RESUMO
The bromodomain adjacent to zinc finger 2B (BAZ2B) gene encodes a chromatin remodeling protein that has been shown to perform a variety of regulatory functions. It has been proposed that loss of BAZ2B function is associated with neurodevelopmental phenotypes, and some recurrent structural birth defects and dysmorphic features have been documented among individuals carrying heterozygous loss-of-function BAZ2B variants. However, additional evidence is needed to confirm that these phenotypes are attributable to BAZ2B deficiency. Here, we report 10 unrelated individuals with heterozygous deletions, stop-gain, frameshift, missense, splice junction, indel, and start-loss variants affecting BAZ2B. These included a paternal intragenic deletion and a maternal frameshift variant that were inherited from mildly affected or asymptomatic parents. The analysis of molecular and clinical data from this cohort, and that of individuals previously reported, suggests that BAZ2B haploinsufficiency causes an autosomal dominant neurodevelopmental syndrome that is incompletely penetrant. The phenotypes most commonly seen in association with loss of BAZ2B function include developmental delay, intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorder, speech delay-with some affected individuals being non-verbal-behavioral abnormalities, seizures, vision-related issues, congenital heart defects, poor fetal growth, and an indistinct pattern of dysmorphic features in which epicanthal folds and small ears are particularly common.
Assuntos
Transtorno do Espectro Autista , Deficiência Intelectual , Transtornos do Neurodesenvolvimento , Fatores Genéricos de Transcrição , Humanos , Deficiência Intelectual/genética , Fatores de Transcrição/genética , Fenótipo , Dedos de Zinco , Transtornos do Neurodesenvolvimento/genética , Proteínas que Contêm Bromodomínio , Fatores Genéricos de Transcrição/genéticaRESUMO
RNA polymerase II interacts with various other complexes and factors to ensure correct initiation, elongation, and termination of mRNA transcription. One of these proteins is SR-related CTD-associated factor 4 (SCAF4), which is important for correct usage of polyA sites for mRNA termination. Using exome sequencing and international matchmaking, we identified nine likely pathogenic germline variants in SCAF4 including two splice-site and seven truncating variants, all residing in the N-terminal two thirds of the protein. Eight of these variants occurred de novo, and one was inherited. Affected individuals demonstrated a variable neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by mild intellectual disability, seizures, behavioral abnormalities, and various skeletal and structural anomalies. Paired-end RNA sequencing on blood lymphocytes of SCAF4-deficient individuals revealed a broad deregulation of more than 9,000 genes and significant differential splicing of more than 2,900 genes, indicating an important role of SCAF4 in mRNA processing. Knockdown of the SCAF4 ortholog CG4266 in the model organism Drosophila melanogaster resulted in impaired locomotor function, learning, and short-term memory. Furthermore, we observed an increased number of active zones in larval neuromuscular junctions, representing large glutamatergic synapses. These observations indicate a role of CG4266 in nervous system development and function and support the implication of SCAF4 in neurodevelopmental phenotypes. In summary, our data show that heterozygous, likely gene-disrupting variants in SCAF4 are causative for a variable neurodevelopmental disorder associated with impaired mRNA processing.
Assuntos
Deficiência Intelectual/genética , Transtornos do Neurodesenvolvimento/genética , Convulsões/genética , Fatores de Processamento de Serina-Arginina/genética , Animais , Criança , Drosophila melanogaster/genética , Feminino , Técnicas de Silenciamento de Genes , Variação Genética/genética , Heterozigoto , Humanos , Deficiência Intelectual/fisiopatologia , Locomoção/genética , Masculino , Mutação/genética , Transtornos do Neurodesenvolvimento/fisiopatologia , RNA Polimerase II/genética , Processamento Pós-Transcricional do RNA/genética , RNA Mensageiro/genética , Convulsões/fisiopatologia , Sequenciamento do ExomaRESUMO
PURPOSE: TANGO2 deficiency disorder (TDD), an autosomal recessive disease first reported in 2016, is characterized by neurodevelopmental delay, seizures, intermittent ataxia, hypothyroidism, and life-threatening metabolic and cardiac crises. The purpose of this study was to define the natural history of TDD. METHODS: Data were collected from an ongoing natural history study of patients with TDD enrolled between February 2019 and May 2022. Data were obtained through phone or video based parent interviews and medical record review. RESULTS: Data were collected from 73 patients (59% male) from 57 unrelated families living in 16 different countries. The median age of participants at the time of data collection was 9.0 years (interquartile range = 5.3-15.9 years, range = fetal to 31.8 years). A total of 24 different TANGO2 alleles were observed. Patients showed normal development in early infancy, with progressive delay in developmental milestones thereafter. Symptoms included ataxia, dystonia, and speech difficulties, typically starting between the ages of 1 to 3 years. A total of 46/71 (65%) patients suffered metabolic crises, and of those, 30 (65%) developed cardiac crises. Metabolic crises were significantly decreased after the initiation of B-complex or multivitamin supplementation. CONCLUSION: We provide the most comprehensive review of natural history of TDD and important observational data suggesting that B-complex or multivitamins may prevent metabolic crises.
