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1
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Mohajeri K, Yadav R, D'haene E, Boone PM, Erdin S, Gao D, Moyses-Oliveira M, Bhavsar R, Currall BB, O'Keefe K, Burt ND, Lowther C, Lucente D, Salani M, Larson M, Redin C, Dudchenko O, Aiden EL, Menten B, Tai DJC, Gusella JF, Vergult S, Talkowski ME. Transcriptional and functional consequences of alterations to MEF2C and its topological organization in neuronal models. Am J Hum Genet 2022; 109:2049-2067. [PMID: 36283406 PMCID: PMC9674968 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2022.09.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Point mutations and structural variants that directly disrupt the coding sequence of MEF2C have been associated with a spectrum of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs). However, the impact of MEF2C haploinsufficiency on neurodevelopmental pathways and synaptic processes is not well understood, nor are the complex mechanisms that govern its regulation. To explore the functional changes associated with structural variants that alter MEF2C expression and/or regulation, we generated an allelic series of 204 isogenic human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived neural stem cells and glutamatergic induced neurons. These neuronal models harbored CRISPR-engineered mutations that involved direct deletion of MEF2C or deletion of the boundary points for topologically associating domains (TADs) and chromatin loops encompassing MEF2C. Systematic profiling of mutation-specific alterations, contrasted to unedited controls that were exposed to the same guide RNAs for each edit, revealed that deletion of MEF2C caused differential expression of genes associated with neurodevelopmental pathways and synaptic function. We also discovered significant reduction in synaptic activity measured by multielectrode arrays (MEAs) in neuronal cells. By contrast, we observed robust buffering against MEF2C regulatory disruption following deletion of a distal 5q14.3 TAD and loop boundary, whereas homozygous loss of a proximal loop boundary resulted in down-regulation of MEF2C expression and reduced electrophysiological activity on MEA that was comparable to direct gene disruption. Collectively, these studies highlight the considerable functional impact of MEF2C deletion in neuronal cells and systematically characterize the complex interactions that challenge a priori predictions of regulatory consequences from structural variants that disrupt three-dimensional genome organization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kiana Mohajeri
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Program in Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Rachita Yadav
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Eva D'haene
- Center for Medical Genetics, Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Philip M Boone
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Division of Genetics and Genomics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Serkan Erdin
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Dadi Gao
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Mariana Moyses-Oliveira
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Riya Bhavsar
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Benjamin B Currall
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Kathryn O'Keefe
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Nicholas D Burt
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Chelsea Lowther
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Diane Lucente
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Monica Salani
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Mathew Larson
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Claire Redin
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Olga Dudchenko
- The Center for Genome Architecture, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; Center for Theoretical Biological Physics and Department of Computer Science, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Erez Lieberman Aiden
- The Center for Genome Architecture, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; Center for Theoretical Biological Physics and Department of Computer Science, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA; UWA School of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies, ShanghaiTech, Pudong, China
| | - Björn Menten
- Center for Medical Genetics, Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Derek J C Tai
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - James F Gusella
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Program in Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sarah Vergult
- Center for Medical Genetics, Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Michael E Talkowski
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Program in Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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2
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Tai DJC, Razaz P, Erdin S, Gao D, Wang J, Nuttle X, de Esch CE, Collins RL, Currall BB, O'Keefe K, Burt ND, Yadav R, Wang L, Mohajeri K, Aneichyk T, Ragavendran A, Stortchevoi A, Morini E, Ma W, Lucente D, Hastie A, Kelleher RJ, Perlis RH, Talkowski ME, Gusella JF. Tissue- and cell-type-specific molecular and functional signatures of 16p11.2 reciprocal genomic disorder across mouse brain and human neuronal models. Am J Hum Genet 2022; 109:1789-1813. [PMID: 36152629 PMCID: PMC9606388 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2022.08.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Chromosome 16p11.2 reciprocal genomic disorder, resulting from recurrent copy-number variants (CNVs), involves intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and schizophrenia, but the responsible mechanisms are not known. To systemically dissect molecular effects, we performed transcriptome profiling of 350 libraries from six tissues (cortex, cerebellum, striatum, liver, brown fat, and white fat) in mouse models harboring CNVs of the syntenic 7qF3 region, as well as cellular, transcriptional, and single-cell analyses in 54 isogenic neural stem cell, induced neuron, and cerebral organoid models of CRISPR-engineered 16p11.2 CNVs. Transcriptome-wide differentially expressed genes were largely tissue-, cell-type-, and dosage-specific, although more effects were shared between deletion and duplication and across tissue than expected by chance. The broadest effects were observed in the cerebellum (2,163 differentially expressed genes), and the greatest enrichments were associated with synaptic pathways in mouse cerebellum and human induced neurons. Pathway and co-expression analyses identified energy and RNA metabolism as shared processes and enrichment for ASD-associated, loss-of-function constraint, and fragile X messenger ribonucleoprotein target gene sets. Intriguingly, reciprocal 16p11.2 dosage changes resulted in consistent decrements in neurite and electrophysiological features, and single-cell profiling of organoids showed reciprocal alterations to the proportions of excitatory and inhibitory GABAergic neurons. Changes both in neuronal ratios and in gene expression in our organoid analyses point most directly to calretinin GABAergic inhibitory neurons and the excitatory/inhibitory balance as targets of disruption that might contribute to changes in neurodevelopmental and cognitive function in 16p11.2 carriers. Collectively, our data indicate the genomic disorder involves disruption of multiple contributing biological processes and that this disruption has relative impacts that are context specific.
