ROBO1 polymorphisms, callosal connectivity, and reading skills

Genetic Modifications of Developmental Dyslexia and Its Representation Using In Vivo, In Vitro Model

Dyslexia is a genetic and heritable disorder that has yet to discover the treatment of it, especially at the molecular and drug intervention levels. This review provides an overview of the current findings on the environmental and genetic factors involved in developmental dyslexia. The latest techniques used in diagnosing the disease and macromolecular factors findings may contribute to a higher degree of development in detangling the proper management and treatment for dyslexic individuals. Furthermore, this review tried to put together all the models used in the current dyslexia research for references in future studies that include animal models as well as in vitro models and how the previous research has provided consistent data across many years and regions. Thus, we suggest furthering the studies using an organoid model based on the existing gene polymorphism, pathways, and neuronal function input.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of imaging genetics studies of specific reading disorder

The imaging genetics of specific reading disabilities (SRD) is an emerging field that aims to characterize the disabilities' neurobiological causes, including atypical brain structure and function and distinct genetic architecture. The present review aimed to summarize current imaging genetics studies of SRD, characterize the effect sizes of reported results by calculating Cohen's d, complete a Fisher's Combined Probability Test for genes featured in multiple studies, and determine areas for future research. Results demonstrate associations between SRD risk genes and reading network brain phenotypes. The Fisher's test revealed promising results for the genes DCDC2, KIAA0319, FOXP2, SLC2A3, and ROBO1. Future research should focus on exploratory approaches to identify previously undiscovered genes. Using comprehensive neuroimaging (e.g., functional and effective connectivity) and genetic (e.g., sequencing and epigenetic) techniques, and using larger samples, diverse stages of development, and longitudinal investigations, would help researchers understand the neurobiological correlates of SRD to improve early identification.

Detecting Risk Gene and Pathogenic Brain Region in EMCI Using a Novel GERF Algorithm Based on Brain Imaging and Genetic Data

Fusion analysis of disease-related multi-modal data is becoming increasingly important to illuminate the pathogenesis of complex brain diseases. However, owing to the small amount and high dimension of multi-modal data, current machine learning methods do not fully achieve the high veracity and reliability of fusion feature selection. In this paper, we propose a genetic-evolutionary random forest (GERF) algorithm to discover the risk genes and disease-related brain regions of early mild cognitive impairment (EMCI) based on the genetic data and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) data. Classical correlation analysis method is used to explore the association between brain regions and genes, and fusion features are constructed. The genetic-evolutionary idea is introduced to enhance the classification performance, and to extract the optimal features effectively. The proposed GERF algorithm is evaluated by the public Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) database, and the results show that the algorithm achieves satisfactory classification accuracy in small sample learning. Moreover, we compare the GERF algorithm with other methods to prove its superiority. Furthermore, we propose the overall framework of detecting pathogenic factors, which can be accurately and efficiently applied to the multi-modal data analysis of EMCI and be able to extend to other diseases. This work provides a novel insight for early diagnosis and clinicopathologic analysis of EMCI, which facilitates clinical medicine to control further deterioration of diseases and is good for the accurate electric shock using transcranial magnetic stimulation.

MicroRNA-32 and MicroRNA-548a Promote the Drug Sensitivity of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Cells to Cisplatin by Targeting ROBO1 and Inhibiting the Activation of Wnt/β-Catenin Axis

Background

The roles of microRNA (miR)-32 and miR-548a in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have been studied. But their influences on NSCLC cells to cisplatin (DDP) resistance remain elusive. This study estimated the mechanisms of miR-32 and miR-548a in NSCLC cells to DDP.

Methods

Differentially expressed miRs in DDP-sensitive and resistant tissues were screened out using a GSE56036 chip. Then the predictive efficacies of miR-32 and miR-548a on DDP resistance were analyzed in NSCLC patients. The target mRNAs of miR-548a and miR-32 were predicted. miR-548a and miR-32 were knocked down to assess the influences of miR-32 and miR-548a on NSCLC growth. DDP-resistant cells were constructed and miR-32 and miR-548a expression was detected in resistant cells. After miR-32 and miR-548a knockdown, the IC50 value of DDP was detected. Then, the activation level of Wnt/β-catenin pathway was detected. The roles of miR-32 and miR-548a in NSCLC growth in vivo were detected by tumorigenesis experiment.

Results

miR-32 and miR-548a were poorly expressed in DDP-resistant NSCLC. miR-32 and miR-548a mimic enhanced the DDP sensitivity of NSCLC cells. Both miR-32 and miR-548a targeted ROBO1, and overexpression of ROBO1 inhibited the promotion of miR-32 and miR-548a mimic on DDP sensitivity. ROBO1 activated the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, thus enhancing the DDP resistance.

Conclusion

miR-32 and miR-548a target ROBO1 and inhibit Wnt/β-catenin activation, thus promoting the drug sensitivity of NSCLC cells to DDP.

