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Battaglia L, Scorrano G, Spiaggia R, Basile A, Palmucci S, Foti PV, Spatola C, Iacomino M, Marinangeli F, Francia E, Comisi F, Corsello A, Salpietro V, Vittori A, David E. Neuroimaging features of WOREE syndrome: a mini-review of the literature. Front Pediatr 2023; 11:1301166. [PMID: 38161429 PMCID: PMC10757851 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2023.1301166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024] Open
Abstract
The WWOX gene encodes a 414-amino-acid protein composed of two N-terminal WW domains and a C-terminal short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase (SDR) domain. WWOX protein is highly conserved among species and mainly expressed in the cerebellum, cerebral cortex, brain stem, thyroid, hypophysis, and reproductive organs. It plays a crucial role in the biology of the central nervous system, and it is involved in neuronal development, migration, and proliferation. Biallelic pathogenic variants in WWOX have been associated with an early infantile epileptic encephalopathy known as WOREE syndrome. Both missense and null variants have been described in affected patients, leading to a reduction in protein function and stability. The most severe WOREE phenotypes have been related to biallelic null/null variants, associated with the complete loss of function of the protein. All affected patients showed brain anomalies on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), suggesting the pivotal role of WWOX protein in brain homeostasis and developmental processes. We provided a literature review, exploring both the clinical and radiological spectrum related to WWOX pathogenic variants, described to date. We focused on neuroradiological findings to better delineate the WOREE phenotype with diagnostic and prognostic implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Battaglia
- Department of Medical Surgical Sciences and Advanced Technologies “GF Ingrassia”, University Hospital Policlinic “G. Rodolico-San Marco”, Catania, Italy
| | - Giovanna Scorrano
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Rossana Spiaggia
- Department of Medical Surgical Sciences and Advanced Technologies “GF Ingrassia”, University Hospital Policlinic “G. Rodolico-San Marco”, Catania, Italy
| | - Antonio Basile
- Department of Medical Surgical Sciences and Advanced Technologies “GF Ingrassia”, University Hospital Policlinic “G. Rodolico-San Marco”, Catania, Italy
| | - Stefano Palmucci
- Department of Medical Surgical Sciences and Advanced Technologies “GF Ingrassia”, University Hospital Policlinic “G. Rodolico-San Marco”, Catania, Italy
| | - Pietro Valerio Foti
- Department of Medical Surgical Sciences and Advanced Technologies “GF Ingrassia”, University Hospital Policlinic “G. Rodolico-San Marco”, Catania, Italy
| | - Corrado Spatola
- Department of Medical Surgical Sciences and Advanced Technologies “GF Ingrassia”, University Hospital Policlinic “G. Rodolico-San Marco”, Catania, Italy
| | - Michele Iacomino
- Unit of Medical Genetics, IRCCS Instituto Giannina Gaslini, Genoa, Italy
| | - Franco Marinangeli
- Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Therapy, University of L’aquila, L’aquila, Italy
| | - Elisa Francia
- Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care, ARCO ROMA, Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | | | | | - Vincenzo Salpietro
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
- Department of Neuromuscular Disorders, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, United Kingdom
| | - Alessandro Vittori
- Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care, ARCO ROMA, Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Emanuele David
- Department of Medical Surgical Sciences and Advanced Technologies “GF Ingrassia”, University Hospital Policlinic “G. Rodolico-San Marco”, Catania, Italy
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Oliver KL, Trivisano M, Mandelstam SA, De Dominicis A, Francis DI, Green TE, Muir AM, Chowdhary A, Hertzberg C, Goldhahn K, Metreau J, Prager C, Pinner J, Cardamone M, Myers KA, Leventer RJ, Lesca G, Bahlo M, Hildebrand MS, Mefford HC, Kaindl AM, Specchio N, Scheffer IE. WWOX developmental and epileptic encephalopathy: Understanding the epileptology and the mortality risk. Epilepsia 2023; 64:1351-1367. [PMID: 36779245 PMCID: PMC10952634 DOI: 10.1111/epi.17542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Revised: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/14/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE WWOX is an autosomal recessive cause of early infantile developmental and epileptic encephalopathy (WWOX-DEE), also known as WOREE (WWOX-related epileptic encephalopathy). We analyzed the epileptology and imaging features of WWOX-DEE, and investigated genotype-phenotype correlations, particularly with regard to survival. METHODS We studied 13 patients from 12 families with WWOX-DEE. Information regarding seizure semiology, comorbidities, facial dysmorphisms, and disease outcome were collected. Electroencephalographic (EEG) and brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data were analyzed. Pathogenic WWOX variants from our cohort and the literature were coded as either null or missense, allowing individuals to be classified into one of three genotype classes: (1) null/null, (2) null/missense, (3) missense/missense. Differences in survival outcome were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS All patients experienced multiple seizure types (median onset = 5 weeks, range = 1 day-10 months), the most frequent being focal (85%), epileptic spasms (77%), and tonic seizures (69%). Ictal EEG recordings in six of 13 patients showed tonic (n = 5), myoclonic (n = 2), epileptic spasms (n = 2), focal (n = 1), and migrating focal (n = 1) seizures. Interictal EEGs demonstrated slow background activity with multifocal discharges, predominantly over frontal or temporo-occipital regions. Eleven of 13 patients had a movement disorder, most frequently dystonia. Brain MRIs revealed severe frontotemporal, hippocampal, and optic atrophy, thin corpus callosum, and white matter signal abnormalities. Pathogenic variants were located throughout WWOX and comprised both missense and null changes including five copy number variants (four deletions, one duplication). Survival analyses showed that patients with two null variants are at higher mortality risk (p-value = .0085, log-rank test). SIGNIFICANCE Biallelic WWOX pathogenic variants cause an early infantile developmental and epileptic encephalopathy syndrome. The most common seizure types are focal seizures and epileptic spasms. Mortality risk is associated with mutation type; patients with biallelic null WWOX pathogenic variants have significantly lower survival probability compared to those carrying at least one presumed hypomorphic missense pathogenic variant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen L. Oliver
- Epilepsy Research Centre, Department of MedicineUniversity of Melbourne, Austin HealthHeidelbergVictoriaAustralia
- Population Health and Immunity DivisionWalter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical ResearchParkvilleVictoriaAustralia
- Department of Medical BiologyUniversity of MelbourneMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
| | - Marina Trivisano
- Rare and Complex Epilepsy Unit, Department of NeuroscienceBambino Gesù Children's Hospital IRCCS, full member of European Reference Network EpiCARERomeItaly
| | - Simone A. Mandelstam
- Department of PaediatricsUniversity of MelbourneMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
- Murdoch Children's Research InstituteMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental HealthMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
- Department of Radiology, Royal Children's HospitalMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
| | - Angela De Dominicis
- Rare and Complex Epilepsy Unit, Department of NeuroscienceBambino Gesù Children's Hospital IRCCS, full member of European Reference Network EpiCARERomeItaly
- Department of Biomedicine and PreventionUniversity of Rome “Tor Vergata”RomeItaly
| | - David I. Francis
- Victorian Clinical Genetics ServicesMurdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's HospitalMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
| | - Timothy E. Green
- Epilepsy Research Centre, Department of MedicineUniversity of Melbourne, Austin HealthHeidelbergVictoriaAustralia
| | - Alison M. Muir
- Department of PediatricsUniversity of WashingtonSeattleWashingtonUSA
| | - Apoorva Chowdhary
- Department of PediatricsUniversity of WashingtonSeattleWashingtonUSA
| | - Christoph Hertzberg
- Zentrum für Sozialpädiatrie und Neuropädiatrie (DBZ)Vivantes Hospital NeukoellnBerlinGermany
| | - Klaus Goldhahn
- Department of Pediatrics and Neuropediatrics, DRK Klinikum WestendBerlinGermany
| | - Julia Metreau
- Department of Pediatric NeurologyHôpital Bicêtre, Assistance Publique Hopitaux de ParisLe Kremlin‐BicêtreFrance
| | - Christine Prager
- Center for Chronically Sick Children (SPZ)Charité‐Universitätsmedizin BerlinBerlinGermany
- Department of Pediatric NeurologyCharité–Universitätsmedizin BerlinBerlinGermany
| | - Jason Pinner
- Sydney Children's HospitalRandwickNew South WalesAustralia
- School of Women's and Children's HealthUniversity of New South WalesSydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Michael Cardamone
- Sydney Children's HospitalRandwickNew South WalesAustralia
- School of Women's and Children's HealthUniversity of New South WalesSydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Kenneth A. Myers
- Division of Child Neurology, Department of PediatricsMcGill UniversityMontrealQuebecCanada
- Research Institute of the McGill University Health CentreMontrealQuebecCanada
- Department of Neurology and NeurosurgeryMontreal Children's Hospital, McGill UniversityMontrealQuebecCanada
| | - Richard J. Leventer
- Department of PaediatricsUniversity of MelbourneMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
- Murdoch Children's Research InstituteMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
