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Stein MB, Yang BZ, Chavira DA, Hitchcock CA, Sung SC, Shipon-Blum E, Gelernter J. A common genetic variant in the neurexin superfamily member CNTNAP2 is associated with increased risk for selective mutism and social anxiety-related traits. Biol Psychiatry 2011; 69:825-31. [PMID: 21193173 PMCID: PMC3079072 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2010.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2010] [Revised: 10/28/2010] [Accepted: 11/08/2010] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Selective mutism (SM), considered an early-onset variant of social anxiety disorder, shares features of impaired social interaction and communication with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) suggesting a possible shared pathophysiology. We examined association of a susceptibility gene, contactin-associated protein-like 2 (CNTNAP2), for ASDs and specific language impairment with SM and social anxiety-related traits. METHODS Sample 1 subjects were 99 nuclear families including 106 children with SM. Sample 2 subjects were young adults who completed measures of social interactional anxiety (n = 1028) and childhood behavioral inhibition (n = 920). Five single nucleotide polymorphisms in CNTNAP2 (including rs7794745 and rs2710102, previously associated with ASDs) were genotyped. RESULTS Analyses revealed nominal significance (p = .018) for association of SM with rs2710102, which, with rs6944808, was part of a common haplotype associated with SM (permutation p = .022). Adjusting for sex and ancestral proportion, each copy of the rs2710102*a risk allele in the young adults was associated with increased odds of being >1 SD above the mean on the Social Interactional Anxiety Scale (odds ratio = 1.33, p = .015) and Retrospective Self-Report of Inhibition (odds ratio = 1.40, p = .010). CONCLUSIONS Although association was found with rs2710102, the risk allele (a) for the traits studied here is the nonrisk allele for ASD and specific language impairment. These findings suggest a partially shared etiology between ASDs and SM and raise questions about which aspects of these syndromes are potentially influenced by CNTNAP2 and mechanism(s) by which these influences may be conveyed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Murray B. Stein
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA, Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Bao-Zhu Yang
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Denise A. Chavira
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA, Child and Adolescent Services Research Center, Rady Children’s Hospital, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Carla A. Hitchcock
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Sharon C. Sung
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Elisa Shipon-Blum
- Selective Mutism Anxiety Research and Treatment Center (Smart Center), Jenkintown, PA, USA
| | - Joel Gelernter
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA, Departments of Genetics and Neurobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA and Connecticut VA Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, USA
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152
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW This paper outlines some of the key findings from genetic research carried out in the last 12-18 months, which indicate that autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex disorder involving interactions between genetic, epigenetic and environmental factors. RECENT FINDINGS The current literature highlights the presence of genetic and phenotypic heterogeneity in ASD with a number of underlying pathogenetic mechanisms. In this regard, there are at least three phenotypic presentations with distinct genetic underpinnings: autism plus phenotype characterized by syndromic ASD caused by rare, single-gene disorders; broad autism phenotype caused by genetic variations in single or multiple genes, each of these variations being common and distributed continually in the general population, but resulting in varying clinical phenotypes when it reaches a certain threshold through complex gene-gene and gene-environment interactions; and severe and specific phenotype caused by 'de-novo' mutations in the patient or transmitted through asymptomatic carriers of such mutation. SUMMARY Understanding the neurobiological processes by which genotypes become phenotypes, along with the advances in developmental neuroscience and neuronal networks at the cellular and molecular level, is paving the way for translational research involving targeted interventions of affected molecular pathways and early intervention programs that promote normal brain responses to stimuli and alter the developmental trajectory.
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153
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Genome-wide copy number variation analysis in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: association with neuropeptide Y gene dosage in an extended pedigree. Mol Psychiatry 2011; 16:491-503. [PMID: 20308990 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2010.29] [Citation(s) in RCA: 130] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common, highly heritable neurodevelopmental syndrome characterized by hyperactivity, inattention and increased impulsivity. To detect micro-deletions and micro-duplications that may have a role in the pathogenesis of ADHD, we carried out a genome-wide screen for copy number variations (CNVs) in a cohort of 99 children and adolescents with severe ADHD. Using high-resolution array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH), a total of 17 potentially syndrome-associated CNVs were identified. The aberrations comprise 4 deletions and 13 duplications with approximate sizes ranging from 110 kb to 3 Mb. Two CNVs occurred de novo and nine were inherited from a parent with ADHD, whereas five are transmitted by an unaffected parent. Candidates include genes expressing acetylcholine-metabolizing butyrylcholinesterase (BCHE), contained in a de novo chromosome 3q26.1 deletion, and a brain-specific pleckstrin homology domain-containing protein (PLEKHB1), with an established function in primary sensory neurons, in two siblings carrying a 11q13.4 duplication inherited from their affected mother. Other genes potentially influencing ADHD-related psychopathology and involved in aberrations inherited from affected parents are the genes for the mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase 1 α subcomplex assembly factor 2 (NDUFAF2), the brain-specific phosphodiesterase 4D isoform 6 (PDE4D6) and the neuronal glucose transporter 3 (SLC2A3). The gene encoding neuropeptide Y (NPY) was included in a ∼3 Mb duplication on chromosome 7p15.2-15.3, and investigation of additional family members showed a nominally significant association of this 7p15 duplication with increased NPY plasma concentrations (empirical family-based association test, P=0.023). Lower activation of the left ventral striatum and left posterior insula during anticipation of large rewards or losses elicited by functional magnetic resonance imaging links gene dose-dependent increases in NPY to reward and emotion processing in duplication carriers. These findings implicate CNVs of behaviour-related genes in the pathogenesis of ADHD and are consistent with the notion that both frequent and rare variants influence the development of this common multifactorial syndrome.
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154
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O'Dushlaine C, Kenny E, Heron E, Donohoe G, Gill M, Morris D, Corvin A. Molecular pathways involved in neuronal cell adhesion and membrane scaffolding contribute to schizophrenia and bipolar disorder susceptibility. Mol Psychiatry 2011; 16:286-92. [PMID: 20157312 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2010.7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 174] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Susceptibility to schizophrenia and bipolar disorder may involve a substantial, shared contribution from thousands of common genetic variants, each of small effect. Identifying whether risk variants map to specific molecular pathways is potentially biologically informative. We report a molecular pathway analysis using the single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) ratio test, which compares the ratio of nominally significant (P<0.05) to nonsignificant SNPs in a given pathway to identify the 'enrichment' for association signals. We applied this approach to the discovery (the International Schizophrenia Consortium (n=6909)) and validation (Genetic Association Information Network (n=2729)) of schizophrenia genome-wide association study (GWAS) data sets. We investigated each of the 212 experimentally validated pathways described in the Kyoto Encyclopaedia of Genes and Genomes in the discovery sample. Nominally significant pathways were tested in the validation sample, and five pathways were found to be significant (P=0.03-0.001); only the cell adhesion molecule (CAM) pathway withstood conservative correction for multiple testing. Interestingly, this pathway was also significantly associated with bipolar disorder (Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium (n=4847)) (P=0.01). At a gene level, CAM genes associated in all three samples (NRXN1 and CNTNAP2), which were previously implicated in specific language disorder, autism and schizophrenia. The CAM pathway functions in neuronal cell adhesion, which is critical for synaptic formation and normal cell signaling. Similar pathways have also emerged from a pathway analysis of autism, suggesting that mechanisms involved in neuronal cell adhesion may contribute broadly to neurodevelopmental psychiatric phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- C O'Dushlaine
- Department of Psychiatry, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
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155
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Scott-Van Zeeland AA, Abrahams BS, Alvarez-Retuerto AI, Sonnenblick LI, Rudie JD, Ghahremani D, Mumford JA, Poldrack RA, Dapretto M, Geschwind DH, Bookheimer SY. Altered functional connectivity in frontal lobe circuits is associated with variation in the autism risk gene CNTNAP2. Sci Transl Med 2011; 2:56ra80. [PMID: 21048216 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.3001344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 185] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Genetic studies are rapidly identifying variants that shape risk for disorders of human cognition, but the question of how such variants predispose to neuropsychiatric disease remains. Noninvasive human brain imaging allows assessment of the brain in vivo, and the combination of genetics and imaging phenotypes remains one of the only ways to explore functional genotype-phenotype associations in human brain. Common variants in contactin-associated protein-like 2 (CNTNAP2), a neurexin superfamily member, have been associated with several allied neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism and specific language impairment, and CNTNAP2 is highly expressed in frontal lobe circuits in the developing human brain. Using functional neuroimaging, we have demonstrated a relationship between frontal lobar connectivity and common genetic variants in CNTNAP2. These data provide a mechanistic link between specific genetic risk for neurodevelopmental disorders and empirical data implicating dysfunction of long-range connections within the frontal lobe in autism. The convergence between genetic findings and cognitive-behavioral models of autism provides evidence that genetic variation at CNTNAP2 predisposes to diseases such as autism in part through modulation of frontal lobe connectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley A Scott-Van Zeeland
- Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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156