LncRNA-NONHSAT024778 promote the proliferation and invasion of chordoma cell by regulating miR-1290/Robo1 axis

Chordoma is a malignant bone tumor originating from the embryonic remnants of the notochord. lncRNAs act as competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) and play a critical role in tumor pathology. However, the biological role of lncRNA-NONHSAT024778 and the underlying molecular mechanism in chordoma remains unknown. qRT-PCR was used to analyze the expression changes of NONHSAT024778 and miR-1290 in chordoma tissues and cell lines. Bioinformatics analysis and luciferase reporter assay were applied to detect the targeting binding effect between NONHSAT024778 and miR-1290, and between Robo1 and miR-1290. The effect of NONHSAT024778 on chordoma cell proliferation and invasion and its regulation of miR-1290 by acting as a ceRNA were also investigated. An increased NONHSAT024778 expression was correlated with a decreased miR-1290 level in chordoma tissues. NONHSAT024778 knockdown suppressed the proliferation and invasion of chordoma cells. miR-1290 restored expression rescued the carcinogenic function of NONHSAT024778. Bioinformatics analysis showed that NONHSAT024778 acted as ceRNA to regulate Robo1 via sponging miR-1290 in chordoma cells, thereby promoting chordoma cell malignant progression. In vivo results confirmed the anti-tumor effects of NONHSAT024778 knockdown activating miR-1290 to inhibit the oncogene Robo1. NONHSAT024778 is substantially overexpressed, whereas miR-1290 is decreased in chordoma tissue. NONHSAT024778-miR-1290-Robo1 axis plays a critical role in chordoma tumorigenesis and might be a potential predictive biomarker for the diagnosis and therapeutic target among patients with chordoma.

Effects of socioeconomic status in predicting reading outcomes for children: The mediation of spoken language network

The present longitudinal study investigated the effects of early childhood socioeconomic status on language-related resting-state functional connectivity and reading outcome in adolescence. Seventy-nine children participated in this study. Socioeconomic status was measured via parent questionnaire measuring parental education and family income at 1 month. At age 14, resting-state fMRI data and reading-related behavioral data of the children were collected. Resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) analysis was performed based on four regions of interest, including the left inferior frontal gyrus (L.IFG), left anterior superior temporal gyrus (L.aSTG), left posterior superior temporal gyrus (L.pSTG) and right anterior superior temporal gyrus (R.aSTG). Significant associations were found between parental education and the language-related RSFC, including the RSFC of L.IFG-L.aSTG and the RSFC of L.aSTG-L.pSTG, while no association was found between family income and language-related RSFC. Furthermore, the parental education-associated functional connectivity patterns (i.e., L.IFG-L.aSTG and L.aSTG-L.pSTG) were found to be positively correlated with children's reading skills (word list reading and sentence reading fluency). Finally, path analyses indicated that the intrinsic brain connectivity between L.aSTG and L.pSTG influenced the relationship between parental education and children's reading outcomes.

Do Genes Associated with Dyslexia of Chinese Characters Evolve Neutrally?

Dyslexia, or reading disability, is found to have a genetic basis, and several related genes have been reported. We investigated whether natural selection has acted on single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that were reported to be associated with risk/non-risk for the reading disability of Chinese characters. We applied recently developed 2D SFS-based statistics to SNP data of East Asian populations to examine whether there is any sign of selective sweep. While neutrality was not rejected for most SNPs, significant signs of selection were detected for two linkage disequilibrium (LD) regions containing the reported SNPs of GNPTAB and DCDC2. Furthermore, we searched for a selection target site among the SNPs in these LD regions, because a causal site is not necessarily a reported SNP but could instead be a tightly linked site. In both LD regions, we found candidate target sites, which may have an effect on expression regulation and have been selected, although which genes these SNPs affect remains unknown. Because most people were not engaged in reading until recently, it is unlikely that there has been selective pressure on reading ability itself. Consistent with this, our results suggest a possibility of genetic hitchhiking, whereby alleles of the reported SNPs may have increased in frequency together with the selected target, which could have functions for other genes and traits apart from reading ability.

