Upregulation of CALD1 predicted a poor prognosis for platinum-treated ovarian cancer and revealed it as a potential therapeutic resistance target.

BACKGROUND: Ovarian cancer (OC) has the worst prognosis among gynecological malignancies, most of which are found to be in advanced stage. Cell reduction surgery based on platinum-based chemotherapy is the current standard of treatment for OC, but patients are prone to relapse and develop drug resistance. The objective of this study was to identify a specific molecular target responsible for platinum chemotherapy resistance in OC. RESULTS: We screened the protein-coding gene Caldesmon (CALD1), expressed in cisplatin-resistant OC cells in vitro. The prognostic value of CALD1 was evaluated using survival curve analysis in OC patients treated with platinum therapy. The diagnostic value of CALD1 was verified by drawing a Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve using clinical samples from OC patients. This study analyzed data from various databases including Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), Human Protein Atlas (HPA), The Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia (CCLE), The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), GEPIA 2, UALCAN, Kaplan-Meier (KM) plotter, LinkedOmics database, and String. Different expression genes (DEGs) between cisplatin-sensitive and cisplatin-resistant cells were acquired respectively from 5 different datasets of GEO. CALD1 was selected as a common gene from 5 groups DEGs. Online data analysis of HPA and CCLE showed that CALD1 was highly expressed in both normal ovarian tissue and OC. In TCGA database, high expression of CALD1 was associated with disease stage and venous invasion in OC. Patients with high CALD1 expression levels had a worse prognosis under platinum drug intervention, according to Kaplan-Meier (KM) plotter analysis. Analysis of clinical sample data from GEO showed that CALD1 had superior diagnostic value in distinguishing patients with platinum "resistant" and platinum "sensitive" (AUC = 0.816), as well as patients with worse progression-free survival (AUC = 0.741), and those with primary and omental metastases (AUC = 0.811) in ovarian tumor. At last, CYR61 was identified as a potential predictive molecule that may play an important role alongside CALD1 in the development of platinum resistance in OC. CONCLUSIONS: CALD1, as a member of cytoskeletal protein, was associated with poor prognosis of platinum resistance in OC, and could be used as a target protein for mechanism study of platinum resistance in OC.

Haplotype-specific MAPK3 expression in 16p11.2 deletion contributes to variable neurodevelopment.

Recurrent proximal 16p11.2 deletion (16p11.2del) is a risk factor for diverse neurodevelopmental disorders with incomplete penetrance and variable expressivity. Although investigation with human induced pluripotent stem cell models has confirmed disruption of neuronal development in 16p11.2del neuronal cells, which genes are responsible for abnormal cellular phenotypes and what determines the penetrance of neurodevelopmental abnormalities are unknown. We performed haplotype phasing of the 16p11.2 region in a 16p11.2del neurodevelopmental disorders cohort and generated human induced pluripotent stem cells for two 16p11.2del families with distinct residual haplotypes and variable neurodevelopmental disorder phenotypes. Using transcriptomic profiles and cellular phenotypes of the human induced pluripotent stem cell-differentiated cortex neuronal cells, we revealed MAPK3 to be a contributor to dysfunction in multiple pathways related to early neuronal development, with altered soma and electrophysiological properties in mature neuronal cells. Notably, MAPK3 expression in 16p11.2del neuronal cells varied on the basis of a 132 kb 58 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) residual haplotype, with the version composed entirely of minor alleles associated with reduced MAPK3 expression. Ten SNPs on the residual haplotype were mapped to enhancers of MAPK3. We functionally validated six of these SNPs by luciferase assay, implicating them in the residual haplotype-specific differences in MAPK3 expression via cis-regulation. Finally, the analysis of three different cohorts of 16p11.2del subjects showed that this minor residual haplotype is associated with neurodevelopmental disorder phenotypes in 16p11.2del carriers.

Phenotypic Spectrum of Trisomy 18 Mosaicism: a New Patient and Literature Review.