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Affiliation(s)
- Derek J C Tai
- Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Parisa Razaz
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Serkan Erdin
- Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Dadi Gao
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Jennifer Wang
- Center for Quantitative Health, Division of Clinical Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Xander Nuttle
- Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Celine E de Esch
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Ryan L Collins
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Benjamin B Currall
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Kathryn O'Keefe
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Nicholas D Burt
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Rachita Yadav
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Lily Wang
- Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Kiana Mohajeri
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Tatsiana Aneichyk
- Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Ashok Ragavendran
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Alexei Stortchevoi
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Elisabetta Morini
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Weiyuan Ma
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Diane Lucente
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | | | - Raymond J Kelleher
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Roy H Perlis
- Center for Quantitative Health, Division of Clinical Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Michael E Talkowski
- Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
| | - James F Gusella
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
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Bailon-Zambrano R, Sucharov J, Mumme-Monheit A, Murry M, Stenzel A, Pulvino AT, Mitchell JM, Colborn KL, Nichols JT. Variable paralog expression underlies phenotype variation. eLife 2022; 11:e79247. [PMID: 36134886 PMCID: PMC9555865 DOI: 10.7554/elife.79247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Human faces are variable; we look different from one another. Craniofacial disorders further increase facial variation. To understand craniofacial variation and how it can be buffered, we analyzed the zebrafish mef2ca mutant. When this transcription factor encoding gene is mutated, zebrafish develop dramatically variable craniofacial phenotypes. Years of selective breeding for low and high penetrance of mutant phenotypes produced strains that are either resilient or sensitive to the mef2ca mutation. Here, we compared gene expression between these strains, which revealed that selective breeding enriched for high and low mef2ca paralog expression in the low- and high-penetrance strains, respectively. We found that mef2ca paralog expression is variable in unselected wild-type zebrafish, motivating the hypothesis that heritable variation in paralog expression underlies mutant phenotype severity and variation. In support, mutagenizing the mef2ca paralogs, mef2aa, mef2b, mef2cb, and mef2d demonstrated modular buffering by paralogs. Specifically, some paralogs buffer severity while others buffer variability. We present a novel, mechanistic model for phenotypic variation where variable, vestigial paralog expression buffers development. These studies are a major step forward in understanding the mechanisms of facial variation, including how some genetically resilient individuals can overcome a deleterious mutation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raisa Bailon-Zambrano
- Department of Craniofacial Biology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical CampusAuroraUnited States
| | - Juliana Sucharov
- Department of Craniofacial Biology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical CampusAuroraUnited States
| | - Abigail Mumme-Monheit
- Department of Craniofacial Biology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical CampusAuroraUnited States
| | - Matthew Murry
- Department of Craniofacial Biology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical CampusAuroraUnited States
| | - Amanda Stenzel
- Department of Craniofacial Biology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical CampusAuroraUnited States
| | - Anthony T Pulvino
- Department of Craniofacial Biology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical CampusAuroraUnited States
| | - Jennyfer M Mitchell
- Department of Craniofacial Biology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical CampusAuroraUnited States
| | - Kathryn L Colborn
- Department of Surgery, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical CampusAuroraUnited States
| | - James T Nichols
- Department of Craniofacial Biology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical CampusAuroraUnited States
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Sunderaraman P, Cosentino S, Schupf N, Manly J, Gu Y, Barral S. MEF2C Common Genetic Variation Is Associated With Different Aspects of Cognition in Non-Hispanic White and Caribbean Hispanic Non-demented Older Adults. Front Genet 2021; 12:642327. [PMID: 34386032 PMCID: PMC8353395 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.642327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Myocyte Enhancer Factor 2C (MEF2C) is identified as a candidate gene contributing to the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. However, little is known about whether MEF2C plays a role in specific aspects of cognition among older adults. The current study investigated the association of common variants in the MEF2C gene with four cognitive domains including memory, visuospatial functioning, processing speed and language among non-demented individuals. METHOD Participants from two ethnic groups, Non-Hispanic White (NHW; n = 537) and Caribbean Hispanic (CH; n = 1,197) from the Washington Heights-Inwood Community Aging Project (WHICAP) study, were included. Genetic association analyses using WHICAP imputed genome-wide data (GWAS) were conducted for the various cognition domains. RESULTS Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) variants in the MEF2C gene showed nominally significant associations in all cognitive domains but for different SNPs across both the ethnic groups. In NHW participants, the strongest associations were present for memory (rs302484), language (rs619584), processing speed (rs13159808), and visuospatial functioning (several SNPs). In CH, strongest associations were observed for memory (rs34822815), processing speed (rs304141), visuospatial functioning (rs10066711 and rs10038371), and language (rs304153). DISCUSSION MEF2C variant-cognitive associations shed light on an apparent role for MEF2C in both memory and non-memory aspects of cognition in individuals from NHW and CH ancestries. However, the little overlap in the specific SNP-cognition associations in CH versus NHW highlights the differences in genetic architectural variations among those from different ancestries that should be considered while studying the MEF2C gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Preeti Sunderaraman
- Cognitive Neuroscience Division of the Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain, G.H. Sergievsky Center, and the Department of Neurology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
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Cooley Coleman JA, Sarasua SM, Boccuto L, Moore HW, Skinner SA, DeLuca JM. Comprehensive investigation of the phenotype of MEF2C-related disorders in human patients: A systematic review. Am J Med Genet A 2021; 185:3884-3894. [PMID: 34184825 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.a.62412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2021] [Revised: 06/14/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
MEF2C-related disorders (aka MEF2C-haploinsufficiency) are caused by variations in or involving the MEF2C gene and are characterized by intellectual disability, developmental delay, lack of speech, limited walking, and seizures. Despite these findings, the disorder is not easily recognized clinically. We performed a systematic review following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines to assemble the most comprehensive list of patients and their phenotypes. Through searching PubMed, Web of Science, and MEDLINE, 43 articles met the inclusion criteria and were fully reviewed. One hundred and seventeen patients were identified from these publications with most having a phenotype of intellectual disability, developmental delay, seizures, hypotonia, absent speech, inability to walk, stereotypic movements, and MRI abnormalities. Nonclassical findings included one patient with a question mark ear, two patients with a jugular pit, one patient with a unique neuroendocrine finding, and nine patients that did not have MEF2C deletions or disruptions but may be affected due to a positional effect on MEF2C. This systematic review characterizes the phenotype of MEF2C-related disorders, documents the severity of this condition, and will help providers to better diagnose and care for patients and their families. Additionally, this compiled information provides a comprehensive resource for investigators interested in pursuing specific genotype-phenotype correlations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica A Cooley Coleman
- School of Nursing, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, USA.,Greenwood Genetic Center, Greenwood, South Carolina, USA
| | - Sara M Sarasua
- School of Nursing, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, USA
| | - Luigi Boccuto
- School of Nursing, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, USA
| | | | | | - Jane M DeLuca
- School of Nursing, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, USA.,Greenwood Genetic Center, Greenwood, South Carolina, USA
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Sinnett SE, Boyle E, Lyons C, Gray SJ. Engineered microRNA-based regulatory element permits safe high-dose miniMECP2 gene therapy in Rett mice. Brain 2021; 144:3005-3019. [PMID: 33950254 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awab182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Revised: 04/23/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
MECP2 gene transfer has been shown to extend the survival of Mecp2-/y knockout (KO) mice modeling Rett syndrome (RTT), an X-linked neurodevelopmental disorder. However, controlling deleterious overexpression of MeCP2 remains the critical unmet obstacle towards a safe and effective gene therapy approach for RTT. A recently developed truncated miniMECP2 gene has also been shown to be therapeutic after AAV9-mediated gene transfer in KO neonates. We show that AAV9/miniMECP2 has a similar dose-dependent toxicity profile to that of a published second-generation AAV9/MECP2 vector after treatment in adolescent mice. To overcome that toxicity, we developed a risk-driven viral genome design strategy rooted in high-throughput profiling and genome mining to rationally develop a compact, synthetic miRNA target panel (miR-Responsive Auto-Regulatory Element, "miRARE") to minimize the possibility of miniMECP2 transgene overexpression in the context of RTT gene therapy. The goal of miRARE is to have a built-in inhibitory element responsive to MeCP2 overexpression. The data provided herein show that insertion of miRARE into the miniMECP2 gene expression cassette greatly improved the safety of miniMECP2 gene transfer without compromising efficacy. Importantly, this built-in regulation system does not require any additional exogenous drug application, and no miRNAs are expressed from the transgene cassette. Although broad applications of miRARE have yet to be determined, the design of miRARE suggests a potential use in gene therapy approaches for other dose-sensitive genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E Sinnett
