RESUMO
Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser (MRKH) syndrome is a congenital condition characterized by aplasia or hypoplasia of the uterus and vagina in women with a 46,XX karyotype. This condition can occur as type I when isolated or as type II when associated with extragenital anomalies including kidney and skeletal abnormalities. The genetic basis of MRKH syndrome remains unexplained and several candidate genes have been proposed to play a role in its etiology, including HNF1B, LHX1 and WNT4. Here, we conducted a microarray analysis of 13 women affected by MRKH syndrome, resulting in the identification of chromosomal changes, including the deletion at 17q12, which contains both HNF1B and LHX1. We focused on HNF1B for further investigation due to its known association with, but unknown etiological role in, MRKH syndrome. We ablated Hnf1b specifically in the epithelium of the Müllerian ducts in mice and found that this caused hypoplastic development of the uterus, as well as kidney anomalies, closely mirroring the MRKH type II phenotype. Using single-cell RNA sequencing of uterine tissue in the Hnf1b-ablated embryos, we analyzed the molecules and pathways downstream of Hnf1b, revealing a dysregulation of processes associated with cell proliferation, migration and differentiation. Thus, we establish that loss of Hnf1b function leads to an MRKH phenotype and generate the first mouse model of MRKH syndrome type II. Our results support the investigation of HNF1B in clinical genetic settings of MRKH syndrome and shed new light on the molecular mechanisms underlying this poorly understood condition in women's reproductive health.
Assuntos
Transtornos 46, XX do Desenvolvimento Sexual , Ductos Paramesonéfricos , Animais , Feminino , Camundongos , Transtornos 46, XX do Desenvolvimento Sexual/genética , Diferenciação Celular , Genômica , Fator 1-beta Nuclear de Hepatócito/genética , HumanosRESUMO
The genetic regulation of ovarian development remains largely unclear. Indeed, in most cases of impaired ovarian development-such as 46,XX disorders of sex development (DSD) without SRY, and premature ovarian insufficiency (POI)-the genetic causes have not been identified, and the vast majority of disease-associated sequence variants could lie within non-coding regulatory sequences. In this study, we aimed to identify enhancers of five ovarian genes known to play key roles in early ovarian development, basing our analysis on the expression of enhancer derived transcripts (eRNAs), which are considered to characterize active enhancers. Temporal expression profile changes in mouse WT1-positive ovarian cells were obtained from cap analysis of gene expression at E13.5, E16.5 and P0. We compared the chronological expression profiles of ovarian-specific eRNA with expression profiles for each of the ovarian-specific genes, yielding two candidate sequences for enhancers of Wnt4 and Rspo1. Both sequences are conserved between mouse and human, and we confirmed their enhancer activities using transient expression assays in murine granulosa cells. Furthermore, by sequencing the region in patients with impaired ovarian development in 24 patients, such as POI, gonadal dysgenesis and 46,XX DSD, we identified rare single nucleotide variants in both sequences. Our results demonstrate that combined analysis of the temporal expression profiles of eRNA and mRNA of target genes presents a powerful tool for locating cis-element enhancers, and a means of identifying disease-associated sequence variants that lie within non-coding regulatory sequences, thus advancing an important unmet need in forward human genetics.
