity, deletion size, or appearance of the pontocerebellar tract. Pontine axonal anomalies may relate to defects in precerebellar neuronal migration, chemotactic signaling of the pontine neurons, and/or corticospinal tract pathfinding and collateral branching not detectable with routine genetic testing.

MeCP2 and histone deacetylases 1 and 2 in dorsal striatum collectively suppress repetitive behaviors.

Class I histone deacetylases (HDACs) Hdac1 and Hdac2 can associate together in protein complexes with transcriptional factors such as methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (MeCP2). Given their high degree of sequence identity, we examined whether Hdac1 and Hdac2 were functionally redundant in mature mouse brain. We demonstrate that postnatal forebrain-specific deletion of both Hdac1 and Hdac2 in mice impacts neuronal survival and results in an excessive grooming phenotype caused by dysregulation of Sap90/Psd95-associated protein 3 (Sapap3; also known as Dlgap3) in striatum. Moreover, Hdac1- and Hdac2-dependent regulation of Sapap3 expression requires MECP2, the gene involved in the pathophysiology of Rett syndrome. We show that postnatal forebrain-specific deletion of Mecp2 causes excessive grooming, which is rescued by restoring striatal Sapap3 expression. Our results provide new insight into the upstream regulation of Sapap3 and establish the essential role of striatal Hdac1, Hdac2 and MeCP2 for suppression of repetitive behaviors.

Synaptic, transcriptional and chromatin genes disrupted in autism.

The genetic architecture of autism spectrum disorder involves the interplay of common and rare variants and their impact on hundreds of genes. Using exome sequencing, here we show that analysis of rare coding variation in 3,871 autism cases and 9,937 ancestry-matched or parental controls implicates 22 autosomal genes at a false discovery rate (FDR) < 0.05, plus a set of 107 autosomal genes strongly enriched for those likely to affect risk (FDR < 0.30). These 107 genes, which show unusual evolutionary constraint against mutations, incur de novo loss-of-function mutations in over 5% of autistic subjects. Many of the genes implicated encode proteins for synaptic formation, transcriptional regulation and chromatin-remodelling pathways. These include voltage-gated ion channels regulating the propagation of action potentials, pacemaking and excitability-transcription coupling, as well as histone-modifying enzymes and chromatin remodellers-most prominently those that mediate post-translational lysine methylation/demethylation modifications of histones.

The diverse genetic landscape of neurodevelopmental disorders.

Advances in genetic tools and sequencing technology in the past few years have vastly expanded our understanding of the genetics of neurodevelopmental disorders. Recent high-throughput sequencing analyses of structural brain malformations, cognitive and neuropsychiatric disorders, and localized cortical dysplasias have uncovered a diverse genetic landscape beyond classic Mendelian patterns of inheritance. The underlying genetic causes of neurodevelopmental disorders implicate numerous cell biological pathways critical for normal brain development.

Rett-causing mutations reveal two domains critical for MeCP2 function and for toxicity in MECP2 duplication syndrome mice.

Loss of function of the X-linked gene encoding methyl-CpG binding protein 2 (MeCP2) causes the progressive neurological disorder Rett syndrome (RTT). Conversely, duplication or triplication of Xq28 causes an equally wide-ranging progressive neurological disorder, MECP2 duplication syndrome, whose features overlap somewhat with RTT. To understand which MeCP2 functions cause toxicity in the duplication syndrome, we generated mouse models expressing endogenous Mecp2 along with a RTT-causing mutation in either the methyl-CpG binding domain (MBD) or the transcriptional repression domain (TRD). We determined that both the MBD and TRD must function for doubling MeCP2 to be toxic. Mutating the MBD reproduces the null phenotype and expressing the TRD mutant produces milder RTT phenotypes, yet both mutations are harmless when expressed with endogenous Mecp2. Surprisingly, mutating the TRD is more detrimental than deleting the entire C-terminus, indicating a dominant-negative effect on MeCP2 function, likely due to the disruption of a basic cluster.

Using whole-exome sequencing to identify inherited causes of autism.

