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Liang X, He Q, Jiao Y, Yang H, Huang W, Liu K, Lin H, Xu L, Hou Y, Ding Y, Zhang Y, Huang H, Zhao H. Identification of rare variants in PTCH2 associated with non-syndromic orofacial clefts. Gene 2024; 907:148280. [PMID: 38360123 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2024.148280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Revised: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
Orofacial clefts (OFCs) represent the most prevalent congenital craniofacial anomalies, significantly impacting patients' appearance, oral function, and psychological well-being. Among these, non-syndromic OFCs (NSOFCs) are the most predominant type, with the etiology attributed to a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Rare variants of key genes involved in craniofacial development-related signaling pathway are crucial in the occurrence of NSOFCs, and our recent studies have identified PTCH1, a receptor-coding gene in the Hedgehog signaling pathway, as a causative gene for NSOFCs. However, the role of PTCH2, the paralog of PTCH1, in pathogenesis of NSOFCs remains unclear. Here, we perform whole-exome sequencing to explore the genetic basis of 144 sporadic NSOFC patients. We identify five heterozygous variants of PTCH2 in four patients: p.L104P, p.A131G, p.R557H, p.I927S, and p.V978D, with the latter two co-occurring in a single patient. These variants, all proven to be rare through multiple genomic databases, with p.I927S and p.V978D being novel variants and previously unreported. Sequence alignment suggests that these affected amino acids are evolutionarily conserved across vertebrates. Utilizing predictive structural modeling tools such as AlphaFold and SWISS-MODEL, we propose that these variants may disrupt the protein's structure and function. In summary, our findings suggest that PTCH2 may be a novel candidate gene predicted to be associated with NSOFCs, thereby broadening the spectrum of causative genes implicated in the craniofacial anomalies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuqin Liang
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, PR China
| | - Qing He
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, PR China
| | - Yuhua Jiao
- Key Laboratory of Shaanxi Province for Craniofacial Precision Medicine Research, College of Stomatology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, PR China; Department of Orthodontics, College of Stomatology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, PR China
| | - Hui Yang
- Key Laboratory of Shaanxi Province for Craniofacial Precision Medicine Research, College of Stomatology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, PR China
| | - Wenbin Huang
- Guangdong Provincial High-level Clinical Key Specialty, Guangdong Province Engineering Research Center of Oral Disease Diagnosis and Treatment, Department of Orthodontics, Stomatological Center, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen Peking University-The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Medical Center, Shenzhen, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Kangying Liu
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, PR China
| | - Hongmei Lin
- Department of Pediatrics, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, PR China
| | - Linping Xu
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, PR China
| | - Yuxia Hou
- Key Laboratory of Shaanxi Province for Craniofacial Precision Medicine Research, College of Stomatology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, PR China; Department of Orthodontics, College of Stomatology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, PR China
| | - Yi Ding
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, PR China
| | - Yue Zhang
- Department of Stomatology, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi City, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, PR China.
| | - Huimei Huang
- Department of Nephrology, Xi'an Children's Hospital, The Affiliated Children's Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, PR China.
| | - Huaxiang Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Shaanxi Province for Craniofacial Precision Medicine Research, College of Stomatology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, PR China; Department of Orthodontics, College of Stomatology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, PR China.
