Itpr1 regulates the formation of anterior eye segment tissues derived from neural crest cells.

Mutations in ITPR1 cause ataxia and aniridia in individuals with Gillespie syndrome (GLSP). However, the pathogenic mechanisms underlying aniridia remain unclear. We identified a de novo GLSP mutation hotspot in the 3'-region of ITPR1 in five individuals with GLSP. Furthermore, RNA-sequencing and immunoblotting revealed an eye-specific transcript of Itpr1, encoding a 218amino acid isoform. This isoform is localized not only in the endoplasmic reticulum, but also in the nuclear and cytoplasmic membranes. Ocular-specific transcription was repressed by SOX9 and induced by MAF in the anterior eye segment (AES) tissues. Mice lacking seven base pairs of the last Itpr1 exon exhibited ataxia and aniridia, in which the iris lymphatic vessels, sphincter and dilator muscles, corneal endothelium and stroma were disrupted, but the neural crest cells persisted after completion of AES formation. Our analyses revealed that the 218-amino acid isoform regulated the directionality of actin fibers and the intensity of focal adhesion. The isoform might control the nuclear entry of transcriptional regulators, such as YAP. It is also possible that ITPR1 regulates both AES differentiation and muscle contraction in the iris.

The DROL1 subunit of U5 snRNP in the spliceosome is specifically required to splice AT-AC-type introns in Arabidopsis.

An Arabidopsis mutant named defective repression of OLE3::LUC 1 (drol1) was originally isolated as a mutant with defects in the repression of OLEOSIN3 (OLE3) after seed germination. In this study, we show that DROL1 is an Arabidopsis homolog of yeast DIB1, a subunit of the U5 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein particle (snRNP) in the spliceosome. It is also part of a new subfamily that is specific to a certain class of eukaryotes. Comprehensive analysis of the intron splicing using RNA sequencing analysis of the drol1 mutants revealed that most of the minor introns with AT-AC dinucleotide termini had reduced levels of splicing. Only two nucleotide substitutions from AT-AC to GT-AG enabled AT-AC-type introns to be spliced in drol1 mutants. Forty-eight genes, including those having important roles in abiotic stress responses and cell proliferation, exhibited reduced splicing of AT-AC-type introns in the drol1 mutants. Additionally, drol1 mutant seedlings showed retarded growth, similar to that caused by the activation of abscisic acid signaling, possibly as a result of reduced AT-AC-type intron splicing in the endosomal Na+ /H+ antiporters and plant-specific histone deacetylases. These results indicate that DROL1 is specifically involved in the splicing of minor introns with AT-AC termini and that this plays an important role in plant growth and development.

Four conserved amino acids on human papillomavirus E6 predict clinical high-risk types.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) types included in the genus alpha papillomavirus (alpha-HPVs) are subdivided into high- and low-risk HPVs associated with tumorigenicity. According to conventional risk classification, over 30 alpha-HPVs remain unclassified and HPV groups phylogenetically classified using the L1 gene do not exactly correspond to the conventional risk classification groups. Here, we propose a novel cervical lesion progression risk classification strategy. Using four E6 risk distinguishable amino acids (E6-RDAAs), we successfully expanded the conventional classification to encompass alpha-HPVs and resolve discrepancies. We validated our classification system using alpha-HPV-targeted sequence data of 325 cervical swab specimens from participants in Japan. Clinical outcomes significantly correlated with the E6-RDAA classification. Four of five HPV types in the data set that were not conventionally classified (HPV30, 34, 67, and 69) were high-risk according to our classification criteria. This report sheds light on the carcinogenicity of rare genital HPV types using a novel risk classification strategy.

Alvocidib inhibits IRF4 expression via super-enhancer suppression and adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma cell growth.

Adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL) is an intractable hematological malignancy with extremely poor prognosis. Recent studies have revealed that super-enhancers (SE) play important roles in controlling tumor-specific gene expression and are potential therapeutic targets for neoplastic diseases including ATL. Cyclin-dependent protein kinase (CDK) 9 is a component of a complex comprising transcription factors (TFs) that bind the SE region. Alvocidib is a CDK9 inhibitor that exerts antitumor activity by inhibiting RNA polymerase (Pol) II phosphorylation and suppressing SE-mediated, tumor-specific gene expression. The present study demonstrated that alvocidib inhibited the proliferation of ATL cell lines and tumor cells from patients with ATL. RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) and chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-Seq) disclosed that SE regulated IRF4 in the ATL cell lines. Previous studies showed that IRF4 suppression inhibited ATL cell proliferation. Hence, IRF4 is a putative alvocidib target in ATL therapy. The present study revealed that SE-mediated IRF4 downregulation is a possible mechanism by which alvocidib inhibits ATL proliferation. Alvocidib also suppressed ATL in a mouse xenograft model. Hence, the present work demonstrated that alvocidib has therapeutic efficacy against ATL and partially elucidated its mode of action. It also showed that alvocidib is promising for the clinical treatment of ATL and perhaps other malignancies and neoplasms as well.

Identification of unique DNA methylation sites in Kabuki syndrome using whole genome bisulfite sequencing and targeted hybridization capture followed by enzymatic methylation sequencing.

BACKGROUND: Kabuki syndrome (KS) is a congenital malformation syndrome caused by mutations in the KMT2D and KDM6A genes that encode histone modification enzymes. Although KS is considered a single gene disorder, its symptoms vary widely. Recently, disease-specific DNA methylation patterns, or episignatures, have been recognized and used as a diagnostic tool for KS. Because of various crosstalk mechanisms between histone modifications and DNA methylation, DNA methylation analysis may have high potential for investigations into the pathogenesis of KS. RESULTS: In this study, we investigated altered CpG-methylation sites that were specific to KS to find important genes associated with the various phenotypes or pathogenesis of KS. Whole genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) was performed to select target CpG islands, and enzymatic conversion technology was applied after hybridization capture to confirm KS-specific episignatures of 130 selected differently methylated target regions (DMTRs) in DNA samples from the 65 participants, 31 patients with KS and 34 unaffected individuals, in this study. We identified 26 candidate genes in 22 DMTRs that may be associated with KS. Our results indicate that disease-specific methylation sites can be identified from a small number of WGBS samples, and hybridization capture followed by enzymatic methylation sequencing can simultaneously test the sites. CONCLUSIONS: Although DNA methylation can be tissue-specific, our results suggest that methylation profiling of DNA extracted from peripheral blood may be a powerful approach to study the pathogenesis of diseases.

BCS1L mutations produce Fanconi syndrome with developmental disability.

Fanconi syndrome is a functional disorder of the proximal tubule, characterized by pan-aminoaciduria, glucosuria, hypophosphatemia, and metabolic acidosis. With the advancements in gene analysis technologies, several causative genes are identified for Fanconi syndrome. Several mitochondrial diseases cause Fanconi syndrome and various systemic symptoms; however, it is rare that the main clinical symptoms in such disorders are Fanconi syndrome without systematic active diseases like encephalomyopathy or cardiomyopathy. In this study, we analyzed two families exhibiting Fanconi syndrome, developmental disability and mildly elevated liver enzyme levels. Whole-exome sequencing (WES) detected compound heterozygous known and novel BCS1L mutations, which affect the assembly of mitochondrial respiratory chain complex III, in both cases. The pathogenicity of these mutations has been established in several mitochondria-related functional analyses in this study. Mitochondrial diseases with isolated renal symptoms are uncommon; however, this study indicates that mitochondrial respiratory chain complex III deficiency due to BCS1L mutations cause Fanconi syndrome with developmental disability as the primary indications.

A Patient with Kabuki Syndrome Mutation Presenting with Very Severe Aplastic Anemia.

