Defining the Genetic Landscape of Congenital Mirror Movements in 80 Affected Individuals.

BACKGROUND: Congenital mirror movements (CMM) is a rare neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by involuntary movements from one side of the body that mirror voluntary movements on the opposite side. To date, five genes have been associated with CMM, namely DCC, RAD51, NTN1, ARHGEF7, and DNAL4. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to characterize the genetic landscape of CMM in a large group of 80 affected individuals. METHODS: We screened 80 individuals with CMM from 43 families for pathogenic variants in CMM genes. In large CMM families, we tested for presence of pathogenic variants in multiple affected and unaffected individuals. In addition, we evaluated the impact of three missense DCC variants on binding between DCC and Netrin-1 in vitro. RESULTS: Causal pathogenic/likely pathogenic variants were found in 35% of probands overall, and 70% with familial CMM. The most common causal gene was DCC, responsible for 28% of CMM probands and 80% of solved cases. RAD51, NTN1, and ARHGEF7 were rare causes of CMM, responsible for 2% each. Penetrance of CMM in DCC pathogenic variant carriers was 68% and higher in males than females (74% vs. 54%). The three tested missense variants (p.Ile164Thr; p.Asn176Ser; and p.Arg1343His) bind Netrin-1 similarly to wild type DCC. CONCLUSIONS: A genetic etiology can be identified in one third of CMM individuals, with DCC being the most common gene involved. Two thirds of CMM individuals were unsolved, highlighting that CMM is genetically heterogeneous and other CMM genes are yet to be discovered. © 2024 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

SCA34 caused by ELOVL4 L168F mutation is a lysosomal lipid storage disease sharing pathology features with neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis and peroxisomal disorders.

Spinocerebellar ataxia 34 (SCA34) is a late-onset progressive ataxia caused by a mutation in ELOVL4, a gene involved in the biosynthesis of very long-chain fatty acids (VLCFAs). We performed post-mortem neuropathological examinations on four SCA34 patients with the ELOVL4 L168F mutation and compared the findings to age-matched controls. Specific gross findings of SCA34 were limited to pontocerebellar atrophy. On light microscopy, pontine base showed neuronal loss and storage of an autofluorescent lipopigment positive on oil red O, PAS and Hale's colloidal iron and negative on Alcian blue and Luxol fast blue (LFB). Among the swollen neurons were abundant CD68+ /CD163+ /IBA1- macrophages laden with a material with similar histochemical profile as in neurons except for the lack of autofluorescence and oil red O positivity and the presence of needle-like birefringent inclusions. Normal resting IBA1 + microglia were generally absent from pontine base nuclei but present in normal numbers elsewhere in the pons. In dentate nucleus neurons, atrophy was milder than in the pontine base and the coarser storage material was LFB-positive, closely resembling lipofuscin. On electron microscopy, dentate nucleus neurons showed neuronal storage of tridimensionally organized trilaminar spicules within otherwise normal lipofuscin, while in the more affected pontine base neurons, lipofuscin was almost completely replaced by the storage material. Storage macrophages were tightly packed with stacks of unorganized trilaminar spicules, reminiscent of the storage material seen in peroxisomal disorders and thought to represent VLCFAs incorporated in complex polar lipids. In summary, we provide histochemical and ultrastructural evidence that SCA34 is a lipid storage disease, the first among the currently known SCAs, and that the storage lipid is accumulating within neuronal lipofuscin. Our findings suggest that the storage lipid is similar to the one accumulating in non-neuronal cells in peroxisomal disorders and provide the first ultrastructural description of this type of material within neurons.

Histologic Correlates of Molecular Group 4 Pediatric Medulloblastoma: A Retrospective Canadian Review.

