Effectiveness and safety of the direct oral anticoagulants in non-triple positive antiphospholipid syndrome without prior arterial thromboembolism.

Thrombotic antiphospholipid syndrome (TAPS) is an autoimmune disorder that manifests with venous thromboembolism (VTE) and/or arterial thromboembolism (ATE) in the presence of persistent antiphospholipid antibodies (aPLs). Recent trials have failed to demonstrate non-inferiority of the direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) compared to vitamin K antagonists as anticoagulation in TAPS, but there is a subgroup of non-triple positive patients without prior ATE in who only limited data exists. The objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness and safety of DOACs in non-triple positive TAPS without prior ATE. We conducted a retrospective review of all non-triple positive TAPS patients without prior ATE who were anticoagulated with a DOAC at two tertiary care hospitals from January 2010 to July 2020. We assessed outcomes of VTE, ATE, major bleeding, and clinically relevant non-major bleeding (CRNMB). 50 patients were included in the analysis, encompassing 157.2 years of patient follow-up. There were no recurrent VTE, but one patient had a possible arterial thrombosis (0.64 events per 100 patient-years [95% confidence interval (CI 0.16-35.49)] as a transient ischemic attack (TIA) which occurred on reduced dose DOAC. There were no major bleeding events, but two patients had CRNMB (1.27 events per 100 patient-years [95% CI 1.5-46.0]), both as menorrhagia. DOACs were effective and safe as anticoagulation in non-triple positive TAPS patients without prior ATE with a low rate of recurrent thrombosis and bleeding. Larger, prospective controlled studies are required to confirm these findings prior to routine use of DOACs in this subgroup.

Proteomic Analysis Reveals Autism-Associated Gene DIXDC1 Regulates Proteins Associated with Mitochondrial Organization and Function.

DIX-domain containing 1 (Dixdc1) is an important regulator of neuronal development including cortical neurogenesis, neuronal migration and synaptic connectivity, and sequence variants in the gene have been linked to autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Previous studies indicate that Dixdc1 controls neurogenesis through Wnt signaling, whereas its regulation of dendrite and synapse development requires Wnt and cytoskeletal signaling. However, the prediction of these signaling pathways is primarily based on the structure of Dixdc1. Given the role of Dixdc1 in neural development and brain disorders, we hypothesized that Dixdc1 may regulate additional signaling pathways in the brain. We performed transcriptomic and proteomic analyses of Dixdc1 KO mouse cortices to reveal such alterations. We found that transcriptomic approaches do not yield any novel findings about the downstream impacts of Dixdc1. In comparison, our proteomic approach reveals that several important mitochondrial proteins are significantly dysregulated in the absence of Dixdc1, suggesting a novel function of Dixdc1.

CNTN5-/+or EHMT2-/+human iPSC-derived neurons from individuals with autism develop hyperactive neuronal networks.

Induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived neurons are increasingly used to model Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), which is clinically and genetically heterogeneous. To study the complex relationship of penetrant and weaker polygenic risk variants to ASD, 'isogenic' iPSC-derived neurons are critical. We developed a set of procedures to control for heterogeneity in reprogramming and differentiation, and generated 53 different iPSC-derived glutamatergic neuronal lines from 25 participants from 12 unrelated families with ASD. Heterozygous de novo and rare-inherited presumed-damaging variants were characterized in ASD risk genes/loci. Combinations of putative etiologic variants (GLI3/KIF21A or EHMT2/UBE2I) in separate families were modeled. We used a multi-electrode array, with patch-clamp recordings, to determine a reproducible synaptic phenotype in 25% of the individuals with ASD (other relevant data on the remaining lines was collected). Our most compelling new results revealed a consistent spontaneous network hyperactivity in neurons deficient for CNTN5 or EHMT2. The biobank of iPSC-derived neurons and accompanying genomic data are available to accelerate ASD research. Editorial note: This article has been through an editorial process in which authors decide how to respond to the issues raised during peer review. The Reviewing Editor's assessment is that all the issues have been addressed (see decision letter).

Altered TAOK2 activity causes autism-related neurodevelopmental and cognitive abnormalities through RhoA signaling.

