Identification of Prdm genes in human corneal endothelium

Penetrating keratoplasty in brittle Cornea syndrome: Case series and review of the literature

It concerns three siblings (two 28 year old twin boys and a 25 year old woman) who presented a previous history of rupture of eyeball in one eye and very poor vision in the other. At the first ophthalmoscopic and instrumental evaluation, three patients presented with bluish sclera and keratoglobus in the intact eye. A genetic analysis with whole exome sequencing was then performed on the three siblings, identifying a biallelic variant of the PRDM5 gene that led to the diagnosis of Brittle Cornea Syndrome (BCS), a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by corneal thinning and blue sclera. To preserve the only intact eye from possible breakage, the three siblings were trained in using protective measures (polycarbonate goggles etc.) to carry out close monitoring of symptoms and were asked to continue with follow-up visits for ocular and systemic diseases associated with BCS. Given the poor best corrected visual acuity achievable with glasses and contact lenses, penetrating keratoplasty was performed, achieving good visual acuity maintained in the 2-year follow-up in two of the three patients. Knowledge of this pathology and its clinical manifestations is essential for early diagnosis and correct management of this rare but very debilitating pathology. To our knowledge, this is the first case series of BCS reported in an Albanian population.

More than meets the eye: Expanding and reviewing the clinical and mutational spectrum of brittle cornea syndrome

Brittle cornea syndrome (BCS) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by corneal thinning and fragility, leading to corneal rupture, the main hallmark of this disorder. Non-ocular symptoms include not only hearing loss but also signs of connective tissue fragility, placing it in the Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) spectrum. It is caused by biallelic pathogenic variants in ZNF469 or PRDM5, which presumably encode transcription factors for extracellular matrix components. We report the clinical and molecular features of nine novel BCS families, four of which harbor variants in ZNF469 and five in PRDM5. We also performed a genotype- and phenotype-oriented literature overview of all (n = 85) reported patients with ZNF469 (n = 53) and PRDM5 (n = 32) variants. Musculoskeletal findings may be the main reason for referral and often raise suspicion of another heritable connective tissue disorder, such as kyphoscoliotic EDS, osteogenesis imperfecta, or Marfan syndrome, especially when a corneal rupture has not yet occurred. Our findings highlight the multisystemic nature of BCS and validate its inclusion in the EDS classification. Importantly, gene panels for heritable connective tissue disorders should include ZNF469 and PRDM5 to allow for timely diagnosis and appropriate preventive measures for this rare condition.

Transcriptional regulation of Bcl-2 gene by the PR/SET domain family member PRDM10

Bcl-2 (B-cell lymphoma 2) protein is localized in the outer membrane of mitochondria, where it plays an important role in promoting cellular survival and inhibiting the actions of pro-apoptotic proteins. PRDM10 is a member of the PR/SET family of epigenetic regulators and may play a role in development and cell differentiation. Here we show that human PRDM10 contributes to the transcriptional regulation of human Bcl-2 gene. We found that PRDM10-depletion in human cells reduced the expression of Bcl-2 protein and over-expression of PRDM10 promoted Bcl-2 protein expression. Furthermore, luciferase reporter activity of Bcl-2 gene P1 promoter was significantly increased in cells co-transfected with PRDM10, and PRDM10 was able to bind to the Bcl-2 P1 promoter in vivo. Using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data set, we found weak positive correlation between PRDM10 and Bcl-2 in several cancer types including cancers of the breast, colon, and lung tissues. These data identify a novel function for PRDM10 protein and provide insights on the transcriptional control of Bcl-2 expression.

Screening and function analysis of hub genes and pathways in hepatocellular carcinoma via bioinformatics approaches

BACKGROUND

Liver carcinoma is a major cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Up to date, the mechanisms of liver cancerigenesis and development have not been fully understood. Multi-genes and pathways were involved in the tumorigenesis of liver cancer.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the present study was to screen key genes and pathways in liver cancerigenesis and development by using bioinformatics methods.

METHODS

A dataset GSE64041 were retrieved from GEO database and the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened out. Then the DEG functions were annotated by gene ontology (GO) and pathway enrichment analysis, respectively. The hub genes were further selected by protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis. Afterwards, the mRNA and protein expressions as well as the prognostic values of the hub genes were assessed.

RESULTS

As a result, 208 up-regulated and 82 down-regulated genes were screened out. These DEGs were mainly enriched in cell cycle and metabolism-related pathways. Through PPI analysis, TOP2A, PRDM10, CDK1, AURKA, BUB1, PLK1, CDKN3, NCAPG, BUB1B and CCNA2 were selected as hub genes, which were all over-expressed in liver cancers relative to those in normal tissues, respectively. Among them, PLK1 and CCNA2 were suggested to be prognostic factors for liver carcinoma.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, the present study identified several hub genes, and cell cycle and metabolism-related pathways that may play critical roles in the tumorigenesis of liver cancer. Future validation laboratory experiments are required to confirm the results.