1
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Qi G, Battle A. Computational methods for allele-specific expression in single cells. Trends Genet 2024:S0168-9525(24)00169-0. [PMID: 39127549 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2024.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2024] [Revised: 07/16/2024] [Accepted: 07/17/2024] [Indexed: 08/12/2024]
Abstract
Allele-specific expression (ASE) is a powerful signal that can be used to investigate multiple molecular mechanisms, such as cis-regulatory effects and imprinting. Single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) enables ASE characterization at the resolution of individual cells. In this review, we highlight the computational methods for processing and analyzing single-cell ASE data. We first describe a bioinformatics pipeline to obtain ASE counts from raw reads synthesized from previous literature. We then discuss statistical methods for detecting allelic imbalance and its variability across conditions using scRNA-seq data. In addition, we describe other methods that use single-cell ASE to address specific biological questions. Finally, we discuss future directions and emphasize the need for an integrated, optimized bioinformatics pipeline, and further development of statistical methods for different technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guanghao Qi
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
| | - Alexis Battle
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; Department of Computer Science, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; Department of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
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2
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Laugwitz L, Cheng F, Collins SC, Hustinx A, Navarro N, Welsch S, Cox H, Hsieh TC, Vijayananth A, Buchert R, Bender B, Efthymiou S, Murphy D, Zafar F, Rana N, Grasshoff U, Falb RJ, Grimmel M, Seibt A, Zheng W, Ghaedi H, Thirion M, Couette S, Azizimalamiri R, Sadeghian S, Galehdari H, Zamani M, Zeighami J, Sedaghat A, Ramshe SM, Zare A, Alipoor B, Klee D, Sturm M, Ossowski S, Houlden H, Riess O, Wieczorek D, Gavin R, Maroofian R, Krawitz P, Yalcin B, Distelmaier F, Haack TB. ZSCAN10 deficiency causes a neurodevelopmental disorder with characteristic oto-facial malformations. Brain 2024; 147:2471-2482. [PMID: 38386308 PMCID: PMC11224597 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awae058] [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: 03/08/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/21/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Neurodevelopmental disorders are major indications for genetic referral and have been linked to more than 1500 loci including genes encoding transcriptional regulators. The dysfunction of transcription factors often results in characteristic syndromic presentations; however, at least half of these patients lack a genetic diagnosis. The implementation of machine learning approaches has the potential to aid in the identification of new disease genes and delineate associated phenotypes. Next generation sequencing was performed in seven affected individuals with neurodevelopmental delay and dysmorphic features. Clinical characterization included reanalysis of available neuroimaging datasets and 2D portrait image analysis with GestaltMatcher. The functional consequences of ZSCAN10 loss were modelled in mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs), including a knockout and a representative ZSCAN10 protein truncating variant. These models were characterized by gene expression and western blot analyses, chromatin immunoprecipitation and quantitative PCR (ChIP-qPCR) and immunofluorescence staining. Zscan10 knockout mouse embryos were generated and phenotyped. We prioritized bi-allelic ZSCAN10 loss-of-function variants in seven affected individuals from five unrelated families as the underlying molecular cause. RNA-sequencing analyses in Zscan10-/- mESCs indicated dysregulation of genes related to stem cell pluripotency. In addition, we established in mESCs the loss-of-function mechanism for a representative human ZSCAN10 protein truncating variant by showing alteration of its expression levels and subcellular localization, interfering with its binding to DNA enhancer targets. Deep phenotyping revealed global developmental delay, facial asymmetry and malformations of the outer ear as consistent clinical features. Cerebral MRI showed dysplasia of the semicircular canals as an anatomical correlate of sensorineural hearing loss. Facial asymmetry was confirmed as a clinical feature by GestaltMatcher and was recapitulated in the Zscan10 mouse model along with inner and outer ear malformations. Our findings provide evidence of a novel syndromic neurodevelopmental disorder caused by bi-allelic loss-of-function variants in ZSCAN10.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Laugwitz
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, University of Tuebingen, Tübingen, 72076, Germany
- Department of Neuropediatrics, Developmental Neurology and Social Pediatrics, University of Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | - Fubo Cheng
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, University of Tuebingen, Tübingen, 72076, Germany
| | | | - Alexander Hustinx
- Institute for Genomic Statistics and Bioinformatics, University Hospital Bonn, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Bonn 53127, Germany
| | - Nicolas Navarro
- Biogeosciences, UMR 6282 CNRS, EPHE, Université de Bourgogne, Dijon 2100, France
- EPHE, PSL University, Paris 75014, France
| | - Simon Welsch
- Department of General Pediatrics, Neonatology and Pediatric Cardiology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf 40225, Germany
| | - Helen Cox
- West Midlands Regional Clinical Genetics Service and Birmingham Health Partners, Birmingham Women’s and Children’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham B15 2TG, UK
| | - Tzung-Chien Hsieh
- Institute for Genomic Statistics and Bioinformatics, University Hospital Bonn, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Bonn 53127, Germany
| | - Aswinkumar Vijayananth
- Institute for Genomic Statistics and Bioinformatics, University Hospital Bonn, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Bonn 53127, Germany
| | - Rebecca Buchert