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Lancaster E, Huijbers MGM, Bar V, Boronat A, Wong A, Martinez-Hernandez E, Wilson C, Jacobs D, Lai M, Walker RW, Graus F, Bataller L, Illa I, Markx S, Strauss KA, Peles E, Scherer SS, Dalmau J. Investigations of caspr2, an autoantigen of encephalitis and neuromyotonia. Ann Neurol 2011; 69:303-11. [PMID: 21387375 PMCID: PMC3059252 DOI: 10.1002/ana.22297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 332] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To report clinical and immunological investigations of contactin-associated protein-like 2 (Caspr2), an autoantigen of encephalitis and peripheral nerve hyperexcitability (PNH) previously attributed to voltage-gated potassium channels (VGKC). METHODS Clinical analysis was performed on patients with encephalitis, PNH, or both. Immunoprecipitation and mass spectrometry were used to identify the antigen and to develop an assay with Caspr2-expressing cells. Immunoabsorption with Caspr2 and comparative immunostaining of brain and peripheral nerve of wild-type and Caspr2-null mice were used to assess antibody specificity. RESULTS Using Caspr2-expressing cells, antibodies were identified in 8 patients but not in 140 patients with several types of autoimmune or viral encephalitis, PNH, or mutations of the Caspr2-encoding gene. Patients' antibodies reacted with brain and peripheral nerve in a pattern that colocalized with Caspr2. This reactivity was abrogated after immunoabsorption with Caspr2 and was absent in tissues from Caspr2-null mice. Of the 8 patients with Caspr2 antibodies, 7 had encephalopathy or seizures, 5 neuropathy or PNH, and 1 isolated PNH. Three patients also had myasthenia gravis, bulbar weakness, or symptoms that initially suggested motor neuron disease. None of the patients had active cancer; 7 responded to immunotherapy and were healthy or only mildly disabled at last follow-up (median, 8 months; range, 6-84 months). INTERPRETATION Caspr2 is an autoantigen of encephalitis and PNH previously attributed to VGKC antibodies. The occurrence of other autoantibodies may result in a complex syndrome that at presentation could be mistaken for a motor neuron disorder. Recognition of this disorder is important, because it responds to immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Lancaster
- Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Maartje GM Huijbers
- Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Vered Bar
- Department of Molecular Cellular Biology, the Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Anna Boronat
- Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Andrew Wong
- Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA
| | | | - Christina Wilson
- Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Dina Jacobs
- Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Meizan Lai
- Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Russell W Walker
- Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix, Arizona
| | - Francesc Graus
- Service of Neurology, Hospital Clinic, Universitat de Barcelona and Institut d’investigacio Biomedica Agusti Pi Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Spain
| | - Luis Bataller
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital La Fe, Valencia, Spain
| | - Isabel Illa
- Department of Neurology, Hospital de Sant Pau, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sander Markx
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY
| | - Kevin A. Strauss
- Clinic for Special Children, Strasburg, P.A., and Department of Biology, Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, P.A., and Lancaster General Hospital, Lancaster, P.A
| | - Elior Peles
- Department of Molecular Cellular Biology, the Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Steven S Scherer
- Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Josep Dalmau
- Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA
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157
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State MW. The genetics of Tourette disorder. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2011; 21:302-9. [PMID: 21277193 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2011.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2010] [Revised: 01/03/2011] [Accepted: 01/04/2011] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Tourette disorder (TD) is a childhood onset neuropsychiatric syndrome defined by persistent motor and vocal tics. Despite a long-standing consensus for a strong genetic contribution, the pace of discovery compared to other disorders of similar prevalence has been slow, due in part to a paucity of studies and both clinical heterogeneity and a complex genetic architecture. However, the potential for rapid progress is high. Recent rare variant findings have pointed to the importance of copy number variation, the overlap of risks among distinct diagnostic entities, the contribution of novel molecular mechanisms, and the value of family based studies. Finally, analysis of a cohort of sufficient size to identify common polymorphisms of plausible effect is underway, promising key information regarding the contribution of common alleles to TD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew W State
- Department of Child Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, United States.
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158
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Wincent J, Anderlid BM, Lagerberg M, Nordenskjöld M, Schoumans J. High-resolution molecular karyotyping in patients with developmental delay and/or multiple congenital anomalies in a clinical setting. Clin Genet 2011; 79:147-57. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1399-0004.2010.01442.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
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159
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Çalışkan M, Chong JX, Uricchio L, Anderson R, Chen P, Sougnez C, Garimella K, Gabriel SB, dePristo MA, Shakir K, Matern D, Das S, Waggoner D, Nicolae DL, Ober C. Exome sequencing reveals a novel mutation for autosomal recessive non-syndromic mental retardation in the TECR gene on chromosome 19p13. Hum Mol Genet 2011; 20:1285-9. [PMID: 21212097 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddq569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Exome sequencing is a powerful tool for discovery of the Mendelian disease genes. Previously, we reported a novel locus for autosomal recessive non-syndromic mental retardation (NSMR) in a consanguineous family [Nolan, D.K., Chen, P., Das, S., Ober, C. and Waggoner, D. (2008) Fine mapping of a locus for nonsyndromic mental retardation on chromosome 19p13. Am. J. Med. Genet. A, 146A, 1414-1422]. Using linkage and homozygosity mapping, we previously localized the gene to chromosome 19p13. The parents of this sibship were recently included in an exome sequencing project. Using a series of filters, we narrowed the putative causal mutation to a single variant site that segregated with NSMR: the mutation was homozygous in five affected siblings but in none of eight unaffected siblings. This mutation causes a substitution of a leucine for a highly conserved proline at amino acid 182 in TECR (trans-2,3-enoyl-CoA reductase), a synaptic glycoprotein. Our results reveal the value of massively parallel sequencing for identification of novel disease genes that could not be found using traditional approaches and identifies only the seventh causal mutation for autosomal recessive NSMR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minal Çalışkan
- Department of Human Genetics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
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160
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Analysis of genetic deletions and duplications in the University College London bipolar disorder case control sample. Eur J Hum Genet 2011; 19:588-92. [PMID: 21206513 DOI: 10.1038/ejhg.2010.221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic deletions and duplications known as copy number variants have been strongly implicated in genetic susceptibility to schizophrenia, autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and epilepsy. The overall rate of copy number variants in the University College London (UCL) bipolar disorder sample was found to be slightly lower than the rate in controls. This finding confirms the results from other studies that have also shown no increased rate of copy number variants in bipolar disorder. However, some rare duplications and deletions were observed only in bipolar disorder cases and not in controls, these included some that had previously been detected only in rare cases of bipolar disorder. We conclude that copy-number variant analysis shows no obvious sharing of the same genetic susceptibility between schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Copy number variants do not seem to have an important role in susceptibility to bipolar disorder, they may, however, still represent a rare cause of the disease, although the evidence for this is far from clear.
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161
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Abstract
BACKGROUND For many years, the prevailing paradigm has stated that in each individual with schizophrenia (SZ) the genetic risk is due to a combination of many genetic variants, individually of small effect. Recent empirical data are prompting a re-evaluation of this polygenic, common disease-common variant (CDCV) model. Evidence includes a lack of the expected strong positive findings from genome-wide association studies and the concurrent discovery of many different mutations that individually strongly predispose to SZ and other psychiatric disorders. This has led some to adopt a mixed model wherein some cases are caused by polygenic mechanisms and some by single mutations. This model runs counter to a substantial body of theoretical literature that had supposedly conclusively rejected Mendelian inheritance with genetic heterogeneity. Here we ask how this discrepancy between theory and data arose and propose a rationalization of the recent evidence base. METHOD In light of recent empirical findings, we reconsider the methods and conclusions of early theoretical analyses and the explicit assumptions underlying them. RESULTS We show that many of these assumptions can now be seen to be false and that the model of genetic heterogeneity is consistent with observed familial recurrence risks, endophenotype studies and other population-wide parameters. CONCLUSIONS We argue for a more biologically consilient mixed model that involves interactions between disease-causing and disease-modifying variants in each individual. We consider the implications of this model for moving SZ research beyond statistical associations to pathogenic mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- K J Mitchell
- Smurfit Institute of Genetics, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland.
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162
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ZUKO AMILA, BOUYAIN SAMUEL, VAN DER ZWAAG BERT, BURBACH JPETERH. Contactins: structural aspects in relation to developmental functions in brain disease. ADVANCES IN PROTEIN CHEMISTRY AND STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY 2011; 84:143-80. [PMID: 21846565 PMCID: PMC9921585 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-386483-3.00001-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The contactins are members of a protein subfamily of neural immunoglobulin (Ig) domain-containing cell adhesion molecules. Their architecture is based on six N-terminal Ig domains, four fibronectin type III domains, and a C-terminal glycophosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchor to the extracellular part of the cell membrane. Genetics of neuropsychiatric disorders, particularly autism spectrum disorders, have pinpointed contactin-4, -5, and -6 (CNTN4, -5, and -6) as potential disease genes in neurodevelopmental disorders and suggested that they participate in pathways important for appropriate brain development. These contactins have distinct but overlapping patterns of brain expression, and null-mutation causes subtle morphological and functional defects in the brain. The molecular basis of their neurodevelopmental functions is likely conferred by heterophilic protein interactions. Cntn4, -5, and -6 interact with protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor gamma (Ptptg) using a shared binding site that spans their second and third Ig repeats. Interactions with amyloid precursor protein (APP), Notch, and other IgCAMs have also been indicated. The present data indicate that Cntn4, -5, and -6 proteins may be part of heteromeric receptor complexes as well as serve as ligands themselves.