INTRODUCTION: The World Health Organization currently classifies medulloblastoma (MB) into four molecular groups (WNT, SHH, Group 3 and Group 4) and four histologic subtypes (classic, desmoplastic nodular, MB with extensive nodularity, and large cell/anaplastic). "Classic" MB is the most frequent histology, but unfortunately it does not predict molecular group or patient outcome. While MB may exhibit additional histologic features outside of the traditional WHO subtypes, the clinical significance of such features, in a molecular context, is unclear. METHODS: The clinicopathologic features of 120 pediatric MB were reviewed in the context of NanoString molecular grouping. Each case was evaluated for five ancillary histologic features, including: nodularity without desmoplasia (i.e., "biphasic", B-MB), rhythmic palisades, and focal anaplasia. Molecular and histological features were statistically correlated to clinical outcome using Chi-square, log-rank, and multivariate Cox regression analysis. RESULTS: While B-MB (N = 32) and rhythmic palisades (N = 12) were enriched amongst non-WNT/SHH MB (especially Group 4), they were not statistically associated with outcome. In contrast, focal anaplasia (N = 12) was not associated with any molecular group, but did predict unfavorable outcome. CONCLUSION: These data nominate B-MB as a surrogate marker of Groups 3 and particularly 4 MB, which may earmark a clinically significant subset of cases.

Neu-Laxova syndrome presenting prenatally with increased nuchal translucency and cystic hygroma: The utility of exome sequencing in deciphering the diagnosis.

Neu-Laxova syndrome (NLS) is a lethal autosomal recessive microcephaly syndrome associated with intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and multiple congenital anomalies. Clinical features include central nervous system malformations, joint contractures, ichthyosis, edema, and dysmorphic facial features. Biallelic pathogenic variants in either the PHGDH or PSAT1 genes have been shown to cause NLS. Using exome sequencing, we aimed to identify the underlying genetic diagnosis in three fetuses (from one family) with prenatal skin edema, severe IUGR, micrognathia, renal anomalies, and arthrogryposis and identified a homozygous c.1A>C (p.Met1?, NM_006623.3) variant in the PHGDH gene. Loss of the translation start codon is a novel genetic mechanism for the development of NLS. Prenatal diagnosis of NLS is challenging and few reports describe the fetal pathology. Fetal neuropathologic examination revealed: delayed brain development, congenital agenesis of the corticospinal tracts, and hypoplasia of the hippocampus, cerebellum and brainstem. Each pregnancy also showed increased nuchal translucency (NT) or cystic hygroma. While NLS is rare, it may be a cause of recurrent increased NT/cystic hygroma. This finding provides further support that cystic hygroma has many different genetic causes and that exome sequencing may shed light on the underlying genetic diagnoses in this group of prenatal patients.

Infantile Myofibromatosis With Intracranial Extradural Involvement and PDGFRB Mutation: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Infantile myofibroma is a rare benign mesenchymal tumor that presents as solitary or multiple lesions (myofibromatosis) in the skin, soft tissue, bone, or internal organs. It most commonly affects the head and neck of infants and young children, but it can also affect adults. Intracranial involvement is reported to be extremely rare, and its clinical picture has been poorly characterized. Recently, it has been demonstrated that germline and somatic mutations in the platelet-derived growth factor receptor beta (PDGFRB) are associated with familial infantile myofibromatosis. We report a case of infantile myofibromatosis with predominant posterior fossa extradural involvement in a 14-year-old adolescent girl with a confirmed mutation in the PDGFRB gene.

Fatal Second Impact Syndrome in Rowan Stringer, A 17-Year-Old Rugby Player.

Second impact syndrome (SIS) is associated with malignant brain swelling and usually occurs in young athletes with one or more prior, recent concussions. SIS is rare and some dispute its existence. We report a case of SIS in Rowan Stringer, age 17, a rugby player who sustained a fatal brain injury despite prompt medical therapy including decompression surgery. The cause of the massive brain swelling was initially unknown. An inquest revealed Rowan's text messages to friends describing symptoms from two prior, recent rugby brain injuries, likely concussions, within 5 days of the fatal blow and confirming the diagnosis of SIS.

Cellular Functions of the Autism Risk Factor PTCHD1 in Mice.