BACKGROUND: Trisomy 18 syndrome, also called Edwards syndrome, is the second most common autosomal trisomy after trisomy 21 that is caused by the presence of an extra copy of chromosome 18. Approximately 50% of infants with trisomy 18 cannot survive for more than 1 week and about 5 - 10% of children die within 1 year after birth. The aim of this study is to describe a 4-year-old female patient of mosaic trisomy 18 with normal prenatal ultrasound findings and maternal serum markers and to investigate the relationship between the percentage of trisomic cells and the major clinical phenotypes combined with other nine patients through a review of the literature. METHODS: The patient's peripheral blood was examined by cytogenetic G-banding technique. RESULTS: The cytogenetics results reported following the ISCN 2020 guideline as mos 47,XX,+18[87]/46,XX[13]. CONCLUSIONS: There is little correlation between various phenotypes of mosaic trisomy 18 and the percentage of trisomy cells in the patient's peripheral leukocytes. Although most of fetuses with mosaic trisomy 18 have abnormal ultrasound findings, it is necessary to highlight the possibility of normal findings during the pregnancy.

Genome sequencing demonstrates high diagnostic yield in children with undiagnosed global developmental delay/intellectual disability: A prospective study.

Genome sequencing (GS) has been used in the diagnosis of global developmental delay (GDD)/intellectual disability (ID). However, the performance of GS in patients with inconclusive results from chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) and exome sequencing (ES) is unknown. We recruited 100 pediatric GDD/ID patients from multiple sites in China from February 2018 to August 2020 for GS. Patients have received at least one genomic diagnostic test before enrollment. Reanalysis of their CMA/ES data was performed. The yield of GS was calculated and explanations for missed diagnoses by CMA/ES were investigated. Clinical utility was assessed by interviewing the parents by phone. The overall diagnostic yield of GS was 21%. Seven cases could have been solved with reanalysis of ES data. Thirteen families were missed by previous CMA/ES due to improper methodology. Two remained unsolved after ES reanalysis due to complex variants missed by ES, and a CNV in untranslated regions. Follow-up of the diagnosed families revealed that nine families experienced changes in clinical management, including identification of targeted treatments, cessation of unnecessary treatment, and considerations for family planning. GS demonstrated high diagnostic yield and clinical utility in this undiagnosed GDD/ID cohort, detecting a wide range of variant types of different sizes in a single workflow.

Phase Separation of Epstein-Barr Virus EBNA2 and Its Coactivator EBNALP Controls Gene Expression.

Biological macromolecule condensates formed by liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) have been discovered in recent years to be prevalent in biology. These condensates are involved in diverse processes, including the regulation of gene expression. LLPS of proteins have been found in animal, plant, and bacterial species but have scarcely been identified in viral proteins. Here, we discovered that Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) EBNA2 and EBNALP form nuclear puncta that exhibit properties of liquid-like condensates (or droplets), which are enriched in superenhancers of MYC and Runx3. EBNA2 and EBNALP are transcription factors, and the expression of their target genes is suppressed by chemicals that perturb LLPS. Intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) of EBNA2 and EBNALP can form phase-separated droplets, and specific proline residues of EBNA2 and EBNALP contribute to droplet formation. These findings offer a foundation for understanding the mechanism by which LLPS, previously determined to be related to the organization of P bodies, membraneless organelles, nucleolus homeostasis, and cell signaling, plays a key role in EBV-host interactions and is involved in regulating host gene expression. This work suggests a novel anti-EBV strategy where developing appropriate drugs of interfering LLPS can be used to destroy the function of the EBV's transcription factors.IMPORTANCE Protein condensates can be assembled via liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS), a process involving the concentration of molecules in a confined liquid-like compartment. LLPS allows for the compartmentalization and sequestration of materials and can be harnessed as a sensitive strategy for responding to small changes in the environment. This study identified the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) proteins EBNA2 and EBNALP, which mediate virus and cellular gene transcription, as transcription factors that can form liquid-like condensates at superenhancer sites of MYC and Runx3. This study discovered the first identified LLPS of EBV proteins and emphasized the importance of LLPS in controlling host gene expression.

Eph receptors: the bridge linking host and virus.

Eph (erythropoietin-producing hepatoma) receptors and Ephrin ligands constitute the largest subfamily of receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK), which were first discovered in tumors. Heretofore, Eph protein has been shown to be involved in various tumor biological behaviors including proliferation and progression. The occurrence of specific types of tumor is closely related to the virus infection. Virus entry is a complex process characterized by a series of events. The entry into target cells is an essential step for virus to cause diseases, which requires the fusion of the viral envelope and host cellular membrane mediated by viral glycoproteins and cellular receptors. Integrin molecules are well known as entry receptors for most herpes viruses. However, in recent years, Eph receptors and their Ephrin ligands have been reported to be involved in virus infections. The main mechanism may be the interaction between Eph receptors and conserved viral surface glycoprotein, such as the gH/gL or gB protein of the herpesviridae. This review focuses on the relationship between Eph receptor family and virus infection that summarize the processes of viruses such as EBV, KSHV, HCV, RRV, etc., infecting target cells through Eph receptors and activating its downstream signaling pathways resulting in malignancies. Finally, we discussed the perspectives to block virus infection, prevention, and treatment of viral-related tumors via Eph receptor family.

