Molecular genetic analysis of 30 families with Joubert syndrome

Joubert syndrome (JS) is rare recessive disorders characterized by the combination of hypoplasia/aplasia of the cerebellar vermis, thickened and elongated superior cerebellar peduncles, and a deep interpeduncular fossa which is defined by neuroimaging and is termed the 'molar tooth sign'. JS is genetically highly heterogeneous, with at least 29 disease genes being involved. To further understand the genetic causes of JS, we performed whole-exome sequencing in 24 newly recruited JS families. Together with six previously reported families, we identified causative mutations in 25 out of 30 (24 + 6) families (83.3%). We identified eight mutated genes in 27 (21 + 6) Japanese families, TMEM67 (7/27, 25.9%) and CEP290 (6/27, 22.2%) were the most commonly mutated. Interestingly, 9 of 12 CEP290 disease alleles were c.6012-12T>A (75.0%), an allele that has not been reported in non-Japanese populations. Therefore c.6012-12T>A is a common allele in the Japanese population. Importantly, one Japanese and one Omani families carried compound biallelic mutations in two distinct genes (TMEM67/RPGRIP1L and TMEM138/BBS1, respectively). BBS1 is the causative gene in Bardet-Biedl syndrome. These concomitant mutations led to severe and/or complex clinical features in the patients, suggesting combined effects of different mutant genes.

Segmental Distribution of Vasa Vasorum to the Canine Abdominal Vena Cava: A Possible Correlation with its Embryogenesis

The segment of the male canine abdominal vena cava (AVC) between the liver and the renal veins receives vasa vasorum from the right phrenicoabdom inal artery, while the infrarenal segment of AVC does from the right testicular artery. These facts were confirmed by both macroscopic observation with dye injection into the arteries and measurement of contractile responses of the segments in vivo by the method with intravascular cuffs. The segmental dis tribution of vasa vasorum from arteries of the right side may closely correlate with the embryogenesis of the vein.

An anomalous dog with totally inverted viscera, which we found during our study, exhibited another anomaly of AVC: It had the segment of AVC between the liver and the renal veins at the left side of the aorta and the infrarenal segment at the right. This anomaly shows that AVC is composed with at least two segments which is formed separately during its embryogenesis and may support our hypothesis.

Characterization of SPATA5-related encephalopathy in early childhood

Mutations in SPATA5 have recently been shown to result in a phenotype of microcephaly, intellectual disability, seizures, and hearing loss in childhood. Our aim in this report is to delineate the SPATA5 syndrome as a clinical entity, including the facial appearance, neurophysiological, and neuroimaging findings. Using whole-exome sequencing and Sanger sequencing, we identified three children with SPATA5 mutations from two families. Two siblings carried compound heterozygous mutations, c.989_991del (p.Thr330del) and c.2130_2133del (p.Glu711Profs*21), and the third child had c.967T>A (p.Phe323Ile) and c.2146G>C (p.Ala716Pro) mutations. The three patients manifested microcephaly, psychomotor retardation, hypotonus or hypertonus, and bilateral hearing loss from early infancy. Common facies were a depressed nasal bridge/ridge, broad eyebrows, and retrognathia. Epileptic spasms or tonic seizures emerged at 6-12 months of age. Interictal electroencephalography showed multifocal spikes and bursts of asynchronous diffuse spike-wave complexes. Augmented amplitudes of visually evoked potentials were detected in two patients. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed hypomyelination, thin corpus callosum, and progressive cerebral atrophy. Blood copper levels were also elevated or close to the upper normal levels in these children. Clinical delineation of the SPATA5-related encephalopathy should improve diagnosis, facilitating further clinical and molecular investigation.

Synthesis of a Conjugated D-A Polymer with Bi(disilanobithiophene) as a New Donor Component

A new conjugated donor-acceptor (D-A) polymer pDSBT2-BT containing bi(disilano-bisthiophene) and benzothiadiazole as donor and acceptor units, respectively, was prepared. The polymer showed a broad UV-vis absorption band at λ_max = 599 nm in chlorobenzene. The absorption band was shifted to λ_max = 629 nm when the polymer was measured as a film, indicating enhanced interchain interactions of the polymer. Bulk hetero-junction polymer solar cells (BHJ-PSCs) were fabricated using pDSBT2-BT and PC₇₁BM as host and guest materials, respectively. Optimization of cell fabrication conditions provided a maximal power conversion efficiency of 3.3% and the following cell parameters: V_oc = 0.86 V, J_sc = 7.56 mA/cm², and FF = 0.51. Although the efficiency still leaves much to be desired, these data underscore the potential of pDSBT2-BT as a high-voltage polymer solar cell material.