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, University of Tuebingen, Tübingen, 72076, Germany
| | - Benjamin Bender
- Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Radiologic Clinics, University of Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | - Stephanie Efthymiou
- Department of Neuromuscular Disorders, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - David Murphy
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Faisal Zafar
- Pediatric Neurology, Children’s Hospital, Multan 60000, Pakistan
| | - Nuzhat Rana
- Pediatric Neurology, Children’s Hospital, Multan 60000, Pakistan
| | - Ute Grasshoff
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, University of Tuebingen, Tübingen, 72076, Germany
- Center for Rare Disease, University of Tübingen, Tübingen 72072, Germany
| | - Ruth J Falb
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, University of Tuebingen, Tübingen, 72076, Germany
| | - Mona Grimmel
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, University of Tuebingen, Tübingen, 72076, Germany
| | - Annette Seibt
- Department of General Pediatrics, Neonatology and Pediatric Cardiology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf 40225, Germany
| | - Wenxu Zheng
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, University of Tuebingen, Tübingen, 72076, Germany
| | - Hamid Ghaedi
- Department of Medical Genetics, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1985717443, Iran
| | - Marie Thirion
- Inserm UMR1231, Université de Bourgogne, Dijon Cedex 21070, France
| | - Sébastien Couette
- Biogeosciences, UMR 6282 CNRS, EPHE, Université de Bourgogne, Dijon 2100, France
- EPHE, PSL University, Paris 75014, France
| | - Reza Azizimalamiri
- Department of Pediatric Neurology, Golestan Medical, Educational, and Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz 6135715794, Iran
| | - Saeid Sadeghian
- Department of Pediatric Neurology, Golestan Medical, Educational, and Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz 6135715794, Iran
| | - Hamid Galehdari
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz 6135783151, Iran
| | - Mina Zamani
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz 6135783151, Iran
- Narges Medical Genetics and Prenatal Diagnosis Laboratory, Kianpars, Ahvaz 6155689467, Iran
| | - Jawaher Zeighami
- Narges Medical Genetics and Prenatal Diagnosis Laboratory, Kianpars, Ahvaz 6155689467, Iran
| | - Alireza Sedaghat
- Narges Medical Genetics and Prenatal Diagnosis Laboratory, Kianpars, Ahvaz 6155689467, Iran
- Diabetes Research Center, Health Research Institute, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz 6135715794, Iran
| | - Samira Molaei Ramshe
- Department of Medical Genetics, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1985717443, Iran
| | - Ali Zare
- Department of Medical Genetics, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1985717443, Iran
| | - Behnam Alipoor
- Department of Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Paramedicine, Yasuj University of Medical Sciences, Yasuj 7591741417, Iran
| | - Dirk Klee
- Department of Pediatric Radiology, Medical Faculty, Institute of Radiology, Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf 40225, Germany
| | - Marc Sturm
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, University of Tuebingen, Tübingen, 72076, Germany
- Genomics England, Queen Mary University of London, London EC1M 6BQ, UK
| | - Stephan Ossowski
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, University of Tuebingen, Tübingen, 72076, Germany
- NGS Competence Center Tübingen (NCCT), University of Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | - Henry Houlden
- Department of Neuromuscular Disorders, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Olaf Riess
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, University of Tuebingen, Tübingen, 72076, Germany
- Center for Rare Disease, University of Tübingen, Tübingen 72072, Germany
| | - Dagmar Wieczorek
- Medical Faculty and University Hospital Düsseldorf, Institute of Human Genetics, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf 40225, Germany
| | - Ryan Gavin
- West Midlands Regional Genetics Laboratory, Central and South Genomic Laboratory Hub, Birmingham B15 2TG, UK
| | - Reza Maroofian
- Department of Neuromuscular Disorders, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Peter Krawitz
- Institute for Genomic Statistics and Bioinformatics, University Hospital Bonn, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Bonn 53127, Germany
| | - Binnaz Yalcin
- Inserm UMR1231, Université de Bourgogne, Dijon Cedex 21070, France
| | - Felix Distelmaier
- Department of General Pediatrics, Neonatology and Pediatric Cardiology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf 40225, Germany
| | - Tobias B Haack
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, University of Tuebingen, Tübingen, 72076, Germany
- Center for Rare Disease, University of Tübingen, Tübingen 72072, Germany
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Bernabéu-Herrero ME, Patel D, Bielowka A, Zhu J, Jain K, Mackay IS, Chaves Guerrero P, Emanuelli G, Jovine L, Noseda M, Marciniak SJ, Aldred MA, Shovlin CL. Mutations causing premature termination codons discriminate and generate cellular and clinical variability in HHT. Blood 2024; 143:2314-2331. [PMID: 38457357 PMCID: PMC11181359 DOI: 10.1182/blood.2023021777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Revised: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/10/2024] Open
Abstract