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA.,Eugene McDermott Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
| | - Emily Boyle
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
| | - Christopher Lyons
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
| | - Steven J Gray
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA.,Eugene McDermott Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
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Raviglione F, Douzgou S, Scala M, Mingarelli A, D'Arrigo S, Freri E, Darra F, Giglio S, Bonaglia MC, Pantaleoni C, Mastrangelo M, Epifanio R, Elia M, Saletti V, Morlino S, Vari MS, De Liso P, Pavaine J, Spaccini L, Cattaneo E, Gardella E, Møller RS, Marchese F, Colonna C, Gandioli C, Gobbi G, Ram D, Palumbo O, Carella M, Germano M, Tonduti D, De Angelis D, Caputo D, Bergonzini P, Novara F, Zuffardi O, Verrotti A, Orsini A, Bonuccelli A, De Muto MC, Trivisano M, Vigevano F, Granata T, Bernardina BD, Tranchina A, Striano P. Electroclinical features of MEF2C haploinsufficiency-related epilepsy: A multicenter European study. Seizure 2021; 88:60-72. [PMID: 33831796 DOI: 10.1016/j.seizure.2021.03.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2020] [Revised: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Epilepsy is a main manifestation in the autosomal dominant mental retardation syndrome caused by heterozygous variants in MEF2C. We aimed to delineate the electro-clinical features and refine the genotype-phenotype correlations in patients with MEF2C haploinsufficiency. METHODS We thoroughly investigated 25 patients with genetically confirmed MEF2C-syndrome across 12 different European Genetics and Epilepsy Centers, focusing on the epileptic phenotype. Clinical features (seizure types, onset, evolution, and response to therapy), EEG recordings during waking/sleep, and neuroimaging findings were analyzed. We also performed a detailed literature review using the terms "MEF2C", "seizures", and "epilepsy". RESULTS Epilepsy was diagnosed in 19 out of 25 (~80%) subjects, with age at onset <30 months. Ten individuals (40%) presented with febrile seizures and myoclonic seizures occurred in ~50% of patients. Epileptiform abnormalities were observed in 20/25 patients (80%) and hypoplasia/partial agenesis of the corpus callosum was detected in 12/25 patients (~50%). Nine patients harbored a 5q14.3 deletion encompassing MEF2C and at least one other gene. In 7 out of 10 patients with myoclonic seizures, MIR9-2 and LINC00461 were also deleted, whereas ADGRV1 was involved in 3/4 patients with spasms. CONCLUSION The epileptic phenotype of MEF2C-syndrome is variable. Febrile and myoclonic seizures are the most frequent, usually associated with a slowing of the background activity and irregular diffuse discharges of frontally dominant, symmetric or asymmetric, slow theta waves with interposed spike-and-waves complexes. The haploinsufficiency of ADGRV1, MIR9-2, and LINC00461 likely contributes to myoclonic seizures and spasms in patients with MEF2C syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sofia Douzgou
- Division of Evolution and Genomic Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicines and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK; Manchester Centre for Genomic Medicine, Saint Mary's Hospital, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK; Member of ERN-ITHACA
| | - Marcello Scala
- Department of Neurosciences, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy; Pediatric Neurology and Muscular Diseases Unit, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genoa, Italy
| | | | - Stefano D'Arrigo
- Department of Pediatric Neuroscience, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Elena Freri
- Department of Pediatric Neuroscience, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy; Member of ERN EpiCARE
| | - Francesca Darra
- Child Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Life and Reproduction Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Sabrina Giglio
- Department of Biomedical Experimental and Clinical Sciences "Mario Serio", University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Maria C Bonaglia
- Cytogenetics Laboratory, Scientific Institute, IRCCS Eugenio Medea, Bosisio Parini, Lecco, Italy
| | - Chiara Pantaleoni
- Department of Pediatric Neuroscience, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Massimo Mastrangelo
- Paediatric Neurology Unit, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital Vittore Buzzi, Milan, Italy
| | - Roberta Epifanio
- Clinical Neurophysiology Unit, IRCCS, E Medea Scientific Institute, Bosisio Parini, Lecco, Italy
| | | | - Veronica Saletti
- Department of Pediatric Neuroscience, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Silvia Morlino
- Division of Medical Genetics, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, Poliambulatorio "Giovanni Paolo II", Viale Padre Pio, snc, San Giovanni Rotondo 71013, Italy
| | - Maria Stella Vari
- Department of Neurosciences, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy; Pediatric Neurology and Muscular Diseases Unit, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genoa, Italy
| | - Paola De Liso
- Department of Neuroscience, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRRCS, Rome, Italy; Member of ERN EpiCARE
| | - Julija Pavaine
- Academic Unit of Paediatric Radiology, Royal Manchester Children's Hospital, Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Luigina Spaccini
- Clinical Genetics Service, Department of Pediatrics, Vittore Buzzi Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Elisa Cattaneo
- Clinical Genetics Service, Department of Pediatrics, Vittore Buzzi Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Elena Gardella
- The Danish Epilepsy Centre Filadelfia, Dianalund, Denmark; Institute for Regional Health Services, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark; Member of ERN EpiCARE
| | - Rikke S Møller
- The Danish Epilepsy Centre Filadelfia, Dianalund, Denmark; Institute for Regional Health Services, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark; Member of ERN EpiCARE
| | - Francesca Marchese
- Department of Neurosciences, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy; Pediatric Neurology and Muscular Diseases Unit, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genoa, Italy
| | - Clara Colonna
- Hospital Neuropsychiatry Service, ASST Rhodense, Rho, Milan, Italy
| | - Claudia Gandioli
- Hospital Neuropsychiatry Service, ASST Rhodense, Rho, Milan, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Gobbi
- Child Neurology Unit, IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche, Bologna, Italy
| | - Dipak Ram
- Department of Paediatric Neurology, Royal Manchester Children's Hospital, Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK
| | - Orazio Palumbo
- Division of Medical Genetics, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, Poliambulatorio "Giovanni Paolo II", Viale Padre Pio, snc, San Giovanni Rotondo 71013, Italy
| | - Massimo Carella
- Division of Medical Genetics, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, Poliambulatorio "Giovanni Paolo II", Viale Padre Pio, snc, San Giovanni Rotondo 71013, Italy
| | - Michele Germano
- Maternal and Pediatric Department, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, Poliambulatorio "Giovanni Paolo II", Viale Padre Pio, snc, San Giovanni Rotondo (FG) 71013, Italy
| | - Davide Tonduti
- Paediatric Neurology Unit, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital Vittore Buzzi, Milan, Italy
| | - Diego De Angelis
- Pediatric Department, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome 00185, Italy
| | - Davide Caputo
- Department of Health Sciences, Child Neuropsychiatry Unit - Epilepsy Center, San Paolo Hospital, University of Medicine, Milan, Italy; Member of ERN EpiCARE
| | | | - Francesca Novara
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Orsetta Zuffardi
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Alberto Verrotti
- Department of Pediatrics, San Salvatore Hospital, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Alessandro Orsini
- Pediatric Neurology Santa Chiara Hospital, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Alice Bonuccelli
- Pediatric Neurology Santa Chiara Hospital, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | | | - Marina Trivisano
- Department of Neuroscience, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRRCS, Rome, Italy; Member of ERN EpiCARE
| | - Federico Vigevano
- Department of Neuroscience, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRRCS, Rome, Italy; Member of ERN EpiCARE
| | - Tiziana Granata
- Department of Pediatric Neuroscience, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy; Member of ERN EpiCARE
| | - Bernardo Dalla Bernardina
- Child Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Life and Reproduction Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Antonia Tranchina
- Department of Pediatric Neuroscience, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Pasquale Striano
- Department of Neurosciences, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy; Pediatric Neurology and Muscular Diseases Unit, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genoa, Italy
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8
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Donati G, Dumontheil I, Pain O, Asbury K, Meaburn EL. Evidence for specificity of polygenic contributions to attainment in English, maths and science during adolescence. Sci Rep 2021; 11:3851. [PMID: 33594131 PMCID: PMC7887196 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-82877-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
How well one does at school is predictive of a wide range of important cognitive, socioeconomic, and health outcomes. The last few years have shown marked advancement in our understanding of the genetic contributions to, and correlations with, academic attainment. However, there exists a gap in our understanding of the specificity of genetic associations with performance in academic subjects during adolescence, a critical developmental period. To address this, the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children was used to conduct genome-wide association studies of standardised national English (N = 5983), maths (N = 6017) and science (N = 6089) tests. High SNP-based heritabilities (h2SNP) for all subjects were found (41-53%). Further, h2SNP for maths and science remained after removing shared variance between subjects or IQ (N = 3197-5895). One genome-wide significant single nucleotide polymorphism (rs952964, p = 4.86 × 10-8) and four gene-level associations with science attainment (MEF2C, BRINP1, S100A1 and S100A13) were identified. Rs952964 remained significant after removing the variance shared between academic subjects. The findings highlight the benefits of using environmentally homogeneous samples for genetic analyses and indicate that finer-grained phenotyping will help build more specific biological models of variance in learning processes and abilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgina Donati
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK
- Centre for Educational Neuroscience, University of London, London, UK
| | - Iroise Dumontheil
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK
- Centre for Educational Neuroscience, University of London, London, UK
| | - Oliver Pain
- Social Genetic and Developmental Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | | | - Emma L Meaburn
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK.