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Affiliation(s)
- AMILA ZUKO
- Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - SAMUEL BOUYAIN
- Division of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, School of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City, Missouri, USA
| | - BERT VAN DER ZWAAG
- Department of Medical Genetics, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - J. PETER H. BURBACH
- Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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163
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Poot M, van der Smagt J, Brilstra E, Bourgeron T. Disentangling the Myriad Genomics of Complex Disorders, Specifically Focusing on Autism, Epilepsy, and Schizophrenia. Cytogenet Genome Res 2011; 135:228-40. [DOI: 10.1159/000334064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
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164
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Rare genomic deletions and duplications and their role in neurodevelopmental disorders. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2011; 12:345-60. [PMID: 22241247 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2011_179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Copy number variations (CNVs) are deletions and duplications of DNA sequences that vary in length from a few base pairs to several million. While these structural variations are often benign, they can disrupt vital biological functions and result in disease. CNVs have been identified as causal in a number of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDs), including but not limited to, autism, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and schizophrenia. Here, we examine CNV research into these disorders, and discuss relevant methodological considerations. By identifying specific rare deletions and duplications, we may be better able to determine the etiology of neurodevelopmental disorders and identify appropriate treatments.
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165
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Zhang W, Chen X, Gong W, Tang J, Tan L, Guo H, Yao YG. Common promoter variants of the NDUFV2 gene do not confer susceptibility to schizophrenia in Han Chinese. Behav Brain Funct 2010; 6:75. [PMID: 21190551 PMCID: PMC3022841 DOI: 10.1186/1744-9081-6-75] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2010] [Accepted: 12/29/2010] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The NADH-ubiquinone oxidoreductase flavoprotein gene (NDUFV2), which encodes a 24 kD mitochondrial complex I subunit, has been reported to be positively associated with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder in different populations. Methods We genotyped the promoter variants of this gene (rs6506640 and rs1156044) by direct sequencing in 529 unrelated Han Chinese schizophrenia patients and 505 matched controls. Fisher's Exact test was performed to assess whether these two reported single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) confer susceptibility to schizophrenia in Chinese. Results Allele, genotype and haplotype comparison between the case and control groups showed no statistical significance, suggesting no association between the NDUFV2 gene promoter variants and schizophrenia in Han Chinese. Conclusion The role of NDUFV2 played in schizophrenia needs to be further studied. Different racial background and/or population substructure might account for the inconsistent results between studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences & Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Kunming, Yunnan, China
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166
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Investigation of dyslexia and SLI risk variants in reading- and language-impaired subjects. Behav Genet 2010. [PMID: 21165691 DOI: 10.1007/s10519-010-9424-3"] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/29/2022]
Abstract
Dyslexia (or reading disability) and specific language impairment (or SLI) are common childhood disorders that show considerable co-morbidity and diagnostic overlaps and have been suggested to share some genetic aetiology. Recently, genetic risk variants have been identified for SLI and dyslexia enabling the direct evaluation of possible shared genetic influences between these disorders. In this study we investigate the role of variants in these genes (namely MRPL19/C20RF3, ROBO1, DCDC2, KIAA0319, DYX1C1, CNTNAP2, ATP2C2 and CMIP) in the aetiology of SLI and dyslexia. We perform case-control and quantitative association analyses using measures of oral and written language skills in samples of SLI and dyslexic families and cases. We replicate association between KIAA0319 and DCDC2 and dyslexia and provide evidence to support a role for KIAA0319 in oral language ability. In addition, we find association between reading-related measures and variants in CNTNAP2 and CMIP in the SLI families.
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167
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Newbury DF, Paracchini S, Scerri TS, Winchester L, Addis L, Richardson AJ, Walter J, Stein JF, Talcott JB, Monaco AP. Investigation of dyslexia and SLI risk variants in reading- and language-impaired subjects. Behav Genet 2010; 41:90-104. [PMID: 21165691 PMCID: PMC3029677 DOI: 10.1007/s10519-010-9424-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 155] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2010] [Accepted: 11/28/2010] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Dyslexia (or reading disability) and specific language impairment (or SLI) are common childhood disorders that show considerable co-morbidity and diagnostic overlaps and have been suggested to share some genetic aetiology. Recently, genetic risk variants have been identified for SLI and dyslexia enabling the direct evaluation of possible shared genetic influences between these disorders. In this study we investigate the role of variants in these genes (namely MRPL19/C20RF3, ROBO1, DCDC2, KIAA0319, DYX1C1, CNTNAP2, ATP2C2 and CMIP) in the aetiology of SLI and dyslexia. We perform case-control and quantitative association analyses using measures of oral and written language skills in samples of SLI and dyslexic families and cases. We replicate association between KIAA0319 and DCDC2 and dyslexia and provide evidence to support a role for KIAA0319 in oral language ability. In addition, we find association between reading-related measures and variants in CNTNAP2 and CMIP in the SLI families.
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Affiliation(s)
- D. F. Newbury
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Headington, Oxford, OX3 7BN UK
| | - S. Paracchini
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Headington, Oxford, OX3 7BN UK
| | - T. S. Scerri
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Headington, Oxford, OX3 7BN UK
| | - L. Winchester
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Headington, Oxford, OX3 7BN UK
| | - L. Addis
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College, London, UK
| | - Alex J. Richardson
- Centre for Evidence-Based Intervention, Dept of Social Policy and Social Work, University of Oxford, Barnett House, 32 Wellington Square, Oxford, OX1 2ER UK
| | - J. Walter
- Department of Physiology, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PT UK
| | - J. F. Stein
- Department of Physiology, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PT UK
| | - J. B. Talcott
- School of Life and Health Sciences, Aston University, Birmingham, B4 7ET UK
| | - A. P. Monaco
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Headington, Oxford, OX3 7BN UK
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168
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Wang KS, Liu XF, Aragam N. A genome-wide meta-analysis identifies novel loci associated with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Schizophr Res 2010; 124:192-9. [PMID: 20889312 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2010.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 161] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2010] [Revised: 09/02/2010] [Accepted: 09/07/2010] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Schizophrenia and bipolar disorder both have strong inherited components. Recent studies have indicated that schizophrenia and bipolar disorder may share more than half of their genetic determinants. In this study, we performed a meta-analysis (combined analysis) for genome-wide association data of the Affymetrix Genome-Wide Human SNP array 6.0 to detect genetic variants influencing both schizophrenia and bipolar disorder using European-American samples (653 bipolar cases and 1034 controls, 1172 schizophrenia cases and 1379 controls). The best associated SNP rs11789399 was located at 9q33.1 (p=2.38 × 10(-6), 5.74 × 10(-4), and 5.56 × 10(-9), for schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and meta-analysis of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, respectively), where one flanking gene, ASTN2 (220kb away) has been associated with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and schizophrenia. The next best SNP was rs12201676 located at 6q15 (p=2.67 × 10(-4), 2.12 × 10(-5), 3.88 × 10(-8) for schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and meta-analysis, respectively), near two flanking genes, GABRR1 and GABRR2 (15 and 17kb away, respectively). The third interesting SNP rs802568 was at 7q35 within CNTNAP2 (p=8.92 × 10(-4), 1.38 × 10(-5), and 1.62 × 10(-7) for schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and meta-analysis, respectively). Through meta-analysis, we found two additional associated genes NALCN (the top SNP is rs2044117, p=4.57 × 10(-7)) and NAP5 (the top SNP is rs10496702, p=7.15 × 10(-7)). Haplotype analyses of above five loci further supported the associations with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. These results provide evidence of common genetic variants influencing schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. These findings will serve as a resource for replication in other populations to elucidate the potential role of these genetic variants in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke-Sheng Wang
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, College of Public Health, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN 37614, USA.
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169
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Tan GCY, Doke TF, Ashburner J, Wood NW, Frackowiak RSJ. Normal variation in fronto-occipital circuitry and cerebellar structure with an autism-associated polymorphism of CNTNAP2. Neuroimage 2010; 53:1030-42. [PMID: 20176116 PMCID: PMC2941042 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2010.02.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2009] [Revised: 02/07/2010] [Accepted: 02/08/2010] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent genetic studies have implicated a number of candidate genes in the pathogenesis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Polymorphisms of CNTNAP2 (contactin-associated like protein-2), a member of the neurexin family, have already been implicated as a susceptibility gene for autism by at least 3 separate studies. We investigated variation in white and grey matter morphology using structural MRI and diffusion tensor imaging. We compared volumetric differences in white and grey matter and fractional anisotropy values in control subjects characterised by genotype at rs7794745, a single nucleotide polymorphism in CNTNAP2. Homozygotes for the risk allele showed significant reductions in grey and white matter volume and fractional anisotropy in several regions that have already been implicated in ASD, including the cerebellum, fusiform gyrus, occipital and frontal cortices. Male homozygotes for the risk alleles showed greater reductions in grey matter in the right frontal pole and in FA in the right rostral fronto-occipital fasciculus compared to their female counterparts who showed greater reductions in FA of the anterior thalamic radiation. Thus a risk allele for autism results in significant cerebral morphological variation, despite the absence of overt symptoms or behavioural abnormalities. The results are consistent with accumulating evidence of CNTNAP2's function in neuronal development. The finding suggests the possibility that the heterogeneous manifestations of ASD can be aetiologically characterised into distinct subtypes through genetic-morphological analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geoffrey C Y Tan
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, Institute of Neurology, University College London, UK.
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170
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Newbury DF, Monaco AP. Genetic advances in the study of speech and language disorders. Neuron 2010; 68:309-20. [PMID: 20955937 PMCID: PMC2977079 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2010.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 140] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/01/2010] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Developmental speech and language disorders cover a wide range of childhood conditions with overlapping but heterogeneous phenotypes and underlying etiologies. This characteristic heterogeneity hinders accurate diagnosis, can complicate treatment strategies, and causes difficulties in the identification of causal factors. Nonetheless, over the last decade, genetic variants have been identified that may predispose certain individuals to different aspects of speech and language difficulties. In this review, we summarize advances in the genetic investigation of stuttering, speech-sound disorder (SSD), specific language impairment (SLI), and developmental verbal dyspraxia (DVD). We discuss how the identification and study of specific genes and pathways, including FOXP2, CNTNAP2, ATP2C2, CMIP, and lysosomal enzymes, may advance our understanding of the etiology of speech and language disorders and enable us to better understand the relationships between the different forms of impairment across the spectrum.