ABSTRACT For monogenic diseases caused by pathogenic loss-of-function DNA variants, attention focuses on dysregulated gene-specific pathways, usually considering molecular subtypes together within causal genes. To better understand phenotypic variability in hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT), we subcategorized pathogenic DNA variants in ENG/endoglin, ACVRL1/ALK1, and SMAD4 if they generated premature termination codons (PTCs) subject to nonsense-mediated decay. In 3 patient cohorts, a PTC-based classification system explained some previously puzzling hemorrhage variability. In blood outgrowth endothelial cells (BOECs) derived from patients with ACVRL1+/PTC, ENG+/PTC, and SMAD4+/PTC genotypes, PTC-containing RNA transcripts persisted at low levels (8%-23% expected, varying between replicate cultures); genes differentially expressed to Bonferroni P < .05 in HHT+/PTC BOECs clustered significantly only to generic protein terms (isopeptide-bond/ubiquitin-like conjugation) and pulse-chase experiments detected subtle protein maturation differences but no evidence for PTC-truncated protein. BOECs displaying highest PTC persistence were discriminated in unsupervised hierarchical clustering of near-invariant housekeeper genes, with patterns compatible with higher cellular stress in BOECs with >11% PTC persistence. To test directionality, we used a HeLa reporter system to detect induction of activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4), which controls expression of stress-adaptive genes, and showed that ENG Q436X but not ENG R93X directly induced ATF4. AlphaFold accurately modeled relevant ENG domains, with AlphaMissense suggesting that readthrough substitutions would be benign for ENG R93X and other less rare ENG nonsense variants but more damaging for Q436X. We conclude that PTCs should be distinguished from other loss-of-function variants, PTC transcript levels increase in stressed cells, and readthrough proteins and mechanisms provide promising research avenues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria E. Bernabéu-Herrero
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- NIHR Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, London, United Kingdom
| | - Dilipkumar Patel
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- NIHR Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, London, United Kingdom
| | - Adrianna Bielowka
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- NIHR Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, London, United Kingdom
| | - JiaYi Zhu
- Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Kinshuk Jain
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- NIHR Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, London, United Kingdom
| | - Ian S. Mackay
- Ear, Nose and Throat Surgery, Charing Cross and Royal Brompton Hospitals, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Giulia Emanuelli
- Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Luca Jovine
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Michela Noseda
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Stefan J. Marciniak
- Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Micheala A. Aldred
- Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN
| | - Claire L. Shovlin
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- NIHR Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, London, United Kingdom
- Specialist Medicine, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, United Kingdom
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4
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Sun L, Han Y, Li B, Yang Y, Fang Y, Ren X, An L, Hou X, Fan H, Wu Y. A Novel Frameshift Variant of the ELF4 Gene in a Patient with Autoinflammatory Disease: Clinical Features, Transcriptomic Profiling and Functional Studies. J Clin Immunol 2024; 44:127. [PMID: 38773005 DOI: 10.1007/s10875-024-01732-7] [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: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024]
Abstract
We described the diagnosis and treatment of a patient with autoinflammatory disease, named "Deficiency in ELF4, X-linked (DEX)". A novel ELF4 variant was discovered and its pathogenic mechanism was elucidated. The data about clinical, laboratory and endoscopic features, treatment, and follow-up of a patient with DEX were analyzed. Whole exome sequencing and Sanger sequencing were performed to identify potential pathogenic variants. The mRNA and protein levels of ELF4 were analyzed by qPCR and Western blotting, respectively. The association of ELF4 frameshift variant with nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) in the pathogenesis DEX was examined. Moreover, RNA-seq was performed to identify the key molecular events triggered by ELF4 variant. The relationship between ELF4 and IFN-β activity was validated using a dual-luciferase reporter assay and a ChIP-qPCR assay. An 11-year-old boy presented with a Behçet's-like phenotype. The laboratory abnormality was the most obvious in elevated inflammatory indicators. Endoscopy revealed multiple ileocecal ulcers. Intestinal histopathology showed inflammatory cell infiltrations. The patient was treated with long-term immunosuppressant and TNF-α blocker (adalimumab), which reaped an excellent response over 16 months of follow-up. Genetic analysis identified a maternal hemizygote frameshift variant (c.1022del, p.Q341Rfs*30) in ELF4 gene in the proband. The novel variant decreased the mRNA level of ELF4 via the NMD pathway. Mechanistically, insufficient expression of ELF4 disturbed the immune system, leading to immunological disorders and pathogen susceptibility, and disrupted ELF4-activating IFN-β responses. This analysis detailed the clinical characteristics of a Chinese patient with DEX who harbored a novel ELF4 frameshift variant. For the first time, we used patient-derived cells and carried out transcriptomic analysis to delve into the mechanism of ELF4 variant in DEX.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lina Sun
- MOE Key Laboratory of Environment and Genes Related to Diseases, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, No.28 Xianning West Road, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710049, China
- Department of Gastroenterology, Xi'an Children's Hospital, Xi'an, China
| | - Ya'nan Han
- Department of Gastroenterology, Xi'an Children's Hospital, Xi'an, China
| | - Benchang Li
- Shaanxi Institute of Pediatric Diseases, Xi'an Children's Hospital, Xi'an, China
| | - Ying Yang
- Shaanxi Institute of Pediatric Diseases, Xi'an Children's Hospital, Xi'an, China
| | - Ying Fang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Xi'an Children's Hospital, Xi'an, China
| | - Xiaoxia Ren
- Department of Gastroenterology, Xi'an Children's Hospital, Xi'an, China
| | - Lu An
- Department of Pathology, Xi'an Children's Hospital, Xi'an, China
| | - Xin Hou
- Department of Imaging, Xi'an Children's Hospital, Xi'an, China
| | - Huafeng Fan
- Department of Education Science, Xi'an Children's Hospital, Xi'an, China
| | - Yi Wu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Environment and Genes Related to Diseases, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, No.28 Xianning West Road, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710049, China.