Assuntos
Ataxia , Convulsões , Adolescente , Criança , Pré-Escolar , Feminino , Humanos , Lactente , Masculino , Gravidez , Cuidado Pré-NatalRESUMO
TANGO2-deficiency disorder (TDD) is an autosomal recessive condition arising from pathogenic biallelic variants in the TANGO2 gene. TDD is characterized by symptoms typically beginning in late infancy including delayed developmental milestones, cognitive impairment, dysarthria, expressive language deficits, and gait abnormalities. There is wide phenotypic variability where some are severely affected while others have mild symptoms. This variability has been documented even among sibling pairs who share the same genotype, but reasons for this variability have not been well understood. Emerging data suggest a potential link between B-complex or multivitamin supplementation and decreased metabolic crises in TDD. In this report, we describe two sibling pairs from unreladiagnosed with TDD with marked differences in symptoms. In both families, the older siblings suffered multiple metabolic crises and are clinically more affected than their younger siblings who have very mild to no symptoms; they are the least impaired among 70 other patients in our ongoing international natural history study. Unlike their older siblings, the two younger siblings started taking B-complex vitamins early between 9 and 16 months. This report delineates the mildest presentation of TDD in two families. These data may support a role for early diagnosis and initiation of vitamin supplementation to not only prevent metabolic crises but also improve neurologic outcomes in this life-threatening disorder.
Assuntos
Complexo Vitamínico B , Humanos , Irmãos , Cognição , Genótipo , Suplementos NutricionaisRESUMO
PAX5 is a transcription factor associated with abnormal posterior midbrain and cerebellum development in mice. PAX5 is highly loss-of-function intolerant and missense constrained, and has been identified as a candidate gene for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We describe 16 individuals from 12 families who carry deletions involving PAX5 and surrounding genes, de novo frameshift variants that are likely to trigger nonsense-mediated mRNA decay, a rare stop-gain variant, or missense variants that affect conserved amino acid residues. Four of these individuals were published previously but without detailed clinical descriptions. All these individuals have been diagnosed with one or more neurodevelopmental phenotypes including delayed developmental milestones (DD), intellectual disability (ID), and/or ASD. Seizures were documented in four individuals. No recurrent patterns of brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings, structural birth defects, or dysmorphic features were observed. Our findings suggest that PAX5 haploinsufficiency causes a neurodevelopmental disorder whose cardinal features include DD, variable ID, and/or ASD.
Assuntos
Transtorno do Espectro Autista , Deficiência Intelectual , Transtornos do Neurodesenvolvimento , Animais , Transtorno do Espectro Autista/genética , Haploinsuficiência , Humanos , Deficiência Intelectual/diagnóstico , Deficiência Intelectual/genética , Camundongos , Transtornos do Neurodesenvolvimento/genética , Transtornos do Neurodesenvolvimento/patologia , Fator de Transcrição PAX5 , FenótipoRESUMO
Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) replication depends on the mitochondrial import of hundreds of nuclear encoded proteins that control the mitochondrial genome maintenance and integrity. Defects in these processes result in an expanding group of disorders called mtDNA maintenance defects that are characterized by mtDNA depletion and/or multiple mtDNA deletions with variable phenotypic manifestations. As it applies for mitochondrial disorders in general, current treatment options for mtDNA maintenance defects are limited. Lately, with the development of model organisms, improved understanding of the pathophysiology of these disorders, and a better knowledge of their natural history, the number of preclinical studies and existing and planned clinical trials has been increasing. In this review, we discuss recent preclinical studies and current and future clinical trials concerning potential therapeutic options for the different mtDNA maintenance defects.