- Centre for Educational Neuroscience, University of London, London, UK.
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9
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Klein M, Singgih EL, van Rens A, Demontis D, Børglum AD, Mota NR, Castells-Nobau A, Kiemeney LA, Brunner HG, Arias-Vasquez A, Schenck A, van der Voet M, Franke B. Contribution of Intellectual Disability-Related Genes to ADHD Risk and to Locomotor Activity in Drosophila. Am J Psychiatry 2020; 177:526-536. [PMID: 32046534 DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2019.18050599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common, highly heritable neuropsychiatric disorder. ADHD often co-occurs with intellectual disability, and shared overlapping genetics have been suggested. The aim of this study was to identify novel ADHD genes by investigating whether genes carrying rare mutations linked to intellectual disability contribute to ADHD risk through common genetic variants. Validation and characterization of candidates were performed using Drosophila melanogaster. METHODS Common genetic variants in a diagnostic gene panel of 396 autosomal intellectual disability genes were tested for association with ADHD risk through gene set and gene-wide analyses, using ADHD meta-analytic data from the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium for discovery (N=19,210) and ADHD data from the Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research for replication (N=37,076). The significant genes were functionally validated and characterized in Drosophila by assessing locomotor activity and sleep upon knockdown of those genes in brain circuits. RESULTS The intellectual disability gene set was significantly associated with ADHD risk in the discovery and replication data sets. The three genes most consistently associated were MEF2C, ST3GAL3, and TRAPPC9. Performing functional characterization of the two evolutionarily conserved genes in Drosophila melanogaster, the authors found that their knockdown in dopaminergic (dMEF2) and circadian neurons (dTRAPPC9) resulted in increased locomotor activity and reduced sleep, concordant with the human phenotype. CONCLUSIONS This study reveals that a large set of intellectual disability-related genes contribute to ADHD risk through effects of common alleles. Utilizing this continuity, the authors identified TRAPPC9, MEF2C, and ST3GAL3 as novel ADHD candidate genes. Characterization in Drosophila suggests that TRAPPC9 and MEF2C contribute to ADHD-related behavior through distinct neural substrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marieke Klein
- Department of Human Genetics (Klein, Singgih, van Rens, Mota, Castells-Nobau, Brunner, Arias-Vasquez, Schenck, van der Voet, Franke), Department of Psychiatry (Mota, Arias-Vasquez, Franke), and Department for Health Evidence (Kiemeney), Radboud University Medical Center and Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Department of Biomedicine and Center for Integrative Sequencing (iSEQ), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark (Demontis, Børglum); and Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research (iPSYCH), Denmark (Demontis, Børglum)
| | - Euginia L Singgih
- Department of Human Genetics (Klein, Singgih, van Rens, Mota, Castells-Nobau, Brunner, Arias-Vasquez, Schenck, van der Voet, Franke), Department of Psychiatry (Mota, Arias-Vasquez, Franke), and Department for Health Evidence (Kiemeney), Radboud University Medical Center and Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Department of Biomedicine and Center for Integrative Sequencing (iSEQ), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark (Demontis, Børglum); and Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research (iPSYCH), Denmark (Demontis, Børglum)
| | - Anne van Rens
- Department of Human Genetics (Klein, Singgih, van Rens, Mota, Castells-Nobau, Brunner, Arias-Vasquez, Schenck, van der Voet, Franke), Department of Psychiatry (Mota, Arias-Vasquez, Franke), and Department for Health Evidence (Kiemeney), Radboud University Medical Center and Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Department of Biomedicine and Center for Integrative Sequencing (iSEQ), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark (Demontis, Børglum); and Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research (iPSYCH), Denmark (Demontis, Børglum)
| | - Ditte Demontis
- Department of Human Genetics (Klein, Singgih, van Rens, Mota, Castells-Nobau, Brunner, Arias-Vasquez, Schenck, van der Voet, Franke), Department of Psychiatry (Mota, Arias-Vasquez, Franke), and Department for Health Evidence (Kiemeney), Radboud University Medical Center and Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Department of Biomedicine and Center for Integrative Sequencing (iSEQ), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark (Demontis, Børglum); and Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research (iPSYCH), Denmark (Demontis, Børglum)
| | - Anders D Børglum
- Department of Human Genetics (Klein, Singgih, van Rens, Mota, Castells-Nobau, Brunner, Arias-Vasquez, Schenck, van der Voet, Franke), Department of Psychiatry (Mota, Arias-Vasquez, Franke), and Department for Health Evidence (Kiemeney), Radboud University Medical Center and Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Department of Biomedicine and Center for Integrative Sequencing (iSEQ), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark (Demontis, Børglum); and Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research (iPSYCH), Denmark (Demontis, Børglum)
| | - Nina Roth Mota
- Department of Human Genetics (Klein, Singgih, van Rens, Mota, Castells-Nobau, Brunner, Arias-Vasquez, Schenck, van der Voet, Franke), Department of Psychiatry (Mota, Arias-Vasquez, Franke), and Department for Health Evidence (Kiemeney), Radboud University Medical Center and Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Department of Biomedicine and Center for Integrative Sequencing (iSEQ), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark (Demontis, Børglum); and Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research (iPSYCH), Denmark (Demontis, Børglum)
| | - Anna Castells-Nobau
- Department of Human Genetics (Klein, Singgih, van Rens, Mota, Castells-Nobau, Brunner, Arias-Vasquez, Schenck, van der Voet, Franke), Department of Psychiatry (Mota, Arias-Vasquez, Franke), and Department for Health Evidence (Kiemeney), Radboud University Medical Center and Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Department of Biomedicine and Center for Integrative Sequencing (iSEQ), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark (Demontis, Børglum); and Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research (iPSYCH), Denmark (Demontis, Børglum)
| | - Lambertus A Kiemeney
- Department of Human Genetics (Klein, Singgih, van Rens, Mota, Castells-Nobau, Brunner, Arias-Vasquez, Schenck, van der Voet, Franke), Department of Psychiatry (Mota, Arias-Vasquez, Franke), and Department for Health Evidence (Kiemeney), Radboud University Medical Center and Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Department of Biomedicine and Center for Integrative Sequencing (iSEQ), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark (Demontis, Børglum); and Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research (iPSYCH), Denmark (Demontis, Børglum)
| | - Han G Brunner
- Department of Human Genetics (Klein, Singgih, van Rens, Mota, Castells-Nobau, Brunner, Arias-Vasquez, Schenck, van der Voet, Franke), Department of Psychiatry (Mota, Arias-Vasquez, Franke), and Department for Health Evidence (Kiemeney), Radboud University Medical Center and Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Department of Biomedicine and Center for Integrative Sequencing (iSEQ), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark (Demontis, Børglum); and Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research (iPSYCH), Denmark (Demontis, Børglum)
| | - Alejandro Arias-Vasquez
- Department of Human Genetics (Klein, Singgih, van Rens, Mota, Castells-Nobau, Brunner, Arias-Vasquez, Schenck, van der Voet, Franke), Department of Psychiatry (Mota, Arias-Vasquez, Franke), and Department for Health Evidence (Kiemeney), Radboud University Medical Center and Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Department of Biomedicine and Center for Integrative Sequencing (iSEQ), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark (Demontis, Børglum); and Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research (iPSYCH), Denmark (Demontis, Børglum)
| | - Annette Schenck