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Kolakada D, Fu R, Biziaev N, Shuvalov A, Lore M, Campbell AE, Cortázar MA, Sajek MP, Hesselberth JR, Mukherjee N, Alkalaeva E, Jagannathan S. Systematic analysis of nonsense variants uncovers peptide release rate as a novel modifier of nonsense-mediated mRNA decay efficiency. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.10.575080. [PMID: 38260612 PMCID: PMC10802582 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.10.575080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Nonsense variants underlie many genetic diseases. The phenotypic impact of nonsense variants is determined by Nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD), which degrades transcripts with premature termination codons (PTCs). NMD activity varies across transcripts and cellular contexts via poorly understood mechanisms. Here, by leveraging human genetic datasets, we uncover that the amino acid preceding the PTC dramatically affects NMD activity in human cells. We find that glycine codons in particular support high levels of NMD and are enriched before PTCs but depleted before normal termination codons (NTCs). Gly-PTC enrichment is most pronounced in human genes that tolerate loss-of-function variants. This suggests a strong biological impact for Gly-PTC in ensuring robust elimination of potentially toxic truncated proteins from non-essential genes. Biochemical assays revealed that the peptide release rate during translation termination is highly dependent on the identity of the amino acid preceding the stop codon. This release rate is the most critical feature determining NMD activity across our massively parallel reporter assays. Together, we conclude that NMD activity is significantly modulated by the "window of opportunity" offered by translation termination kinetics. Integrating the window of opportunity model with the existing framework of NMD would enable more accurate nonsense variant interpretation in the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Divya Kolakada
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
- Molecular Biology Graduate Program, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Rui Fu
- RNA Bioscience Initiative, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Nikita Biziaev
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, The Russian Academy of Sciences, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Alexey Shuvalov
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, The Russian Academy of Sciences, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Mlana Lore
- Molecular Biology Graduate Program, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Amy E. Campbell
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Michael A. Cortázar
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Marcin P. Sajek
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
- Institute of Human Genetics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | - Jay R. Hesselberth
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
- RNA Bioscience Initiative, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Neelanjan Mukherjee
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
- RNA Bioscience Initiative, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Elena Alkalaeva
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, The Russian Academy of Sciences, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Sujatha Jagannathan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
- RNA Bioscience Initiative, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
- Lead contact
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Ha C, Jang JH, Kim YG, Kim JW. Reclassification of variants of tumor suppressor genes based on Sanger RNA sequencing without NMD inhibition. Front Genet 2023; 14:1283611. [PMID: 37900184 PMCID: PMC10602670 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2023.1283611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: RNA sequence analysis can be effectively used to identify aberrant splicing, and tumor suppressor genes are adequate targets considering their loss-of-function mechanisms. Sanger sequencing is the simplest method for RNA sequence analysis; however, because of its insufficient sensitivity in cases with nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD), the use of cultured specimens with NMD inhibition has been recommended, hindering its wide adoption. Method: The results of Sanger sequencing of peripheral blood RNA without NMD inhibition performed on potential splicing variants of tumor suppressor genes were retrospectively reviewed. For negative cases, in which no change was identified in the transcript, the possibility of false negativity caused by NMD was assessed through a review of the up-to-date literature. Results: Eleven potential splice variants of various tumor suppressor genes were reviewed. Six variants were classified as pathogenic or likely pathogenic based on the nullifying effect identified by Sanger RNA sequencing. Four variants remained as variants of uncertain significance because of identified in-frame changes or normal expression of both alleles. The result of one variant was suspected to be a false negative caused by NMD after reviewing a recent study that reported the same variant as causing a nullifying effect on the affected transcript. Conclusion: Although RNA changes found in the majority of cases were expected to undergo NMD by canonical rules, most cases (10/11) were interpretable by Sanger RNA sequencing without NMD inhibition due to incomplete NMD efficiency or allele-specific expression despite highly efficient NMD.
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7
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Klonowski J, Liang Q, Coban-Akdemir Z, Lo C, Kostka D. aenmd: annotating escape from nonsense-mediated decay for transcripts with protein-truncating variants. Bioinformatics 2023; 39:btad556. [PMID: 37688563 PMCID: PMC10534055 DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btad556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Revised: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/11/2023] Open
Abstract
SUMMARY DNA changes that cause premature termination codons (PTCs) represent a large fraction of clinically relevant pathogenic genomic variation. Typically, PTCs induce transcript degradation by nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) and render such changes loss-of-function alleles. However, certain PTC-containing transcripts escape NMD and can exert dominant-negative or gain-of-function (DN/GOF) effects. Therefore, systematic identification of human PTC-causing variants and their susceptibility to NMD contributes to the investigation of the role of DN/GOF alleles in human disease. Here we present aenmd, a software for annotating PTC-containing transcript-variant pairs for predicted escape from NMD. aenmd is user-friendly and self-contained. It offers functionality not currently available in other methods and is based on established and experimentally validated rules for NMD escape; the software is designed to work at scale, and to integrate seamlessly with existing analysis workflows. We applied aenmd to variants in the gnomAD, Clinvar, and GWAS catalog databases and report the prevalence of human PTC-causing variants in these databases, and the subset of these variants that could exert DN/GOF effects via NMD escape. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION aenmd is implemented in the R programming language. Code is available on GitHub as an R-package (github.com/kostkalab/aenmd.git), and as a containerized command-line interface (github.com/kostkalab/aenmd_cli.git).