Assuntos
DNA Mitocondrial , Doenças Mitocondriais , Humanos , DNA Mitocondrial/genética , DNA Mitocondrial/metabolismo , Mitocôndrias/genética , Mitocôndrias/metabolismo , Doenças Mitocondriais/genética , Doenças Mitocondriais/terapia , Doenças Mitocondriais/metabolismoRESUMO
Leiomodin-2 (LMOD2) is an important regulator of the thin filament length, known to promote elongation of actin through polymerization at pointed ends. Mice with Lmod2 deficiency die around 3 weeks of age due to severe dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), resulting from decreased heart contractility due to shorter thin filaments. To date, there have been three infants from two families reported with biallelic variants in LMOD2, presenting with perinatal onset DCM. Here, we describe a third family with a child harboring a previously described homozygous frameshift variant, c.1243_1244delCT (p.L415Vfs*108) with DCM, presenting later in infancy at 9 months of age. Family history was relevant for a sibling who died suddenly at 1 year of age after being diagnosed with cardiomegaly. LMOD2-related cardiomyopathy is a rare form of inherited cardiomyopathy resulting from thin filament length dysregulation and should be considered in genetic evaluation of newborns and infants with suspected autosomal recessive inheritance or sporadic early onset cardiomyopathy.
Assuntos
Cardiomiopatias , Cardiomiopatia Dilatada , Citoesqueleto de Actina/genética , Animais , Cardiomiopatia Dilatada/diagnóstico , Cardiomiopatia Dilatada/genética , Proteínas do Citoesqueleto/genética , Coração , Humanos , Recém-Nascido , Camundongos , Proteínas Musculares/genética , SarcômerosRESUMO
Cyclin-dependent kinase-like 5 (CDKL5) deficiency disorder (CDD) is caused by heterozygous or hemizygous variants in CDKL5 and is characterized by refractory epilepsy, cognitive and motor impairments, and cerebral visual impairment. CDKL5 has multiple transcripts, of which the longest transcripts, NM_003159 and NM_001037343, have been used historically in clinical laboratory testing. However, the transcript NM_001323289 is the most highly expressed in brain and contains 170 nucleotides at the 3' end of its last exon that are noncoding in other transcripts. Two truncating variants in this region have been reported in association with a CDD phenotype. To clarify the significance and range of phenotypes associated with late truncating variants in this region of the predominant transcript in the brain, we report detailed information on two individuals, updated clinical information on a third individual, and a summary of published and unpublished individuals reported in ClinVar. The two new individuals (one male and one female) each had a relatively mild clinical presentation including periods of pharmaco-responsive epilepsy, independent walking and limited purposeful communication skills. A previously reported male continued to have a severe phenotype. Overall, variants in this region demonstrate a range of clinical severity consistent with reports in CDD but with the potential for milder presentation.
Assuntos
Síndromes Epilépticas , Espasmos Infantis , Masculino , Feminino , Humanos , Espasmos Infantis/diagnóstico , Espasmos Infantis/genética , Espasmos Infantis/complicações , Síndromes Epilépticas/genética , Fenótipo , Encéfalo , Proteínas Serina-Treonina Quinases/genéticaRESUMO
Trisomy 16 is the most common autosomal trisomy in humans, which is almost uniformly embryonic lethal. Partial trisomy 16 including a segment of the long arm of chromosome 16 is occasionally compatible with life and has been associated with severe congenital defects, growth retardation, and early lethality. Segmental trisomy of 16q is usually described concomitantly with partial monosomy of another chromosome, often resulting from a parental balanced translocation. Pure partial chromosome 16q trisomy is exceedingly rare. About nine children with 16q12âqter and 16q13âqter duplication have been reported in the literature, almost all described with monosomy of a second chromosome, and highlighting very few long-term survivors. A single individual with pure partial distal 16q12.1q23.3 duplication has been reported in an infant, underscoring complexities of genetic counseling and management, especially in view of life-limiting congenital anomalies in rare survivors. Here, we present a 12-month-old child with pure 16q12.2q24.3 trisomy, having continued morbidity related to pulmonary hypertension and chronic lung disease. The features of intrauterine growth retardation, facial dysmorphism, hypotonia, congenital heart defect, distal contractures, urogenital abnormalities, and hearing loss support the association with 16q partial trisomy, as in previous studies. This report expands our current understanding related to the survival of infants with large segmental aneusomy of the long arm of chromosome 16.