Kabuki syndrome (KS) is a rare congenital disorder commonly complicated by humoral immunodeficiency. Patients with KS present with mutation in the histone-lysine N-methyltransferase 2D (KMT2D) gene. Although various KMT2D mutations are often identified in lymphoma and leukemia, those encountered in aplastic anemia (AA) are limited. Herein, we present the case of a 45-year-old Japanese man who developed severe pancytopenia and hypogammaglobulinemia. He did not present with any evident malformations, intellectual disability, or detectable levels of autoantibodies. However, B-cell development was impaired. Therefore, a diagnosis of very severe AA due to a hypoplastic marrow, which did not respond to granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, was made. The patient received umbilical cord blood transplantation but died from a Pseudomonas infection before neutrophil engraftment. Trio whole-exome sequencing revealed a novel missense heterozygous mutation c.15959G >A (p.R5320H) in exon 50 of the KMT2D gene. Moreover, Sanger sequencing of peripheral blood and bone marrow mononuclear cells and a skin biopsy specimen obtained from this patient identified this heterozygous mutation, suggesting that de novo mutation associated with KS occurred in the early embryonic development. Our case showed a novel association between KS mutation and adult-onset AA.

Functionally validated SCN5A variants allow interpretation of pathogenicity and prediction of lethal events in Brugada syndrome.

AIMS: The prognostic value of genetic variants for predicting lethal arrhythmic events (LAEs) in Brugada syndrome (BrS) remains controversial. We investigated whether the functional curation of SCN5A variations improves prognostic predictability. METHODS AND RESULTS: Using a heterologous expression system and whole-cell patch clamping, we functionally characterized 22 variants of unknown significance (VUSs) among 55 SCN5A mutations previously curated using in silico prediction algorithms in the Japanese BrS registry (n = 415). According to the loss-of-function (LOF) properties, SCN5A mutation carriers (n = 60) were divided into two groups: LOF-SCN5A mutations and non-LOF SCN5A variations. Functionally proven LOF-SCN5A mutation carriers (n = 45) showed significantly severer electrocardiographic conduction abnormalities and worse prognosis associated with earlier manifestations of LAEs (7.9%/year) than in silico algorithm-predicted SCN5A carriers (5.1%/year) or all BrS probands (2.5%/year). Notably, non-LOF SCN5A variation carriers (n = 15) exhibited no LAEs during the follow-up period. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that only LOF-SCN5A mutations and a history of aborted cardiac arrest were significant predictors of LAEs. Gene-based association studies using whole-exome sequencing data on another independent SCN5A mutation-negative BrS cohort (n = 288) showed no significant enrichment of rare variants in 16 985 genes including 22 non-SCN5A BrS-associated genes as compared with controls (n = 372). Furthermore, rare variations of non-SCN5A BrS-associated genes did not affect LAE-free survival curves. CONCLUSION: In vitro functional validation is key to classifying the pathogenicity of SCN5A VUSs and for risk stratification of genetic predictors of LAEs. Functionally proven LOF-SCN5A mutations are genetic burdens of sudden death in BrS, but evidence for other BrS-associated genes is elusive.

Intestinal Mucosa-Associated Lymphoid Tissue Lymphoma Transforming into Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma in a Young Adult Patient with Neurofibromatosis Type 1: A Case Report.

Background: Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is a hereditary cancer syndrome characterized by multiple café-au-lait macules on the skin. Lymphoproliferative malignancies associated with NF1 are limited, although the most common are brain tumors. Case presentation: A 22-year-old woman with NF1 was admitted due to abdominal pain and bloody diarrhea. Her laboratory data exhibited macrocytic anemia and elevated IgA levels. Image studies showed diffuse increased wall thickening in the transverse and descending colon without lymphadenopathy and hepatosplenomegaly. A colonoscopy revealed a hemorrhagic ulcerated mass. Pathological analysis of the tumor tissues confirmed IgA-expressing mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma with histological transformation. Moreover, whole-exome sequencing in tumor tissues and peripheral blood mononuclear cells identified a somatic frameshift mutation of the A20 gene, which represents the loss of function. The patient responded well to R-CHOP chemotherapy, but the disease relapsed after 1 year, resulting in a lethal outcome. Conclusions: MALT lymphoma in children and young adults is extremely rare and is possibly caused by acquired genetic changes. This case suggests a novel association between hereditary cancer syndrome and early-onset MALT lymphoma.