A change in objective sleep duration is associated with a change in the serum adiponectin level of women with overweight or obesity undergoing weight loss intervention

BACKGROUND

Although the serum adiponectin level is inversely correlated to body mass index and closely associated with obesity and related diseases, neither the impact of weight loss on the adiponectin level nor other factors that might influence the adiponectin level during weight loss intervention are well documented.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of the study is to assess the change in the serum adiponectin level during weight loss intervention and to determine if sleep parameters affect the serum adiponectin level.

METHODS

Ninety women with overweight or obesity aged 25 to 65 years completed a 7-month cognitive behavioural therapy based weight loss intervention that included dieting, exercise and stress management. Serum adiponectin level, body fat percent, symptoms of depression and anxiety and objective sleep parameters, assessed by actigraphy, were measured at baseline and at the end of the intervention.

RESULTS

The serum adiponectin level was significantly increased after the weight loss intervention (P < 0.001). In a multiple regression analysis, the change of the adiponectin level was positively associated with the magnitude of body fat loss (β = -0.317, P < 0.001) and an increase of sleep minutes (β = 0.210, P = 0.043).

CONCLUSION

An increase in objective sleep duration was related to a significantly increased serum adiponectin level independently of the change of body fat during the weight loss intervention.

Different X-linked KDM5C mutations in affected male siblings: is maternal reversion error involved?

Genetic reversion is the phenomenon of spontaneous gene correction by which gene function is partially or completely rescued. However, it is unknown whether this mechanism always correctly repairs mutations, or is prone to error. We investigated a family of three boys with intellectual disability, and among them we identified two different mutations in KDM5C, located at Xp11.22, using whole-exome sequencing. Two affected boys have c.633delG and the other has c.631delC. We also confirmed de novo germline (c.631delC) and low-prevalence somatic (c.633delG) mutations in their mother. The two mutations are present on the same maternal haplotype, suggesting that a postzygotic somatic mutation or a reversion error occurred at an early embryonic stage in the mother, leading to switched KDM5C mutations in the affected siblings. This event is extremely unlikely to arise spontaneously (with an estimated probability of 0.39-7.5 × 10(-28) ), thus a possible reversion error is proposed here to explain this event. This study provides evidence for reversion error as a novel mechanism for the generation of somatic mutations in human diseases.

CXCL14 and MCP1 are potent trophic factors associated with cell migration and angiogenesis leading to higher regenerative potential of dental pulp side population cells

Introduction

The release of trophic factors from mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is critical for tissue regeneration. A systematic investigation of the regenerative potential of trophic factors from different MSCs, however, has not been performed. Thus, in the present study, the regenerative potential of conditioned medium (CM) from dental pulp, bone marrow, and adipose tissue-derived CD31⁻ side population (SP) cells from an individual source was compared in an ectopic tooth transplantation model.

Methods

The tooth root transplantation in an ectopic site model was used for investigation of the regenerative potential and trophic effects in vivo. Either pulp CD31⁻ SP cell populations (1×10⁶ cells) at the third to fourth passage or 5 μg/ml of CM from dental pulp, bone marrow, and adipose stem cells from four different individuals were injected into the root with collagen TE. Each root was transplanted subcutaneously in 5-week-old severe combined immunodeficiency mice. Each root with surrounding tissue was harvested for histology on days 7, 21, and 28 and for Western blot analysis and real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis on day 28. Furthermore, the trophic factors responsible for the regenerative potential were identified as the upregulated genes present in pulp CD31⁻ SP cells when compared with the genes in both bone marrow and adipose CD31⁻ SP cells by using microarray analysis, real-time RT-PCR, and Western blot analysis.

Results

Transplantation of pulp CM yielded increased volume of pulp regeneration, more bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU)-positive migrated cells, and fewer caspase 3-positive cells in the regenerated pulp compared with the others. Pulp CM also demonstrated significantly increased cell migration, anti-apoptosis, and angiogenesis in C2C12 cells. Higher expression of CXCL14 and MCP1 in pulp SP cells suggested candidate trophic factors. The stimulatory effects on both migration and angiogenesis of CXCL14 and MCP1 were demonstrated in vitro. In the regenerated tissue, BrdU-positive migrated cells expressed CXCR4 and CCR2, receptors for CXCL14 and MCP1, respectively.

Conclusions

The higher regenerative potential of pulp SP cells may be due to potent trophic factors, including CXCL14 and MCP1, which promote migration and angiogenesis.