Assuntos
Anormalidades Congênitas/genética , Cardiopatias Congênitas/genética , Translocação Genética , Trissomia/genética , Criança , Cromossomos Humanos Par 16/genética , Anormalidades Congênitas/patologia , Cardiopatias Congênitas/patologia , Humanos , Hipertensão Pulmonar/complicações , Hipertensão Pulmonar/genética , Hipertensão Pulmonar/patologia , Lactente , Cariotipagem , Pneumopatias/complicações , Pneumopatias/genética , Pneumopatias/patologia , Masculino , Mosaicismo , Trissomia/patologiaRESUMO
The mitochondrial aconitase gene (ACO2) encodes an enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of citrate to isocitrate in the tricarboxylic acid cycle. Biallelic variants in ACO2 are purported to cause two distinct disorders: infantile cerebellar-retinal degeneration (ICRD) which is characterized by CNS abnormalities, neurodevelopmental phenotypes, optic atrophy and retinal degeneration; and optic atrophy 9 (OPA9), characterized by isolated ophthalmologic phenotypes including optic atrophy and low vision. However, some doubt remains as to whether biallelic ACO2 variants can cause isolated ophthalmologic phenotypes. A review of the literature revealed five individuals from three families who carry biallelic ACO2 variants whose phenotypes are consistent with OPA9. Here, we describe a brother and sister with OPA9 who are compound heterozygous for novel missense variants in ACO2; c.[487G>T];[1894G>A], p.[(Val163Leu)];[(Val632Met)]. A review of pathogenic ACO2 variants revealed that those associated with OPA9 are distinct from those associated with ICRD. Missense variants associated with either OPA9 or ICRD do not cluster in distinct ACO2 domains, making it difficult to predict the severity of a variant based on position alone. We conclude that biallelic variants in ACO2 can cause the milder OPA9 phenotype, and that the OPA9-related ACO2 variants identified to date are distinct from those that cause ICRD.
Assuntos
Aconitato Hidratase/genética , Predisposição Genética para Doença , Atrofia Óptica/genética , Adolescente , Exoma/genética , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Mutação de Sentido Incorreto/genética , Atrofia Óptica/diagnóstico por imagem , Atrofia Óptica/patologia , FenótipoRESUMO
Disruption of the establishment of left-right (L-R) asymmetry leads to situs anomalies ranging from situs inversus totalis (SIT) to situs ambiguus (heterotaxy). The genetic causes of laterality defects in humans are highly heterogeneous. Via whole-exome sequencing (WES), we identified homozygous mutations in PKD1L1 from three affected individuals in two unrelated families. PKD1L1 encodes a polycystin-1-like protein and its loss of function is known to cause laterality defects in mouse and medaka fish models. Family 1 had one fetus and one deceased child with heterotaxy and complex congenital heart malformations. WES identified a homozygous splicing mutation, c.6473+2_6473+3delTG, which disrupts the invariant splice donor site in intron 42, in both affected individuals. In the second family, a homozygous c.5072G>C (p.Cys1691Ser) missense mutation was detected in an individual with SIT and congenital heart disease. The p.Cys1691Ser substitution affects a highly conserved cysteine residue and is predicted by molecular modeling to disrupt a disulfide bridge essential for the proper folding of the G protein-coupled receptor proteolytic site (GPS) motif. Damaging effects associated with substitutions of this conserved cysteine residue in the GPS motif have also been reported in other genes, namely GPR56, BAI3, and PKD1 in human and lat-1 in C. elegans, further supporting the likely pathogenicity of p.Cys1691Ser in PKD1L1. The identification of bi-allelic PKD1L1 mutations recapitulates previous findings regarding phenotypic consequences of loss of function of the orthologous genes in mice and medaka fish and further expands our understanding of genetic contributions to laterality defects in humans.