- Department of NeurologyRoyal Children's HospitalMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
| | - Gaetan Lesca
- Department of Medical Genetics, Lyon University HospitalUniversité Claude Bernard Lyon 1, member of the European Reference Network EpiCARELyonFrance
| | - Melanie Bahlo
- Population Health and Immunity DivisionWalter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical ResearchParkvilleVictoriaAustralia
- Department of Medical BiologyUniversity of MelbourneMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
| | - Michael S. Hildebrand
- Epilepsy Research Centre, Department of MedicineUniversity of Melbourne, Austin HealthHeidelbergVictoriaAustralia
- Murdoch Children's Research InstituteMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
| | - Heather C. Mefford
- Department of PediatricsUniversity of WashingtonSeattleWashingtonUSA
- Center for Pediatric Neurological Disease ResearchSt. Jude Children's Research HospitalMemphisTennesseeUSA
| | - Angela M. Kaindl
- Center for Chronically Sick Children (SPZ)Charité‐Universitätsmedizin BerlinBerlinGermany
- Department of Pediatric NeurologyCharité–Universitätsmedizin BerlinBerlinGermany
- Institute of Cell Biology and NeurobiologyCharité–Universitätsmedizin BerlinBerlinGermany
| | - Nicola Specchio
- Rare and Complex Epilepsy Unit, Department of NeuroscienceBambino Gesù Children's Hospital IRCCS, full member of European Reference Network EpiCARERomeItaly
| | - Ingrid E. Scheffer
- Epilepsy Research Centre, Department of MedicineUniversity of Melbourne, Austin HealthHeidelbergVictoriaAustralia
- Department of PaediatricsUniversity of MelbourneMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
- Murdoch Children's Research InstituteMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental HealthMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
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3
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Chong SC, Cao Y, Fung ELW, Kleppe S, Gripp KW, Hertecant J, El-Hattab AW, Suleiman J, Clark G, von Allmen G, Rodziyevska O, Lewis RA, Rosenfeld JA, Dong J, Wang X, Miller MJ, Bi W, Liu P, Scaglia F. Expansion of the clinical and molecular spectrum of WWOX-related epileptic encephalopathy. Am J Med Genet A 2023; 191:776-785. [PMID: 36537114 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.a.63074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2022] [Revised: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/27/2022] [Indexed: 02/14/2023]
Abstract
WWOX biallelic loss-of-function pathogenic single nucleotide variants (SNVs) and copy number variants (CNVs) including exonic deletions and duplications cause WWOX-related epileptic encephalopathy (WOREE) syndrome. This disorder is characterized by refractory epilepsy, axial hypotonia, peripheral hypertonia, progressive microcephaly, and premature death. Here we report five patients with WWOX biallelic predicted null variants identified by exome sequencing (ES), genome sequencing (GS), and/or chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA). SNVs and intragenic deletions of one or more exons were commonly reported in WOREE syndrome patients which made the genetic diagnosis challenging and required a combination of different diagnostic technologies. These patients presented with severe, developmental and epileptic encephalopathy (DEE), and other cardinal features consistent with WOREE syndrome. This report expands the clinical phenotype associated with this condition, including failure to thrive in most patients and epilepsy that responded to a ketogenic diet in three patients. Dysmorphic features and abnormal prenatal findings were not commonly observed. Additionally, recurrent pancreatitis and sensorineural hearing loss each were observed in single patients. In summary, these phenotypic features broaden the clinical spectrum of WOREE syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuk Ching Chong
- Department of Paediatrics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.,Joint BCM-CUHK Center of Medical Genetics, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Ye Cao
- Department of Paediatrics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.,Joint BCM-CUHK Center of Medical Genetics, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.,Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Eva L W Fung
- Department of Paediatrics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Soledad Kleppe
- Unidad de Metabolismo, Hospital de Niños Ricardo Gutiérrez, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Karen W Gripp
- Division of Medical Genetics, A. I. du Pont Hospital for Children/Nemours, Wilmington, Delaware, USA
| | - Jozef Hertecant
- Division of Genetic and Metabolic Disorders, Departments of Pediatrics, Tawam Hospital, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
| | - Ayman W El-Hattab
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Jehan Suleiman
- Division of Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Tawam Hospital, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates.,Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