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Klonowski
- Department of Developmental Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15201, United States
| | - Qianqian Liang
- Department of Developmental Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15201, United States
| | - Zeynep Coban-Akdemir
- Department of Epidemiology, Human Genetics and Environmental Sciences, University of Texas School of Public Health, Houston, TX 77030, United States
| | - Cecilia Lo
- Department of Developmental Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15201, United States
| | - Dennis Kostka
- Department of Developmental Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15201, United States
- Department of Computational & Systems Biology and Center for Evolutionary Biology and Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15260,United States
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8
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Sun B, Chen L. Mapping genetic variants for nonsense-mediated mRNA decay regulation across human tissues. Genome Biol 2023; 24:164. [PMID: 37434206 PMCID: PMC10337212 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-023-03004-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) was originally conceived as an mRNA surveillance mechanism to prevent the production of potentially deleterious truncated proteins. Research also shows NMD is an important post-transcriptional gene regulation mechanism selectively targeting many non-aberrant mRNAs. However, how natural genetic variants affect NMD and modulate gene expression remains elusive. RESULTS Here we elucidate NMD regulation of individual genes across human tissues through genetical genomics. Genetic variants corresponding to NMD regulation are identified based on GTEx data through unique and robust transcript expression modeling. We identify genetic variants that influence the percentage of NMD-targeted transcripts (pNMD-QTLs), as well as genetic variants regulating the decay efficiency of NMD-targeted transcripts (dNMD-QTLs). Many such variants are missed in traditional expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) mapping. NMD-QTLs show strong tissue specificity especially in the brain. They are more likely to overlap with disease single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Compared to eQTLs, NMD-QTLs are more likely to be located within gene bodies and exons, especially the penultimate exons from the 3' end. Furthermore, NMD-QTLs are more likely to be found in the binding sites of miRNAs and RNA binding proteins. CONCLUSIONS We reveal the genome-wide landscape of genetic variants associated with NMD regulation across human tissues. Our analysis results indicate important roles of NMD in the brain. The preferential genomic positions of NMD-QTLs suggest key attributes for NMD regulation. Furthermore, the overlap with disease-associated SNPs and post-transcriptional regulatory elements implicates regulatory roles of NMD-QTLs in disease manifestation and their interactions with other post-transcriptional regulators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Sun
- Department of Quantitative and Computational Biology, University of Southern California, 1050 Childs Way, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - Liang Chen
- Department of Quantitative and Computational Biology, University of Southern California, 1050 Childs Way, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA.
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9
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Wagner N, Çelik MH, Hölzlwimmer FR, Mertes C, Prokisch H, Yépez VA, Gagneur J. Aberrant splicing prediction across human tissues. Nat Genet 2023; 55:861-870. [PMID: 37142848 DOI: 10.1038/s41588-023-01373-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Aberrant splicing is a major cause of genetic disorders but its direct detection in transcriptomes is limited to clinically accessible tissues such as skin or body fluids. While DNA-based machine learning models can prioritize rare variants for affecting splicing, their performance in predicting tissue-specific aberrant splicing remains unassessed. Here we generated an aberrant splicing benchmark dataset, spanning over 8.8 million rare variants in 49 human tissues from the Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) dataset. At 20% recall, state-of-the-art DNA-based models achieve maximum 12% precision. By mapping and quantifying tissue-specific splice site usage transcriptome-wide and modeling isoform competition, we increased precision by threefold at the same recall. Integrating RNA-sequencing data of clinically accessible tissues into our model, AbSplice, brought precision to 60%. These results, replicated in two independent cohorts, substantially contribute to noncoding loss-of-function variant identification and to genetic diagnostics design and analytics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nils Wagner
- School of Computation, Information and Technology, Technical University of Munich, Garching, Germany
- Helmholtz Association - Munich School for Data Science (MUDS), Munich, Germany
| | - Muhammed H Çelik
- School of Computation, Information and Technology, Technical University of Munich, Garching, Germany
- Center for Complex Biological Systems, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Florian R Hölzlwimmer
- School of Computation, Information and Technology, Technical University of Munich, Garching, Germany
| | - Christian Mertes
- School of Computation, Information and Technology, Technical University of Munich, Garching, Germany
- Munich Data Science Institute, Technical University of Munich, Garching, Germany
| | - Holger Prokisch
- Institute of Human Genetics, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- Computational Health Center, Helmholtz Center Munich, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Vicente A Yépez
- School of Computation, Information and Technology, Technical University of Munich, Garching, Germany
| | - Julien Gagneur
- School of Computation, Information and Technology, Technical University of Munich, Garching, Germany.
- Helmholtz Association - Munich School for Data Science (MUDS), Munich, Germany.
- Institute of Human Genetics, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
- Computational Health Center, Helmholtz Center Munich, Neuherberg, Germany.
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10
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Potapova NA. Nonsense Mutations in Eukaryotes. BIOCHEMISTRY. BIOKHIMIIA 2022; 87:400-412. [PMID: 35790376 DOI: 10.1134/s0006297922050029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2022] [Revised: 02/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Nonsense mutations are a type of mutations which results in a premature termination codon occurrence. In general, these mutations have been considered to be among the most harmful ones which lead to premature protein translation termination and result in shortened nonfunctional polypeptide. However, there is evidence that not all nonsense mutations are harmful as well as some molecular mechanisms exist which allow to avoid pathogenic effects of these mutations. This review addresses relevant information on nonsense mutations in eukaryotic genomes, characteristics of these mutations, and different molecular mechanisms preventing or mitigating harmful effects thereof.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadezhda A Potapova
- Kharkevich Institute for Information Transmission Problems (IITP), Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 127051, Russia.