Assuntos
Alelos , Lateralidade Funcional/genética , Proteínas de Membrana/genética , Mutação , Situs Inversus/genética , Motivos de Aminoácidos , Sequência de Aminoácidos , Animais , Caenorhabditis elegans/genética , Cisteína/genética , Exoma/genética , Feminino , Doenças Fetais/genética , Cardiopatias Congênitas/genética , Síndrome de Heterotaxia , Homozigoto , Humanos , Recém-Nascido , Íntrons/genética , Masculino , Proteínas de Membrana/química , Camundongos , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Modelos Moleculares , Mutação de Sentido Incorreto , Oryzias/genética , Linhagem , Splicing de RNA/genéticaRESUMO
PURPOSE: Maternal diabetes is a known teratogen that can cause a wide spectrum of birth defects, collectively referred to as diabetic embryopathy (DE). However, the pathogenic mechanisms underlying DE remain uncertain and there are no definitive tests to establish the diagnosis. Here, we explore the potential of DNA methylation as a diagnostic biomarker for DE and to inform disease pathogenesis. METHODS: Bisulfite sequencing was used to identify gene regions with differential methylation between DE neonates and healthy infants born with or without prenatal exposure to maternal diabetes, and to investigate the role of allele-specific methylation at implicated sites. RESULTS: We identified a methylation signature consisting of 237 differentially methylated loci that distinguished infants with DE from control infants. These loci were found proximal to genes associated with Mendelian syndromes that overlap the DE phenotype (e.g., CACNA1C, TRIO, ANKRD11) or genes known to influence embryonic development (e.g., BRAX1, RASA3). Further, we identified allele-specific methylation (ASM) at 11 of these loci, within which 61.5% of ASM single-nucleotide variants are known expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs). CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests a role for aberrant DNA methylation and cis-sequence variation in the pathogenesis of DE and highlights the diagnostic potential of DNA methylation for teratogenic birth defects.
Assuntos
Metilação de DNA/genética , Diabetes Mellitus/embriologia , Doenças Fetais/genética , Alelos , Biomarcadores , Ilhas de CpG/genética , Complicações do Diabetes/genética , Diabetes Mellitus/genética , Feminino , Estudo de Associação Genômica Ampla , Humanos , Lactente , Recém-Nascido , Polimorfismo de Nucleotídeo Único/genética , Gravidez , Locos de Características Quantitativas/genéticaRESUMO
Hartnup disease is an autosomal recessive condition characterized by neutral aminoaciduria and behavioral problems. It is caused by a loss of B0 AT1, a neutral amino acid transporter in the kidney and intestine. CLTRN encodes the protein collectrin that functions in the transportation and activation of B0 AT1 in the renal apical brush bordered epithelium. Collectrin deficient mice have severe aminoaciduria. However, the phenotype associated with collectrin deficiency in humans has not been reported. Here we report two patients, an 11-year-old male who is hemizygous for a small, interstitial deletion on Xp22.2 that encompasses CLTRN and a 22-year-old male with a deletion spanning exons 1 to 3 of CLTRN. Both of them present with neuropsychiatric phenotypes including autistic features, anxiety, depression, compulsions, and motor tics, as well as neutral aminoaciduria leading to a clinical diagnosis of Hartnup disease and treatment with niacin supplementation. Plasma amino acids were normal in both patients. One patient had low 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid levels, a serotoninergic metabolite. We explored the expression of collectrin in the murine brain and found it to be particularly abundant in the hippocampus, brainstem, and cerebellum. We propose that collectrin deficiency in humans can be associated with aminoaciduria and a clinical picture similar to that seen in Hartnup disease. Further studies are needed to explore the role of collectrin deficiency in the neurological phenotypes.