The gene patched domain containing 1 (PTCHD1) is mutated in patients with autism spectrum disorders and intellectual disabilities and has been hypothesized to contribute to Sonic hedgehog (Shh) signaling and synapse formation. We identify a panel of Ptchd1-interacting proteins that include postsynaptic density proteins and the retromer complex, revealing a link to critical regulators of dendritic and postsynaptic trafficking. Ptchd1 knock-out (KO) male mice exhibit cognitive alterations, including defects in a novel object recognition task. To test whether Ptchd1 is required for Shh-dependent signaling, we examined two Shh-dependent cell populations that express high levels of Ptchd1 mRNA: cerebellar granule cell precursors and dentate granule cells in the hippocampus. We found that proliferation of these neuronal precursors was not altered significantly in Ptchd1 KO male mice. We used whole-cell electrophysiology and anatomical methods to assess synaptic function in Ptchd1-deficient dentate granule cells. In the absence of Ptchd1, we observed profound disruption in excitatory/inhibitory balance despite normal dendritic spine density on dentate granule cells. These findings support a critical role of the Ptchd1 protein in the dentate gyrus, but indicate that it is not required for structural synapse formation in dentate granule cells or for Shh-dependent neuronal precursor proliferation.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The mechanisms underlying neuronal and cellular alterations resulting from patched domain containing 1 (Ptchd1) gene mutations are unknown. The results from this study support an association with dendritic trafficking complexes of Ptchd1. Loss-of-function experiments do not support a role in sonic hedgehog-dependent signaling, but reveal a disruption of synaptic transmission in the mouse dentate gyrus. The findings will help to guide ongoing efforts to understand the etiology of neurodevelopmental disorders arising from Ptchd1 deficiency.

Bone marrow-derived macrophages and the CNS: An update on the use of experimental chimeric mouse models and bone marrow transplantation in neurological disorders.

The central nervous system (CNS) is a very unique system with multiple features that differentiate it from systemic tissues. One of the most captivating aspects of its distinctive nature is the presence of the blood brain barrier (BBB), which seals it from the periphery. Therefore, to preserve tissue homeostasis, the CNS has to rely heavily on resident cells such as microglia. These pivotal cells of the mononuclear lineage have important and dichotomous roles according to various neurological disorders. However, certain insults can overwhelm microglia as well as compromising the integrity of the BBB, thus allowing the infiltration of bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs). The use of myeloablation and bone marrow transplantation allowed the generation of chimeric mice to study resident microglia and infiltrated BMDM separately. This breakthrough completely revolutionized the way we captured these 2 types of mononuclear phagocytic cells. We now realize that microglia and BMDM exhibit distinct features and appear to perform different tasks. Since these cells are central in several pathologies, it is crucial to use chimeric mice to analyze their functions and mechanisms to possibly harness them for therapeutic purpose. This review will shed light on the advent of this methodology and how it allowed deciphering the ontology of microglia and its maintenance during adulthood. We will also compare the different strategies used to perform myeloablation. Finally, we will discuss the landmark studies that used chimeric mice to characterize the roles of microglia and BMDM in several neurological disorders. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Neuro Inflammation edited by Helga E. de Vries and Markus Schwaninger.

Facilitation may not be an adequate mechanism of community succession on carrion.

The facilitation model of ecological succession was advanced by plant ecologists in the late 1970s and was then introduced to carrion ecology in the late 1980s, without empirical evidence of its applicability. Ecologists in both disciplines proposed removing early colonists, in this case fly eggs and larvae, from the substrate to determine whether other species could still colonize, which to our knowledge has never been attempted. Here, we tested the facilitation model in a carrion system by removing fly eggs and larvae from carcasses that were exposed in agricultural fields and assigned to one of the following treatment levels of removal intensity: 0, <5, 50, and 100%. Subsequent patterns of colonisation did not provide support for the applicability of the facilitation model in carrion systems. Although results showed, in part, that the removal of fly eggs and larvae decreased the decomposition rate of carcasses, the removal did not prevent colonization by secondary colonizers. Finally, we discuss future studies and make recommendations as to how the facilitation model could be improved, firstly by being more specific about the scale where facilitation is believed to be occurring, secondly by clearly stating what environmental modification is believed to be involved, and thirdly by disentangling facilitation from priority effects.