- Department of Human Genetics (Klein, Singgih, van Rens, Mota, Castells-Nobau, Brunner, Arias-Vasquez, Schenck, van der Voet, Franke), Department of Psychiatry (Mota, Arias-Vasquez, Franke), and Department for Health Evidence (Kiemeney), Radboud University Medical Center and Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Department of Biomedicine and Center for Integrative Sequencing (iSEQ), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark (Demontis, Børglum); and Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research (iPSYCH), Denmark (Demontis, Børglum)
| | - Monique van der Voet
- Department of Human Genetics (Klein, Singgih, van Rens, Mota, Castells-Nobau, Brunner, Arias-Vasquez, Schenck, van der Voet, Franke), Department of Psychiatry (Mota, Arias-Vasquez, Franke), and Department for Health Evidence (Kiemeney), Radboud University Medical Center and Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Department of Biomedicine and Center for Integrative Sequencing (iSEQ), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark (Demontis, Børglum); and Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research (iPSYCH), Denmark (Demontis, Børglum)
| | - Barbara Franke
- Department of Human Genetics (Klein, Singgih, van Rens, Mota, Castells-Nobau, Brunner, Arias-Vasquez, Schenck, van der Voet, Franke), Department of Psychiatry (Mota, Arias-Vasquez, Franke), and Department for Health Evidence (Kiemeney), Radboud University Medical Center and Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Department of Biomedicine and Center for Integrative Sequencing (iSEQ), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark (Demontis, Børglum); and Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research (iPSYCH), Denmark (Demontis, Børglum)
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10
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Lombardo MV, Auyeung B, Pramparo T, Quartier A, Courraud J, Holt RJ, Waldman J, Ruigrok ANV, Mooney N, Bethlehem RAI, Lai MC, Kundu P, Bullmore ET, Mandel JL, Piton A, Baron-Cohen S. Sex-specific impact of prenatal androgens on social brain default mode subsystems. Mol Psychiatry 2020; 25:2175-2188. [PMID: 30104728 PMCID: PMC7473837 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-018-0198-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2018] [Revised: 06/14/2018] [Accepted: 07/09/2018] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Early-onset neurodevelopmental conditions (e.g., autism) affect males more frequently than females. Androgens may play a role in this male-bias by sex-differentially impacting early prenatal brain development, particularly neural circuits that later develop specialized roles in social cognition. Here, we find that increasing prenatal testosterone in humans is associated with later reduction of functional connectivity between social brain default mode (DMN) subsystems in adolescent males, but has no effect in females. Since testosterone can work directly via the androgen receptor (AR) or indirectly via the estrogen receptor through aromatase conversion to estradiol, we further examined how a potent non-aromatizable androgen, dihydrotestosterone (DHT), acts via the AR to influence gene expression in human neural stem cells (hNSC)-particularly for genes of high-relevance for DMN circuitry. DHT dysregulates a number of genes enriched for syndromic causes of autism and intellectual disability and for genes that in later development are expressed in anatomical patterns that highly correspond to the cortical midline DMN subsystem. DMN-related and DHT-affected genes (e.g., MEF2C) are involved in a number of synaptic processes, many of which impact excitation-inhibition balance. Androgens have male-specific prenatal influence over social brain circuitry in humans and may be relevant towards explaining some component of male-bias in early-onset neurodevelopmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael V. Lombardo
- grid.6603.30000000121167908Center for Applied Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus ,grid.5335.00000000121885934Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Bonnie Auyeung
- grid.5335.00000000121885934Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom ,grid.4305.20000 0004 1936 7988Department of Psychology, School of Philosophy, Psychology, and Language Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Tiziano Pramparo
- grid.266100.30000 0001 2107 4242Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, CA USA
| | - Angélique Quartier
- grid.420255.40000 0004 0638 2716Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Illkirch, France ,grid.4444.00000 0001 2112 9282Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR7104 Illkirch, France ,Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U964 Illkirch, France ,grid.420255.40000 0004 0638 2716Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch, France
| | - Jérémie Courraud
- grid.420255.40000 0004 0638 2716Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Illkirch, France ,grid.4444.00000 0001 2112 9282Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR7104 Illkirch, France ,Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U964 Illkirch, France ,grid.420255.40000 0004 0638 2716Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch, France
| | - Rosemary J. Holt
- grid.5335.00000000121885934Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Jack Waldman
- grid.5335.00000000121885934Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Amber N. V. Ruigrok
- grid.5335.00000000121885934Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Natasha Mooney
- grid.5335.00000000121885934Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Richard A. I. Bethlehem
- grid.5335.00000000121885934Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Meng-Chuan Lai
- grid.5335.00000000121885934Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom ,grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Child and Youth Mental Health Collaborative, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and the Hospital for Sick Children, Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON Canada ,grid.412094.a0000 0004 0572 7815Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Prantik Kundu
- grid.59734.3c0000 0001 0670 2351Section on Advanced Functional Neuroimaging, Departments of Radiology & Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY USA
| | - Edward T. Bullmore
- grid.5335.00000000121885934Brain Mapping Unit, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom ,Cambridgeshire and Peterborough National Health Service Foundation Trust, Cambridge, United Kingdom ,grid.418236.a0000 0001 2162 0389ImmunoPsychiatry, GlaxoSmithKline Research and Development, Stevenage, United Kingdom
| | - Jean-Louis Mandel
- grid.420255.40000 0004 0638 2716Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Illkirch, France ,grid.4444.00000 0001 2112 9282Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR7104 Illkirch, France ,Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U964 Illkirch, France ,grid.420255.40000 0004 0638 2716Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch, France ,grid.410533.00000 0001 2179 2236Chair of Human Genetics, Collège de France, Paris, France
| | - Amélie Piton
- grid.420255.40000 0004 0638 2716Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Illkirch, France ,grid.4444.00000 0001 2112 9282Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR7104 Illkirch, France ,Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U964 Illkirch, France ,grid.420255.40000 0004 0638 2716Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch, France
| | - Simon Baron-Cohen
- grid.5335.00000000121885934Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom ,Cambridgeshire and Peterborough National Health Service Foundation Trust, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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11
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Yauy K, Schneider A, Ng BL, Gaillard JB, Sati S, Coubes C, Wells C, Tournaire M, Guignard T, Bouret P, Geneviève D, Puechberty J, Pellestor F, Gatinois V. Disruption of chromatin organisation causes MEF2C gene overexpression in intellectual disability: a case report. BMC Med Genomics 2019; 12:116. [PMID: 31375103 PMCID: PMC6679470 DOI: 10.1186/s12920-019-0558-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2019] [Accepted: 07/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Balanced structural variants are mostly described in disease with gene disruption or subtle rearrangement at breakpoints. CASE PRESENTATION Here we report a patient with mild intellectual deficiency who carries a de novo balanced translocation t(3;5). Breakpoints were fully explored by microarray, Array Painting and Sanger sequencing. No gene disruption was found but the chromosome 5 breakpoint was localized 228-kb upstream of the MEF2C gene. The predicted Topologically Associated Domains analysis shows that it contains only the MEF2C gene and a long non-coding RNA LINC01226. RNA studies looking for MEF2C gene expression revealed an overexpression of MEF2C in the lymphoblastoid cell line of the patient. CONCLUSIONS Pathogenicity of MEF2C overexpression is still unclear as only four patients with mild intellectual deficiency carrying 5q14.3 microduplications containing MEF2C are described in the literature. The microduplications in these individuals also contain other genes expressed in the brain. The patient presented the same phenotype as 5q14.3 microduplication patients. We report the first case of a balanced translocation leading to an overexpression of MEF2C similar to a functional duplication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Yauy