[Analysis of genetic variants in four children with congenital hyperinsulinemia].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the genetic basis of four children with congenital hyperinsulinemia (CHI). METHODS: The four children were subjected to high-throughput whole exome sequencing (WES). Candidate variants were validated by Sanger sequencing. RESULTS: WES analysis has identified 4 variants in the ABCC8 gene and 1 variant in GLUD1, including a ABCC8 c.382G>A variant in case 1, compound heterozygous c.698T>C and c.4213G>A variants of the ABCC8 gene concomitant with a de novo 14.9 Mb microduplication of chromosome 15 in case 2, and ABCC8 c.331G>A variant in case 3, and de novo c.955T>C variant of the GLUD1 gene in case 4. Of these, c.698T>C of the ABCC8 gene and c.955T>C of the GLUD1 gene were unreported previously. Based on the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics guidelines, the c.382G>A(p.Glu128Lys), c.698T>C(p.Met233Thr) and c.4213G>A(p.Asp1405Asn) variants of ABCC8 gene and c.955T>C(p.Tyr319His) variant of GLUD1 gene were predicted to be likely pathogenic(PM1+PM2+PP3+PP4, PM1+PM2+PM5+PP3+PP4, PM1+PM2+PP3+PP4 and PS1+PM1+PM2+PP3), and the c.331G>A (p.Gly111Arg) variant of ABCC8 gene was predicted to be uncertain significance(PM1+PM2+PP4). CONCLUSION: The variants of the ABCC8 and GLUD1 genes probably underlay the pathogenesis of CHI in the four patients. Above results have facilitated clinical diagnosis and genetic counseling for the affected families.

Epstein-Barr virus miR-BART3-3p promotes tumorigenesis by regulating the senescence pathway in gastric cancer.

Epstein-Barr virus-associated gastric cancer (EBVaGC) accounts for about 10% of all gastric cancer cases and has unique pathological and molecular characteristics. EBV encodes a large number of microRNAs, which actively participate in the development of EBV-related tumors. Here, we report that EBV-miR-BART3-3p (BART3-3p) promotes gastric cancer cell growth in vitro and in vivo Moreover, BART3-3p inhibits the senescence of gastric cancer cells induced by an oncogene (RASG12V) or chemotherapy (irinotecan). LMP1 and EBNA3C encoded by EBV have also been reported to have antisenescence effects; however, in EBVaGC specimens, LMP1 expression is very low, and EBNA3C is not expressed. BART3-3p inhibits senescence of gastric cancer cells in a nude mouse model and inhibits the infiltration of natural killer cells and macrophages in tumor by altering the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP). Mechanistically, BART3-3p directly targeted the tumor suppressor gene TP53 and caused down-regulation of p53's downstream target, p21. Analysis from clinical EBVaGC samples also showed a negative correlation between BART3-3p and TP53 expression. It is well known that mutant oncogene RASG12V or chemotherapeutic drugs can induce senescence, and here we show that both RASG12V and a chemotherapy drug also can induce BART3-3p expression in EBV-positive gastric cancer cells, forming a feedback loop that keeps the EBVaGC senescence at a low level. Our results suggest that, although TP53 is seldom mutated in EBVaGC, its expression is finely regulated such that EBV-encoded BART3-3p may play an important role by inhibiting the senescence of gastric cancer cells.

A novel pathogenic frameshift variant unmasked by a large de novo deletion at 13q21.33-q31.1 in a Chinese patient with neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis type 5.

