A PRRT2 variant in a Chinese family with paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesia and benign familial infantile seizures results in loss of interaction with STX1B.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the causative gene of autosomal dominant paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesia and benign familial infantile seizures (PKD/BFIS) in a large Chinese family and explore the potential pathogenic mechanism of a PRRT2 (proline-rich transmembrane protein 2) variant. METHODS: Genetic testing was performed via whole exome sequencing. Western blotting and immunofluorescence were used to analyze the protein expression level and subcellular localization of the PRRT2 mutant in HeLa cells and N2A cells. Coimmunoprecipitation was conducted to investigate the interaction of the PRRT2 mutant with syntaxin 1B (STX1B). RESULTS: In a large Chinese family with autosomal dominant PKD/BFIS showing wide phenotypic heterogeneity, including patients suffering from PKD, BFIS, or epilepsy and asymptomatic variant carriers, a c.621dupA variant in PRRT2 was identified in the proband and was shown to cosegregate with the phenotype in this family. This variant results in premature termination at codon 224, producing a truncated protein (p.Ser208Ilefs*17) in which the two conserved hydrophobic segments and the cytoplasmic loop are missing. Both the expression and subcellular localization of PRRT2 are strongly affected by the c.621dupA variant. In addition, we found that PRRT2 directly interacts with STX1B, a SNARE protein critical for neurotransmitter release, whereas the truncated variant p.Ser208Ilefs*17 lacking the helix-loop-helix domain fails to bind to STX1B. SIGNIFICANCE: Our findings identified a PRRT2 variant in a family with PKD/BFIS and confirmed STX1B as a new binding partner of PRRT2, which suggested that the loss of the interaction between PRRT2 and STX1B may contribute to the pathogenesis of PKD/BFIS.

Clinical characteristics and genetic analysis of a case of a patient with familial hereditary breast cancer: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer has emerged as the foremost cause of female mortality worldwide, with triple negative breast cancer accounting for approximately 10-15% of all breast cancer cases. The triple negative breast cancer family has obvious familial heritability, but no potential pathogenic variation was found in BRCA1/2. CASE PRESENTATION: The patient was a 56-year-old woman of Han ethnicity. The clinical characteristics of this patient with breast cancer were summarized, peripheral blood of one normal female and two patients with breast cancer in this family was collected, DNA was extracted, and the potential pathogenic variation was analyzed by whole exome sequencing. The normal female and two patients with breast cancer in this family shared a maternal grandmother. The proband's right breast mass was punctured, and the biopsy showed invasive carcinoma of the right breast, grade II-III, with necrosis. No mutation was found in BRCA1/2 gene test; immunohistochemical of surgical specimens showed triple negative breast cancer. Three mutation types and 17 gene mutation sites were detected through bioinformatics prediction analysis on the basis of co-segregation of genotype and phenotype within the family and whole exome sequencing results. Combined with the Cancer Genome Atlas database comprehensive analysis, the MT1E c.G107A (p.C36Y) mutation may be a potential pathogenic site. CONCLUSIONS: Through whole exome sequencing, we identified a total of 17 potential pathogenic mutation loci, none of which have been reported thus far. Therefore, our work expanded the gene mutation spectrum of familial hereditary triple negative breast cancer, which can provide more basis for family genetic counseling.

FRMD7 Mutations Disrupt the Interaction with GABRA2 and May Result in Infantile Nystagmus Syndrome.

Purpose: To identify the pathogenic gene of infantile nystagmus syndrome (INS) in three Chinese families and explore the potential pathogenic mechanism of FERM domain-containing 7 (FRMD7) mutations. Methods: Genetic testing was performed via Sanger sequencing. Western blotting was used to analyze protein expression of FRMD7. Glutathione S-transferase pull-down and immunoprecipitation were conducted to investigate the proteins interacting with FRMD7. Rescue assays were performed in Caenorhabditis elegans to explore the potential role of FRMD7 in vivo. Results: We recruited three Chinese families with X-linked INS and identified a duplication and two missense mutations in FRMD7: c.998dupA/p.His333Glnfs*2, c.580G>A/p.Ala194Thr, and c.973A>G/p.Arg325Gly (one in each family). Expression levels of three mutants were similar to that of wild-type FRMD7 in vitro. Interestingly, the mutant p.His333Glnfs*2 exhibited a predominantly nuclear location, whereas wild-type FRMD7 localized to the cytoplasm. In addition, we found FRMD7 to directly interact with the loop between transmembrane domains 3 and 4 of GABRA2, a type A gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor (GABAARs) subunit critical for receptor transport and localization, whereas the mutants p.Ala194Thr and p.Arg325Gly exhibited decreased binding to GABRA2. In frm-3 (a nematode homologue of FRMD7) null C. elegans, we found that FRMD7 mutants exhibited a poor rescue effect on the defects of locomotion and fluorescence recovery after photobleaching of GABAARs. Conclusions: Our findings identified three FRMD7 mutants in three Chinese families with X-linked INS and confirmed GABRA2 as a novel binding partner of FRMD7. These findings suggest that FRMD7 plays an important role by targeting GABAARs.

Synthesis, characterization and adsorption properties of diethylenetriamine-modified hypercrosslinked resins for efficient removal of salicylic acid from aqueous solution.

We report an effective approach for tailoring the pore textural properties and surface polarity of a hypercrosslinked resin to enhance its adsorption capacity and selectivity for removing salicylic acid from aqueous solution. Four hypercrosslinked resins were synthesized by controlling the reaction time of the self Friedel-Crafts reaction of chloromethylated polystyrene-co-divinylbenzene, and then modified with diethylenetriamine to adjust their surface polarity. The resins were characterized with N(2) adsorption for pore textural properties, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) for surface functional groups, chemical analysis for residual chlorine content and weak basic exchange capacity. Adsorption equilibrium, kinetics and breakthrough performance were determined for the removal of salicylic acid from aqueous solution on a selected resin HJ-M01. The equilibrium adsorption capacity of salicylic acid on HJ-M01 is significantly higher than that on its precursor HJ-11 and a few commercial adsorbents including AB-8, XAD-4 and XAD-7. The dynamic adsorption capacity of salicylic acid on HJ-M01 was found to be 456.4 mg/L at a feed concentration of 1000 mg/L and 294 K. The used resin could be fully regenerated with 1% sodium hydroxide solution. The hypercrosslinked resins being developed were promising alternatives to commercial adsorbents for removing salicylic acid and other volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from aqueous solution.