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Affiliation(s)
- D F Newbury
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, Headington, Oxford, UK.
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171
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State MW. The genetics of child psychiatric disorders: focus on autism and Tourette syndrome. Neuron 2010; 68:254-69. [PMID: 20955933 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2010.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 128] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/02/2010] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Investigations into the genetics of child psychiatric disorders have finally begun to shed light on molecular and cellular mechanisms of psychopathology. The first strains of success in this notoriously difficult area of inquiry are the result of an increasingly sophisticated appreciation of the allelic architecture of common neuropsychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders, the consolidation of large patient cohorts now beginning to reach sufficient size to power reliable studies, the emergence of genomic tools enabling comprehensive investigations of rare as well as common genetic variation, and advances in developmental neuroscience that are fueling the rapid translation of genetic findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew W State
- Department of Child Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA.
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172
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Association of common copy number variants at the glutathione S-transferase genes and rare novel genomic changes with schizophrenia. Mol Psychiatry 2010; 15:1023-33. [PMID: 19528963 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2009.53] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Copy number variants (CNVs) are a substantial source of human genetic diversity, influencing the variable susceptibility to multifactorial disorders. Schizophrenia is a complex illness thought to be caused by a number of genetic and environmental effects, few of which have been clearly defined. Recent reports have found several low prevalent CNVs associated with the disease. We have used a multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification-based (MLPA) method to target 140 previously reported and putatively relevant gene-containing CNV regions in 654 schizophrenic patients and 604 controls for association studies. Most genotyped CNVs (95%) showed very low (<1%) population frequency. A few novel rare variants were only present in patients suggesting a possible pathogenic involvement, including 1.39 Mb overlapping duplications at 22q11.23 found in two unrelated patients, and duplications of the somatostatin receptor 5 gene (SSTR5) at 16p13.3 in three unrelated patients. Furthermore, among the few relatively common CNVs observed in patients and controls, the combined analysis of gene copy number genotypes at two glutathione S-transferase (GST) genes, GSTM1 (glutathione S-transferase mu 1) (1p13.3) and GSTT2 (glutathione S-transferase theta 2) (22q11.23), showed a statistically significant association of non-null genotypes at both loci with an additive effect for increased vulnerability to schizophrenia (odds ratio of 1.92; P=0.0008). Our data provide complementary evidences for low prevalent, but highly penetrant chromosomal variants associated with schizophrenia, as well as for common CNVs that may act as susceptibility factors by disturbing glutathione metabolism.
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173
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Roll P, Vernes SC, Bruneau N, Cillario J, Ponsole-Lenfant M, Massacrier A, Rudolf G, Khalife M, Hirsch E, Fisher SE, Szepetowski P. Molecular networks implicated in speech-related disorders: FOXP2 regulates the SRPX2/uPAR complex. Hum Mol Genet 2010; 19:4848-60. [PMID: 20858596 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddq415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
It is a challenge to identify the molecular networks contributing to the neural basis of human speech. Mutations in transcription factor FOXP2 cause difficulties mastering fluent speech (developmental verbal dyspraxia, DVD), whereas mutations of sushi-repeat protein SRPX2 lead to epilepsy of the rolandic (sylvian) speech areas, with DVD or with bilateral perisylvian polymicrogyria. Pathophysiological mechanisms driven by SRPX2 involve modified interaction with the plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR). Independent chromatin-immunoprecipitation microarray screening has identified the uPAR gene promoter as a potential target site bound by FOXP2. Here, we directly tested for the existence of a transcriptional regulatory network between human FOXP2 and the SRPX2/uPAR complex. In silico searches followed by gel retardation assays identified specific efficient FOXP2-binding sites in each of the promoter regions of SRPX2 and uPAR. In FOXP2-transfected cells, significant decreases were observed in the amounts of both SRPX2 (43.6%) and uPAR (38.6%) native transcripts. Luciferase reporter assays demonstrated that FOXP2 expression yielded a marked inhibition of SRPX2 (80.2%) and uPAR (77.5%) promoter activity. A mutant FOXP2 that causes DVD (p.R553H) failed to bind to SRPX2 and uPAR target sites and showed impaired down-regulation of SRPX2 and uPAR promoter activity. In a patient with polymicrogyria of the left rolandic operculum, a novel FOXP2 mutation (p.M406T) was found in the leucine-zipper (dimerization) domain. p.M406T partially impaired the FOXP2 regulation of SRPX2 promoter activity, whereas that of the uPAR promoter remained unchanged. Together with recently described FOXP2-CNTNAP2 and SRPX2/uPAR links, the FOXP2-SRPX2/uPAR network provides exciting insights into molecular pathways underlying speech-related disorders.
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174
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Mitchell KJ. The genetics of neurodevelopmental disease. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2010; 21:197-203. [PMID: 20832285 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2010.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 121] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2010] [Revised: 07/30/2010] [Accepted: 08/15/2010] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The term neurodevelopmental disorder encompasses a wide range of diseases, including recognizably distinct syndromes known to be caused by very rare mutations in specific genes or chromosomal loci, and also much more common disorders such as schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorders, and idiopathic epilepsy and mental retardation. After decades of frustration, the past couple of years have suddenly seen tremendous progress in unravelling the genetics of these common disorders. These findings have led to a paradigm shift in our conception of the genetic architecture of common neurodevelopmental disease, highlighting the importance of individual, rare mutations and overlapping genetic aetiology of various disorders. They have also converged on specific neurodevelopmental pathways, providing insights into pathogenic mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin J Mitchell
- Smurfit Institute of Genetics and Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland.
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175
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Krumbiegel M, Pasutto F, Schlötzer-Schrehardt U, Uebe S, Zenkel M, Mardin CY, Weisschuh N, Paoli D, Gramer E, Becker C, Ekici AB, Weber BHF, Nürnberg P, Kruse FE, Reis A. Genome-wide association study with DNA pooling identifies variants at CNTNAP2 associated with pseudoexfoliation syndrome. Eur J Hum Genet 2010; 19:186-93. [PMID: 20808326 DOI: 10.1038/ejhg.2010.144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic and nongenetic factors contribute to development of pseudoexfoliation (PEX) syndrome, a complex, age-related, generalized matrix process frequently associated with glaucoma. To identify specific genetic variants underlying its etiology, we performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) using a DNA-pooling approach. Therefore, equimolar amounts of DNA samples of 80 subjects with PEX syndrome, 80 with PEX glaucoma (PEXG) and 80 controls were combined into separate pools and hybridized to 500K SNP arrays (Affymetrix). Array probe intensity data were analyzed and visualized with expressly developed software tools GPFrontend and GPGraphics in combination with GenePool software. For replication, independent German cohorts of 610 unrelated patients with PEX/PEXG and 364 controls as well as Italian cohorts of 249 patients and 190 controls were used. Of 19, 17 SNPs showing significant allele frequency difference in DNA pools were confirmed by individual genotyping. Further single genotyping at CNTNAP2 locus revealed association between PEX/PEXG for two SNPs, which was confirmed in an independent German but not the Italian cohort. Both SNPs remained significant in the combined German cohorts even after Bonferroni correction (rs2107856: P(c)=0.0108, rs2141388: P(c)=0.0072). CNTNAP2 was found to be ubiquitously expressed in all human ocular tissues, particularly in retina, and localized to cell membranes of epithelial, endothelial, smooth muscle, glial and neuronal cells. Confirming efficiency of GWAS with DNA-pooling approach by detection of the known LOXL1 locus, our study data show evidence for association of CNTNAP2 with PEX syndrome and PEXG in German patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mandy Krumbiegel
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany
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176
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Bralten LBC, Gravendeel AM, Kloosterhof NK, Sacchetti A, Vrijenhoek T, Veltman JA, van den Bent MJ, Kros JM, Hoogenraad CC, Sillevis Smitt PAE, French PJ. The CASPR2 cell adhesion molecule functions as a tumor suppressor gene in glioma. Oncogene 2010; 29:6138-48. [PMID: 20711234 DOI: 10.1038/onc.2010.342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Genomic translocations have been implicated in cancer. In this study, we performed a screen for genetic translocations in gliomas based on exon-level expression profiles. We identified a translocation in the contactin-associated protein-like 2 (CASPR2) gene, encoding a cell adhesion molecule. CASPR2 mRNA was fused to an expressed sequence tag that likely is part of the nuclear receptor coactivator 1 gene. Despite high mRNA expression levels, no CASPR2 fusion protein was detected. In a set of 25 glioblastomas and 22 oligodendrogliomas, mutation analysis identified two additional samples with genetic alterations in the CASPR2 gene and all three identified genetic alterations are likely to reduce CASPR2 protein expression levels. Methylation of the CASPR2 gene was also observed in gliomas and glioma cell lines. CASPR2-overexpressing cells showed decreased proliferation rates, likely because of an increase in apoptosis. Moreover, high CASPR2 mRNA expression level is positively correlated with survival and is an independent prognostic factor. These results indicate that CASPR2 acts as a tumor suppressor gene in glioma.