BACKGROUND: Neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis type 5 (CLN5) is a rare form of neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses (NCLs) which are a group of inherited neurodegenerative diseases characterized by progressive intellectual and motor deterioration, visual failure, seizures, behavioral changes and premature death. CLN5 was initially named Finnish variant late infantile NCL, it is now known to be present in other ethnic populations and with variable age of onset. Few CLN5 patients had been reported in Chinese population. CASE PRESENTATION: In this paper, we report the symptoms of a Chinese patient who suffer from developmental regression and grand mal epilepsy for several years. The DNA was extracted from peripheral blood of proband and both parents, and then whole exome sequencing was performed using genomic DNA. Both sequence variants and copy number variants (CNVs) were analyzed and classified according to guidelines. As the result, a novel frameshift mutation c.718_719delAT/p.Met240fs in CLN5 and a de novo large deletion at 13q21.33-q31.1 which unmasked the frameshift mutation were identified in the proband. Despite the large de novo deletion, which can be classified as a pathogenic copy number variant (CNV), the patient's clinical presentation is mostly consistent with that of CLN5, except for early developmental delay which is believed due to the large deletion. Both variants were detected simultaneously by exome sequencing. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first report of whole gene deletion in combination with a novel pathogenic sequence variant in a CLN5 patient. The two mutations detected with whole exome sequencing simultaneously proved the advantage of the sequencing technology for genetic diagnostics.

Epstein-Barr Virus MicroRNA miR-BART5-3p Inhibits p53 Expression.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is the first human virus found to encode many microRNAs. It is etiologically linked to nasopharyngeal carcinoma and EBV-associated gastric carcinoma. During the latent infection period, there are only a few EBV proteins expressed, whereas EBV microRNAs, such as the BamHI-A region rightward transcript (BART) microRNAs, are highly expressed. However, how these BART miRNAs precisely regulate the tumor growth in nasopharyngeal carcinoma and gastric carcinoma remains obscure. Here, we report that upregulation of EBV-miR-BART5-3p promotes the growth of nasopharyngeal carcinoma and gastric carcinoma cells. BART5-3p directly targets the tumor suppressor gene TP53 on its 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR) and consequently downregulates CDKN1A, BAX, and FAS expression, leading to acceleration of the cell cycle progress and inhibition of cell apoptosis. BART5-3p contributes to the resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs and ionizing irradiation-induced p53 increase. Moreover, BART5-3p also facilitates degradation of p53 proteins. BART5-3p is the first EBV-microRNA to be identified as inhibiting p53 expression and function, which suggests a novel mechanism underlying the strategies employed by EBV to maintain latent infection and promote the development of EBV-associated carcinomas.IMPORTANCE EBV encodes 44 mature microRNAs, which have been proven to promote EBV-associated diseases by targeting host genes and self-viral genes. In EBV-associated carcinomas, the expression of viral protein is limited but the expression of BART microRNAs is extremely high, suggesting that they could be major factors in the contribution of EBV-associated tumorigenesis. p53 is a critical tumor suppressor. Unlike in most human solid tumors, TP53 mutations are rare in nasopharyngeal carcinoma and EBV-associated gastric carcinoma tissues, suggesting a possibility that some EBV-encoded products suppress the functions of p53. This study provides the first evidence that a BART microRNA can suppress p53 expression by directly targeting its 3'-UTR. This study implies that EBV can use its BART microRNAs to modulate the expression of p53, thus maintaining its latency and contributing to tumorigenesis.

Genetic analyses of oculocutaneous albinism types 1 and 2 with four novel mutations.

BACKGROUND: Oculocutaneous albinism (OCA) is a human autosomal-recessive hypopigmentation disorder with hypopigmentation in the skin, hair, and eyes. OCA1 and OCA2 are caused by mutations of the TYR and OCA2 genes, respectively, which are responsible for most oculocutaneous albinism. However, the incidence of oculocutaneous albinism patients in Guangxi remains unclear. METHODS: To evaluate the molecular basis of oculocutaneous albinism in thirty-six patients in Guangxi, China. Peripheral venous blood samples were collected from these unrelated patients. The TYR and OCA2 genes of all individuals were analyzed by direct DNA sequencing and the sequences compared with are reference database and bioinformatics analysis. RESULTS: Among the 36 OCA patients, 8(22.2%) were found mutations on TYR gene, 28 (77.8%) on OCA2. And we identified Twenty-seven different TYR and OCA2 mutations in these patients, including one novel TYR framshift mutation c.561_562insTTATTATGTGTCAAATTATCCCCCA, three novel OCA2 mutations: one nonsense mutation c.2195C > G(p.S732X), one deletation mutation(c.1139-1141delTGG), one missense mutations c.2495A > C(p.H832P). The population screening and the bioinformatic analysis to determined the effects of the mutations, which revealed these four novel mutations were pathogenic. CONCLUSIONS: This study expands the mutation spectrum of oculocutaneous albinism. Four novel mutational alleles c.1139-1141delTGG, c.1832 T > C and c.2195C > G and of the OCA2 gene and c.561_562insTTATTATGTGTCAAATTATCCCCCA of TYR were associated with OCA. The genotype-phenotype correlations suggest that molecular diagnosis is more accurate and important in OCA.