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Huang W, Zhang S, Lin J, Ding Y, Jiang N, Zhang J, Zhao H, Chen F. Rare loss-of-function variants in FLNB cause non-syndromic orofacial clefts. J Genet Genomics 2024; 51:222-229. [PMID: 37003352 DOI: 10.1016/j.jgg.2023.03.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Revised: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023]
Abstract
Orofacial clefts (OFCs) are the most common congenital craniofacial disorders, of which the etiology is closely related to rare coding variants. Filamin B (FLNB) is an actin-binding protein implicated in bone formation. FLNB mutations have been identified in several types of syndromic OFCs and previous studies suggest a role of FLNB in the onset of non-syndromic OFCs (NSOFCs). Here, we report two rare heterozygous variants (p.P441T and p.G565R) in FLNB in two unrelated hereditary families with NSOFCs. Bioinformatics analysis suggests that both variants may disrupt the function of FLNB. In mammalian cells, p.P441T and p.G565R variants are less potent to induce cell stretches than wild type FLNB, suggesting that they are loss-of-function mutations. Immunohistochemistry analysis demonstrates that FLNB is abundantly expressed during palatal development. Importantly, Flnb-/- embryos display cleft palates and previously defined skeletal defects. Taken together, our findings reveal that FLNB is required for development of palates in mice and FLNB is a bona fide causal gene for NSOFCs in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenbin Huang
- Department of Orthodontics, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Beijing, 100081, China; Key Laboratory of Shaanxi Province for Craniofacial Precision Medicine Research, College of Stomatology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710004, China; Guangdong Provincial High-level Clinical Key Specialty, Guangdong Province Engineering Research Center of Oral Disease Diagnosis and Treatment, Department of Orthodontics, Stomatological Center, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen Peking University-The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Medical Center, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518036, China
| | - Shiying Zhang
- Department of Orthodontics, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Jiuxiang Lin
- Department of Orthodontics, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Yi Ding
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710049, China
| | - Nan Jiang
- National Center for Stomatology, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, National Engineering Laboratory for Digital and Material Technology of Stomatology, Beijing Key Laboratory for Digital Stomatology, Research Center of Engineering and Technology for Computerized Dentistry Ministry of Health, NMPA Key Laboratory for Dental Materials, Beijing, 100101, China; Central Laboratory, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Jieni Zhang
- Department of Orthodontics, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Beijing, 100081, China.
| | - Huaxiang Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Shaanxi Province for Craniofacial Precision Medicine Research, College of Stomatology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710004, China.
| | - Feng Chen
- National Center for Stomatology, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, National Engineering Laboratory for Digital and Material Technology of Stomatology, Beijing Key Laboratory for Digital Stomatology, Research Center of Engineering and Technology for Computerized Dentistry Ministry of Health, NMPA Key Laboratory for Dental Materials, Beijing, 100101, China; Central Laboratory, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Beijing, 100081, China.
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Cierpikowski P, Leszczyszyn A, Bar J. The Role of Hedgehog Signaling Pathway in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Cells 2023; 12:2083. [PMID: 37626893 PMCID: PMC10453169 DOI: 10.3390/cells12162083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Revised: 08/12/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the sixth leading malignancy worldwide, with a poor prognosis and limited treatment options. Molecularly targeted therapies for HNSCC are still lacking. However, recent reports provide novel insights about many molecular alterations in HNSCC that may be useful in future therapies. Therefore, it is necessary to identify new biomarkers that may provide a better prediction of the disease and promising targets for personalized therapy. The poor response of HNSCC to therapy is attributed to a small population of tumor cells called cancer stem cells (CSCs). Growing evidence indicates that the Hedgehog (HH) signaling pathway plays a crucial role in the development and maintenance of head and neck tissues. The HH pathway is normally involved in embryogenesis, stem cell renewal, and tissue regeneration. However, abnormal activation of the HH pathway is also associated with carcinogenesis and CSC regulation. Overactivation of the HH pathway was observed in several tumors, including basal cell carcinoma, that are successfully treated with HH inhibitors. However, clinical studies about HH pathways in HNSCC are still rare. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge and recent advances regarding the HH pathway in HNSCC and discuss its possible implications for prognosis and future therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piotr Cierpikowski
- Department of Maxillofacial Surgery, The Ludwik Rydygier Specialist Hospital, Osiedle Zlotej Jesieni 1, 31-826 Krakow, Poland
| | - Anna Leszczyszyn
- Dental Surgery Outpatient Clinic, 4th Military Clinical Hospital, Weigla 5, 53-114 Wroclaw, Poland;
| | - Julia Bar
- Department of Immunopathology and Molecular Biology, Wroclaw Medical University, Bujwida 44, 50-345 Wroclaw, Poland
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