Primary cutaneous adenoid cystic carcinoma with brain metastases: case report and literature review.

Primary cutaneous adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) is a rare skin tumor that is unlikely to metastasize. We present a case of primary cutaneous ACC in a 67-year-old male with axillary lymph node, pulmonary and brain metastases. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of cutaneous ACC with distant metastases to the brain.

Fetal segmental spinal dysgenesis and unusual segmental agenesis of the anterior spinal artery.

Segmental spinal dysgenesis (SSD) is a rare congenital spinal abnormality characterized by segmental dysgenesis or agenesis of the thoracolumbar or lumbar spine, congenital kyphosis, and abnormal configuration of the underlying spinal cord. A unique feature of SSD is that the vertebrae are present above and below the defect, and there is often a lower cord segment in the caudal spinal canal. We report a fetal MRI case of SSD with postmortem and neuropathological correlations. Our report confirms already published findings including the presence of a neurenteric cyst but is the first to document anterior spinal artery segmental agenesis in SSD.

Toll-like receptor 4 stimulation with the detoxified ligand monophosphoryl lipid A improves Alzheimer's disease-related pathology.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia worldwide. The pathogenesis of this neurodegenerative disease, currently without curative treatment, is associated with the accumulation of amyloid ß (Aß) in brain parenchyma and cerebral vasculature. AD patients are unable to clear this toxic peptide, leading to Aß accumulation in their brains and, presumably, the pathology associated with this devastating disease. Compounds that stimulate the immune system to clear Aß may therefore have great therapeutic potential in AD patients. Monophosphoryl lipid A (MPL) is an LPS-derived Toll-like receptor 4 agonist that exhibits unique immunomodulatory properties at doses that are nonpyrogenic. We show here that repeated systemic injections of MPL, but not LPS, significantly improved AD-related pathology in APP(swe)/PS1 mice. MPL treatment led to a significant reduction in Aß load in the brain of these mice, as well as enhanced cognitive function. MPL induced a potent phagocytic response by microglia while triggering a moderate inflammatory reaction. Our data suggest that the Toll-like receptor 4 agonist MPL may be a treatment for AD.

Molecular subgroups of atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumours in children: an integrated genomic and clinicopathological analysis.

BACKGROUND: Rhabdoid brain tumours, also called atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumours, are lethal childhood cancers with characteristic genetic alterations of SMARCB1/hSNF5. Lack of biological understanding of the substantial clinical heterogeneity of these tumours restricts therapeutic advances. We integrated genomic and clinicopathological analyses of a cohort of patients with atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumours to find out the molecular basis for clinical heterogeneity in these tumours. METHODS: We obtained 259 rhabdoid tumours from 37 international institutions and assessed transcriptional profiles in 43 primary tumours and copy number profiles in 38 primary tumours to discover molecular subgroups of atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumours. We used gene and pathway enrichment analyses to discover group-specific molecular markers and did immunohistochemical analyses on 125 primary tumours to evaluate clinicopathological significance of molecular subgroup and ASCL1-NOTCH signalling. FINDINGS: Transcriptional analyses identified two atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumour subgroups with differential enrichment of genetic pathways, and distinct clinicopathological and survival features. Expression of ASCL1, a regulator of NOTCH signalling, correlated with supratentorial location (p=0·004) and superior 5-year overall survival (35%, 95% CI 13-57, and 20%, 6-34, for ASCL1-positive and ASCL1-negative tumours, respectively; p=0·033) in 70 patients who received multimodal treatment. ASCL1 expression also correlated with superior 5-year overall survival (34%, 7-61, and 9%, 0-21, for ASCL1-positive and ASCL1-negative tumours, respectively; p=0·001) in 39 patients who received only chemotherapy without radiation. Cox hazard ratios for overall survival in patients with differential ASCL1 enrichment treated with chemotherapy with or without radiation were 2·02 (95% CI 1·04-3·85; p=0·038) and 3·98 (1·71-9·26; p=0·001). Integrated analyses of molecular subgroupings with clinical prognostic factors showed three distinct clinical risk groups of tumours with different therapeutic outcomes. INTERPRETATION: An integration of clinical risk factors and tumour molecular groups can be used to identify patients who are likely to have improved long-term radiation-free survival and might help therapeutic stratification of patients with atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumours. FUNDING: C17 Research Network, Genome Canada, b.r.a.i.n.child, Mitchell Duckman, Tal Doron and Suri Boon foundations.