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11
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Olayinka OA, O’Neill NK, Farrer LA, Wang G, Zhang X. Molecular Quantitative Trait Locus Mapping in Human Complex Diseases. Curr Protoc 2022; 2:e426. [PMID: 35587224 PMCID: PMC9186089 DOI: 10.1002/cpz1.426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Mapping quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for molecular traits from chromatin to metabolites (i.e., xQTLs) provides insight into the locations and effect modes of genetic variants that influence these molecular phenotypes and the propagation of functional consequences of each variant. xQTL studies indirectly interrogate the functional landscape of the molecular basis of complex diseases, including the impact of non-coding regulatory variants, the tissue specificity of regulatory elements, and their contribution to disease by integrating with genome-wide association studies (GWAS). We summarize a variety of molecular xQTL studies in human tissues and cells. In addition, using the Alzheimer's Disease Sequencing Project (ADSP) as an example, we describe the ADSP xQTL project, a collaborative effort across the ADSP Functional Genomics Consortium (ADSP-FGC). The project's ultimate goal is a reference map of Alzheimer's-related QTLs using existing datasets from multiple omics layers to help us study the consequences of genetic variants identified in the ADSP. xQTL studies enable the identification of the causal genes and pathways in GWAS loci, which will likely aid in the discovery of novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets for complex diseases. © 2022 Wiley Periodicals LLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oluwatosin A. Olayinka
- Bioinformatics Program, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA,Department of Medicine (Biomedical Genetics), Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Nicholas K. O’Neill
- Bioinformatics Program, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA,Department of Medicine (Biomedical Genetics), Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Lindsay A. Farrer
- Bioinformatics Program, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA,Department of Medicine (Biomedical Genetics), Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA,Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA,Department of Ophthalmology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA,Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA,Department of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Gao Wang
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA,Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Xiaoling Zhang
- Bioinformatics Program, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA,Department of Medicine (Biomedical Genetics), Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA,Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA,Correspondence: Xiaoling Zhang, M.D., Ph.D., , Boston University School of Medicine, 72 East Concord Street, E223, Boston, MA 02118
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12
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Yépez VA, Gusic M, Kopajtich R, Mertes C, Smith NH, Alston CL, Ban R, Beblo S, Berutti R, Blessing H, Ciara E, Distelmaier F, Freisinger P, Häberle J, Hayflick SJ, Hempel M, Itkis YS, Kishita Y, Klopstock T, Krylova TD, Lamperti C, Lenz D, Makowski C, Mosegaard S, Müller MF, Muñoz-Pujol G, Nadel A, Ohtake A, Okazaki Y, Procopio E, Schwarzmayr T, Smet J, Staufner C, Stenton SL, Strom TM, Terrile C, Tort F, Van Coster R, Vanlander A, Wagner M, Xu M, Fang F, Ghezzi D, Mayr JA, Piekutowska-Abramczuk D, Ribes A, Rötig A, Taylor RW, Wortmann SB, Murayama K, Meitinger T, Gagneur J, Prokisch H. Clinical implementation of RNA sequencing for Mendelian disease diagnostics. Genome Med 2022; 14:38. [PMID: 35379322 PMCID: PMC8981716 DOI: 10.1186/s13073-022-01019-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 40.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lack of functional evidence hampers variant interpretation, leaving a large proportion of individuals with a suspected Mendelian disorder without genetic diagnosis after whole genome or whole exome sequencing (WES). Research studies advocate to further sequence transcriptomes to directly and systematically probe gene expression defects. However, collection of additional biopsies and establishment of lab workflows, analytical pipelines, and defined concepts in clinical interpretation of aberrant gene expression are still needed for adopting RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) in routine diagnostics. METHODS We implemented an automated RNA-seq protocol and a computational workflow with which we analyzed skin fibroblasts of 303 individuals with a suspected mitochondrial disease that previously underwent WES. We also assessed through simulations how aberrant expression and mono-allelic expression tests depend on RNA-seq coverage. RESULTS We detected on average 12,500 genes per sample including around 60% of all disease genes-a coverage substantially higher than with whole blood, supporting the use of skin biopsies. We prioritized genes demonstrating aberrant expression, aberrant splicing, or mono-allelic expression. The pipeline required less than 1 week from sample preparation to result reporting and provided a median of eight disease-associated genes per patient for inspection. A genetic diagnosis was established for 16% of the 205 WES-inconclusive cases. Detection of aberrant expression was a major contributor to diagnosis including instances of 50% reduction, which, together with mono-allelic expression, allowed for the diagnosis of dominant disorders caused by haploinsufficiency. Moreover, calling aberrant splicing and variants from RNA-seq data enabled detecting and validating splice-disrupting variants, of which the majority fell outside WES-covered regions. CONCLUSION Together, these results show that streamlined experimental and computational processes can accelerate the implementation of RNA-seq in routine diagnostics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vicente A. Yépez
- Institute of Human Genetics, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- Department of Informatics, Technical University of Munich, Garching, Germany
- Quantitative Biosciences Munich, Department of Biochemistry, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Germany
| | - Mirjana Gusic
- Institute of Human Genetics, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- Institute of Neurogenomics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany
- DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), partner site Munich Heart Alliance, Munich, Germany
| | - Robert Kopajtich
- Institute of Human Genetics, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- Institute of Neurogenomics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Christian Mertes
- Department of Informatics, Technical University of Munich, Garching, Germany
| | - Nicholas H. Smith