- Unité de Génétique Chromosomique, Département de Génétique Médicale, Maladies Rares et Médecine Personnalisée, Hôpital Arnaud de Villeneuve, CHU de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Anouck Schneider
- Unité de Génétique Chromosomique, Département de Génétique Médicale, Maladies Rares et Médecine Personnalisée, Hôpital Arnaud de Villeneuve, CHU de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Bee Ling Ng
- Cytometry Core Facility, The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK
| | - Jean-Baptiste Gaillard
- Unité de Génétique Chromosomique, Département de Génétique Médicale, Maladies Rares et Médecine Personnalisée, Hôpital Arnaud de Villeneuve, CHU de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Satish Sati
- Chromatin and Cell Biology Group, CNRS-Institute of Human Genetics, Montpellier, France
| | - Christine Coubes
- Service de Génétique Clinique, Département de Génétique Médicale, Maladies Rares et Médecine Personnalisée, Centre de Référence Anomalies du Développement et Syndromes Malformatifs, Hôpital Arnaud de Villeneuve, CHU de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Constance Wells
- Service de Génétique Clinique, Département de Génétique Médicale, Maladies Rares et Médecine Personnalisée, Centre de Référence Anomalies du Développement et Syndromes Malformatifs, Hôpital Arnaud de Villeneuve, CHU de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Magali Tournaire
- Unité de Génétique Chromosomique, Département de Génétique Médicale, Maladies Rares et Médecine Personnalisée, Hôpital Arnaud de Villeneuve, CHU de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Thomas Guignard
- Unité de Génétique Chromosomique, Département de Génétique Médicale, Maladies Rares et Médecine Personnalisée, Hôpital Arnaud de Villeneuve, CHU de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Pauline Bouret
- Unité de Génétique Chromosomique, Département de Génétique Médicale, Maladies Rares et Médecine Personnalisée, Hôpital Arnaud de Villeneuve, CHU de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - David Geneviève
- Service de Génétique Clinique, Département de Génétique Médicale, Maladies Rares et Médecine Personnalisée, Centre de Référence Anomalies du Développement et Syndromes Malformatifs, Hôpital Arnaud de Villeneuve, CHU de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Jacques Puechberty
- Service de Génétique Clinique, Département de Génétique Médicale, Maladies Rares et Médecine Personnalisée, Centre de Référence Anomalies du Développement et Syndromes Malformatifs, Hôpital Arnaud de Villeneuve, CHU de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Franck Pellestor
- Unité de Génétique Chromosomique, Département de Génétique Médicale, Maladies Rares et Médecine Personnalisée, Hôpital Arnaud de Villeneuve, CHU de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Vincent Gatinois
- Unité de Génétique Chromosomique, Département de Génétique Médicale, Maladies Rares et Médecine Personnalisée, Hôpital Arnaud de Villeneuve, CHU de Montpellier, Montpellier, France.
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12
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Vrečar I, Innes J, Jones EA, Kingston H, Reardon W, Kerr B, Clayton-Smith J, Douzgou S. Further Clinical Delineation of the MEF2C Haploinsufficiency Syndrome: Report on New Cases and Literature Review of Severe Neurodevelopmental Disorders Presenting with Seizures, Absent Speech, and Involuntary Movements. J Pediatr Genet 2017; 6:129-141. [PMID: 28794905 DOI: 10.1055/s-0037-1601335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2017] [Accepted: 02/16/2017] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Mutations in the MEF2C ( myocyte enhancer factor 2 ) gene have been established as a cause for an intellectual disability syndrome presenting with seizures, absence of speech, stereotypic movements, hypotonia, and limited ambulation. Phenotypic overlap with Rett's and Angelman's syndromes has been noted. Following the first reports of 5q14.3q15 microdeletions encompassing the MEF2C gene, further cases with point mutations and partial gene deletions of the MEF2C gene have been described. We present the clinical phenotype of our cohort of six patients with MEF2C mutations and compare our findings with previously reported patients as well as with a growing number of genetic conditions presenting with a severe neurodevelopmental, Rett-like, phenotype. We aim to add to the current knowledge of the natural history of the "MEF2C haploinsufficiency syndrome" as well as of the differential diagnosis, clinical management, and genetic counseling in this diagnostically challenging group of patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irena Vrečar
- Manchester Centre for Genomic Medicine, Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Academic Health Sciences Centre, Manchester, United Kingdom.,Clinical Institute of Medical Genetics, University Medical Centre of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Josie Innes
- Manchester Centre for Genomic Medicine, Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Academic Health Sciences Centre, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Elizabeth A Jones
- Manchester Centre for Genomic Medicine, Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Academic Health Sciences Centre, Manchester, United Kingdom.,Division of Evolution and Genomic Sciences, University of Manchester, School of Biological Sciences, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Helen Kingston
- Manchester Centre for Genomic Medicine, Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Academic Health Sciences Centre, Manchester, United Kingdom.,Division of Evolution and Genomic Sciences, University of Manchester, School of Biological Sciences, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - William Reardon
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Our Lady's Children Hospital Crumlin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Bronwyn Kerr
- Manchester Centre for Genomic Medicine, Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Academic Health Sciences Centre, Manchester, United Kingdom.,Division of Evolution and Genomic Sciences, University of Manchester, School of Biological Sciences, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Jill Clayton-Smith
- Manchester Centre for Genomic Medicine, Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Academic Health Sciences Centre, Manchester, United Kingdom.,Division of Evolution and Genomic Sciences, University of Manchester, School of Biological Sciences, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Sofia Douzgou
- Manchester Centre for Genomic Medicine, Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Academic Health Sciences Centre, Manchester, United Kingdom.,Division of Evolution and Genomic Sciences, University of Manchester, School of Biological Sciences, Manchester, United Kingdom
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13
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Doan RN, Bae BI, Cubelos B, Chang C, Hossain AA, Al-Saad S, Mukaddes NM, Oner O, Al-Saffar M, Balkhy S, Gascon GG, Nieto M, Walsh CA. Mutations in Human Accelerated Regions Disrupt Cognition and Social Behavior. Cell 2016; 167:341-354.e12. [PMID: 27667684 PMCID: PMC5063026 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2016.08.071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 201] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2016] [Revised: 05/18/2016] [Accepted: 08/26/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Comparative analyses have identified genomic regions potentially involved in human evolution but do not directly assess function. Human accelerated regions (HARs) represent conserved genomic loci with elevated divergence in humans. If some HARs regulate human-specific social and behavioral traits, then mutations would likely impact cognitive and social disorders. Strikingly, rare biallelic point mutations-identified by whole-genome and targeted "HAR-ome" sequencing-showed a significant excess in individuals with ASD whose parents share common ancestry compared to familial controls, suggesting a contribution in 5% of consanguineous ASD cases. Using chromatin interaction sequencing, massively parallel reporter assays (MPRA), and transgenic mice, we identified disease-linked, biallelic HAR mutations in active enhancers for CUX1, PTBP2, GPC4, CDKL5, and other genes implicated in neural function, ASD, or both. Our data provide genetic evidence that specific HARs are essential for normal development, consistent with suggestions that their evolutionary changes may have altered social and/or cognitive behavior. PAPERCLIP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan N Doan