Assuntos
Menopausa Precoce , Insuficiência Ovariana Primária , Animais , Elementos Facilitadores Genéticos/genética , Feminino , Variação Genética , Humanos , Menopausa Precoce/genética , Camundongos , Insuficiência Ovariana Primária/genética , Insuficiência Ovariana Primária/metabolismo , RNA/genética , Fatores de TempoRESUMO
Premature ovarian insufficiency is a common form of female infertility affecting up to 4% of women and characterised by amenorrhea with elevated gonadotropin before the age of 40. Oocytes require controlled DNA breakage and repair for homologous recombination and the maintenance of oocyte integrity. Biallelic disruption of the DNA damage repair gene, Fanconi anemia complementation group A (FANCA), is a common cause of Fanconi anaemia, a syndrome characterised by bone marrow failure, cancer predisposition, physical anomalies and POI. There is ongoing dispute about the role of heterozygous FANCA variants in POI pathogenesis, with insufficient evidence supporting causation. Here, we have identified biallelic FANCA variants in French sisters presenting with POI, including a novel missense variant of uncertain significance and a likely pathogenic deletion that initially evaded detection. Functional studies indicated no discernible effect on DNA damage sensitivity in patient lymphoblasts. These novel FANCA variants add evidence that heterozygous loss of one allele is insufficient to cause DNA damage sensitivity and POI. We propose that intragenic deletions, that are relatively common in FANCA, may be missed without careful analysis, and could explain the presumed causation of heterozygous variants. Accurate variant curation is critical to optimise patient care and outcomes.
Assuntos
Alelos , Proteína do Grupo de Complementação A da Anemia de Fanconi , Insuficiência Ovariana Primária , Humanos , Insuficiência Ovariana Primária/genética , Feminino , Proteína do Grupo de Complementação A da Anemia de Fanconi/genética , Adulto , Anemia de Fanconi/genética , Anemia de Fanconi/diagnóstico , Irmãos , Heterozigoto , Predisposição Genética para Doença , Linhagem , Mutação/genéticaRESUMO
Conventional wisdom holds that the ovary and testis are terminally differentiated organs in adult mammals. However, Uhlenhaut et al. (2009) now report that deletion of a single gene, Foxl2, is sufficient to induce transdifferentiation of ovary into testis in adult mice, suggesting that testicular development is actively repressed throughout the life of females.
Assuntos
Transdiferenciação Celular , Ovário/fisiologia , Testículo/fisiologia , Animais , Linhagem Celular , Feminino , Proteína Forkhead Box L2 , Fatores de Transcrição Forkhead/fisiologia , Humanos , Masculino , Camundongos , Ovário/citologia , Testículo/citologiaRESUMO
Premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) is a common cause of infertility in women, characterised by amenorrhea and elevated FSH under the age of 40 years. In some cases, POI is syndromic in association with other features such as sensorineural hearing loss in Perrault syndrome. POI is a heterogeneous disease with over 80 causative genes known so far; however, these explain only a minority of cases. Using whole-exome sequencing (WES), we identified a MRPL50 homozygous missense variant (c.335T > A; p.Val112Asp) shared by twin sisters presenting with POI, bilateral high-frequency sensorineural hearing loss, kidney and heart dysfunction. MRPL50 encodes a component of the large subunit of the mitochondrial ribosome. Using quantitative proteomics and western blot analysis on patient fibroblasts, we demonstrated a loss of MRPL50 protein and an associated destabilisation of the large subunit of the mitochondrial ribosome whilst the small subunit was preserved. The mitochondrial ribosome is responsible for the translation of subunits of the mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation machinery, and we found patient fibroblasts have a mild but significant decrease in the abundance of mitochondrial complex I. These data support a biochemical phenotype associated with MRPL50 variants. We validated the association of MRPL50 with the clinical phenotype by knockdown/knockout of mRpL50 in Drosophila, which resulted abnormal ovarian development. In conclusion, we have shown that a MRPL50 missense variant destabilises the mitochondrial ribosome, leading to oxidative phosphorylation deficiency and syndromic POI, highlighting the importance of mitochondrial support in ovarian development and function.