Assuntos
Deleção de Genes , Doença de Hartnup/diagnóstico , Doença de Hartnup/genética , Mutação com Perda de Função , Glicoproteínas de Membrana/genética , Transtornos Mentais/diagnóstico , Transtornos Mentais/genética , Fenótipo , Alelos , Substituição de Aminoácidos , Animais , Criança , Hibridização Genômica Comparativa , Variações do Número de Cópias de DNA , Estudos de Associação Genética , Predisposição Genética para Doença , Humanos , Masculino , Camundongos , Adulto JovemRESUMO
Congenital heart defects involving left-sided lesions (LSLs) are relatively common birth defects with substantial morbidity and mortality. Previous studies have suggested a high heritability with a complex genetic architecture, such that only a few LSL loci have been identified. We performed a genome-wide case-control association study to address the role of common variants using a discovery cohort of 778 cases and 2756 controls. We identified a genome-wide significant association mapping to a 200 kb region on chromosome 20q11 [P= 1.72 × 10-8 for rs3746446; imputed Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) rs6088703 P= 3.01 × 10-9, odds ratio (OR)= 1.6 for both]. This result was supported by transmission disequilibrium analyses using a subset of 541 case families (lowest P in region= 4.51 × 10-5, OR= 1.5). Replication in a cohort of 367 LSL cases and 5159 controls showed nominal association (P= 0.03 for rs3746446) resulting in P= 9.49 × 10-9 for rs3746446 upon meta-analysis of the combined cohorts. In addition, a group of seven SNPs on chromosome 1q21.3 met threshold for suggestive association (lowest P= 9.35 × 10-7 for rs12045807). Both regions include genes involved in cardiac development-MYH7B/miR499A on chromosome 20 and CTSK, CTSS and ARNT on chromosome 1. Genome-wide heritability analysis using case-control genotyped SNPs suggested that the mean heritability of LSLs attributable to common variants is moderately high ([Formula: see text] range= 0.26-0.34) and consistent with previous assertions. These results provide evidence for the role of common variation in LSLs, proffer new genes as potential biological candidates, and give further insight to the complex genetic architecture of congenital heart disease.
Assuntos
Cromossomos Humanos Par 20/genética , Predisposição Genética para Doença , Estudo de Associação Genômica Ampla , Cardiopatias Congênitas/genética , Mapeamento Cromossômico , Estudos de Coortes , Feminino , Genótipo , Cardiopatias Congênitas/fisiopatologia , Ventrículos do Coração/fisiopatologia , Humanos , Masculino , Polimorfismo de Nucleotídeo ÚnicoRESUMO
BACKGROUND: The non-POU domain containing octamer-binding gene (NONO) is located on chromosome Xq13.1 and encodes a member of a small family of RNA-binding and DNA-binding proteins that perform a variety of tasks involved in RNA synthesis, transcriptional regulation and DNA repair. Loss-of-function variants in NONO have been described as a cause of intellectual disability in males but have not been described in association with congenital heart defects or cardiomyopathy. In this article, we seek to further define the phenotypic consequences of NONO depletion in human subjects. METHODS: We searched a clinical database of over 6000 individuals referred for exome sequencing and over 60â 000 individuals referred for CNV analysis. RESULTS: We identified two males with atrial and ventricular septal defects, left ventricular non-compaction (LVNC), developmental delay and intellectual disability, who harboured de novo, loss-of-function variants in NONO. We also identified a male infant with developmental delay, congenital brain anomalies and severe LVNC requiring cardiac transplantation, who inherited a single-gene deletion of NONO from his asymptomatic mother. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that in addition to global developmental delay and intellectual disability, males with loss-of-function variants in NONO may also be predisposed to developing congenital heart defects and LVNC with the penetrance of these cardiac-related problems being influenced by genetic, epigenetic, environmental or stochastic factors. Brain imaging of males with NONO deficiency may reveal structural defects with abnormalities of the corpus callosum being the most common. Although dysmorphic features vary between affected individuals, relative macrocephaly is a common feature.
