Dysregulation of the NRG1/ERBB pathway causes a developmental disorder with gastrointestinal dysmotility in humans.

Hirschsprung disease (HSCR) is the most frequent developmental anomaly of the enteric nervous system, with an incidence of 1 in 5000 live births. Chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction (CIPO) is less frequent and classified as neurogenic or myogenic. Isolated HSCR has an oligogenic inheritance with RET as the major disease-causing gene, while CIPO is genetically heterogeneous, caused by mutations in smooth muscle-specific genes. Here, we describe a series of patients with developmental disorders including gastrointestinal dysmotility, and investigate the underlying molecular bases. Trio-exome sequencing led to the identification of biallelic variants in ERBB3 and ERBB2 in 8 individuals variably associating HSCR, CIPO, peripheral neuropathy, and arthrogryposis. Thorough gut histology revealed aganglionosis, hypoganglionosis, and intestinal smooth muscle abnormalities. The cell type-specific ErbB3 and ErbB2 function was further analyzed in mouse single-cell RNA sequencing data and in a conditional ErbB3-deficient mouse model, revealing a primary role for ERBB3 in enteric progenitors. The consequences of the identified variants were evaluated using quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) on patient-derived fibroblasts or immunoblot assays on Neuro-2a cells overexpressing WT or mutant proteins, revealing either decreased expression or altered phosphorylation of the mutant receptors. Our results demonstrate that dysregulation of ERBB3 or ERBB2 leads to a broad spectrum of developmental anomalies, including intestinal dysmotility.

Telomere and Centromere Staining Followed by M-FISH Improves Diagnosis of Chromosomal Instability and Its Clinical Utility.

Dicentric chromosomes are a relevant marker of chromosomal instability. Their appearance is associated with telomere dysfunction, leading to cancer progression and a poor clinical outcome. Here, we present Telomere and Centromere staining followed by M-FISH (TC+M-FISH) for improved detection of telomere dysfunction and the identification of dicentric chromosomes in cancer patients and various genetic syndromes. Significant telomere length shortening and significantly higher frequencies of telomere loss and deletion were found in the peripheral lymphocytes of patients with cancer and genetic syndromes relative to similar age-matched healthy donors. We assessed our technique against conventional cytogenetics for the detection of dicentric chromosomes by subjecting metaphase preparations to both approaches. We identified dicentric chromosomes in 28/50 cancer patients and 21/44 genetic syndrome patients using our approach, but only 7/50 and 12/44, respectively, using standard cytogenetics. We ascribe this discrepancy to the identification of the unique configuration of dicentric chromosomes. We observed significantly higher frequencies of telomere loss and deletion in patients with dicentric chromosomes (p < 10-4). TC+M-FISH analysis is superior to classical cytogenetics for the detection of chromosomal instability. Our approach is a relatively simple but useful tool for documenting telomere dysfunction and chromosomal instability with the potential to become a standard additional diagnostic tool in medical genetics and the clinic.

LEF1 haploinsufficiency causes ectodermal dysplasia.

Ectodermal dysplasias are a family of genodermatoses commonly associated with variants in the ectodysplasin/NF-κB or the Wnt/ß-catenin pathways. Both pathways are involved in signal transduction from ectoderm to mesenchyme during the development of ectoderm-derived structures. Wnt/ß-catenin pathway requires the lymphoid enhancer-binding factor 1 (LEF1), a nuclear mediator, to activate target gene expression. In mice, targeted inactivation of the LEF1 gene results in a complete block of development of multiple ectodermal appendages. We report two unrelated patients with 4q25 de novo deletion encompassing LEF1, associated with severe oligodontia of primary and permanent dentition, hypotrichosis and hypohidrosis compatible with hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia. Taurodontism and a particular alveolar bone defect were also observed in both patients. So far, no pathogenic variants or variations involving the LEF1 gene have been reported in human. We provide further evidence for LEF1 haploinsufficiency role in ectodermal dysplasia and delineate its clinical phenotype.

A new lysosomal storage disorder resembling Morquio syndrome in sibs.

We report two male sibs, born from unrelated French Caribbean parents, presenting with an unclassifiable storage disorder. Pregnancy and delivery were uneventful. Stunted growth was noted during the first year of life. Both children have short stature (below - 4SD) with short trunk, barrel chest, micromelia with rhizomelic shortening, severe kyphoscoliosis, pectus carinatum, short hands and feet with metatarsus adductus, and excessive joint laxity of the small joints. Learning difficulties with borderline intelligence quotient (IQ) were noted in one of them. They had no hepatomegaly, no splenomegaly, and no dysmorphism. Skeletal X-rays survey demonstrated generalized platyspondyly with tongue-like deformity of the anterior part of the vertebral bodies, hypoplasia of the odontoid process, generalized epiphyseal dysplasia and abnormally shaped metaphyses. The acetabular roofs had a trident aspect. Ophthalmologic and cardiac examinations were normal. Spine deformity required surgical correction in one of the patient at age 4 years. Lysosomal enzymes assays including N-acetylgalactosamine-6-sulfate sulfatase and ß-galactosidase were normal, excluding mucopolysaccharidoses type IV A and IV B (Morquio syndrome), respectively. Qualitative analysis found traces of dermatan and chondroitin-sulfates in urine, but quantitative glycosaminoglycan excretion fell within normal limits. They were no vacuolated lymphocytes. Abnormal coarse inclusions were present in eosinophils. Mild Alder anomaly was observed in polymorphonuclears. Granulations were discretely metachromatic with toluidine blue. Those morphological anomalies are in favor of a lysosomal storage disease. No inclusions were found in skin fibroblasts. We hypothesize that these two boys have a distinct autosomal recessive or X-linked lysosomal storage disorder of unknown origin that shares clinical and radiological features with Morquio disease.

Ectodermal dysplasia-like syndrome with mental retardation due to contiguous gene deletion: further clinical and molecular delineation of del(2q32) syndrome.

We report on a patient with an interstitial deletion of the long arm of chromosome 2 at 2q31.2q33.2. She had prenatal and postnatal growth retardation, microcephaly, facial dysmorphism, cleft palate, camptodactyly, bilateral talipes equinovarus, severe intellectual disability, and ectodermal anomalies. She showed thin, atrophic skin, sparse, brittle, slowly growing hair, oligodontia with abnormally shaped teeth, normal sweating, and normal fingernails, consistent with a diagnosis of ectodermal dysplasia. Array CGH analysis (Agilent 44K) showed the deletion to span 26 Mb, between cytogenetic bands 2q31.2 and 2q33. The deletion leads to hemizygosity for the HOXD cluster and its regulatory elements, COL3A1/COL5A2, GTF3C3, CASP8, CASP10, and SABT2 could perhaps interfere with long range control of DLX1 and DLX2 expression. This girl confirms the existence of a clinically recognizable 2q32 microdeletion syndrome, as recently delineated by Van Buggenhout et al. and confirms a novel putative locus for ectodermal dysplasia on chromosome 2q31q33. We recommend considering cytogenetic and/or molecular screening for del(2q32) in patients with developmental disability and ectodermal dysplasia-like phenotype, including thin skin, oligodontia, dysplastic teeth, and sparse hair.