Assuntos
Disgenesia Gonadal 46 XX , Perda Auditiva Neurossensorial , Insuficiência Ovariana Primária , Feminino , Humanos , Disgenesia Gonadal 46 XX/genética , Perda Auditiva Neurossensorial/genética , Mitocôndrias/genética , Mutação de Sentido Incorreto , Insuficiência Ovariana Primária/genética , Animais , Drosophila melanogasterRESUMO
46,XY gonadal dysgenesis (GD) is a Disorder/Difference of Sex Development (DSD) that can present with phenotypes ranging from ambiguous genitalia to complete male-to-female sex reversal. Around 50% of 46,XY DSD cases receive a molecular diagnosis. In mice, Fibroblast growth factor 9 (FGF9) is an important component of the male sex-determining pathway. Two FGF9 variants reported to date disrupt testis development in mice, but not in humans. Here, we describe a female patient with 46,XY GD harbouring the rare FGF9 variant (missense mutation), NM_002010.2:c.583G > A;p.(Asp195Asn) (D195N). By biochemical and cell-based approaches, the D195N variant disrupts FGF9 protein homodimerisation and FGF9-heparin-binding, and reduces both Sertoli cell proliferation and Wnt4 repression. XY Fgf9D195N/D195N foetal mice show a transient disruption of testicular cord development, while XY Fgf9D195N/- foetal mice show partial male-to-female gonadal sex reversal. In the general population, the D195N variant occurs at an allele frequency of 2.4 × 10-5 , suggesting an oligogenic basis for the patient's DSD. Exome analysis of the patient reveals several known and novel variants in genes expressed in human foetal Sertoli cells at the time of sex determination. Taken together, our results indicate that disruption of FGF9 homodimerization impairs testis determination in mice and, potentially, also in humans in combination with other variants.
Assuntos
Fator 9 de Crescimento de Fibroblastos , Disgenesia Gonadal 46 XY , Humanos , Masculino , Feminino , Camundongos , Animais , Dimerização , Fator 9 de Crescimento de Fibroblastos/genética , Testículo , Gônadas , Disgenesia Gonadal 46 XY/genéticaRESUMO
In George Wald's Nobel Prize acceptance speech for "discoveries concerning the primary physiological and chemical visual processes in the eye", he noted that events after the activation of rhodopsin are too slow to explain visual reception. Photoreceptor membrane phosphoglycerides contain near-saturation amounts of the omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). The visual response to a photon is a retinal cis-trans isomerization. The trans-state is lower in energy; hence, a quantum of energy is released equivalent to the sum of the photon and cis-trans difference. We hypothesize that DHA traps this energy, and the resulting hyperpolarization extracts the energized electron, which depolarizes the membrane and carries a function of the photon's energy (wavelength) to the brain. There, it contributes to the creation of the vivid images of our world that we see in our consciousness. This proposed revision to the visual process provides an explanation for these previously unresolved issues around the speed of information transfer and the purity of conservation of a photon's wavelength and supports observations of the unique and indispensable role of DHA in the visual process.
RESUMO
SRY is the Y-chromosomal gene that determines male sex development in humans and most other mammals. After three decades of study, we still lack a detailed understanding of which domains of the SRY protein are required to engage the pathway of gene activity leading to testis development. Some insight has been gained from the study of genetic variations underlying differences/disorders of sex determination (DSD), but the lack of a system of experimentally generating SRY mutations and studying their consequences in vivo has limited progress in the field. To address this issue, we generated a mouse model carrying a human SRY transgene able to drive testis determination in XX mice. Using CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing, we generated novel genetic modifications in each of SRY's three domains (N-terminal, HMG box, and C-terminal) and performed a detailed analysis of their molecular and cellular effects on embryonic testis development. Our results provide new functional insights unique to human SRY and present a versatile and powerful system in which to functionally analyze variations of SRY including known and novel pathogenic variants found in DSD.