MicroRNAs Provide Feedback Regulation of Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition Induced by Growth Factors.

As regulators in gene expression, microRNAs take part in most biological processes including cell differentiation, apoptosis, cell cycle, and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). In order to evaluate their roles in EMT process, microRNA expression profile changes induced by EGF or TGF-ß treatment on nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell HK-1 were analyzed, and miR-21, miR-148a, miR-505, and miR-1207-5p were found to be upregulated in growth factors-induced EMT process. miR-21 is already known as an oncogenic miRNA to promote metastasis, however, the exact functions of other three miRNAs in EMT are unclear. To our surprise, we found that miR-148a, miR-505, and miR-1207-5p can suppress EMT and metastasis phenotypes in HK-1 cells both in vitro and in vivo, which may relate to their inhibition on EMT and Wnt signaling molecules. MiRNAs confer robustness to biological processes by posttranscriptional repression of key transcriptional programs that are related to previous developmental stages or to alternative cell fates. Our findings indicate that miRNA feedback circuit is tuned to respond to growth factors-induced EMT, and we suggested a new negative feedback loop which may be an important element of the EMT process and confer biological robustness.

Inflammation-induced S100A8 activates Id3 and promotes colorectal tumorigenesis.

The aberrant expression of S100A8 and S100A9 is linked to nonresolving inflammation and ultimately to carcinogenesis, whereas the underlying mechanism that allows inflammation to progress to specific cancer types remains unknown. Here, we report that S100A8 was induced by inflammation and then promoted colorectal tumorigenesis downstream by activating Id3 (inhibitor of differentiation 3). Using gene expression profiling and immunohistochemistry, we found that both S100A8 and S100A9 were upregulated in the chemically-induced colitis-associated cancer mouse model and in human colorectal cancer specimens. Furthermore, we showed that S100A8 and S100A9 acted as chemoattractant proteins by recruiting macrophages, promoting the proliferation and invasion of colon cancer cell, as well as spurring the cycle that culminates in the acceleration of cancer metastasis in a nude mouse model. S100A8 regulated colon cancer cell cycle and proliferation by inducing Id3 expression while inhibiting p21. Id3 expression was regulated by Smad5, which was directly phosphorylated by Akt1. Our study revealed a novel mechanism in which inflammation-induced S100A8 promoted colorectal tumorigenesis by acting upstream to activate the Akt1-Smad5-Id3 axis.

Lactoferrin suppresses the Epstein-Barr virus-induced inflammatory response by interfering with pattern recognition of TLR2 and TLR9.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection contributes to tumorigenesis of various human malignancies including nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). EBV triggers innate immune and inflammatory responses partly through Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling. Lactoferrin (LF), with its anti-inflammatory properties, is an important component of the innate immune system. We previously reported that LF protects human B lymphocytes from EBV infection by its ability to bind to the EBV receptor CD21, but whether LF can suppress EBV-induced inflammation is unclear. Here, we report that LF reduced synthesis of IL-8 and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) induced by EBV in macrophages via its suppression of NF-κB activity. LF interacted with TLR2 and interfered with EBV-triggered TLR2-NF-κB activation. LF inhibited the ability of TLR9 to recognize dsDNA by binding to its co-receptor CD14, which blocked the interaction between CD14 and TLR9. EBV-induced inflammation was thus aggravated in the presence of CD14. In addition, LF expression levels were significantly downregulated in NPC specimens, and correlated inversely with IL-8 and MCP-1 expression. These findings suggest that LF may suppress the EBV-induced inflammatory response through interfering with the activation of TLR2 and TLR9.

A novel variant in NSUN2 causes intellectual disability in a Chinese family.