Evidence for a gender-specific protective role of innate immune receptors in a model of perinatal brain injury.

Hypoxia-ischemia is a common cause of neurological impairments in newborns, but little is known about how neuroinflammation contributes to the long-term outcome after a perinatal brain injury. In this study, we investigated the role of the fractalkine receptor chemokine CX3C motif receptor 1 (CX3CR1) and of toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling after a neonatal hypoxic-ischemic brain injury. Mice deficient in the TLR adaptor proteins Toll/interleukin-1 receptor-domain-containing adaptor protein inducing interferon ß (TRIF) or myeloid differentiation factor-88 (MyD88) and CX3CR1 knock-out (KO) mice were subjected to hypoxia-ischemia at postnatal day 3. In situ hybridization was used to evaluate the expression of TLRs during brain development and after hypoxic-ischemic insults. Behavioral deficits, hippocampal damage, reactive microgliosis, and subplate injury were compared among the groups. Although MyD88 KO mice exhibited no differences from wild-type animals in long-term structural and functional outcomes, TRIF KO mice presented a worse outcome, as evidenced by increased hippocampal CA3 atrophy in males and by the development of learning and motor deficits in females. CX3CR1-deficient female mice showed a marked increase in brain damage and long-lasting learning deficits, whereas CX3CR1 KO male animals did not exhibit more brain injury than wild-type mice. These data reveal a novel, gender-specific protective role of TRIF and CX3CR1 signaling in a mouse model of neonatal hypoxic-ischemic brain injury. These findings suggest that future studies seeking immunomodulatory therapies for preterm infants should consider gender as a critical variable and should be cautious not to abrogate the protective role of neuroinflammation.

CNS-PNETs with C19MC amplification and/or LIN28 expression comprise a distinct histogenetic diagnostic and therapeutic entity.

Amplification of the C19MC oncogenic miRNA cluster and high LIN28 expression has been linked to a distinctly aggressive group of cerebral CNS-PNETs (group 1 CNS-PNETs) arising in young children. In this study, we sought to evaluate the diagnostic specificity of C19MC and LIN28, and the clinical and biological spectra of C19MC amplified and/or LIN28+ CNS-PNETs. We interrogated 450 pediatric brain tumors using FISH and IHC analyses and demonstrate that C19MC alteration is restricted to a sub-group of CNS-PNETs with high LIN28 expression; however, LIN28 immunopositivity was not exclusive to CNS-PNETs but was also detected in a proportion of other malignant pediatric brain tumors including rhabdoid brain tumors and malignant gliomas. C19MC amplified/LIN28+ group 1 CNS-PNETs arose predominantly in children <4 years old; a majority arose in the cerebrum but 24 % (13/54) of tumors had extra-cerebral origins. Notably, group 1 CNS-PNETs encompassed several histologic classes including embryonal tumor with abundant neuropil and true rosettes (ETANTR), medulloepithelioma, ependymoblastoma and CNS-PNETs with variable differentiation. Strikingly, gene expression and methylation profiling analyses revealed a common molecular signature enriched for primitive neural features, high LIN28/LIN28B and DNMT3B expression for all group 1 CNS-PNETs regardless of location or tumor histology. Our collective findings suggest that current known histologic categories of CNS-PNETs which include ETANTRs, medulloepitheliomas, ependymoblastomas in various CNS locations, comprise a common molecular and diagnostic entity and identify inhibitors of the LIN28/let7/PI3K/mTOR axis and DNMT3B as promising therapeutics for this distinct histogenetic entity.