Despite significant heritability of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), their extreme genetic heterogeneity has proven challenging for gene discovery. Studies of primarily simplex families have implicated de novo copy number changes and point mutations, but are not optimally designed to identify inherited risk alleles. We apply whole-exome sequencing (WES) to ASD families enriched for inherited causes due to consanguinity and find familial ASD associated with biallelic mutations in disease genes (AMT, PEX7, SYNE1, VPS13B, PAH, and POMGNT1). At least some of these genes show biallelic mutations in nonconsanguineous families as well. These mutations are often only partially disabling or present atypically, with patients lacking diagnostic features of the Mendelian disorders with which these genes are classically associated. Our study shows the utility of WES for identifying specific genetic conditions not clinically suspected and the importance of partial loss of gene function in ASDs.

Whole-exome sequencing and homozygosity analysis implicate depolarization-regulated neuronal genes in autism.

Although autism has a clear genetic component, the high genetic heterogeneity of the disorder has been a challenge for the identification of causative genes. We used homozygosity analysis to identify probands from nonconsanguineous families that showed evidence of distant shared ancestry, suggesting potentially recessive mutations. Whole-exome sequencing of 16 probands revealed validated homozygous, potentially pathogenic recessive mutations that segregated perfectly with disease in 4/16 families. The candidate genes (UBE3B, CLTCL1, NCKAP5L, ZNF18) encode proteins involved in proteolysis, GTPase-mediated signaling, cytoskeletal organization, and other pathways. Furthermore, neuronal depolarization regulated the transcription of these genes, suggesting potential activity-dependent roles in neurons. We present a multidimensional strategy for filtering whole-exome sequence data to find candidate recessive mutations in autism, which may have broader applicability to other complex, heterogeneous disorders.

Novel sequence variants in the TMIE gene in families with autosomal recessive nonsyndromic hearing impairment.

To date, 37 genes have been identified for nonsyndromic hearing impairment (NSHI). Identifying the functional sequence variants within these genes and knowing their population-specific frequencies is of public health value, in particular for genetic screening for NSHI. To determine putatively functional sequence variants in the transmembrane inner ear (TMIE) gene in Pakistani and Jordanian families with autosomal recessive (AR) NSHI, four Jordanian and 168 Pakistani families with ARNSHI that is not due to GJB2 (CX26) were submitted to a genome scan. Two-point and multipoint parametric linkage analyses were performed, and families with logarithmic odds (LOD) scores of 1.0 or greater within the TMIE region underwent further DNA sequencing. The evolutionary conservation and location in predicted protein domains of amino acid residues where sequence variants occurred were studied to elucidate the possible effects of these sequence variants on function. Of seven families that were screened for TMIE, putatively functional sequence variants were found to segregate with hearing impairment in four families but were not seen in not less than 110 ethnically matched control chromosomes. The previously reported c.241C>T (p.R81C) variant was observed in two Pakistani families. Two novel variants, c.92A>G (p.E31G) and the splice site mutation c.212 -2A>C, were identified in one Pakistani and one Jordanian family, respectively. The c.92A>G (p.E31G) variant occurred at a residue that is conserved in the mouse and is predicted to be extracellular. Conservation and potential functionality of previously published mutations were also examined. The prevalence of functional TMIE variants in Pakistani families is 1.7% [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.3-4.8]. Further studies on the spectrum, prevalence rates, and functional effect of sequence variants in the TMIE gene in other populations should demonstrate the true importance of this gene as a cause of hearing impairment.

A novel autosomal recessive non-syndromic hearing impairment locus (DFNB47) maps to chromosome 2p25.1-p24.3.

Hereditary hearing impairment (HI) displays extensive genetic heterogeneity. Autosomal recessive (AR) forms of prelingual HI account for approximately 75% of cases with a genetic etiology. A novel AR non-syndromic HI locus (DFNB47) was mapped to chromosome 2p25.1-p24.3, in two distantly related Pakistani kindreds. Genome scan and fine mapping were carried out using microsatellite markers. Multipoint linkage analysis resulted in a maximum LOD score of 4.7 at markers D2S1400 and D2S262. The three-unit support interval was bounded by D2S330 and D2S131. The region of homozygosity was found within the three-unit support interval and flanked by markers D2S2952 and D2S131, which corresponds to 13.2 cM according to the Rutgers combined linkage-physical map. This region contains 5.3 Mb according to the sequence-based physical map. Three candidate genes, KCNF1, ID2 and ATP6V1C2 were sequenced, and were found to be negative for functional sequence variants.