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Affiliation(s)
- L B C Bralten
- Department of Neurology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
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177
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Pagnamenta AT, Bacchelli E, de Jonge MV, Mirza G, Scerri TS, Minopoli F, Chiocchetti A, Ludwig KU, Hoffmann P, Paracchini S, Lowy E, Harold DH, Chapman JA, Klauck SM, Poustka F, Houben RH, Staal WG, Ophoff RA, O'Donovan MC, Williams J, Nöthen MM, Schulte-Körne G, Deloukas P, Ragoussis J, Bailey AJ, Maestrini E, Monaco AP. Characterization of a family with rare deletions in CNTNAP5 and DOCK4 suggests novel risk loci for autism and dyslexia. Biol Psychiatry 2010; 68:320-8. [PMID: 20346443 PMCID: PMC2941017 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2010.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2009] [Revised: 01/15/2010] [Accepted: 02/01/2010] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are characterized by social, communication, and behavioral deficits and complex genetic etiology. A recent study of 517 ASD families implicated DOCK4 by single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) association and a microdeletion in an affected sibling pair. METHODS The DOCK4 microdeletion on 7q31.1 was further characterized in this family using QuantiSNP analysis of 1M SNP array data and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Extended family members were tested by polymerase chain reaction amplification of junction fragments. DOCK4 dosage was measured in additional samples using SNP arrays. Since QuantiSNP analysis identified a novel CNTNAP5 microdeletion in the same affected sibling pair, this gene was sequenced in 143 additional ASD families. Further polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis included 380 ASD cases and suitable control subjects. RESULTS The maternally inherited microdeletion encompassed chr7:110,663,978-111,257,682 and led to a DOCK4-IMMP2L fusion transcript. It was also detected in five extended family members with no ASD. However, six of nine individuals with this microdeletion had poor reading ability, which prompted us to screen 606 other dyslexia cases. This led to the identification of a second DOCK4 microdeletion co-segregating with dyslexia. Assessment of genomic background in the original ASD family detected a paternal 2q14.3 microdeletion disrupting CNTNAP5 that was also transmitted to both affected siblings. Analysis of other ASD cohorts revealed four additional rare missense changes in CNTNAP5. No exonic deletions of DOCK4 or CNTNAP5 were seen in 2091 control subjects. CONCLUSIONS This study highlights two new risk factors for ASD and dyslexia and demonstrates the importance of performing a high-resolution assessment of genomic background, even after detection of a rare and likely damaging microdeletion using a targeted approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alistair T. Pagnamenta
- The Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Elena Bacchelli
- Department of Biology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Maretha V. de Jonge
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Ghazala Mirza
- The Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas S. Scerri
- The Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | | | - Andreas Chiocchetti
- Division of Molecular Genome Analysis, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Kerstin U. Ludwig
- Department of Genomics, Life & Brain Center, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Per Hoffmann
- Department of Genomics, Life & Brain Center, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Silvia Paracchini
- The Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Ernesto Lowy
- The Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Denise H. Harold
- MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Jade A. Chapman
- MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Sabine M. Klauck
- Division of Molecular Genome Analysis, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Fritz Poustka
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Goethe-University, Frankfurt/Main, Germany
| | - Renske H. Houben
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Wouter G. Staal
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Roel A. Ophoff
- Department of Medical Genetics and Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- University of California Los Angeles Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Los Angeles, California
| | | | - Julie Williams
- MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Markus M. Nöthen
- Department of Genomics, Life & Brain Center, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Gerd Schulte-Körne
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Panos Deloukas
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, United Kingdom
| | - Jiannis Ragoussis
- The Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Anthony J. Bailey
- University Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Elena Maestrini
- Department of Biology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Anthony P. Monaco
- The Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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178
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Heinzen EL, Need AC, Hayden KM, Chiba-Falek O, Roses AD, Strittmatter WJ, Burke JR, Hulette CM, Welsh-Bohmer KA, Goldstein DB. Genome-wide scan of copy number variation in late-onset Alzheimer's disease. J Alzheimers Dis 2010; 19:69-77. [PMID: 20061627 DOI: 10.3233/jad-2010-1212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease is a complex and progressive neurodegenerative disease leading to loss of memory, cognitive impairment, and ultimately death. To date, six large-scale genome-wide association studies have been conducted to identify SNPs that influence disease predisposition. These studies have confirmed the well-known APOE epsilon4 risk allele, identified a novel variant that influences disease risk within the APOE epsilon4 population, found a SNP that modifies the age of disease onset, as well as reported the first sex-linked susceptibility variant. Here we report a genome-wide scan of Alzheimer's disease in a set of 331 cases and 368 controls, extending analyses for the first time to include assessments of copy number variation. In this analysis, no new SNPs show genome-wide significance. We also screened for effects of copy number variation, and while nothing was significant, a duplication in CHRNA7 appears interesting enough to warrant further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin L Heinzen
- Institute for Genome Sciences & Policy, Center for Human Genome Variation, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27708, USA.
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179
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Bassett AS, Scherer SW, Brzustowicz LM. Copy number variations in schizophrenia: critical review and new perspectives on concepts of genetics and disease. Am J Psychiatry 2010; 167:899-914. [PMID: 20439386 PMCID: PMC3295834 DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2009.09071016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 144] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Structural variations of DNA, such as copy number variations (CNVs), are recognized to contribute both to normal genomic variability and to risk for human diseases. For example, schizophrenia has an established connection with 22q11.2 deletions. Recent genome-wide studies have provided initial evidence that CNVs at other loci may also be associated with schizophrenia. In this article, the authors provide a brief overview of CNVs, review recent findings related to schizophrenia, outline implications for clinical practice and diagnostic subtyping, and make recommendations for future reports on CNVs to improve interpretation of results. METHOD The review included genome-wide surveys of CNVs in schizophrenia that included one or more comparison groups, were published before 2009, and used newer methods. Six studies were identified. RESULTS Despite some limitations, these initial genome-wide studies of CNVs provide replicated associations of schizophrenia with rare 1q21.1 and 15q13.3 deletions. Collectively, the results point to a more general mutational mechanism involving rare CNVs that elevate risk for schizophrenia, especially more developmental forms of the disease. Including 22q11.2 deletions, rare risk-associated CNVs appear to account for up to 2% of schizophrenia. CONCLUSIONS The more penetrant CNVs have direct implications for clinical practice and diagnostic subtyping. CNVs with lower penetrance promise to contribute to our genetic understanding of pathogenesis. The findings provide insight into a broader neuropsychiatric spectrum for schizophrenia than previously conceived and indicate new directions for genetic studies.
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180
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Amar S, Ovadia O, Maier W, Ebstein R, Belmaker RH, Mishmar D, Agam G. Copy number variation of the SELENBP1 gene in schizophrenia. Behav Brain Funct 2010; 6:40. [PMID: 20615253 PMCID: PMC2915948 DOI: 10.1186/1744-9081-6-40] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2010] [Accepted: 07/08/2010] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Schizophrenia is associated with rare copy-number (CN) mutations. Screening for such alleles genome-wide, though comprehensive, cannot study in-depth the causality of particular loci, therefore cannot provide the functional interpretation for the disease etiology. We hypothesized that CN mutations in the SELENBP1 locus could associate with the disorder and that these mutations could alter the gene product's activity in patients. Methods We analyzed SELENBP1 CN variation (CNV) in blood DNA from 49 schizophrenia patients and 49 controls (cohort A). Since CN of genes may vary among tissues, we investigated SELENBP1 CN in age- sex- and postmortem interval-matched cerebellar DNA samples from 14 patients and 14 controls (cohort B). Since CNV may either be de-novo or inherited we analyzed CNV of the SELENBP1 locus in blood DNA from 26 trios of schizophrenia probands and their healthy parents (cohort C). SELENBP1 mRNA levels were measured by real-time PCR. Results In cohort A reduced CN of the SELENBP1 locus was found in four patients but in none of the controls. In cohort B we found reduced CN of the SELENBP1 locus in two patients but in none of the controls. In cohort C three patients exhibited drastic CN reduction, not present in their parents, indicating de-novo mutation. A reduction in SELENBP1 mRNA levels in the postmortem cerebellar samples of schizophrenia patients was found. Conclusions We report a focused study of CN mutations in the selenium binding-protein1 (SELENBP1) locus previously linked with schizophrenia. We provide evidence for recurrence of decreased CN of the SELENBP1 locus in three unrelated patients' cohorts but not in controls, raising the possibility of functional involvement of these mutations in the etiology of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shirly Amar
- Psychiatry Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, and Mental Health Center, Beersheva, Israel
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181
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Key role for gene dosage and synaptic homeostasis in autism spectrum disorders. Trends Genet 2010; 26:363-72. [PMID: 20609491 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2010.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 228] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2009] [Revised: 05/26/2010] [Accepted: 05/26/2010] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are characterized by impairments in reciprocal social communication, and repetitive, stereotyped verbal and non-verbal behaviors. Genetic studies have provided a relatively large number of genes that constitute a comprehensive framework to better understand this complex and heterogeneous syndrome. Based on the most robust findings, three observations can be made. First, genetic contributions to ASD are highly heterogeneous and most probably involve a combination of alleles with low and high penetrance. Second, the majority of the mutations apparently affect a single allele, suggesting a key role for gene dosage in susceptibility to ASD. Finally, the broad expression and function of the causative genes suggest that alteration of synaptic homeostasis could be a common biological process associated with ASD. Understanding the mechanisms that regulate synaptic homeostasis should shed new light on the causes of ASD and could provide a means to modulate the severity of the symptoms.