Assuntos
Edição de Genes , Camundongos Transgênicos , Proteína da Região Y Determinante do Sexo , Testículo , Animais , Humanos , Masculino , Camundongos , Domínios Proteicos , Proteína da Região Y Determinante do Sexo/genética , Testículo/metabolismoRESUMO
Premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) is a leading form of female infertility, characterised by menstrual disturbance and elevated follicle-stimulating hormone before age 40. It is highly heterogeneous with variants in over 80 genes potentially causative, but the majority of cases having no known cause. One gene implicated in POI pathology is TP63. TP63 encodes multiple p63 isoforms, one of which has been shown to have a role in the surveillance of genetic quality in oocytes. TP63 C-terminal truncation variants and N-terminal duplication have been described in association with POI, however, functional validation has been lacking. Here we identify three novel TP63 missense variants in women with nonsyndromic POI, including one in the N-terminal activation domain, one in the C-terminal inhibition domain, and one affecting a unique and poorly understood p63 isoform, TA*p63. Via blue-native page and luciferase reporter assays we demonstrate that two of these variants disrupt p63 dimerization, leading to constitutively active p63 tetramer that significantly increases the transcription of downstream targets. This is the first evidence that TP63 missense variants can cause isolated POI and provides mechanistic insight that TP63 variants cause POI due to constitutive p63 activation and accelerated oocyte loss in the absence of DNA damage.
Assuntos
Insuficiência Ovariana Primária , Fatores de Transcrição , Proteínas Supressoras de Tumor , Feminino , Humanos , Mutação de Sentido Incorreto , Insuficiência Ovariana Primária/genética , Fatores de Transcrição/genética , Proteínas Supressoras de Tumor/genéticaRESUMO
Australian Genomics is a national collaborative research partnership of more than 80 organizations piloting a whole-of-system approach to integrating genomics into healthcare that is based on federation principles. The aim of Australian Genomics is to assess the application of genomic testing in healthcare at the translational interface between research and clinical delivery, with an emphasis on robust evaluation of outcomes. It encompasses two bodies of work: a research program prospectively providing genomic testing through exemplar clinical projects in rare diseases, cancers, and reproductive carrier screening and interdependent programs for advancing the diagnostic, health informatics, regulatory, ethical, policy, and workforce infrastructure necessary for the integration of genomics into the Australian health system.
Assuntos
Atenção à Saúde , Genômica/métodos , Modelos Teóricos , Doenças Raras/genética , Austrália/epidemiologia , Humanos , Doenças Raras/epidemiologiaRESUMO
Genomic testing has the potential to transform outcomes for women with infertility conditions, such as premature ovarian insufficiency (POI), with growing calls for widespread diagnostic use. The current research literature, however, often uses poor variant curation leading to inflated diagnostic claims and fails to address the complexities of genomic testing for this condition. Without careful execution of the transition from research to the clinic, there is danger of inaccurate diagnoses and poor appreciation of broader implications of testing. This Forum outlines the benefits of genomic testing for POI and raises often overlooked concerns.
Assuntos
Infertilidade , Insuficiência Ovariana Primária , Humanos , Feminino , Insuficiência Ovariana Primária/diagnóstico , Insuficiência Ovariana Primária/genética , Infertilidade/genética , Testes GenéticosRESUMO
PURPOSE: The present study aimed to investigate fish oil plus vitamin D3 (FO + D) supplementation on biomarkers of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). METHODS: In a 3-month randomized controlled trial, 111 subjects with NAFLD, aged 56.0 ± 15.9 y, were randomized into FO + D group (n = 37), fish oil group (FO, n = 37) or corn oil group (CO, n = 37). The subjects consumed the following capsules (3 g/day), which provided 2.34 g/day of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) + docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) + 1680 IU vitamin D3 (FO + D group), or 2.34 g/day of EPA + DHA (FO group), or 1.70 g/d linoleic acid (CO group). RESULTS: Using multivariable-adjusted general linear model, there were significant net reductions in serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and triacylglycerol (TAG) and TNF-α levels in the FO + D and FO groups, compared with the control group (P < 0.05). The supplemental FO + D also showed significant reductions in insulin (- 1.58 ± 2.00 mU/L vs. - 0.63 ± 1.55 mU/L, P = 0.050) and IL-1ß (- 6.92 ± 7.29 ng/L vs. 1.06 ± 5.83 ng/L, P < 0.001) in comparison with control group. Although there were no significant differences between FO + D and FO groups regarding biochemical parameters, supplemental FO + D showed decreases in ALT (from 26.2 ± 13.5 U/L to 21.4 ± 9.6 U/L, P = 0.007), aspartate aminotransferase (AST, from 22.5 ± 7.0 U/L to 20.2 ± 4.0 U/L, P = 0.029), HOMA-IR (from 3.69 ± 1.22 to 3.38 ± 1.10, P = 0.047), and TNF-α (from 0.43 ± 0.38 ng/L to 0.25 ± 0.42 ng/L, P < 0.001) levels following the intervention. CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrated that groups supplemented with FO + D and FO had similar beneficial effects on biomarkers of hepatocellular damage and plasma TAG levels in subjects with NAFLD, while in the FO + D group, there were some suggestive additional benefits compared with FO group on insulin levels and inflammation. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ChiCTR1900024866.