Genome analysis of myelodysplastic syndromes among atomic bomb survivors in Nagasaki.

Ionizing radiation is a risk factor for myeloid neoplasms including myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), and atomic bomb survivors have been shown to have a significantly higher risk of MDS. Our previous analyses demonstrated that MDS among these survivors had a significantly higher frequency of complex karyotypes and structural alterations of chromosomes 3, 8, and 11. However, there was no difference in the median survival time between MDS among survivors compared with those of de novo origin. This suggested that a different pathophysiology may underlie the causative genetic aberrations for those among survivors. In this study, we performed genome analyses of MDS among survivors and found that proximally exposed patients had significantly fewer mutations in genes such as TET2 along the DNA methylation pathways, and they had a significantly higher rate of 11q deletions. Among the genes located in the deleted portion of chromosome 11, alterations of ATM were significantly more frequent in proximally exposed group with mutations identified on the remaining allele in 2 out of 5 cases. TP53, which is frequently mutated in therapy-related myeloid neoplasms, was equally affected between proximally and distally exposed patients. These results suggested that the genetic aberration profiles in MDS among atomic bomb survivors differed from those in therapy-related and de novo origin. Considering the role of ATM in DNA damage response after radiation exposure, further studies are warranted to elucidate how 11q deletion and aberrations of ATM contribute to the pathogenesis of MDS after radiation exposure.

Next-generation sequencing of the whole MEFV gene in Japanese patients with familial Mediterranean fever: a case-control association study.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to identify the whole nucleotide sequence of the Mediterranean fever (MEFV) gene in familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) and reveal novel single nucleotide variants (SNVs) associated with the susceptibility of FMF. METHODS: SeqCap capturing technique followed by Illumina next-generation sequencing have been used to assess two hundred SNVs in the whole region of MEFV in 266 Japanese patients with FMF and 288 ethnically matched controls. We performed an association analysis using these SNVs to identify genetic variants that predispose to FMF. RESULTS: We identified the two most significant SNVs [rs28940578; M694I in exon 10, odds ratio (OR) = 153, p=2.47×10-21 and rs3743930; E148Q in exon 2, OR = 1.65, p<0.0005]. Stratified analysis identified rs28940578 as a risk allele in typical FMF. Haplotype AG, defined by rs401298 and rs28940578, was the most significant and prevalent among patients with typical FMF compared with controls (22.4% vs. 0%, respectively; OR = 137, p=1.44×10-31). Haplotype GTC, defined by rs11466018, rs224231, and rs401877, was the most significant among patients with typical FMF without the rs28940578 mutation compared with controls (15.9% vs. 6%, respectively; OR = 12.4, p=0.004). CONCLUSIONS: rs28940578 is associated with the highest risk in typical FMF cases. This is consistent with results from previous studies in Japan. We found a novel MEFV gene haplotype that confers susceptibility of FMF among typical FMF without the rs28940578 mutation. There were no relevant SNVs identified in MEFV among the atypical FMF group.

Expression of unfolded protein response markers in the pheochromocytoma with Waardenburg syndrome: a case report.

BACKGROUND: It is clinically emergent to further understand the pathological mechanism to advance therapeutic strategy for endocrine tumors. A high amount of secretory protein with tumorigenic triggers are thought to induce unfolded protein response in endoplasmic reticulum in endocrine tumors, but its evidence is limited. CASE PRESENTATION: A 40-year-old woman had an approximately 10-year history of intermittent headaches. After the incidental detection of a mass in her right adrenal gland by CT scan, she was admitted to our hospital. She had been diagnosed as type 1 Waardenburg syndrome with the symptoms of dystopia canthorum, blue iris, and left sensorineural hearing loss. Urinary catecholamine levels were markedly elevated. 123I-MIBG scintigraphy showed uptake in the mass in her adrenal gland. After the adrenalectomy, her headaches disappeared and urinary catecholamine levels decreased to normal range within 2 weeks. Genome sequencing revealed germline mutation of c.A175T (p.Ile59Phe) in transcription factor PAX3 gene and somatic novel mutation of c.1893_1898del (p. Asp631_Leu633delinsGlu) in proto-oncogene RET in her pheochromocytoma. RNA expression levels of RET were increased 139 times in her pheochromocytoma compared with her normal adrenal gland. Those of unfolded protein response markers, Bip/GRP78, CHOP, ATF4, and ATF6, were also increased in the pheochromocytoma. CONCLUSION: We report a rare case of pheochromocytoma with type 1 Waardenburg syndrome. This is the first case to show the activation of unfolded protein response in the pheochromocytoma with the novel somatic mutation in RET gene. Our findings may support that unfolded protein response is activated in endocrine tumors, which potentially could be a candidate of therapeutic target.