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182
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Lind PA, Macgregor S, Vink JM, Pergadia ML, Hansell NK, de Moor MHM, Smit AB, Hottenga JJ, Richter MM, Heath AC, Martin NG, Willemsen G, de Geus EJC, Vogelzangs N, Penninx BW, Whitfield JB, Montgomery GW, Boomsma DI, Madden PAF. A genomewide association study of nicotine and alcohol dependence in Australian and Dutch populations. Twin Res Hum Genet 2010; 13:10-29. [PMID: 20158304 DOI: 10.1375/twin.13.1.10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Persistent tobacco use and excessive alcohol consumption are major public health concerns worldwide. Both alcohol and nicotine dependence (AD, ND) are genetically influenced complex disorders that exhibit a high degree of comorbidity. To identify gene variants contributing to one or both of these addictions, we first conducted a pooling-based genomewide association study (GWAS) in an Australian population, using Illumina Infinium 1M arrays. Allele frequency differences were compared between pooled DNA from case and control groups for: (1) AD, 1224 cases and 1162 controls; (2) ND, 1273 cases and 1113 controls; and (3) comorbid AD and ND, 599 cases and 488 controls. Secondly, we carried out a GWAS in independent samples from the Netherlands for AD and for ND. Thirdly, we performed a meta-analysis of the 10,000 most significant AD- and ND-related SNPs from the Australian and Dutch samples. In the Australian GWAS, one SNP achieved genomewide significance (p < 5 x 10(-8)) for ND (rs964170 in ARHGAP10 on chromosome 4, p = 4.43 x 10(-8)) and three others for comorbid AD/ND (rs7530302 near MARK1 on chromosome 1 (p = 1.90 x 10(-9)), rs1784300 near DDX6 on chromosome 11 (p = 2.60 x 10(-9)) and rs12882384 in KIAA1409 on chromosome 14 (p = 4.86 x 10(-8))). None of the SNPs achieved genomewide significance in the Australian/Dutch meta-analysis, but a gene network diagram based on the top-results revealed overrepresentation of genes coding for ion-channels and cell adhesion molecules. Further studies will be required before the detailed causes of comorbidity between AD and ND are understood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Penelope A Lind
- Genetic Epidemiology, Queensland Institute of Medical Research, Brisbane, Australia.
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183
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Elia J, Gai X, Xie HM, Perin JC, Geiger E, Glessner JT, D'arcy M, deBerardinis R, Frackelton E, Kim C, Lantieri F, Muganga BM, Wang L, Takeda T, Rappaport EF, Grant SFA, Berrettini W, Devoto M, Shaikh TH, Hakonarson H, White PS. Rare structural variants found in attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder are preferentially associated with neurodevelopmental genes. Mol Psychiatry 2010; 15:637-46. [PMID: 19546859 PMCID: PMC2877197 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2009.57] [Citation(s) in RCA: 414] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common and highly heritable disorder, but specific genetic factors underlying risk remain elusive. To assess the role of structural variation in ADHD, we identified 222 inherited copy number variations (CNVs) within 335 ADHD patients and their parents that were not detected in 2026 unrelated healthy individuals. Although no excess CNVs, either deletions or duplications, were found in the ADHD cohort relative to controls, the inherited rare CNV-associated gene set was significantly enriched for genes reported as candidates in studies of autism, schizophrenia and Tourette syndrome, including A2BP1, AUTS2, CNTNAP2 and IMMP2L. The ADHD CNV gene set was also significantly enriched for genes known to be important for psychological and neurological functions, including learning, behavior, synaptic transmission and central nervous system development. Four independent deletions were located within the protein tyrosine phosphatase gene, PTPRD, recently implicated as a candidate gene for restless legs syndrome, which frequently presents with ADHD. A deletion within the glutamate receptor gene, GRM5, was found in an affected parent and all three affected offspring whose ADHD phenotypes closely resembled those of the GRM5 null mouse. Together, these results suggest that rare inherited structural variations play an important role in ADHD development and indicate a set of putative candidate genes for further study in the etiology of ADHD.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Elia
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Philadelphia, PA, USA,Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - X Gai
- Center for Biomedical Informatics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - H M Xie
- Center for Biomedical Informatics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - J C Perin
- Center for Biomedical Informatics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - E Geiger
- Division of Genetics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - J T Glessner
- Center for Applied Genomics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - M D'arcy
- Center for Biomedical Informatics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - R deBerardinis
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - E Frackelton
- Center for Applied Genomics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - C Kim
- Center for Applied Genomics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - F Lantieri
- Division of Genetics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - B M Muganga
- Center for Biomedical Informatics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - L Wang
- Center for Biomedical Informatics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - T Takeda
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - E F Rappaport
- Joseph Stokes Jr Research Institute, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - S F A Grant
- Division of Genetics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Philadelphia, PA, USA,Center for Applied Genomics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Philadelphia, PA, USA,Department of Pediatrics, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - W Berrettini
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - M Devoto
- Division of Genetics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Philadelphia, PA, USA,Department of Pediatrics, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine Philadelphia, PA, USA,Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine Philadelphia, PA, USA,Dipartimento di Medicina Sperimentale, University La Sapienza Rome, Italy
| | - T H Shaikh
- Division of Genetics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Philadelphia, PA, USA,Department of Pediatrics, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - H Hakonarson
- Center for Applied Genomics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Philadelphia, PA, USA,Department of Pediatrics, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine Philadelphia, PA, USA,Division of Pulmonary Medicine, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Philadelphia, PA, USA,Author for correspondence:
| | - P S White
- Center for Biomedical Informatics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Philadelphia, PA, USA,Department of Pediatrics, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine Philadelphia, PA, USA,Division of Oncology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Philadelphia, PA, USA,Author for correspondence:
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184
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Terracciano A, Sanna S, Uda M, Deiana B, Usala G, Busonero F, Maschio A, Scally M, Patriciu N, Chen WM, Distel MA, Slagboom EP, Boomsma DI, Villafuerte S, Sliwerska E, Burmeister M, Amin N, Janssens ACJW, van Duijn CM, Schlessinger D, Abecasis GR, Costa PT. Genome-wide association scan for five major dimensions of personality. Mol Psychiatry 2010; 15:647-56. [PMID: 18957941 PMCID: PMC2874623 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2008.113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 150] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2008] [Revised: 09/22/2008] [Accepted: 10/01/2008] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Personality traits are summarized by five broad dimensions with pervasive influences on major life outcomes, strong links to psychiatric disorders and clear heritable components. To identify genetic variants associated with each of the five dimensions of personality we performed a genome-wide association (GWA) scan of 3972 individuals from a genetically isolated population within Sardinia, Italy. On the basis of the analyses of 362 129 single-nucleotide polymorphisms we found several strong signals within or near genes previously implicated in psychiatric disorders. They include the association of neuroticism with SNAP25 (rs362584, P=5 x 10(-5)), extraversion with BDNF and two cadherin genes (CDH13 and CDH23; Ps<5 x 10(-5)), openness with CNTNAP2 (rs10251794, P=3 x 10(-5)), agreeableness with CLOCK (rs6832769, P=9 x 10(-6)) and conscientiousness with DYRK1A (rs2835731, P=3 x 10(-5)). Effect sizes were small (less than 1% of variance), and most failed to replicate in the follow-up independent samples (N up to 3903), though the association between agreeableness and CLOCK was supported in two of three replication samples (overall P=2 x 10(-5)). We infer that a large number of loci may influence personality traits and disorders, requiring larger sample sizes for the GWA approach to confidently identify associated genetic variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Terracciano
- National Institute on Aging, NIH, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA.
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185
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Panaitof SC, Abrahams BS, Dong H, Geschwind DH, White SA. Language-related Cntnap2 gene is differentially expressed in sexually dimorphic song nuclei essential for vocal learning in songbirds. J Comp Neurol 2010; 518:1995-2018. [PMID: 20394055 PMCID: PMC2864722 DOI: 10.1002/cne.22318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Multiple studies, involving distinct clinical populations, implicate contactin associated protein-like 2 (CNTNAP2) in aspects of language development and performance. While CNTNAP2 is broadly distributed in developing rodent brain, it shows a striking gradient of frontal cortical enrichment in developing human brain, consistent with a role in patterning circuits that subserve higher cognition and language. To test the hypothesis that CNTNAP2 may be important for learned vocal communication in additional species, we employed in situ hybridization to characterize transcript distribution in the zebra finch, an experimentally tractable songbird for which the neural substrate of this behavior is well established. Consistent with an important role in learned vocalization, Cntnap2 was enriched or diminished in key song control nuclei relative to adjacent brain tissue. Importantly, this punctuated expression was observed in males, but not females, in accord with the sexual dimorphism of neural circuitry and vocal learning in this species. Ongoing functional work will provide important insights into the relationship between Cntnap2 and vocal communication in songbirds and thereby clarify mechanisms at play in disorders of human cognition and language.
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Affiliation(s)
- S. Carmen Panaitof
- Department of Physiological Science, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095
| | - Brett S. Abrahams
- Program in Neurobehavioral Genetics and Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095
| | - Hongmei Dong
- Program in Neurobehavioral Genetics and Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095
| | - Daniel H. Geschwind
- Program in Neurobehavioral Genetics and Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095
| | - Stephanie A. White
- Department of Physiological Science, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095
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186
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Strong synaptic transmission impact by copy number variations in schizophrenia. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2010; 107:10584-9. [PMID: 20489179 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1000274107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 159] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a psychiatric disorder with onset in late adolescence and unclear etiology characterized by both positive and negative symptoms, as well as cognitive deficits. To identify copy number variations (CNVs) that increase the risk of schizophrenia, we performed a whole-genome CNV analysis on a cohort of 977 schizophrenia cases and 2,000 healthy adults of European ancestry who were genotyped with 1.7 million probes. Positive findings were evaluated in an independent cohort of 758 schizophrenia cases and 1,485 controls. The Gene Ontology synaptic transmission family of genes was notably enriched for CNVs in the cases (P = 1.5 x 10(-7)). Among these, CACNA1B and DOC2A, both calcium-signaling genes responsible for neuronal excitation, were deleted in 16 cases and duplicated in 10 cases, respectively. In addition, RET and RIT2, both ras-related genes important for neural crest development, were significantly affected by CNVs. RET deletion was exclusive to seven cases, and RIT2 deletions were overrepresented common variant CNVs in the schizophrenia cases. Our results suggest that novel variations involving the processes of synaptic transmission contribute to the genetic susceptibility of schizophrenia.