Assuntos
Colecalciferol , Óleos de Peixe , Hepatopatia Gordurosa não Alcoólica , Biomarcadores , Colecalciferol/administração & dosagem , Suplementos Nutricionais , Ácidos Docosa-Hexaenoicos/administração & dosagem , Ácido Eicosapentaenoico/administração & dosagem , Óleos de Peixe/administração & dosagem , Humanos , Insulina , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Hepatopatia Gordurosa não Alcoólica/dietoterapia , Hepatopatia Gordurosa não Alcoólica/tratamento farmacológico , Hepatopatia Gordurosa não Alcoólica/metabolismo , Triglicerídeos/metabolismo , Fator de Necrose Tumoral alfa/metabolismoRESUMO
Mitochondrial disorders are collectively common, genetically heterogeneous disorders in both pediatric and adult populations. They are caused by molecular defects in oxidative phosphorylation, failure of essential bioenergetic supply to mitochondria, and apoptosis. Here, we present three affected individuals from a consanguineous family of Pakistani origin with variable seizures and intellectual disability. Both females display primary ovarian insufficiency (POI), while the male shows abnormal sex hormone levels. We performed whole exome sequencing and identified a recessive missense variant c.694C > T, p.Arg232Cys in TFAM that segregates with disease. TFAM (mitochondrial transcription factor A) is a component of the mitochondrial replisome machinery that maintains mtDNA transcription and replication. In primary dermal fibroblasts, we show depletion of mtDNA and significantly altered mitochondrial function and morphology. Moreover, we observed reduced nucleoid numbers with significant changes in nucleoid size or shape in fibroblasts from an affected individual compared to controls. We also investigated the effect of tfam impairment in zebrafish; homozygous tfam mutants carrying an in-frame c.141_149 deletion recapitulate the mtDNA depletion and ovarian dysgenesis phenotypes observed in affected humans. Together, our genetic and functional data confirm that TFAM plays a pivotal role in gonad development and expands the repertoire of mitochondrial disease phenotypes.
Assuntos
DNA Mitocondrial , Proteínas de Ligação a DNA/genética , Genes Recessivos , Perda Auditiva/genética , Deficiência Intelectual/genética , Proteínas Mitocondriais/genética , Insuficiência Ovariana Primária/genética , Convulsões/genética , Fatores de Transcrição/genética , Animais , Células Cultivadas , Feminino , Gônadas/embriologia , Humanos , Masculino , Linhagem , Peixe-Zebra/genéticaRESUMO
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Docosapentaenoic acid (DPA) is a minor omega-3 fatty acid (FA) which has been frequently overlooked in lipid research. This review examines the biochemical and physiological outcomes of human trials which have used pure preparations of DPA (nâ-â3 DPA) and also recent developments in specialized proresolving lipid mediators (SPMs) derived from nâ-â3 DPA. RECENT FINDINGS: There have been only been two human studies and eleven animal studies with pure nâ-â3 DPA. The doses of nâ-â3 DPA used in the human trials have been 1-2âg/day. nâ-â3 DPA abundance is increased in blood lipid fractions within 3-4 days of supplementation. nâ-â3 DPA has the potential for unique properties, with a greater similarity in biological functioning with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), than eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). Despite the typically low levels of nâ-â3 DPA in most tissue lipids relative to EPA and DHA, unique SPMs, such as resolvins, maresins and protectins of the nâ-â3 DPA type, are involved in resolution of inflammation and regulating immune function. SUMMARY: We suggest that measurement of blood levels of nâ-â3 DPA gives no indication of its broad biological roles, but that the true functionality of this enigmatic nâ-â3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) remains obscure until more is known about the properties of the unique DPA-derived SPMs.