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Manton Center for Orphan Disease Research, and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Byoung-Il Bae
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Manton Center for Orphan Disease Research, and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Beatriz Cubelos
- Department of Molecular Biology, Centro de Biología Molecular 'Severo Ochoa', Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, UAM-CSIC, Nicolas Cabrera 1, 28049 Madrid, Spain; Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, CNB-CSIC, Darwin 3, Campus de Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Cindy Chang
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Manton Center for Orphan Disease Research, and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Amer A Hossain
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Manton Center for Orphan Disease Research, and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | | | - Nahit M Mukaddes
- Istanbul Institute of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 34365 Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Ozgur Oner
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Bahcesehir University School of Medicine, 34353 Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Muna Al-Saffar
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Manton Center for Orphan Disease Research, and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, PO Box 17666, Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates
| | - Soher Balkhy
- Department of Pediatrics, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Jeddah 21499, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Generoso G Gascon
- Department of Neurology (Pediatric Neurology), Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Marta Nieto
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, CNB-CSIC, Darwin 3, Campus de Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Christopher A Walsh
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Manton Center for Orphan Disease Research, and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Departments of Pediatrics and Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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14
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Rocha H, Sampaio M, Rocha R, Fernandes S, Leão M. MEF2C haploinsufficiency syndrome: Report of a new MEF2C mutation and review. Eur J Med Genet 2016; 59:478-82. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmg.2016.05.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2015] [Revised: 05/26/2016] [Accepted: 05/30/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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15
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Cesaretti C, Spaccini L, Righini A, Parazzini C, Conte G, Crosti F, Redaelli S, Bulfamante G, Avagliano L, Rustico M. Prenatal detection of 5q14.3 duplication including MEF2C and brain phenotype. Am J Med Genet A 2016; 170A:1352-7. [PMID: 26864752 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.a.37594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2015] [Accepted: 01/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The 5q14.3 duplication is a rare condition comprising speech and developmental delay, microcephaly, and mild ventriculomegaly. The region 5q14.3 contains several genes but the predominant role for the onset of the neurodevelopmental phenotype has been attributed to MEF2C. We describe the prenatal identification of 5q14.3 duplication, including MEF2C, in a monochorionic twin pregnancy with corpus callosum anomalies, confirmed by autopsy. To the best of our knowledge, this cerebral finding has been observed for the first time in 5q14.3 duplication patients, possibly widening the neurological picture of this scarcely known syndrome. A pathogenetic role of MEF2C overexpression in brain development may be assumed, but further studies are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Cesaretti
- Medical Genetics Unit, Fondazione I.R.C.C.S. Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Luigina Spaccini
- Fetal Therapy Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Children's Hospital V. Buzzi, Milan, Italy
| | - Andrea Righini
- Department of Radiology and Neuroradiology, Children's Hospital V. Buzzi, Milan, Italy
| | - Cecilia Parazzini
- Department of Radiology and Neuroradiology, Children's Hospital V. Buzzi, Milan, Italy
| | - Giorgio Conte
- Department of Radiology and Neuroradiology, Children's Hospital V. Buzzi, Milan, Italy.,Department of Health Sciences, Specialization School of Radiology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Francesca Crosti
- Medical Genetics Lab, Pathology Unit, San Gerardo Hospital, Monza, Italy
| | - Serena Redaelli
- Department of Surgery and Traslational Medicine, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy
| | - Gaetano Bulfamante
- Department of Health Sciences, San Paolo Hospital Medical School, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Laura Avagliano
- Department of Health Sciences, San Paolo Hospital Medical School, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Mariangela Rustico
- Fetal Therapy Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Children's Hospital V. Buzzi, Milan, Italy
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16
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Galanopoulou AS, Moshé SL. Pathogenesis and new candidate treatments for infantile spasms and early life epileptic encephalopathies: A view from preclinical studies. Neurobiol Dis 2015; 79:135-49. [PMID: 25968935 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2015.04.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2015] [Revised: 04/23/2015] [Accepted: 04/30/2015] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Early onset and infantile epileptic encephalopathies (EIEEs) are usually associated with medically intractable or difficult to treat epileptic seizures and prominent cognitive, neurodevelopmental and behavioral consequences. EIEEs have numerous etiologies that contribute to the inter- and intra-syndromic phenotypic variability. Etiologies include structural and metabolic or genetic etiologies although a significant percentage is of unknown cause. The need to better understand their pathogenic mechanisms and identify better therapies has driven the development of animal models of EIEEs. Several rodent models of infantile spasms have emerged that recapitulate various aspects of the disease. The acute models manifest epileptic spasms after induction and include the NMDA rat model, the NMDA model with prior prenatal betamethasone or perinatal stress exposure, and the γ-butyrolactone induced spasms in a mouse model of Down syndrome. The chronic models include the tetrodotoxin rat model, the aristaless related homeobox X-linked (Arx) mouse models and the multiple-hit rat model of infantile spasms. We will discuss the main features and findings from these models on target mechanisms and emerging therapies. Genetic models have also provided interesting data on the pathogenesis of Dravet syndrome and proposed new therapies for testing. The genetic associations of many of the EIEEs have also been tested in rodent models as to their pathogenicity. Finally, several models have tested the impact of subclinical epileptiform discharges on brain function. The impact of these advances in animal modeling for therapy development will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aristea S Galanopoulou
- Saul R. Korey Department of Neurology, Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Laboratory of Developmental Epilepsy, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.
| | - Solomon L Moshé
- Saul R. Korey Department of Neurology, Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Laboratory of Developmental Epilepsy, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.
