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Bach MY, Miron SR, Kurolap A, Feldman HB. PUF60 loss-of-function with normal cognition should be considered in the differential diagnosis of Klippel-Feil syndrome. Am J Med Genet A 2024; 194:e63550. [PMID: 38297485 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.a.63550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2023] [Revised: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/02/2024]
Abstract
Klippel-Feil syndrome (KFS) has a genetically heterogeneous phenotype with six known genes, exhibiting both autosomal dominant and autosomal recessive inheritance patterns. PUF60 is a nucleic acid-binding protein, which is involved in a number of nuclear processes, including pre-mRNA splicing, apoptosis, and transcription regulation. Pathogenic variants in this gene have been described in Verheij syndrome due to either 8q24.3 microdeletion or PUF60 single-nucleotide variants. PUF60-associated conditions usually include intellectual disability, among other findings, some overlapping KFS; however, PUF60 is not classically referred to as a KFS gene. Here, we describe a 6-year-old female patient with clinically diagnosed KFS and normal cognition, who harbors a heterozygous de novo variant in the PUF60 gene (c.1179del, p.Ile394Serfs*7). This is a novel frameshift variant, which is predicted to result in a premature stop codon. Clinically, our patient demonstrates a pattern of malformations that matches reported cases of PUF60 variants; however, unlike most others, she has no clear learning difficulties. In light of these findings, we propose that PUF60 should be considered in the differential diagnosis of KFS and that normal cognition should not exclude its testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michal Yacobi Bach
- The Genetics Institute and Genomics Center, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Endocrinology Institute, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Sivan Reytan Miron
- The Genetics Institute and Genomics Center, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Alina Kurolap
- The Genetics Institute and Genomics Center, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Hagit Baris Feldman
- The Genetics Institute and Genomics Center, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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Hoogenboom A, Falix FA, van der Laan L, Kerkhof J, Alders M, Sadikovic B, van Haelst MM. Novel PUF60 variant suggesting an interaction between Verheij and Cornelia de Lange syndrome: phenotype description and review of the literature. Eur J Hum Genet 2024; 32:435-439. [PMID: 38273166 PMCID: PMC10999433 DOI: 10.1038/s41431-023-01527-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Revised: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Verheij syndrome [VRJS; OMIM 615583] is a rare autosomal dominant neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by distinct clinical features, including growth retardation, intellectual disability, cardiac, and renal anomalies. VRJS is caused by deletions of chromosome 8q24.3 or pathogenic variants in the PUF60 gene. Recently, pathogenic PUF60 variants have been reported in some individuals with VRJS, contributing to the variability in the clinical presentation and severity of the condition. PUF60 encodes a protein involved in regulating gene expression and cellular growth. In this report, we describe a new case of VRJS with developmental delay, cardiac-, and renal abnormalities, caused by a heterozygous pathogenic PUF60 variant. Surprisingly, DNA methylation analysis revealed a pattern resembling the Cornelia de Lange syndrome (CdLS) episignature, suggesting a potential connection between PUF60 and CdLS-related genes. This case report further delineates the clinical and molecular spectrum of VRJS and supports further research to validate the interaction between VRJS and CdLS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amarens Hoogenboom
- Medical University of Groningen (UMCG), Groningen, the Netherlands
- Department of pediatrics, Curaçao Medical Center (CMC), Willemstad, Curaçao
| | - Farah A Falix
- Department of pediatrics, Curaçao Medical Center (CMC), Willemstad, Curaçao
| | - Liselot van der Laan
- Department of Human Genetics, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Amsterdam Reproduction & Development, Amsterdam University Medical Centers (AUMC), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jennifer Kerkhof
- Verspeeten Clinical Genome Centre, London Health Sciences Centre, London, ON, Canada
| | - Mariëlle Alders
- Department of Human Genetics, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Amsterdam Reproduction & Development, Amsterdam University Medical Centers (AUMC), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Bekim Sadikovic
- Department of Human Genetics, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Verspeeten Clinical Genome Centre, London Health Sciences Centre, London, ON, Canada
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Mieke M van Haelst
- Department of pediatrics, Curaçao Medical Center (CMC), Willemstad, Curaçao.
- Department of Human Genetics, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
- Amsterdam Reproduction & Development, Amsterdam University Medical Centers (AUMC), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
- Emma Center for Personalized Medicine, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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Verma SK, Kuyumcu-Martinez MN. RNA binding proteins in cardiovascular development and disease. Curr Top Dev Biol 2024; 156:51-119. [PMID: 38556427 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2024.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/02/2024]
Abstract
Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common birth defect affecting>1.35 million newborn babies worldwide. CHD can lead to prenatal, neonatal, postnatal lethality or life-long cardiac complications. RNA binding protein (RBP) mutations or variants are emerging as contributors to CHDs. RBPs are wizards of gene regulation and are major contributors to mRNA and protein landscape. However, not much is known about RBPs in the developing heart and their contributions to CHD. In this chapter, we will discuss our current knowledge about specific RBPs implicated in CHDs. We are in an exciting era to study RBPs using the currently available and highly successful RNA-based therapies and methodologies. Understanding how RBPs shape the developing heart will unveil their contributions to CHD. Identifying their target RNAs in the embryonic heart will ultimately lead to RNA-based treatments for congenital heart disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sunil K Verma
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia School of Medicine Charlottesville, VA, United States.
| | - Muge N Kuyumcu-Martinez
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia School of Medicine Charlottesville, VA, United States; Robert M. Berne Cardiovascular Research Center, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, United States; University of Virginia Cancer Center, Charlottesville, VA, United States.