Assuntos
Ácidos Graxos Ômega-3 , Ácidos Graxos , Animais , Ácidos Docosa-Hexaenoicos , Ácido Eicosapentaenoico , Ácidos Graxos Insaturados , HumanosRESUMO
Perrault syndrome is a rare heterogeneous condition characterised by sensorineural hearing loss and premature ovarian insufficiency. Additional neuromuscular pathology is observed in some patients. There are six genes in which variants are known to cause Perrault syndrome; however, these explain only a minority of cases. We investigated the genetic cause of Perrault syndrome in seven affected individuals from five different families, successfully identifying the cause in four patients. This included previously reported and novel causative variants in known Perrault syndrome genes, CLPP and LARS2, involved in mitochondrial proteolysis and mitochondrial translation, respectively. For the first time, we show that pathogenic variants in PEX6 can present clinically as Perrault syndrome. PEX6 encodes a peroxisomal biogenesis factor, and we demonstrate evidence of peroxisomal dysfunction in patient serum. This study consolidates the clinical overlap between Perrault syndrome and peroxisomal disorders, and highlights the need to consider ovarian function in individuals with atypical/mild peroxisomal disorders. The remaining patients had variants in candidate genes such as TFAM, involved in mtDNA transcription, replication, and packaging, and GGPS1 involved in mevalonate/coenzyme Q10 biosynthesis and whose enzymatic product is required for mouse folliculogenesis. This genomic study highlights the diverse molecular landscape of this poorly understood syndrome.
Assuntos
ATPases Associadas a Diversas Atividades Celulares/genética , Aminoacil-tRNA Sintetases/genética , Proteínas de Ligação a DNA/genética , Dimetilaliltranstransferase/genética , Endopeptidase Clp/genética , Farnesiltranstransferase/genética , Predisposição Genética para Doença , Geraniltranstransferase/genética , Disgenesia Gonadal 46 XX/genética , Perda Auditiva Neurossensorial/genética , Proteínas Mitocondriais/genética , Fatores de Transcrição/genética , Adolescente , Adulto , Sequência de Bases , Criança , DNA Mitocondrial/genética , Feminino , Expressão Gênica , Disgenesia Gonadal 46 XX/diagnóstico , Disgenesia Gonadal 46 XX/patologia , Perda Auditiva Neurossensorial/diagnóstico , Perda Auditiva Neurossensorial/patologia , Sequenciamento de Nucleotídeos em Larga Escala , Humanos , Masculino , Ovário/metabolismo , Ovário/patologia , Linhagem , Peroxissomos/metabolismo , Peroxissomos/patologiaRESUMO
Infertility, a global problem affecting up to 15% of couples, can have varied causes ranging from natural ageing to the pathological development or function of the reproductive organs. One form of female infertility is premature ovarian insufficiency (POI), affecting up to 1 in 100 women and characterised by amenorrhoea and elevated FSH before the age of 40. POI can have a genetic basis, with over 50 causative genes identified. Non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA), a form of male infertility characterised by the absence of sperm in semen, has an incidence of 1% and is similarly heterogeneous. The genetic basis of male and female infertility is poorly understood with the majority of cases having no known cause. Here, we study a case of familial infertility including a proband with POI and her brother with NOA. We performed whole-exome sequencing (WES) and identified a homozygous STAG3 missense variant that segregated with infertility. STAG3 encodes a component of the meiosis cohesin complex required for sister chromatid separation. We report the first pathogenic homozygous missense variant in STAG3 and the first STAG3 variant associated with both male and female infertility. We also demonstrate limitations of WES for the analysis of homologous DNA sequences, with this variant being ambiguous or missed by independent WES protocols and its homozygosity only being established via long-range nested PCR.