- Department of Informatics, Technical University of Munich, Garching, Germany
| | - Charlotte L. Alston
- Wellcome Centre for Mitochondrial Research, Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4HH UK
- NHS Highly Specialised Services for Rare Mitochondrial Disorders, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Queen Victoria Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 4LP UK
| | - Rui Ban
- Institute of Neurogenomics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany
- Department of Pediatric Neurology, Beijing Children’s Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Center for Children’s Health, Beijing, China
| | - Skadi Beblo
- Department of Women and Child Health, Hospital for Children and Adolescents, Center for Pediatric Research Leipzig (CPL), Center for Rare Diseases, University Hospitals, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Riccardo Berutti
- Institute of Human Genetics, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- Institute of Neurogenomics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Holger Blessing
- Department for Inborn Metabolic Diseases, Children’s and Adolescents’ Hospital, University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Elżbieta Ciara
- Department of Medical Genetics, Children’s Memorial Health Institute, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Felix Distelmaier
- Department of General Pediatrics, Neonatology and Pediatric Cardiology, Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Peter Freisinger
- Department of Pediatrics, Klinikum Reutlingen, Reutlingen, Germany
| | - Johannes Häberle
- University Children’s Hospital Zurich and Children’s Research Centre, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Susan J. Hayflick
- Department of Molecular and Medical Genetics, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, USA
| | - Maja Hempel
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | | | - Yoshihito Kishita
- Diagnostics and Therapeutics of Intractable Diseases, Intractable Disease Research Center, Juntendo University, Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Life Science, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Kindai University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Thomas Klopstock
- Department of Neurology, Friedrich-Baur-Institute, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany
- Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Munich, Germany
| | | | - Costanza Lamperti
- Unit of Medical Genetics and Neurogenetics, Fondazione IRCCS (Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico) Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Dominic Lenz
- Division of Neuropediatrics and Pediatric Metabolic Medicine, Center for Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Christine Makowski
- Department of Pediatrics, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Signe Mosegaard
- Research Unit for Molecular Medicine, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Michaela F. Müller
- Department of Informatics, Technical University of Munich, Garching, Germany
| | - Gerard Muñoz-Pujol
- Section of Inborn Errors of Metabolism-IBC, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Hospital Clínic, IDIBAPS, CIBERER, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Agnieszka Nadel
- Institute of Human Genetics, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- Institute of Neurogenomics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Akira Ohtake
- Department of Pediatrics & Clinical Genomics, Faculty of Medicine, Saitama Medical University, Saitama, Japan
- Center for Intractable Diseases, Saitama Medical University Hospital, Saitama, Japan
| | - Yasushi Okazaki
- Diagnostics and Therapeutics of Intractable Diseases, Intractable Disease Research Center, Juntendo University, Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Elena Procopio
- Inborn Metabolic and Muscular Disorders Unit, Anna Meyer Children Hospital, Florence, Italy
| | - Thomas Schwarzmayr
- Institute of Human Genetics, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- Institute of Neurogenomics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Joél Smet
- Department of Pediatric Neurology and Metabolism, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Christian Staufner
- Division of Neuropediatrics and Pediatric Metabolic Medicine, Center for Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sarah L. Stenton
- Institute of Human Genetics, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- Institute of Neurogenomics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Tim M. Strom
- Institute of Human Genetics, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- Institute of Neurogenomics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Caterina Terrile
- Institute of Neurogenomics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Frederic Tort
- Section of Inborn Errors of Metabolism-IBC, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Hospital Clínic, IDIBAPS, CIBERER, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Rudy Van Coster
- Department of Pediatric Neurology and Metabolism, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Arnaud Vanlander
- Department of Pediatric Neurology and Metabolism, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Matias Wagner
- Institute of Human Genetics, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- Institute of Neurogenomics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Manting Xu
- Institute of Neurogenomics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany
- Department of Pediatric Neurology, Beijing Children’s Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Center for Children’s Health, Beijing, China
| | - Fang Fang
- Department of Pediatric Neurology, Beijing Children’s Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Center for Children’s Health, Beijing, China
| | - Daniele Ghezzi
- Unit of Medical Genetics and Neurogenetics, Fondazione IRCCS (Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico) Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Johannes A. Mayr
- University Children’s Hospital, Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | | | - Antonia Ribes
- Section of Inborn Errors of Metabolism-IBC, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Hospital Clínic, IDIBAPS, CIBERER, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Agnès Rötig
- Université de Paris, Institut Imagine, INSERM UMR 1163, Paris, France
| | - Robert W. Taylor
- Wellcome Centre for Mitochondrial Research, Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4HH UK
- NHS Highly Specialised Services for Rare Mitochondrial Disorders, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Queen Victoria Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 4LP UK
| | - Saskia B. Wortmann
- Institute of Human Genetics, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- University Children’s Hospital, Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
- Amalia Children’s Hospital, Radboudumc Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Kei Murayama