Atypical brain connectivity is a major contributor to the pathophysiology of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) including autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). TAOK2 is one of several genes in the 16p11.2 microdeletion region, but whether it contributes to NDDs is unknown. We performed behavioral analysis on Taok2 heterozygous (Het) and knockout (KO) mice and found gene dosage-dependent impairments in cognition, anxiety, and social interaction. Taok2 Het and KO mice also have dosage-dependent abnormalities in brain size and neural connectivity in multiple regions, deficits in cortical layering, dendrite and synapse formation, and reduced excitatory neurotransmission. Whole-genome and -exome sequencing of ASD families identified three de novo mutations in TAOK2 and functional analysis in mice and human cells revealed that all the mutations impair protein stability, but they differentially impact kinase activity, dendrite growth, and spine/synapse development. Mechanistically, loss of Taok2 activity causes a reduction in RhoA activation, and pharmacological enhancement of RhoA activity rescues synaptic phenotypes. Together, these data provide evidence that TAOK2 is a neurodevelopmental disorder risk gene and identify RhoA signaling as a mediator of TAOK2-dependent synaptic development.

Complete Disruption of Autism-Susceptibility Genes by Gene Editing Predominantly Reduces Functional Connectivity of Isogenic Human Neurons.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is phenotypically and genetically heterogeneous. We present a CRISPR gene editing strategy to insert a protein tag and premature termination sites creating an induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) knockout resource for functional studies of ten ASD-relevant genes (AFF2/FMR2, ANOS1, ASTN2, ATRX, CACNA1C, CHD8, DLGAP2, KCNQ2, SCN2A, TENM1). Neurogenin 2 (NGN2)-directed induction of iPSCs allowed production of excitatory neurons, and mutant proteins were not detectable. RNA sequencing revealed convergence of several neuronal networks. Using both patch-clamp and multi-electrode array approaches, the electrophysiological deficits measured were distinct for different mutations. However, they culminated in a consistent reduction in synaptic activity, including reduced spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic current frequencies in AFF2/FMR2-, ASTN2-, ATRX-, KCNQ2-, and SCN2A-null neurons. Despite ASD susceptibility genes belonging to different gene ontologies, isogenic stem cell resources can reveal common functional phenotypes, such as reduced functional connectivity.

A patient-derived cellular model for Huntington's disease reveals phenotypes at clinically relevant CAG lengths.

The huntingtin protein participates in several cellular processes that are disrupted when the polyglutamine tract is expanded beyond a threshold of 37 CAG DNA repeats in Huntington's disease (HD). Cellular biology approaches to understand these functional disruptions in HD have primarily focused on cell lines with synthetically long CAG length alleles that clinically represent outliers in this disease and a more severe form of HD that lacks age onset. Patient-derived fibroblasts are limited to a finite number of passages before succumbing to cellular senescence. We used human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) to immortalize fibroblasts taken from individuals of varying age, sex, disease onset, and CAG repeat length, which we have termed TruHD cells. TruHD cells display classic HD phenotypes of altered morphology, size and growth rate, increased sensitivity to oxidative stress, aberrant adenosine diphosphate/adenosine triphosphate (ADP/ATP) ratios, and hypophosphorylated huntingtin protein. We additionally observed dysregulated reactive oxygen species (ROS)-dependent huntingtin localization to nuclear speckles in HD cells. We report the generation and characterization of a human, clinically relevant cellular model for investigating disease mechanisms in HD at the single-cell level, which, unlike transformed cell lines, maintains functions critical for huntingtin transcriptional regulation and genomic integrity.

OTUD7A Regulates Neurodevelopmental Phenotypes in the 15q13.3 Microdeletion Syndrome.

Copy-number variations (CNVs) are strong risk factors for neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders. The 15q13.3 microdeletion syndrome region contains up to ten genes and is associated with numerous conditions, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD), epilepsy, schizophrenia, and intellectual disability; however, the mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of 15q13.3 microdeletion syndrome remain unknown. We combined whole-genome sequencing, human brain gene expression (proteome and transcriptome), and a mouse model with a syntenic heterozygous deletion (Df(h15q13)/+ mice) and determined that the microdeletion results in abnormal development of cortical dendritic spines and dendrite outgrowth. Analysis of large-scale genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic data identified OTUD7A as a critical gene for brain function. OTUD7A was found to localize to dendritic and spine compartments in cortical neurons, and its reduced levels in Df(h15q13)/+ cortical neurons contributed to the dendritic spine and dendrite outgrowth deficits. Our results reveal OTUD7A as a major regulatory gene for 15q13.3 microdeletion syndrome phenotypes that contribute to the disease mechanism through abnormal cortical neuron morphological development.