Assuntos
Azoospermia/genética , Proteínas de Ciclo Celular/genética , Mutação de Sentido Incorreto , Insuficiência Ovariana Primária/genética , Adulto , Consanguinidade , Feminino , Homozigoto , Humanos , Infertilidade Feminina/genética , Infertilidade Masculina/genética , Masculino , Linhagem , IrmãosRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Cryptorchidism or failure of testicular descent is the most common genitourinary birth defect in males. While both the insulin-like peptide 3 (INSL3) and its receptor, relaxin family peptide receptor 2 (RXFP2), have been demonstrated to control testicular descent in mice, their link to human cryptorchidism is weak, with no clear cause-effect demonstrated. OBJECTIVE: To identify the genetic cause of a case of familial cryptorchidism. METHODS: We recruited a family in which four boys had isolated bilateral cryptorchidism. A fourth-degree consanguineous union in the family was reported. Whole exome sequencing was carried out for the four affected boys and their parents, and variants that segregated with the disorder and had a link to testis development/descent were analysed. Functional analysis of a RXFP2 variant in cell culture included receptor localisation, ligand binding and cyclic AMP (cAMP) pathway activation. RESULTS: Genomic analysis revealed a homozygous missense variant in the RXFP2 gene (c.1496G>A .p.Gly499Glu) in all four affected boys and heterozygous in both parents. No other variant with a link to testis biology was found. The RXFP2 variant is rare in genomic databases and predicted to be damaging. It has not been previously reported. Functional analysis demonstrated that the variant protein had poor cell surface expression and failed to bind INSL3 or respond to the ligand with cAMP signalling. CONCLUSION: This is the first reported genomic analysis of a family with multiple individuals affected with cryptorchidism. It demonstrates that recessive variants in the RXFP2 gene underlie familial cryptorchidism and solidifies the link between this gene and testicular descent in humans.
Assuntos
Criptorquidismo/genética , Genes Recessivos/genética , Mutação de Sentido Incorreto/genética , Receptores Acoplados a Proteínas G/genética , Linhagem Celular , Células HEK293 , Humanos , Masculino , Transdução de Sinais/genética , Testículo/patologiaRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Desert hedgehog (DHH) gene variants are known to cause 46,XY differences/disorders of sex development (DSD). We have identified six patients with 46,XY DSD with seven novel DHH gene variants. Many of these variants were classified as variants of uncertain significance due to their heterozygosity or associated milder phenotype. To assess variant pathogenicity and to refine the spectrum of DSDs associated with this gene, we have carried out the first reported functional testing of DHH gene variant activity. METHODS: A cell co-culture method was used to assess DHH variant induction of Hedgehog signalling in cultured Leydig cells. Protein expression and subcellular localisation were also assessed for DHH variants using western blot and immunofluorescence. RESULTS: Our co-culture method provided a robust read-out of DHH gene variant activity, which correlated closely with patient phenotype severity. While biallelic DHH variants from patients with gonadal dysgenesis showed significant loss of activity, variants found as heterozygous in patients with milder phenotypes had no loss of activity when tested with a wild type allele. Taking these functional results into account improved clinical interpretation. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest heterozygous DHH gene variants are unlikely to cause DSD, reaffirming that DHH is an autosomal recessive cause of 46,XY gonadal dysgenesis. Functional characterisation of novel DHH variants improves variant interpretation, leading to greater confidence in patient reporting and clinical management.