Assuntos
Cardiopatias Congênitas/genética , Ventrículos do Coração/patologia , Proteínas Associadas à Matriz Nuclear/genética , Fatores de Transcrição de Octâmero/genética , Proteínas de Ligação a RNA/genética , Criança , Pré-Escolar , Proteínas de Ligação a DNA/genética , Deficiências do Desenvolvimento/genética , Deficiências do Desenvolvimento/patologia , Exoma/genética , Cardiopatias Congênitas/patologia , Humanos , Lactente , MasculinoRESUMO
White matter hyperintensities (WMHs) of the brain are important markers of aging and small-vessel disease. WMHs are rare in healthy children and, when observed, often occur with comorbid neuroinflammatory or vasculitic processes. Here, we describe a complex 4 kb deletion in 2q36.3 that segregates with early childhood communication disorders and WMH in 15 unrelated families predominantly from Southeast Asia. The premature brain aging phenotype with punctate and multifocal WMHs was observed in ~70% of young carrier parents who underwent brain MRI. The complex deletion removes the penultimate exon 3 of TM4SF20, a gene encoding a transmembrane protein of unknown function. Minigene analysis showed that the resultant net loss of an exon introduces a premature stop codon, which, in turn, leads to the generation of a stable protein that fails to target to the plasma membrane and accumulates in the cytoplasm. Finally, we report this deletion to be enriched in individuals of Vietnamese Kinh descent, with an allele frequency of about 1%, embedded in an ancestral haplotype. Our data point to a constellation of early language delay and WMH phenotypes, driven by a likely toxic mechanism of TM4SF20 truncation, and highlight the importance of understanding and managing population-specific low-frequency pathogenic alleles.
Assuntos
Senilidade Prematura/genética , Sequência de Bases , Predisposição Genética para Doença , Transtornos do Desenvolvimento da Linguagem/genética , Leucoencefalopatias/genética , Deleção de Sequência , Tetraspaninas/genética , Idade de Início , Senilidade Prematura/complicações , Senilidade Prematura/etnologia , Senilidade Prematura/patologia , Povo Asiático , Encéfalo/metabolismo , Encéfalo/patologia , Criança , Pré-Escolar , Cromossomos Humanos Par 2 , Éxons , Feminino , Humanos , Transtornos do Desenvolvimento da Linguagem/complicações , Transtornos do Desenvolvimento da Linguagem/etnologia , Transtornos do Desenvolvimento da Linguagem/patologia , Leucoencefalopatias/complicações , Leucoencefalopatias/etnologia , Leucoencefalopatias/patologia , Imageamento por Ressonância Magnética , Masculino , Dados de Sequência Molecular , Linhagem , Análise de Sequência de DNARESUMO
Adherens junction-associated protein 1 (AJAP1) has been implicated in brain diseases; however, a pathogenic mechanism has not been identified. AJAP1 is widely expressed in neurons and binds to γ-aminobutyric acid type B receptors (GBRs), which inhibit neurotransmitter release at most synapses in the brain. Here, we show that AJAP1 is selectively expressed in dendrites and trans-synaptically recruits GBRs to presynaptic sites of neurons expressing AJAP1. We have identified several monoallelic AJAP1 variants in individuals with epilepsy and/or neurodevelopmental disorders. Specifically, we show that the variant p.(W183C) lacks binding to GBRs, resulting in the inability to recruit them. Ultrastructural analysis revealed significantly decreased presynaptic GBR levels in Ajap1-/- and Ajap1W183C/+ mice. Consequently, these mice exhibited reduced GBR-mediated presynaptic inhibition at excitatory and inhibitory synapses, along with impaired synaptic plasticity. Our study reveals that AJAP1 enables the postsynaptic neuron to regulate the level of presynaptic GBR-mediated inhibition, supporting the clinical relevance of loss-of-function AJAP1 variants.