A case of ezetimibe-effective hypercholesterolemia with a novel heterozygous variant in ABCG5.

Sitosterolemia is caused by homozygous or compound heterozygous gene mutations in either ATP-binding cassette subfamily G member 5 (ABCG5) or 8 (ABCG8). Since ABCG5 and ABCG8 play pivotal roles in the excretion of neutral sterols into feces and bile, patients with sitosterolemia present elevated levels of serum plant sterols and in some cases also hypercholesterolemia. A 48-year-old woman was referred to our hospital for hypercholesterolemia. She had been misdiagnosed with familial hypercholesterolemia at the age of 20 and her serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels had remained about 200-300 mg/dL at the former clinic. Although the treatment of hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitors was ineffective, her serum LDL-C levels were normalized by ezetimibe, a cholesterol transporter inhibitor. We noticed that her serum sitosterol and campesterol levels were relatively high. Targeted analysis sequencing identified a novel heterozygous ABCG5 variant (c.203A>T; p.Ile68Asn) in the patient, whereas no mutations were found in low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR), proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9), or Niemann-Pick C1-like intracellular cholesterol transporter 1 (NPC1L1). While sitosterolemia is a rare disease, a recent study has reported that the incidence of loss-of-function mutation in the ABCG5 or ABCG8 gene is higher than we thought at 1 in 220 individuals. The present case suggests that serum plant sterol levels should be examined and ezetimibe treatment should be considered in patients with hypercholesterolemia who are resistant to HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors.

Targeting Adaptive IRE1α Signaling and PLK2 in Multiple Myeloma: Possible Anti-Tumor Mechanisms of KIRA8 and Nilotinib.

BACKGROUND: Inositol-requiring enzyme 1α (IRE1α), along with protein kinase R-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK), is a principal regulator of the unfolded protein response (UPR). Recently, the 'mono'-specific IRE1α inhibitor, kinase-inhibiting RNase attenuator 6 (KIRA6), demonstrated a promising effect against multiple myeloma (MM). Side-stepping the clinical translation, a detailed UPR phenotype in patients with MM and the mechanisms of how KIRA8 works in MM remains unclear. METHODS: We characterized UPR phenotypes in the bone marrow of patients with newly diagnosed MM. Then, in human MM cells we analyzed the possible anti-tumor mechanisms of KIRA8 and a Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drug, nilotinib, which we recently identified as having a strong inhibitory effect against IRE1α activity. Finally, we performed an RNA-sequence analysis to detect key IRE1α-related molecules against MM. RESULTS: We illustrated the dominant induction of adaptive UPR markers under IRE1α over the PERK pathway in patients with MM. In human MM cells, KIRA8 decreased cell viability and induced apoptosis, along with the induction of C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP); its combination with bortezomib exhibited more anti-myeloma effects than KIRA8 alone. Nilotinib exerted a similar effect compared with KIRA8. RNA-sequencing identified Polo-like kinase 2 (PLK2) as a KIRA8-suppressed gene. Specifically, the IRE1α overexpression induced PLK2 expression, which was decreased by KIRA8. KIRA8 and PLK2 inhibition exerted anti-myeloma effects with apoptosis induction and the regulation of cell proliferation. Finally, PLK2 was pathologically confirmed to be highly expressed in patients with MM. CONCLUSION: Dominant activation of adaptive IRE1α was established in patients with MM. Both KIRA8 and nilotinib exhibited anti-myeloma effects, which were enhanced by bortezomib. Adaptive IRE1α signaling and PLK2 could be potential therapeutic targets and biomarkers in MM.