Assuntos
Transtorno 46,XY do Desenvolvimento Sexual/diagnóstico , Transtorno 46,XY do Desenvolvimento Sexual/genética , Estudos de Associação Genética , Predisposição Genética para Doença , Variação Genética , Proteínas Hedgehog/genética , Alelos , Células Cultivadas , Análise Mutacional de DNA , Expressão Gênica , Estudos de Associação Genética/métodos , Genótipo , Disgenesia Gonadal 46 XY/diagnóstico , Disgenesia Gonadal 46 XY/genética , Proteínas Hedgehog/metabolismo , Humanos , Células Intersticiais do Testículo/metabolismo , Masculino , Mutação , FenótipoRESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether diets differing in fat content alter the gut microbiota and faecal metabolomic profiles, and to determine their relationship with cardiometabolic risk factors in healthy adults whose diet is in a transition from a traditional low-fat diet to a diet high in fat and reduced in carbohydrate. METHODS: In a 6-month randomised controlled-feeding trial, 217 healthy young adults (aged 18-35 years; body mass index <28 kg/m2; 52% women) who completed the whole trial were included. All the foods were provided during the intervention period. The three isocaloric diets were: a lower-fat diet (fat 20% energy), a moderate-fat diet (fat 30% energy) and a higher-fat diet (fat 40% energy). The effects of the dietary interventions on the gut microbiota, faecal metabolomics and plasma inflammatory factors were investigated. RESULTS: The lower-fat diet was associated with increased α-diversity assessed by the Shannon index (p=0.03), increased abundance of Blautia (p=0.007) and Faecalibacterium (p=0.04), whereas the higher-fat diet was associated with increased Alistipes (p=0.04), Bacteroides (p<0.001) and decreased Faecalibacterium (p=0.04). The concentration of total short-chain fatty acids was significantly decreased in the higher-fat diet group in comparison with the other groups (p<0.001). The cometabolites p-cresol and indole, known to be associated with host metabolic disorders, were decreased in the lower-fat diet group. In addition, the higher-fat diet was associated with faecal enrichment in arachidonic acid and the lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis pathway as well as elevated plasma proinflammatory factors after the intervention. CONCLUSION: Higher-fat consumption by healthy young adults whose diet is in a state of nutrition transition appeared to be associated with unfavourable changes in gut microbiota, faecal metabolomic profiles and plasma proinï¬ammatory factors, which might confer adverse consequences for long-term health outcomes. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT02355795; Results.
Assuntos
Bacteroides , Doenças Cardiovasculares , Dieta Hiperlipídica/efeitos adversos , Faecalibacterium , Fezes/microbiologia , Microbioma Gastrointestinal/fisiologia , Adulto , Bacteroides/isolamento & purificação , Bacteroides/fisiologia , Doenças Cardiovasculares/epidemiologia , Doenças Cardiovasculares/metabolismo , Doenças Cardiovasculares/prevenção & controle , China , Gorduras na Dieta , Faecalibacterium/isolamento & purificação , Faecalibacterium/fisiologia , Feminino , Voluntários Saudáveis , Humanos , Inflamação/sangue , Masculino , Metabolômica/métodos , Estado Nutricional , Avaliação de Resultados em Cuidados de SaúdeRESUMO
Premature ovarian insufficiency involves amenorrhea and elevated follicle-stimulating hormone before age 40, and its genetic basis is poorly understood. Here, we study 13 premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) patients using whole-exome sequencing. We identify PREPL and TP63 causative variants, and variants in other potentially novel POI genes. PREPL deficiency is a known cause of syndromic POI, matching the patients' phenotype. A role for TP63 in ovarian biology has previously been proposed but variants have been described in multiorgan syndromes, and not isolated POI. One patient with isolated POI harbored a de novo nonsense TP63 variant in the terminal exon and an unrelated patient had a different nonsense variant in the same exon. These variants interfere with the repression domain while leaving the activation domain intact. We expand the phenotypic spectrum of TP63-related disorders, provide a new genotype:phenotype correlation for TP63 and identify a new genetic cause of isolated POI.