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187
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Mefford HC, Muhle H, Ostertag P, von Spiczak S, Buysse K, Baker C, Franke A, Malafosse A, Genton P, Thomas P, Gurnett CA, Schreiber S, Bassuk AG, Guipponi M, Stephani U, Helbig I, Eichler EE. Genome-wide copy number variation in epilepsy: novel susceptibility loci in idiopathic generalized and focal epilepsies. PLoS Genet 2010; 6:e1000962. [PMID: 20502679 PMCID: PMC2873910 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1000962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 345] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2010] [Accepted: 04/20/2010] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological disorders in humans with a prevalence of 1% and a lifetime incidence of 3%. Several genes have been identified in rare autosomal dominant and severe sporadic forms of epilepsy, but the genetic cause is unknown in the vast majority of cases. Copy number variants (CNVs) are known to play an important role in the genetic etiology of many neurodevelopmental disorders, including intellectual disability (ID), autism, and schizophrenia. Genome-wide studies of copy number variation in epilepsy have not been performed. We have applied whole-genome oligonucleotide array comparative genomic hybridization to a cohort of 517 individuals with various idiopathic, non-lesional epilepsies. We detected one or more rare genic CNVs in 8.9% of affected individuals that are not present in 2,493 controls; five individuals had two rare CNVs. We identified CNVs in genes previously implicated in other neurodevelopmental disorders, including two deletions in AUTS2 and one deletion in CNTNAP2. Therefore, our findings indicate that rare CNVs are likely to contribute to a broad range of generalized and focal epilepsies. In addition, we find that 2.9% of patients carry deletions at 15q11.2, 15q13.3, or 16p13.11, genomic hotspots previously associated with ID, autism, or schizophrenia. In summary, our findings suggest common etiological factors for seemingly diverse diseases such as ID, autism, schizophrenia, and epilepsy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather C Mefford
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America.
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188
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Blake DJ, Forrest M, Chapman RM, Tinsley CL, O'Donovan MC, Owen MJ. TCF4, schizophrenia, and Pitt-Hopkins Syndrome. Schizophr Bull 2010; 36:443-7. [PMID: 20421335 PMCID: PMC2879683 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbq035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Genome-wide association studies allied with the identification of rare copy number variants have provided important insights into the genetic risk factors for schizophrenia. Recently, a meta-analysis of several genome-wide association studies found, in addition to several other markers, a single nucleotide polymorphism in intron 4 of the TCF4 gene that was associated with schizophrenia. TCF4 encodes a basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor that interacts with other transcription factors to activate or repress gene expression. TCF4 mutations also cause Pitt-Hopkins Syndrome, an autosomal-dominant neurodevelopmental disorder associated with severe mental retardation. Variants in the TCF4 gene may therefore be associated with a range of neuropsychiatric phenotypes, including schizophrenia. Recessive forms of Pitt-Hopkins syndrome are caused by mutations in NRXN1 and CNTNAP2. Interestingly, NRXN1 deletions have been reported in schizophrenia, whereas CNTNAP2 variants are associated with several neuropsychiatric phenotypes. These data suggest that TCF4, NRXN1, and CNTNAP2 may participate in a biological pathway that is altered in patients with schizophrenia and other neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Derek J. Blake
- To whom correspondence should be addressed; tel: 0044-2920-687051, fax: 0044-2920-687068, e-mail:
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189
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Levy DL, Coleman MJ, Sung H, Ji F, Matthysse S, Mendell NR, Titone D. The Genetic Basis of Thought Disorder and Language and Communication Disturbances in Schizophrenia. JOURNAL OF NEUROLINGUISTICS 2010; 23:176. [PMID: 20161689 PMCID: PMC2821112 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneuroling.2009.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Thought disorder as well as language and communication disturbances are associated with schizophrenia and are over-represented in clinically unaffected relatives of schizophrenics. All three kinds of dysfunction involve some element of deviant verbalizations, most notably, semantic anomalies. Of particular importance, thought disorder characterized primarily by deviant verbalizations has a higher recurrence in relatives of schizophrenic patients than schizophrenia itself. These findings suggest that deviant verbalizations may be more penetrant expressions of schizophrenia susceptibility genes than schizophrenia. This paper reviews the evidence documenting the presence of thought, language and communication disorders in schizophrenic patients and in their first-degree relatives. This familial aggregation potentially implicates genetic factors in the etiology of thought disorder, language anomalies, and communication disturbances in schizophrenia families. We also present two examples of ways in which thought, language and communication disorders can enrich genetic studies, including those involving schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deborah L Levy
- Psychology Research Laboratory, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
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190
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Grozeva D, Kirov G, Ivanov D, Jones IR, Jones L, Green EK, St Clair DM, Young AH, Ferrier N, Farmer AE, McGuffin P, Holmans PA, Owen MJ, O'Donovan MC, Craddock N. Rare copy number variants: a point of rarity in genetic risk for bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2010; 67:318-27. [PMID: 20368508 DOI: 10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2010.25] [Citation(s) in RCA: 161] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
CONTEXT Recent studies suggest that copy number variation in the human genome is extensive and may play an important role in susceptibility to disease, including neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia and autism. The possible involvement of copy number variants (CNVs) in bipolar disorder has received little attention to date. OBJECTIVES To determine whether large (>100,000 base pairs) and rare (found in <1% of the population) CNVs are associated with susceptibility to bipolar disorder and to compare with findings in schizophrenia. DESIGN A genome-wide survey of large, rare CNVs in a case-control sample using a high-density microarray. SETTING The Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium. PARTICIPANTS There were 1697 cases of bipolar disorder and 2806 nonpsychiatric controls. All participants were white UK residents. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Overall load of CNVs and presence of rare CNVs. RESULTS The burden of CNVs in bipolar disorder was not increased compared with controls and was significantly less than in schizophrenia cases. The CNVs previously implicated in the etiology of schizophrenia were not more common in cases with bipolar disorder. CONCLUSIONS Schizophrenia and bipolar disorder differ with respect to CNV burden in general and association with specific CNVs in particular. Our data are consistent with the possibility that possession of large, rare deletions may modify the phenotype in those at risk of psychosis: those possessing such events are more likely to be diagnosed as having schizophrenia, and those without them are more likely to be diagnosed as having bipolar disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Detelina Grozeva
- Medical Research Council Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF14 4XN, Wales, UK
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191
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite the substantial heritability of the psychoses and their genuine public health burden, the applicability of the genomic approach in psychiatry has been strongly questioned or prematurely dismissed. METHODS selective review of the recent literature on molecular genetic and genomic approaches to the psychoses including the early output from genome-wide association studies and the genomic analysis of DNA structural variation. RESULTS Susceptibility variants at strong candidate genes have been identified including neuregulin, dysbindin, DISC1 and neurexin 1. Rare but highly penetrant copy number variants and new mutations affecting genes involved in neurodevelopment, cell signalling and synaptic function have been described showing some overlapping genetic architecture with other developmental disorders including autism. The de-novo mutations described offer an explanation for the familial sporadic divide and the persistence of schizophrenia in the population. The functional effects of risk variants at the level of cognition and connectivity has been described and recently, ZNF804A has been identified, and the MHC re-identified as risk loci, and it has been shown that at least a third of the variation in liability is due to multiple common risk variants of small effect with a substantial shared genetic liability between schizophrenia and bipolar affective disorder. CONCLUSIONS The genomics have done much for the psychoses to date and more is anticipated.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Gill
- Neuropsychiatric Genetics Research Group, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin 8, Ireland.
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192
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Abstract
Schizophrenia is a complex genetic disorder manifesting combined environmental and genetic causation. Recently, genome-wide association experiments yielded remarkable new experimental evidence that is leading to a better understanding of the genetic models and the biological risk factors involved in schizophrenia. These studies have discovered uncommon copy number variations (mainly deletions) and common single nucleotide polymorphisms with alleles associated with schizophrenia. The aggregate data provide support for polygenic inheritance and for genetic overlap of schizophrenia with autism and with bipolar disorder. It is anticipated that the application of a myriad of tools from systems biology, in combination with biological functional experiments, will lead to a delineation of biological pathways involved in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia, and eventually to new therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo V Gejman
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences; and Research Institute, Center for Psychiatric Genetics, NorthShore University HealthSystem Research Institute, Evanston, IL 60201, USA.