Assuntos
Neurotransmissores , Sinapses , Transmissão Sináptica , Animais , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Camundongos , Alelos , Epilepsia/metabolismo , Epilepsia/genética , Epilepsia/patologia , Mutação com Perda de Função , Camundongos Knockout , Transtornos do Neurodesenvolvimento/metabolismo , Transtornos do Neurodesenvolvimento/genética , Transtornos do Neurodesenvolvimento/patologia , Plasticidade Neuronal , Neurônios/metabolismo , Neurotransmissores/metabolismo , Sinapses/metabolismo , Moléculas de Adesão Celular/genética , Moléculas de Adesão Celular/metabolismoRESUMO
WDR44 prevents ciliogenesis initiation by regulating RAB11-dependent vesicle trafficking. Here, we describe male patients with missense and nonsense variants within the WD40 repeats (WDR) of WDR44, an X-linked gene product, who display ciliopathy-related developmental phenotypes that we can model in zebrafish. The patient phenotypic spectrum includes developmental delay/intellectual disability, hypotonia, distinct craniofacial features and variable presence of brain, renal, cardiac and musculoskeletal abnormalities. We demonstrate that WDR44 variants associated with more severe disease impair ciliogenesis initiation and ciliary signaling. Because WDR44 negatively regulates ciliogenesis, it was surprising that pathogenic missense variants showed reduced abundance, which we link to misfolding of WDR autonomous repeats and degradation by the proteasome. We discover that disease severity correlates with increased RAB11 binding, which we propose drives ciliogenesis initiation dysregulation. Finally, we discover interdomain interactions between the WDR and NH2-terminal region that contains the RAB11 binding domain (RBD) and show patient variants disrupt this association. This study provides new insights into WDR44 WDR structure and characterizes a new syndrome that could result from impaired ciliogenesis.
Assuntos
Ciliopatias , Genes Ligados ao Cromossomo X , Repetições WD40 , Animais , Humanos , Masculino , Encéfalo , Ciliopatias/genética , Cognição , Peixe-Zebra/genéticaRESUMO
Background Chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) provides an opportunity to understand genetic causes of congenital heart disease (CHD). The methods for describing cardiac phenotypes in patients with CMA abnormalities have been inconsistent, which may complicate clinical interpretation of abnormal testing results and hinder a more complete understanding of genotype-phenotype relationships. Methods and Results Patients with CHD and abnormal clinical CMA were accrued from 9 pediatric cardiac centers. Highly detailed cardiac phenotypes were systematically classified and analyzed for their association with CMA abnormality. Hierarchical classification of each patient into 1 CHD category facilitated broad analyses. Inclusive classification allowing multiple CHD types per patient provided sensitive descriptions. In 1363 registry patients, 28% had genomic disorders with well-recognized CHD association, 67% had clinically reported copy number variants (CNVs) with rare or no prior CHD association, and 5% had regions of homozygosity without CNV. Hierarchical classification identified expected CHD categories in genomic disorders, as well as uncharacteristic CHDs. Inclusive phenotyping provided sensitive descriptions of patients with multiple CHD types, which occurred commonly. Among CNVs with rare or no prior CHD association, submicroscopic CNVs were enriched for more complex types of CHD compared with large CNVs. The submicroscopic CNVs that contained a curated CHD gene were enriched for left ventricular obstruction or septal defects, whereas CNVs containing a single gene were enriched for conotruncal defects. Neuronal-related pathways were over-represented in single-gene CNVs, including top candidate causative genes NRXN3, ADCY2, and HCN1. Conclusions Intensive cardiac phenotyping in multisite registry data identifies genotype-phenotype associations in CHD patients with abnormal CMA.
Assuntos
Cardiopatias Congênitas , Criança , Humanos , Cardiopatias Congênitas/diagnóstico , Cardiopatias Congênitas/genética , Coração , Genômica , Ventrículos do Coração , Análise em MicrossériesRESUMO
Objective: Recent advances in epigenetic studies continue to reveal novel mechanisms of gene regulation and control, however little is known on the role of epigenetics in sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) in humans. We aimed to investigate the methylation patterns of two regions, one in RB1 and another in GJB2 in Filipino patients with SNHL compared to hearing control individuals. Methods: We investigated an RB1 promoter region that was previously identified as differentially methylated in children with SNHL and lead exposure. Additionally, we investigated a sequence in an enhancer-like region within GJB2 that contains four CpGs in close proximity. Bisulfite conversion was performed on salivary DNA samples from 15 children with SNHL and 45 unrelated ethnically-matched individuals. We then performed methylation-specific real-time PCR analysis (qMSP) using TaqMan® probes to determine percentage methylation of the two regions. Results: Using qMSP, both our cases and controls had zero methylation at the targeted GJB2 and RB1 regions. Conclusion: Our study showed no changes in methylation at the selected CpG regions in RB1 and GJB2 in the two comparison groups with or without SNHL. This may be due to a lack of environmental exposures to these target regions. Other epigenetic marks may be present around these regions as well as those of other HL-associated genes.