Central nervous system venulitis presenting as migraine.

OBJECTIVE: To describe a case of pediatric central nervous system (CNS) venulitis. BACKGROUND: Primary angiitis of the CNS is a rare but increasingly well-recognized cause of morbidity in children. It primarily involves the arteries and arterioles of the CNS, with only 1 published case of a pediatric patient found to have isolated CNS venulitis on brain biopsy. CASE REPORT: A 17-year-old female with a 4-year history of migraines presented with increasingly frequent migraines and right-sided hemiplegia. Infectious, hematologic, and rheumatologic work-ups were negative. Brain magnetic resonance imaging showed multiple rim-enhancing lesions consistent with calcifications affecting the deep left white matter. On brain biopsy, there was evidence of an inflammatory process involving small veins and venules. The patient displayed clinical improvement with a course of high-dose steroids and 6 monthly cyclophosphamide infusions followed by maintenance therapy with mycophenolate mofetil. DISCUSSION: We describe a case of pediatric CNS venulitis presenting with migraine.

Effect of variable rates of daily sampling of fly larvae on decomposition and carrion insect community assembly: implications for forensic entomology field study protocols.

Experimental protocols in forensic entomology successional field studies generally involve daily sampling of insects to document temporal changes in species composition on animal carcasses. One challenge with that method has been to adjust the sampling intensity to obtain the best representation of the community present without affecting the said community. To this date, little is known about how such investigator perturbations affect decomposition-related processes. Here, we investigated how different levels of daily sampling of fly eggs and fly larvae affected, over time, carcass decomposition rate and the carrion insect community. Results indicated that a daily sampling of <5% of the egg and larvae volumes present on a carcass, a sampling intensity believed to be consistent with current accepted practices in successional field studies, had little effect overall. Higher sampling intensities, however, slowed down carcass decomposition, affected the abundance of certain carrion insects, and caused an increase in the volume of eggs laid by dipterans. This study suggests that the carrion insect community not only has a limited resilience to recurrent perturbations but that a daily sampling intensity equal to or <5% of the egg and larvae volumes appears adequate to ensure that the system is representative of unsampled conditions. Hence we propose that this threshold be accepted as best practice in future forensic entomology successional field studies.

Fall Decay Deceleration in Northern Latitudes: Merely a Matter of Cold?

The decomposition of cadavers and large vertebrate carcasses is the result of complex processes primarily influenced by ambient temperatures. Thus, low temperatures can alter decomposition by curtailing tissue autolysis and bacterial decomposition, and by limiting insect activity contributing to necromass removal. In this study, we tested whether carcass decomposition rate is modulated not only directly by temperature and insect occurrence, but also indirectly by the mediation of interactions among insects by ambient temperature. To test this, a comparative analysis of the decomposition of domestic pig carcasses in summer and fall was conducted in Atlantic Canada. The results indicated that carcass decomposition standardized to account for seasonal differences was significantly decelerated in the fall as opposed to the summer during the later decomposition stages and was sometimes incomplete. Moreover, the arrival, presence, and departure of insects from carcasses during ecological succession differed between summer and fall. Necrodes surinamensis (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Silphidae) and Creophilus maxillosus (Linnaeus) (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) maintained higher abundances late during succession in the fall than in the summer and their abundance was related to a decline in decomposition rates, probably because these species feed on dipteran larvae promoting necromass removal. These results demonstrate the variability in response to environmental parameters of insects of forensic importance and support the idea that slowed decomposition in the fall may be exacerbated by changes in interspecific interactions among insects. Furthermore, these results suggest that successional studies of insects carried out in the summer have little forensic utility for cadavers found in cold weather conditions.