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193
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Brown KK, Reiss JA, Crow K, Ferguson HL, Kelly C, Fritzsch B, Morton CC. Deletion of an enhancer near DLX5 and DLX6 in a family with hearing loss, craniofacial defects, and an inv(7)(q21.3q35). Hum Genet 2010; 127:19-31. [PMID: 19707792 DOI: 10.1007/s00439-009-0736-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2009] [Accepted: 08/16/2009] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Precisely regulated temporal and spatial patterns of gene expression are essential for proper human development. Cis-acting regulatory elements, some located at large distances from their corresponding genes, play a critical role in transcriptional control of key developmental genes and disruption of these regulatory elements can lead to disease. We report a three generation family with five affected members, all of whom have hearing loss, craniofacial defects, and a paracentric inversion of the long arm of chromosome 7, inv(7)(q21.3q35). High resolution mapping of the inversion showed that the 7q21.3 breakpoint is located 65 and 80 kb centromeric of DLX6 and DLX5, respectively. Further analysis revealed a 5,115 bp deletion at the 7q21.3 breakpoint. While the breakpoint does not disrupt either DLX5 or DLX6, the syndrome present in the family is similar to that observed in Dlx5 knockout mice and includes a subset of the features observed in individuals with DLX5 and DLX6 deletions, implicating dysregulation of DLX5 and DLX6 in the family's phenotype. Bioinformatic analysis indicates that the 5,115 bp deletion at the 7q21.3 breakpoint could contain regulatory elements necessary for DLX5 and DLX6 expression. Using a transgenic mouse reporter assay, we show that the deleted sequence can drive expression in the inner ear and developing bones of E12.5 embryos. Consequently, the observed familial syndrome is likely caused by dysregulation of DLX5 and/or DLX6 in specific tissues due to deletion of an enhancer and possibly separation from other regulatory elements by the chromosomal inversion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerry K Brown
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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194
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Kooy RF. Distinct disorders affecting the brain share common genetic origins. F1000 BIOLOGY REPORTS 2010; 2. [PMID: 20948821 PMCID: PMC2948356 DOI: 10.3410/b2-11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Over the last few years, large cohorts of patients with distinct brain disorders of neuropsychiatric and neurological origin have been analyzed for copy number variation. Surprisingly, the same genetic abnormalities were found in cohorts of patients affected with mental retardation, autism, or schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Frank Kooy
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1 2610 Antwerp Belgium
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195
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A Genomewide Association Study of Nicotine and Alcohol Dependence in Australian and Dutch Populations. Twin Res Hum Genet 2010. [DOI: 10.1017/s183242740002003x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Persistent tobacco use and excessive alcohol consumption are major public health concerns worldwide. Both alcohol and nicotine dependence (AD, ND) are genetically influenced complex disorders that exhibit a high degree of comorbidity. To identify gene variants contributing to one or both of these addictions, we first conducted a pooling-based genomewide association study (GWAS) in an Australian population, using Illumina Infinium 1M arrays. Allele frequency differences were compared between pooled DNA from case and control groups for: (1) AD, 1224 cases and 1162 controls; (2) ND, 1273 cases and 1113 controls; and (3) comorbid AD and ND, 599 cases and 488 controls. Secondly, we carried out a GWAS in independent samples from the Netherlands for AD and for ND. Thirdly, we performed a meta-analysis of the 10, 000 most significant AD- and ND-related SNPs from the Australian and Dutch samples. In the Australian GWAS, one SNP achieved genomewide significance (p < 5 x 10-8) for ND (rs964170 in ARHGAPlOon chromosome 4, p = 4.43 x 10”8) and three others for comorbid AD/ND (rs7530302 near MARK1 on chromosome 1 (p = 1.90 x 10-9), rs1784300 near DDX6 on chromosome 11 (p = 2.60 x 10-9) and rs12882384 in KIAA1409 on chromosome 14 (p = 4.86 x 10-8)). None of the SNPs achieved genomewide significance in the Australian/Dutch meta-analysis, but a gene network diagram based on the top-results revealed overrepre-sentation of genes coding for ion-channels and cell adhesion molecules. Further studies will be requirec before the detailed causes of comorbidity between AC and ND are understood.
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196
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Abstract
Specific language impairment (SLI) is defined as an unexpected and persistent impairment in language ability despite adequate opportunity and intelligence and in the absence of any explanatory medical conditions. This condition is highly heritable and affects between 5% and 8% of pre-school children. Over the past few years, investigations have begun to uncover genetic factors that may contribute to susceptibility to language impairment. So far, variants in four specific genes have been associated with spoken language disorders - forkhead box P2 (FOXP2) and contactin-associated protein-like 2 (CNTNAP2) on chromosome7 and calcium-transporting ATPase 2C2 (ATP2C2) and c-MAF inducing protein (CMIP) on chromosome 16. Here, we describe the different ways in which these genes were identified as candidates for language impairment. We discuss how characterization of these genes, and the pathways in which they are involved, may enhance our understanding of language disorders and improve our understanding of the biological foundations of language acquisition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dianne F Newbury
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Headington, Oxford OX3 7BN, UK.
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197
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Mantripragada KK, Carroll LS, Williams NM. Experimental approaches for identifying schizophrenia risk genes. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2010; 4:587-610. [PMID: 21312414 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2010_58] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a severe, debilitating and common psychiatric disorder, which directly affects approximately 1% of the population worldwide. Although previous studies have unequivocally shown that schizophrenia has a strong genetic component, our understanding of its pathophysiology remains limited. The precise genetic architecture of schizophrenia remains elusive and is likely to be complex. It is believed that multiple genetic variants, with each contributing a modest effect on disease risk, interact with environmental factors resulting in the phenotype. In this chapter, we summarise the main molecular genetic approaches that have been utilised in identifying susceptibility genes for schizophrenia and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each approach. First, we detail the findings of linkage mapping in pedigrees (affected families), which analyse the co-segregation of polymorphic genetic markers with disease phenotype. Second, the contribution of targeted and genome-wide association studies, which compare differential allelic frequencies in schizophrenia cases and matched controls, is presented. Third, we discuss about the identification of susceptibility genes through analysis of chromosomal structural variation (gains and losses of genetic material). Lastly, we introduce the concept of re-sequencing, where the entire genome/exome is sequenced both in affected and unaffected individuals. This approach has the potential to provide a clarified picture of the majority of the genetic variation underlying disease pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kiran K Mantripragada
- Department of Psychological Medicine and Neurology, MRC Centre in Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Cardiff University School of Medicine, Cardiff, UK.
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198
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Sebat J, Levy DL, McCarthy SE. Rare structural variants in schizophrenia: one disorder, multiple mutations; one mutation, multiple disorders. Trends Genet 2009; 25:528-35. [PMID: 19883952 PMCID: PMC3351381 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2009.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 181] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2009] [Revised: 09/30/2009] [Accepted: 10/08/2009] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Recent studies have established an important role for rare genomic deletions and duplications in the etiology of schizophrenia. This research suggests that the genetic architecture of neuropsychiatric disorders includes a constellation of rare mutations in many different genes. Mutations that confer substantial risk for schizophrenia have been identified at several loci, most of which have also been implicated in other neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism. Genetic heterogeneity is a characteristic of schizophrenia; conversely, phenotypic heterogeneity is a characteristic of all schizophrenia-associated mutations. Both kinds of heterogeneity probably reflect the complexity of neurodevelopment. Research strategies must account for both genetic and clinical heterogeneity to identify the genes and pathways crucial for the development of neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Sebat
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA.
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199
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The role of DNA copy number variation in schizophrenia. Biol Psychiatry 2009; 66:1005-12. [PMID: 19748074 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2009.07.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2009] [Revised: 07/21/2009] [Accepted: 07/21/2009] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a major psychiatric disease with strong evidence of genetic risk factors. Recent studies based on genome-wide study of copy number variations (CNVs) have detected novel recurrent submicroscopic copy number changes, including recurrent deletions at 1q21.11, 15q11.3, 15q13.3, and the recurrent CNV at the 2p16.3 neurexin 1 locus. These schizophrenia susceptibility CNV loci demonstrate that schizophrenia is, at least in part, genetic in origin and provide the basis for further investigation of mutations associated with the disease. The studies combined have also established the role of rare and-in sporadic cases-de novo variants in schizophrenia. Furthermore, neuronal-related genes and genetic pathways are starting to emerge from the CNV loci associated with schizophrenia. Here, we review the major findings in the recent literature, which begin to unravel the genetic and biological architecture of this complex human neuropsychiatric disorder.
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200
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Systematic genotype-phenotype analysis of autism susceptibility loci implicates additional symptoms to co-occur with autism. Eur J Hum Genet 2009; 18:588-95. [PMID: 19935830 DOI: 10.1038/ejhg.2009.206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Many genetic studies in autism have been performed, resulting in the identification of multiple linkage regions and cytogenetic aberrations, but little unequivocal evidence for the involvement of specific genes exists. By identifying novel symptoms in these patients, enhanced phenotyping of autistic individuals not only improves understanding and diagnosis but also helps to define biologically more homogeneous groups of patients, improving the potential to detect causative genes. Supported by recent copy number variation findings in autism, we hypothesized that for some susceptibility loci, autism resembles a contiguous gene syndrome, caused by aberrations within multiple (contiguous) genes, which jointly increases autism susceptibility. This would result in various different clinical manifestations that might be rather atypical, but that also co-occur with autism. To test this hypothesis, 13 susceptibility loci, identified through genetic linkage and cytogenetic analyses, were systematically analyzed. The Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man database was used to identify syndromes caused by mutations in the genes residing in each of these loci. Subsequent analysis of the symptoms expressed within these disorders allowed us to identify 33 symptoms (significantly more than expected, P=0.037) that were over-represented in previous reports mapping to these loci. Some of these symptoms, including seizures and craniofacial abnormalities, support our hypothesis as they are already known to co-occur with autism. These symptoms, together with ones that have not previously been described to co-occur with autism, might be considered for use as inclusion or exclusion criteria toward defining etiologically more homogeneous groups for molecular genetic studies of autism.
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