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Miao M, Wang J, Guo C, Su X, Sun L, Lu S. Identification of a novel de novo PUF60 variant causing Verheij syndrome in a fetus. Gene 2024; 897:148092. [PMID: 38110042 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2023.148092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2023] [Revised: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/20/2023]
Abstract
Verheij syndrome (VRJS) is a craniofacial spliceosomopathy with a wide phenotypic spectrum. Haploinsufficiency of the poly-uridine binding splicing factor 60 gene (PUF60) and its loss-of-function (LOF) variants are involved in VRJS. We evaluated a human fetus with congenital heart defects and preaxial polydactyly. Clinical data were obtained from the medical record. Whole-exome sequencing (WES) was used to explore the potential genetic etiology, and the detected variant verified using Sanger sequencing. Functional studies were performed to validate the pathogenic effects of the variant. Using trio-WES, we identified a novel PUF60 variant (NM_078480.2; c.1678 T > A, p.*560Argext*204) in the pedigree. Bioinformatic analyses revealed that the variant is potentially pathogenic, and functional studies indicated that it leads to degradation of the elongated protein and subsequently PUF60 LOF, producing some VRJS phenotypes. These findings confirmed the pathogenicity of the variant. This study implicates PUF60 LOF in the etiopathogenesis of VRJS. It not only expands the PUF60 variant spectrum, and also provides a basis for genetic counseling and the diagnosis of VRJS. Although trio-WES is a well-established approach for identifying the genetic etiology of rare multisystemic conditions, functional studies could aid in verifying the pathogenicity of novel variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingzhu Miao
- Department of Prenatal Diagnosis, Jiangsu Province People's Hospital and Nanjing Medical University First Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing 210036, China
| | - Jue Wang
- Department of Prenatal Diagnosis, Jiangsu Province People's Hospital and Nanjing Medical University First Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing 210036, China
| | - Chenyan Guo
- Department of Obstetrics, Jiangsu Province People's Hospital and Nanjing Medical University First Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing 210036, China
| | - Xiaotian Su
- Department of Bioinformatics, Berry Genomics Co., Ltd., Beijing, China
| | - Lizhou Sun
- Department of Obstetrics, Jiangsu Province People's Hospital and Nanjing Medical University First Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing 210036, China.
| | - Shoulian Lu
- Department of Prenatal Diagnosis, Jiangsu Province People's Hospital and Nanjing Medical University First Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing 210036, China.
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Baum E, Huang W, Vincent-Delorme C, Brunelle P, Antebi A, Dafsari HS. Novel Genetic and Phenotypic Expansion in Ameliorated PUF60-Related Disorders. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:2053. [PMID: 38396730 PMCID: PMC10889399 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25042053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 02/03/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Heterozygous variants in the Poly(U) Binding Splicing Factor 60kDa gene (PUF60) have been associated with Verheij syndrome, which has the key features of coloboma, short stature, skeletal abnormalities, developmental delay, palatal abnormalities, and congenital heart and kidney defects. Here, we report five novel patients from unrelated families with PUF60-related disorders exhibiting novel genetic and clinical findings with three truncating variants, one splice-site variant with likely reduced protein expression, and one missense variant. Protein modeling of the patient's missense variant in the PUF60 AlphaFold structure revealed a loss of polar bonds to the surrounding residues. Neurodevelopmental disorders were present in all patients, with variability in speech, motor, cognitive, social-emotional and behavioral features. Novel phenotypic expansions included movement disorders as well as immunological findings with recurrent respiratory, urinary and ear infections, atopic diseases, and skin abnormalities. We discuss the role of PUF60 in immunity with and without infection based on recent organismic and cellular studies. As our five patients showed less-severe phenotypes than classical Verheij syndrome, particularly with the absence of key features such as coloboma or palatal abnormalities, we propose a reclassification as PUF60-related neurodevelopmental disorders with multi-system involvement. These findings will aid in the genetic counseling of patients and families.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Baum
- Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50937 Cologne, Germany
- Max-Planck-Institute for Biology of Ageing, 50931 Cologne, Germany
- Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging Associated Diseases (CECAD), 50931 Cologne, Germany
| | - Wenming Huang
- Max-Planck-Institute for Biology of Ageing, 50931 Cologne, Germany
- Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging Associated Diseases (CECAD), 50931 Cologne, Germany
| | | | - Perrine Brunelle
- Institut de Génétique Médicale, University of Lille, ULR7364 RADEME, CHU Lille, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Adam Antebi
- Max-Planck-Institute for Biology of Ageing, 50931 Cologne, Germany
- Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging Associated Diseases (CECAD), 50931 Cologne, Germany
| | - Hormos Salimi Dafsari
- Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50937 Cologne, Germany
- Max-Planck-Institute for Biology of Ageing, 50931 Cologne, Germany
- Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging Associated Diseases (CECAD), 50931 Cologne, Germany
- Department of Pediatric Neurology, Evelina’s Children Hospital, Guy’s & St. Thomas’ Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London SE1 7EH, UK
- Randall Division of Cell and Molecular Biophysics, Muscle Signaling Section, King’s College London, London WC2R 2LS, UK
- Center for Rare Diseases, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50937 Cologne, Germany
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