Increased prevalence of MEFV exon 10 variants in Japanese patients with adult-onset Still's disease

Autoinflammatory diseases include a large spectrum of monogenic diseases, e.g. familial Mediterranean fever (FMF), as well as complex genetic trait diseases, e.g. adult-onset Still's disease (AOSD). In populations where FMF is common, an increased MEFV mutation rate is found in patients with rheumatic diseases. The aim of this study was to examine MEFV mutations in Japanese patients with AOSD. Genomic DNA was isolated from 49 AOSD patients and 105 healthy controls, and exons 1, 2, 3 and 10 of the MEFV gene genotyped by direct sequencing. MEFV mutation frequencies in AOSD patients were compared with controls. We found no significant difference in overall allele frequencies of MEFV variants between AOSD patients and controls. However, MEFV exon 10 variants (M694I and G632S) were significantly higher in AOSD patients than controls (6.1 versus 0%). In addition, there was no significant difference between MEFV variant carriers and non-carriers with clinical manifestations, but the monocyclic clinical course of the AOSD disease phenotype was observed less frequently in patients without MEFV variants. AOSD patients had significantly higher frequencies of MEFV exon 10 mutations, suggesting that low-frequency variants of MEFV gene may be one of the susceptibility factors of AOSD.

Delineation of clinical features in Wiedemann-Steiner syndrome caused by KMT2A mutations

Wiedemann-Steiner syndrome (WSS) is an autosomal dominant congenital anomaly syndrome characterized by hairy elbows, dysmorphic facial appearances (hypertelorism, thick eyebrows, downslanted and vertically narrow palpebral fissures), pre- and post-natal growth deficiency, and psychomotor delay. WSS is caused by heterozygous mutations in KMT2A (also known as MLL), a gene encoding a histone methyltransferase. Here, we identify six novel KMT2A mutations in six WSS patients, with four mutations occurring de novo. Interestingly, some of the patients were initially diagnosed with atypical Kabuki syndrome, which is caused by mutations in KMT2D or KDM6A, genes also involved in histone methylation. KMT2A mutations and clinical features are summarized in our six patients together with eight previously reported patients. Furthermore, clinical comparison of the two syndromes is discussed in detail.

Studies on expression of aldehyde dehydrogenase in normal and cancerous tissues of thyroids

Recently published articles have reported the controversial data regarding expression of aldehyde dehydrogenase isozyme 1A1 (ALDH1A1), a potential candidate marker for normal and cancer stem cells (CSCs), in thyroid tissues. These data prompted us to re-evaluate expression of ALDH1A1 in normal and cancerous thyroid tissues by 2 different means. The first method was immunohistochemistry with 2 different anti-ALDH1A1 antibodies from distinct companies. Following validating the integrity of these 2 antibodies by Western blotting with ALDH-expressing and nonexpressing cancer cell lines and immunohistochemistry with breast and colon tissues, we report here significant and comparable expression of ALDH1A1 in both normal and cancerous thyroid tissues with both antibodies. Next, relative expression levels of ALDH isozymes were evaluated by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), revealing that ALDH1A1 was the most highly expressed isozyme followed by ALDH9A1 and relative expression patterns of isozymes were very similar in normal and cancerous tissues. All these data demonstrate that thyroid cells of normal and cancer origins do express ALDH1A1 and to a lesser extent 9A1. Further study will be necessary to study functional significance of ALDH1A1 in the function and behaviors of thyroid normal and cancer stem cells.

Synthesis of D–A polymers with a disilanobithiophene donor and a pyridine or pyrazine acceptor and their applications to dye-sensitized solar cells

D–A polymers with disilanobithiophene (DSBT) as the donor were prepared. TiO₂ electrodes were treated with the polymer solutions to provide polymer-attached TiO₂. The resulting modified electrodes were applied to dye-sensitized solar cells.

Synthesis of conjugated D–A polymers bearing bi(dithienogermole) as a new donor component and their applications to polymer solar cells and transistors

Donor–acceptor π-conjugated polymers with alternating bi(dithienogermole) and benzo- or pyridinothiadiazole units were prepared and their potential applications to bulk heterojunction-type polymer solar cells and thin film transistors were explored.

S100P is a useful marker for differentiation of ovarian mucinous tumors

The S100P protein stimulates cell proliferation and survival, thereby contributing to tumor progression. The purpose of this study was to evaluate S100P expression in the three subtypes of mucinous cystic tumors, cystadenomas, borderline tumors, and adenocarcinomas. The authors examined nuclear S100P expression in 60 mucinous ovarian tumor specimens, including 24 specimens of mucinous cystadenoma, 15 of borderline tumors, and 21 of adenocarcinomas. Immunohistochemistry revealed S100P expression followed one of three patterns: (1) Expressed in most nuclei of mucinous epithelial cells, (2) sporadic (spotted or patchy) expression, or (3) absent or rarely expressed in the nuclei of mucinous epithelial cells. Most adenomas showed the first expression pattern, and borderline tumors often showed a patchy expression pattern. Adenocarcinomas generally demonstrated absence of S100P expression. These data suggest that S100P is a useful histological marker to differentiate between benign, borderline, and malignant mucinous tumors of the ovary.