Wnt signaling networks in autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability.

BACKGROUND: Genetic factors play a major role in the risk for neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) and intellectual disability (ID). The underlying genetic factors have become better understood in recent years due to advancements in next generation sequencing. These studies have uncovered a vast number of genes that are impacted by different types of mutations (e.g., de novo, missense, truncation, copy number variations). ABSTRACT: Given the large volume of genetic data, analyzing each gene on its own is not a feasible approach and will take years to complete, let alone attempt to use the information to develop novel therapeutics. To make sense of independent genomic data, one approach is to determine whether multiple risk genes function in common signaling pathways that identify signaling "hubs" where risk genes converge. This approach has led to multiple pathways being implicated, such as synaptic signaling, chromatin remodeling, alternative splicing, and protein translation, among many others. In this review, we analyze recent and historical evidence indicating that multiple risk genes, including genes denoted as high-confidence and likely causal, are part of the Wingless (Wnt signaling) pathway. In the brain, Wnt signaling is an evolutionarily conserved pathway that plays an instrumental role in developing neural circuits and adult brain function. CONCLUSIONS: We will also review evidence that pharmacological therapies and genetic mouse models further identify abnormal Wnt signaling, particularly at the synapse, as being disrupted in ASDs and contributing to disease pathology.

DIXDC1 Phosphorylation and Control of Dendritic Morphology Are Impaired by Rare Genetic Variants.

The development of neural connectivity is essential for brain function, and disruption of this process is associated with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). DIX domain containing 1 (DIXDC1) has previously been implicated in neurodevelopmental disorders, but its role in postnatal brain function remains unknown. Using a knockout mouse model, we determined that DIXDC1 is a regulator of excitatory neuron dendrite development and synapse function in the cortex. We discovered that MARK1, previously linked to ASDs, phosphorylates DIXDC1 to regulate dendrite and spine development through modulation of the cytoskeletal network in an isoform-specific manner. Finally, rare missense variants in DIXDC1 were identified in ASD patient cohorts via genetic sequencing. Interestingly, the variants inhibit DIXDC1 isoform 1 phosphorylation, causing impairment to dendrite and spine growth. These data reveal that DIXDC1 is a regulator of cortical dendrite and synaptic development and provide mechanistic insight into morphological defects associated with neurodevelopmental disorders.

Neuregulin-1 Regulates Cortical Inhibitory Neuron Dendrite and Synapse Growth through DISC1.

Cortical inhibitory neurons play crucial roles in regulating excitatory synaptic networks and cognitive function and aberrant development of these cells have been linked to neurodevelopmental disorders. The secreted neurotrophic factor Neuregulin-1 (NRG1) and its receptor ErbB4 are established regulators of inhibitory neuron connectivity, but the developmental signalling mechanisms regulating this process remain poorly understood. Here, we provide evidence that NRG1-ErbB4 signalling functions through the multifunctional scaffold protein, Disrupted in Schizophrenia 1 (DISC1), to regulate the development of cortical inhibitory interneuron dendrite and synaptic growth. We found that NRG1 increases inhibitory neuron dendrite complexity and glutamatergic synapse formation onto inhibitory neurons and that this effect is blocked by expression of a dominant negative DISC1 mutant, or DISC1 knockdown. We also discovered that NRG1 treatment increases DISC1 expression and its localization to glutamatergic synapses being made onto cortical inhibitory neurons. Mechanistically, we determined that DISC1 binds ErbB4 within cortical inhibitory neurons. Collectively, these data suggest that a NRG1-ErbB4-DISC1 signalling pathway regulates the development of cortical inhibitory neuron dendrite and synaptic growth. Given that NRG1, ErbB4, and DISC1 are schizophrenia-linked genes, these findings shed light on how independent risk factors may signal in a common developmental pathway that contributes to neural connectivity defects and disease pathogenesis.