Target Capture/Next-Generation Sequencing for Nonsyndromic Cleft Lip and Palate in the Japanese Population.

OBJECTIVE: The pathogenesis of nonsyndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate (NSCL ± P) and nonsyndromic cleft palate only (NSCP) may be associated with genetic factors. Although some predisposing genes/loci have been reported, their attributable risk is too small to be clinically meaningful. To clarify the genetic causes and mechanisms of NSCL±P or NSCP, we conducted mutation analysis of target genes using a next-generation sequencing (NGS) approach. METHODS: The target genes, IRF6, WNT5A, WNT9B, TP63, MSX1, TFAP2A, PAX9, DLX3, DLX4, and MN1, were selected based on previous reports of potential associations with the development of NSCL±P or NSCP from genome-wide association studies and candidate gene analyses. Mutation analysis was conducted using NGS on 74 Japanese trios (patient and parents) and 18 Japanese patients only families. RESULTS: We detected single-nucleotide variants (SNVs) for 7 genes: IRF6, DLX4, WNT5A, TFAP2A, WNT9B, TP63, and PAX9. The SNVs found on IRF6 and DLX4 were missense mutations, whereas those identified on WNT5A, TFAP2A, WNT9B, TP63, and PAX9 were rare variants in the noncoding region; no de novo mutation was identified in the trio samples. The amino acid change on DLX4 was detected within the highly conserved homeodomain and was predicted to have a deleterious impact on the protein function by in silico analysis. CONCLUSIONS: The DLX4 missense mutation c.359C>T (Pro120Leu) was found in 1 Japanese patient with NSCL±P and was located in the homeodomain region. This mutation likely plays a role in the development of NSCL±P in the Japanese population.

Identification of a homozygous frameshift variant in RFLNA in a patient with a typical phenotype of spondylocarpotarsal synostosis syndrome.

Spondylocarpotarsal synostosis syndrome, a rare syndromic skeletal disorder characterized by disrupted vertebral segmentation with vertebral fusion, scoliosis, short stature, and carpal/tarsal synostosis, has been associated with biallelic truncating mutations in the filamin B gene or monoallelic mutations in the myosin heavy chain 3 gene. We herein report the case of a patient with a typical phenotype of spondylocarpotarsal synostosis syndrome who had a homozygous frameshift mutation in the refilin A gene (RFLNA) [c.241delC, p.(Leu81Cysfs*111)], which encodes one of the filamin-binding proteins. Refilins, filamins, and myosins play critical roles in forming perinuclear actin caps, which change the nuclear morphology during cell migration and differentiation. The present study implies that RFLNA is an additional causative gene for spondylocarpotarsal synostosis syndrome in humans and a defect in forming actin bundles and perinuclear actin caps may be a critical mechanism for the development of spondylocarpotarsal synostosis syndrome.

A homozygous splice site ROBO1 mutation in a patient with a novel syndrome with combined pituitary hormone deficiency.

The genetic causes of combined pituitary hormone deficiency remain elusive in most patients. Recently, incompletely penetrant heterozygous mutations in ROBO1 have been described in patients with pituitary stalk interruption syndrome. Herein, we identified a novel homozygous slice site mutation in ROBO1 (c.1342+1G>A) using a trio whole-exome sequencing strategy in a 5-year-old Japanese boy who had combined pituitary hormone deficiency, psychomotor developmental delay, severe intellectual disability, sensorineural hearing loss, strabismus, and characteristic facial features, including a broad forehead, micrognathia, and arched eyebrows. Magnetic resonance imaging delineated anterior pituitary hypoplasia, ectopic posterior pituitary, invisible pituitary stalk, thinning of the corpus callosum, and hypoplasia of the pons and midbrain. The phenotypically normal parents (first cousins) were heterozygous for the mutation. The results provide further evidence of ROBO1 being involved in the development of the pituitary gland. A recessive mutation of ROBO1 is a potential novel cause of a syndromic disorder associated with combined pituitary hormone deficiency.