miR‑218 functions as a tumor suppressor gene in cervical cancer

Previous microRNA (miR) microarray analysis revealed that miR‑218 is downregulated in cervical cancer tissues. The present study aimed to further evaluate the expression of miR‑218 in cervical cancer specimens, determine the association between its expression with disease progression, and investigate the roles of miR‑218 in cervical cancer cells. Tissue specimens were obtained from 80 patients with cervical squamous cell carcinoma, 30 patients with high‑grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia [(CIN) II/III] and 15 patients with low‑grade CIN (CINI); in addition, 60 plasma samples were obtained from patients with cervical cancer, and 15 normal cervical tissue specimens and 30 plasma samples were obtained from healthy women. These samples were used for analysis of miR‑218 expression via reverse transcription‑-quantitative PCR. In addition, tumor cells were transfected with miR‑218 mimics, human papillomavirus (HPV)16 E6/E7 small interfering RNA, or their respective negative controls to determine the viability, colony formation, migration and invasion of cells using MTT, colony formation, wound healing and Transwell assays, respectively. Target genes of miR‑218 were bioinformatically predicted and analyzed using Gene Ontology (GO) terms. The results revealed that miR‑218 was downregulated in the tumor tissues and plasma of patients with cervical cancer, with expression associated with the advanced clinicopathological characteristics of patients, including HPV positivity, tumor size, blood vessel invasion and lymph node metastasis. Furthermore, miR‑218 overexpression reduced tumor cell viability and xenograft growth, and suppressed tumor cell migration and invasion. HPV was detected in 75% of the 80 patients with cervical cancer, and HPV positivity was inversely associated with miR‑218 expression. In addition, bioinformatics analysis predicted that roundabout guidance receptor 1 (ROBO1) was a target gene of miR‑218; miR‑218 overexpression significantly reduced ROBO1 levels. Furthermore, GO analysis revealed that ROBO1 was involved in regulating cell proliferation, adhesion and migration, and the cell cycle. In conclusion, the findings of the present study suggested that miR‑218 may possess antitumor activities in cervical cancer.

White matter network connectivity deficits in developmental dyslexia

A number of studies have shown an abnormal connectivity of certain white matter pathways in developmental dyslexia, as well as correlations between these white matter pathways and behavioral deficits. However, whether developmental dyslexia presents broader white matter network connectivity disruption is currently unknown. The present study reconstructed white matter networks for 26 dyslexic children (11.61 ± 1.31 years) and 31 age-matched controls (11.49 ± 1.36 years) using constrained spherical deconvolution tractography. Network-based statistics (NBS) analysis was performed to identify network connectivity deficits in dyslexic individuals. Network topological features were measured based on graph theory to examine whether these parameters correlate with literacy skills, and whether they explain additional variance over previously established white matter connectivity abnormalities in dyslexic children. The NBS analysis identified a network connecting the left-occipital-temporal cortex and temporo-parietal cortex that had decreased streamlines in dyslexic children. Four network topological parameters (clustering coefficient, local efficiency, transitivity, and global efficiency) were positively correlated with literacy skills of dyslexic children, and explained a substantial proportion of additional variance in literacy skills beyond connectivity measures of white matter pathways. This study for the first time reports a disconnection in a local subnetwork in the left hemisphere in dyslexia and shows that the global white matter network topological properties contribute to reduced literacy skills in dyslexic children.

The Influence of Dyslexia Candidate Genes on Reading Skill in Old Age

A number of candidate genes for reading and language impairment have been replicated, primarily in samples of children with developmental disability or delay, although these genes are also supported in adolescent population samples. The present study used a systematic approach to test 14 of these candidate genes for association with reading assessed in late adulthood (two cohorts with mean ages of 70 and 79 years). Gene-sets (14 candidates, axon-guidance and neuron migration pathways) and individual SNPs within each gene of interest were tested for association using imputed data referenced to the 1000 genomes European panel. Using the results from the genome-wide association (GWA) meta-analysis of the two cohorts (N = 1217), a competitive gene-set analysis showed that the candidate gene-set was associated with the reading index (p = .016) at a family wise error rate corrected significance level. Neither axon guidance nor neuron migration pathways were significant. Whereas individual SNP associations within CYP19A1, DYX1C1, CNTNAP2 and DIP2A genes (p < .05) did not reach corrected significance their allelic effects were in the same direction as past available reports. These results suggest that reading skill in normal adults shares the same genetic substrate as reading in adolescents, and clinically disordered reading, and highlights the utility of adult samples to increase sample sizes in the genetic study of developmental disorders.

Mapping the effect of the X chromosome on the human brain: Neuroimaging evidence from Turner syndrome

In addition to determining sex, the X chromosome has long been considered to play a crucial role in brain development and intelligence. Turner syndrome (TS) is caused by the congenital absence of all or part of one of the X chromosomes in females. Thus, Turner syndrome provides a unique "knock-out model" for investigating how the X chromosome influences the human brain in vivo. Numerous cutting-edge neuroimaging techniques and analyses have been applied to investigate various brain phenotypes in women with TS, which have yielded valuable evidence toward elucidating the causal relationship between the X chromosome and human brain structure and function. In this review, we comprehensively summarize the recent progress made in TS-related neuroimaging studies and emphasize how these findings have enhanced our understanding of X chromosome function with respect to the human brain. Future investigations are encouraged to address the issues of previous TS neuroimaging studies and to further identify the biological mechanisms that underlie the function of specific X-linked genes in the human brain.