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17
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Phenotypic and molecular convergence of 2q23.1 deletion syndrome with other neurodevelopmental syndromes associated with autism spectrum disorder. Int J Mol Sci 2015; 16:7627-43. [PMID: 25853262 PMCID: PMC4425039 DOI: 10.3390/ijms16047627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2015] [Revised: 03/19/2015] [Accepted: 03/19/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Roughly 20% of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are syndromic with a well-established genetic cause. Studying the genes involved can provide insight into the molecular and cellular mechanisms of ASD. 2q23.1 deletion syndrome (causative gene, MBD5) is a recently identified genetic neurodevelopmental disorder associated with ASD. Mutations in MBD5 have been found in ASD cohorts. In this study, we provide a phenotypic update on the prevalent features of 2q23.1 deletion syndrome, which include severe intellectual disability, seizures, significant speech impairment, sleep disturbance, and autistic-like behavioral problems. Next, we examined the phenotypic, molecular, and network/pathway relationships between nine neurodevelopmental disorders associated with ASD: 2q23.1 deletion Rett, Angelman, Pitt-Hopkins, 2q23.1 duplication, 5q14.3 deletion, Kleefstra, Kabuki make-up, and Smith-Magenis syndromes. We show phenotypic overlaps consisting of intellectual disability, speech delay, seizures, sleep disturbance, hypotonia, and autistic-like behaviors. Molecularly, MBD5 possibly regulates the expression of UBE3A, TCF4, MEF2C, EHMT1 and RAI1. Network analysis reveals that there could be indirect protein interactions, further implicating function for these genes in common pathways. Further, we show that when MBD5 and RAI1 are haploinsufficient, they perturb several common pathways that are linked to neuronal and behavioral development. These findings support further investigations into the molecular and pathway relationships among genes linked to neurodevelopmental disorders and ASD, which will hopefully lead to common points of regulation that may be targeted toward therapeutic intervention.
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18
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Yang YJ, Yao X, Guo J, Zhao R, He XY, Zhao L, Tu M, Zhu YM. Interstitial deletion 5q14.3q21.3 associated with lethal epilepsy. Am J Med Genet A 2015; 167A:866-71. [PMID: 25706510 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.a.36991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2014] [Accepted: 12/05/2014] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yong-jia Yang
- The Laboratory of Genetics and Metabolism; Hunan Children's Research Institute (HCRI), Hunan Children's Hospital; The Paediatric Academy of University of South China; Changsha China
| | - Xu Yao
- The Laboratory of Genetics and Metabolism; Hunan Children's Research Institute (HCRI), Hunan Children's Hospital; The Paediatric Academy of University of South China; Changsha China
| | - Jihong Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics; Central South University; Changsha China
| | - Rui Zhao
- The Laboratory of Genetics and Metabolism; Hunan Children's Research Institute (HCRI), Hunan Children's Hospital; The Paediatric Academy of University of South China; Changsha China
| | - Xin-yu He
- The Laboratory of Genetics and Metabolism; Hunan Children's Research Institute (HCRI), Hunan Children's Hospital; The Paediatric Academy of University of South China; Changsha China
| | - Liu Zhao
- The Laboratory of Genetics and Metabolism; Hunan Children's Research Institute (HCRI), Hunan Children's Hospital; The Paediatric Academy of University of South China; Changsha China
| | - Ming Tu
- The Laboratory of Genetics and Metabolism; Hunan Children's Research Institute (HCRI), Hunan Children's Hospital; The Paediatric Academy of University of South China; Changsha China
| | - Yi-min Zhu
- The Laboratory of Genetics and Metabolism; Hunan Children's Research Institute (HCRI), Hunan Children's Hospital; The Paediatric Academy of University of South China; Changsha China
- Department of Emergency, Hunan Children's Hospital; The Paediatric Academy of University of South China; Changsha China
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19
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Bai XL, Zhang Q, Ye LY, Liang F, Sun X, Chen Y, Hu QD, Fu QH, Su W, Chen Z, Zhuang ZP, Liang TB. Myocyte enhancer factor 2C regulation of hepatocellular carcinoma via vascular endothelial growth factor and Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Oncogene 2014; 34:4089-97. [PMID: 25328135 DOI: 10.1038/onc.2014.337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2014] [Revised: 08/15/2014] [Accepted: 08/29/2014] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the leading malignancies worldwide. Myocyte enhancer factor 2C (MEF2C) was traditionally regarded as a development-associated factor and was recently reported to be an oncogene candidate. We have previously reported overexpression of MEF2C in HCC; however, the roles of MEF2C in HCC remain to be clarified. In this study, HCC cell lines and a xenograft mouse model were used to determine the functions of MEF2C in vitro and in vivo, respectively. Specific plasmids and small interfering RNA were used to upregulate and downregulate MEF2C expression, respectively. Functional assays were performed to assess the influence of MEF2C on cell proliferation, and VEGF-induced vasculogenic mimicry, migration/invasion as well as angiogenesis. Co-immunoprecipitation was conducted to identify the interaction of MEF2C and β-catenin. Human HCC tissue microarrays were used to investigate correlations among MEF2C, β-catenin and involved biomarkers. MEF2C was found to mediate VEGF-induced vasculogenic mimicry, angiogenesis and migration/invasion, with involvement of the p38 MAPK and PKC signaling pathways. However, MEF2C itself inhibited tumor growth in vitro and in vivo. MEF2C was upregulated by and directly interacted with β-catenin. The nuclear translocation of β-catenin blocked by MEF2C was responsible for MEF2C-mediated growth inhibition. The nuclear translocation of MEF2C was associated with intracellular calcium signaling induced by β-catenin. HCC microarrays showed correlations of nuclear MEF2C with the angiogenesis-associated biomarker, CD31, and cytosolic MEF2C with the proliferation-associated biomarker, Ki-67. MEF2C showed double-edged activities in HCC, namely mediating VEGF-induced malignancy enhancement while inhibiting cancer proliferation via blockade of Wnt/β-catenin signaling. The overall effect of MEF2C in HCC progression regulation was dictated by its subcellular distribution. This should be determined prior to any MEF2C-associated intervention in HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- X L Bai
- 1] Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China [2] Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Q Zhang
- 1] Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China [2] Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - L Y Ye
- 1] Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China [2] Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - F Liang
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - X Sun
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Y Chen
- Department of General Surgery, The Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Q D Hu
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Q H Fu
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - W Su
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Z Chen
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Gastro-Intestinal Pathophysiology, Zhejiang Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Z P Zhuang
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - T B Liang
- 1] Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China [2] Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
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20
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Novara F, Stanzial F, Rossi E, Benedicenti F, Inzana F, Di Gregorio E, Brusco A, Graakjaer J, Fagerberg C, Belligni E, Silengo M, Zuffardi O, Ciccone R. Defining the phenotype associated with microduplication reciprocal to Sotos syndrome microdeletion. Am J Med Genet A 2014; 164A:2084-90. [PMID: 24819041 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.a.36591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2013] [Accepted: 03/31/2014] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
NSD1 point mutations, submicroscopic deletions and intragenic deletions are the major cause of Sotos syndrome, characterized by pre-postnatal generalized overgrowth with advanced bone age, learning disability, seizures, distinctive facial phenotype. Reverse clinical phenotype due to 5q35 microduplication encompassing NSD1 gene has been reported so far in 27 cases presenting with delayed bone age, microcephaly, failure to thrive and seizures in some cases, further supporting a gene dosage effect of NSD1 on growth regulation and neurological functions. Here we depict the clinical presentation of three new cases with 5q35 microduplication outlining a novel syndrome characterized by microcephaly, short stature, developmental delay and in some cases delayed bone maturation, without any typical facial or osseous anomalies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Novara
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
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