NSUN2-intellectual disability syndrome, also known as intellectual disability type 5 (MRT5), is an autosomal recessive disorder that is characterized by intellectual disability (ID), postnatal growth retardation, dysmorphic facies, microcephaly, short stature, developmental delay, language impairment and other congenital abnormalities. The disease is caused by mutations in the NSUN2 gene, which encodes a tRNA cytosine methyltransferase that has an important role in spindle assembly during mitosis and chromosome segregation. In this study, we recruited a family that had two individuals with ID. Whole exome sequencing was performed to identify a homozygous frameshift variant (c.1171_1175delACCAT(p.Thr391fs*18*)) in NSUN2 (NM_017755.5) in the proband. The varint was confirmed as segregating in his affected brother and his parents by Sanger sequencing. The individuals that we described showed a similar dysmorphology profile to that associated with MRT5. To analyze the correlations between genotypes of NSUN2 and phenotypes of individuals with ID, we examined 17 variants and the associated phenotypes from 32 ID individuals in current and previous studies. We concluded that mutations in NSUN2 cause a wide range of phenotypic defects. Although some clinical manifestations were highly variable, the core phenotypes associated with NSUN2 mutations were dysmorphic facies, microcephaly, short stature, ID, growth restriction, language impairment, hypotonia and delayed puberty. Our study expands the genetic spectrum of NSUN2 mutations and helps to further define the genotype-phenotype correlations in MRT5.

Phenotypic and genotypic characterization of NPRL3-related epilepsy: Two case reports and literature review.

Nitrogen permease regulator-like 3 (NPRL3) has been reported to play a role in seizure onset. The principal manifestation of NPRL3-related epilepsy is a range of epilepsy-associated syndromes, such as familial focal epilepsy with variable foci (FFEVF), sleep-related hypermotor epilepsy (SHE), and temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). The association between phenotype and genotype of NPRL3 mutations remains inadequately described. This study aimed to explore the phenotypic and genotypic spectra of NPRL3-related epilepsy. We reported two novel NPRL3 variants in two unrelated epilepsy cases, including a nonsense (c.1174C > T, p.Gln392*) and a missense variant (c.1322C > T, p.Thr441Met). Following a review of the literature, a total of 116 cases of NPRL3-related epilepsy were assessed, mostly with nonsense and frameshift mutations. Our findings suggest that patients harboring various NPRL3 variants exhibit variable clinical manifestations. In addition, it may be worthwhile to consider the existence of NPRL3 mutations in epilepsy patients with a family history. This study provides useful information for the treatment and prognosis by expanding the phenotypic and genotypic spectrum of NPRL3-related epilepsy. PLAIN LANGUAGE SUMMARY: This study expands the phenotypic and genotypic spectra of NPRL3-related epilepsy by reporting two cases with different novel variants. Following a review of the literature, it was observed that patients harboring various NPRL3 variants exhibited a variability of clinical manifestations. Also, patients carrying nonsense mutations are frequently prone to drug resistance and other severe comorbidities such as developmental delay, but more cases need to be collected to confirm these findings.

Compound heterozygous WDR19 variants associated with nephronophthisis, Caroli disease, refractory epilepsy and congenital bilateral central blindness: Case report.

The WDR19 gene has been reported to be involved in nephronophthisis-related ciliopathies such as isolated nephronophthisis 13 (NPHP13), Sensenbrenner syndrome, Jeune syndrome, Senior-Loken syndrome, Caroli disease, retinitis pigmentosa and Asthenoteratospermia. In the present study, we provided the detailed clinical characteristics and genetic analysis of a patient with four variants in WDR19 and TG, reviewed a comprehensive mutation analysis in the WDR19-related ciliopathies, discussed the relationship between genotype and phenotype, and compared the allele frequencies (AFs) of WDR19 variants depending on the ethnic background. We used whole-exome sequencing (WES) combined with bioinformatics analysis to investigate the genetic variants of a 3-year-old boy with common features of WDR19-associated NPHP13 and Caroli disease, bilateral central blindness, refractory epilepsy, and elevated thyroid stimulating hormone. A novel splice-donor variant, c.98+1G > C, and a recurrent missense variant, c.3533G > A, were identified in the WDR19 gene. We used effective mRNA analysis to verify the effects on pre-mRNA processing and to assess the pathogenicity of the splice-site variant. The patient also harbored compound heterozygous variants of the TG gene (c.4889A > G, c.274+2T > G). Of note, using a review of an in-house database, we identified four additional likely pathogenic WDR19 variants and estimated the overall AF of WDR19 mutations to be 0.0025 in the southern Chinese population. Our findings have expanded the allelic spectrum of mutations in the WDR19 gene and broadened the clinical phenotype spectrum of WDR19-related ciliopathies. The results have also provided new insights into the clinical heterogeneity of the disorder, which would be useful in accurate genetic counseling for affected individuals and carrier screening in a general population.