- Department of Metabolism, Chiba Children’s Hospital, Chiba, Japan
| | - Thomas Meitinger
- Institute of Human Genetics, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Julien Gagneur
- Institute of Human Genetics, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- Department of Informatics, Technical University of Munich, Garching, Germany
- Institute of Computational Biology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Holger Prokisch
- Institute of Human Genetics, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- Institute of Neurogenomics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany
- Department of Pediatric Neurology, Beijing Children’s Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Center for Children’s Health, Beijing, China
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Hiltpold M, Janett F, Mapel XM, Kadri NK, Fang ZH, Schwarzenbacher H, Seefried FR, Spengeler M, Witschi U, Pausch H. A 1-bp deletion in bovine QRICH2 causes low sperm count and immotile sperm with multiple morphological abnormalities. Genet Sel Evol 2022; 54:18. [PMID: 35255804 PMCID: PMC8900305 DOI: 10.1186/s12711-022-00710-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Semen quality and insemination success are monitored in artificial insemination bulls to ensure high male fertility rates. Only ejaculates that fulfill minimum quality requirements are processed and eventually used for artificial inseminations. We examined 70,990 ejaculates from 1343 Brown Swiss bulls to identify bulls from which all ejaculates were rejected due to low semen quality. This procedure identified a bull that produced 12 ejaculates with an aberrantly small number of sperm (0.2 ± 0.2 × 109 sperm per mL) which were mostly immotile due to multiple morphological abnormalities. RESULTS The genome of this bull was sequenced at a 12× coverage to investigate a possible genetic cause. Comparing the sequence variant genotypes of this bull with those from 397 fertile bulls revealed a 1-bp deletion in the coding sequence of the QRICH2 gene which encodes the glutamine rich 2 protein, as a compelling candidate causal variant. This 1-bp deletion causes a frameshift in translation and a premature termination codon (ENSBTAP00000018337.1:p.Cys1644AlafsTer52). The analysis of testis transcriptomes from 76 bulls showed that the transcript with the premature termination codon is subject to nonsense-mediated mRNA decay. The 1-bp deletion resides in a 675-kb haplotype that includes 181 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from the Illumina BovineHD Bead chip. This haplotype segregates at a frequency of 5% in the Brown Swiss cattle population. Our analysis also identified another bull that carried the 1-bp deletion in the homozygous state. Semen analyses from the second bull confirmed low sperm concentration and immotile sperm with multiple morphological abnormalities that primarily affect the sperm flagellum and, to a lesser extent, the sperm head. CONCLUSIONS A recessive loss-of-function allele of the bovine QRICH2 gene likely causes low sperm concentration and immotile sperm with multiple morphological abnormalities. Routine sperm analyses unambiguously identify homozygous bulls for this allele. A direct gene test can be implemented to monitor the frequency of the undesired allele in cattle populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maya Hiltpold
- Animal Genomics, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, ETH Zürich, Universitätstrasse 2, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Fredi Janett
- Clinic of Reproductive Medicine, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 260, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Xena Marie Mapel
- Animal Genomics, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, ETH Zürich, Universitätstrasse 2, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Naveen Kumar Kadri
- Animal Genomics, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, ETH Zürich, Universitätstrasse 2, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Zih-Hua Fang
- Animal Genomics, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, ETH Zürich, Universitätstrasse 2, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland
- Present Address: Genome Biology of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Deutsches Zentrum Für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen e. V. (DZNE), Otfried-Müller-Str. 23, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | | | | | | | - Ulrich Witschi
- Swissgenetics, Meielenfeldweg 12, 3052 Zollikofen, Switzerland
| | - Hubert Pausch
- Animal Genomics, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, ETH Zürich, Universitätstrasse 2, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland
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Montgomery SB, Bernstein JA, Wheeler MT. Toward transcriptomics as a primary tool for rare disease investigation. Cold Spring Harb Mol Case Stud 2022; 8:a006198. [PMID: 35217565 PMCID: PMC8958920 DOI: 10.1101/mcs.a006198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
In the past 5 years transcriptome or RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) has steadily emerged as a complementary assay for rare disease diagnosis and discovery. In this perspective, we summarize several recent developments and challenges in the use of RNA-seq for rare disease investigation. Using an accessible patient sample, such as blood, skin, or muscle, RNA-seq enables the assay of expressed RNA transcripts. Analysis of RNA-seq allows the identification of aberrant or outlier gene expression and alternative splicing as functional evidence to support rare disease study and diagnosis. Further, many types of variant effects can be profiled beyond coding variants, as the consequences of noncoding variants that impact gene expression and splicing can be directly observed. This is particularly apparent for structural variants that disproportionately underlie outlier gene expression and for splicing variants in which RNA-seq can both measure aberrant canonical splicing and detect deep intronic effects. However, a major potential limitation of RNA-seq in rare disease investigation is the developmental and cell type specificity of gene expression as a pathogenic variant's effect may be limited to a specific spatiotemporal context and access to a patient's tissue sample from the relevant tissue and timing of disease expression may not be possible. We speculate that as advances in computational methods and emerging experimental techniques overcome both developmental and cell type specificity, there will be broadening use of RNA sequencing and multiomics in rare disease diagnosis and delivery of precision health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen B Montgomery
- Departments of Genetics and Pathology, Stanford University, California 94305, USA
| | - Jonathan A Bernstein
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305, USA
| | - Matthew T Wheeler
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, California 94304, USA
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