Evaluation of Face2Gene using facial images of patients with congenital dysmorphic syndromes recruited in Japan.

An increasing number of genetic syndromes present a challenge to clinical geneticists. A deep learning-based diagnosis assistance system, Face2Gene, utilizes the aggregation of "gestalt," comprising data summarizing features of patients' facial images, to suggest candidate syndromes. Because Face2Gene's results may be affected by ethnicity and age at which training facial images were taken, the system performance for patients in Japan is still unclear. Here, we present an evaluation of Face2Gene using the following two patient groups recruited in Japan: Group 1 consisting of 74 patients with 47 congenital dysmorphic syndromes, and Group 2 consisting of 34 patients with Down syndrome. In Group 1, facial recognition failed for 4 of 74 patients, while 13-21 of 70 patients had a diagnosis for which Face2Gene had not been trained. Omitting these 21 patients, for 85.7% (42/49) of the remainder, the correct syndrome was identified within the top 10 suggested list. In Group 2, for the youngest facial images taken for each of the 34 patients, Down syndrome was successfully identified as the highest-ranking condition using images taken from newborns to those aged 25 years. For the oldest facial images taken at ≥20 years in each of 17 applicable patients, Down syndrome was successfully identified as the highest- and second-highest-ranking condition in 82.2% (14/17) and 100% (17/17) of the patients using images taken from 20 to 40 years. These results suggest that Face2Gene in its current format is already useful in suggesting candidate syndromes to clinical geneticists, using patients with congenital dysmorphic syndromes in Japan.

Melatonin is a potential drug for the prevention of bone loss during space flight.

Astronauts experience osteoporosis-like loss of bone mass because of microgravity conditions during space flight. To prevent bone loss, they need a riskless and antiresorptive drug. Melatonin is reported to suppress osteoclast function. However, no studies have examined the effects of melatonin on bone metabolism under microgravity conditions. We used goldfish scales as a bone model of coexisting osteoclasts and osteoblasts and demonstrated that mRNA expression level of acetylserotonin O-methyltransferase, an enzyme essential for melatonin synthesis, decreased significantly under microgravity. During space flight, microgravity stimulated osteoclastic activity and significantly increased gene expression for osteoclast differentiation and activation. Melatonin treatment significantly stimulated Calcitonin (an osteoclast-inhibiting hormone) mRNA expression and decreased the mRNA expression of receptor activator of nuclear factor κB ligand (a promoter of osteoclastogenesis), which coincided with suppressed gene expression levels for osteoclast functions. This is the first study to report the inhibitory effect of melatonin on osteoclastic activation by microgravity. We also observed a novel action pathway of melatonin on osteoclasts via an increase in CALCITONIN secretion. Melatonin could be the source of a potential novel drug to prevent bone loss during space flight.

Detection of de novo single nucleotide variants in offspring of atomic-bomb survivors close to the hypocenter by whole-genome sequencing.

Ionizing radiation released by the atomic bombs at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, in 1945 caused many long-term illnesses, including increased risks of malignancies such as leukemia and solid tumours. Radiation has demonstrated genetic effects in animal models, leading to concerns over the potential hereditary effects of atomic bomb-related radiation. However, no direct analyses of whole DNA have yet been reported. We therefore investigated de novo variants in offspring of atomic-bomb survivors by whole-genome sequencing (WGS). We collected peripheral blood from three trios, each comprising a father (atomic-bomb survivor with acute radiation symptoms), a non-exposed mother, and their child, none of whom had any past history of haematological disorders. One trio of non-exposed individuals was included as a control. DNA was extracted and the numbers of de novo single nucleotide variants in the children were counted by WGS with sequencing confirmation. Gross structural variants were also analysed. Written informed consent was obtained from all participants prior to the study. There were 62, 81, and 42 de novo single nucleotide variants in the children of atomic-bomb survivors, compared with 48 in the control trio. There were no gross structural variants in any trio. These findings are in accord with previously published results that also showed no significant genetic effects of atomic-bomb radiation on second-generation survivors.