Clinical features and molecular genetic investigation of infantile-onset ascending hereditary spastic paralysis (IAHSP) in two Chinese siblings caused by a novel splice site ALS2 variation.

OBJECTIVE: ALS2-related disorder involves retrograde degeneration of the upper motor neurons of the pyramidal tracts, among which autosomal recessive Infantile-onset ascending hereditary spastic paralysis (IAHSP) is a rare phenotype. In this study, we gathered clinical data from two Chinese siblings who were affected by IAHSP. Our aim was to assess the potential pathogenicity of the identified variants and analyze their clinical and genetic characteristics. METHOD: Here, Whole-exome sequencing (WES) was performed on proband to identify the candidate variants. Subsequently, Sanger sequencing was used to verify identified candidate variants and to assess co-segregation among available family members. Utilizing both silico prediction and 3D protein modeling, an analysis was conducted to evaluate the potential functional implications of the variants on the encoded protein, and minigene assays were performed to unravel the effect of the variants on the cleavage of pre-mRNA. RESULTS: Both patients were characterized by slurred speech, astasia, inability to walk, scoliosis, lower limb hypertonia, ankle clonus, contracture of joint, foot pronation and no psychomotor retardation was found. Genetic analysis revealed a novel homozygous variant of ALS2, c.1815G > T(p.Lys605Asn) in two Chinese siblings. To our knowledge, it is the first confirmed case of a likely pathogenic variant leading to IAHSP in a Chinese patient. CONCLUSION: This study broadens the range of ALS2 variants and has practical implications for prenatal and postnatal screening of IAHSR. Symptom-based diagnosis of IAHSP is frequently difficult for medical practitioners. WES can be a beneficial resource to identify a particular disorder when the diagnosis cannot be determined from the symptoms alone.

Single Cell Map of Human Azoospermia Testis Caused by Cyclophosphamide Chemotherapy.

Chemotherapeutic drugs will affect the process of spermatogenesis. However, most current studies on the effects of chemotherapeutic drugs on spermatogenesis are based on mouse models, with a shortage of human body evidence. In addition, the mechanism of chemotherapeutic drugs causing spermatogenesis disorder is not clear. Therefore, we have collected the testicular tissues of an inguinal-lipoma patient whose testes were resected after chemotherapy and a patient who had normal spermatogenesis disorder and underwent single-nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-Seq). After quality control, we obtained a total of 27,957 high-quality cells, including 18,612 normal cells and 9,345 drug-treated cells, which were all used in analyzing the mechanism of chemotherapeutic drugs causing spermatogenesis disorder. This study has provided data resources and references for exploring the mechanism of chemotherapeutic drugs causing spermatogenesis disorder with the insight of protecting the spermatogenic abilities of male tumor patients receiving chemotherapy.

Integration of single-cell and bulk RNA sequencing data reveals that CYTOR is a potential prognostic and immunotherapeutic response marker for skin cutaneous melanoma.

Skin cutaneous melanoma (SKCM) is a highly malignant tumor that is prone to immune escape and distant metastasis. Immunotherapy is considered to be the best treatment for patients with SKCM. However, not all patients benefit from it. We observed a significant differential expression of the lncRNA CYTOR in patients with SKCM based on single-cell and bulk RNA sequencing data mining results. The results showed that compared to normal tissue lncRNA CYTOR expression was significantly upregulated in SKCM tissue. Subsequently, we validated this finding in clinical samples, and we also found that the expression of lncRNA CYTOR in SKCM was higher as it progressed. lncRNA CYTOR was differentially expressed in patients who responded to immunotherapy, suggesting that it may serve as a biomarker to predict the efficacy of SKCM immunotherapy. In-depth analysis revealed that lncRNA CYTOR expression was strongly correlated with immune cell infiltration, immune response, and immune checkpoint expression. Meanwhile, our experiments revealed that CYTOR affects SKCM cell invasion and clone formation and is associated with the activation of the EMT pathway. In summary, our findings illustrate, for the first time, the value of CYTOR as a potential prognostic and immunotherapeutic response marker in SKCM.