| | - Gary Clark
- Neurology and Developmental Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Neurology Service, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Gretchen von Allmen
- Division of Child Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, McGovern Medical School, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Olga Rodziyevska
- Division of Child Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, McGovern Medical School, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Richard A Lewis
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA.,Department of Ophthalmology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA.,Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Jill A Rosenfeld
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Jie Dong
- Baylor Genetics, Houston, Texas, USA
| | | | - Xia Wang
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA.,Baylor Genetics, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Marcus J Miller
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA.,Baylor Genetics, Houston, Texas, USA.,Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Weimin Bi
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA.,Baylor Genetics, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Pengfei Liu
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA.,Baylor Genetics, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Fernando Scaglia
- Joint BCM-CUHK Center of Medical Genetics, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.,Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.,Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA
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4
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Musacchia F, Karali M, Torella A, Laurie S, Policastro V, Pizzo M, Beltran S, Casari G, Nigro V, Banfi S. VarGenius-HZD Allows Accurate Detection of Rare Homozygous or Hemizygous Deletions in Targeted Sequencing Leveraging Breadth of Coverage. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12121979. [PMID: 34946927 PMCID: PMC8701221 DOI: 10.3390/genes12121979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Revised: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 12/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Homozygous deletions (HDs) may be the cause of rare diseases and cancer, and their discovery in targeted sequencing is a challenging task. Different tools have been developed to disentangle HD discovery but a sensitive caller is still lacking. We present VarGenius-HZD, a sensitive and scalable algorithm that leverages breadth-of-coverage for the detection of rare homozygous and hemizygous single-exon deletions (HDs). To assess its effectiveness, we detected both real and synthetic rare HDs in fifty exomes from the 1000 Genomes Project obtaining higher sensitivity in comparison with state-of-the-art algorithms that each missed at least one event. We then applied our tool on targeted sequencing data from patients with Inherited Retinal Dystrophies and solved five cases that still lacked a genetic diagnosis. We provide VarGenius-HZD either stand-alone or integrated within our recently developed software, enabling the automated selection of samples using the internal database. Hence, it could be extremely useful for both diagnostic and research purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Musacchia
- Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine, 80078 Pozzuoli, Italy; (M.K.); (M.P.); (G.C.); (V.N.); (S.B.)
- Center for Human Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 16163 Genova, Italy
- Correspondence:
| | - Marianthi Karali
- Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine, 80078 Pozzuoli, Italy; (M.K.); (M.P.); (G.C.); (V.N.); (S.B.)
- Eye Clinic, Multidisciplinary Department of Medical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, Università degli Studi della Campania ‘Luigi Vanvitelli’, 80138 Naples, Italy
| | - Annalaura Torella
- Medical Genetics, Department of Precision Medicine, Università degli Studi della Campania ‘Luigi Vanvitelli’, 80138 Naples, Italy;
| | - Steve Laurie
- CNAG-CRG, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, 08003 Barcelona, Spain; (S.L.); (S.B.)
| | - Valeria Policastro
- Institute for Applied Mathematics “Mauro Picone” (IAC), National Research Council, 80131 Naples, Italy;
- Department of Environmental, Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, Università degli Studi della Campania ‘Luigi Vanvitelli’, 81100 Caserta, Italy
| | - Mariateresa Pizzo
- Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine, 80078 Pozzuoli, Italy; (M.K.); (M.P.); (G.C.); (V.N.); (S.B.)
| | - Sergi Beltran
- CNAG-CRG, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, 08003 Barcelona, Spain; (S.L.); (S.B.)
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), 08017 Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Giorgio Casari
- Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine, 80078 Pozzuoli, Italy; (M.K.); (M.P.); (G.C.); (V.N.); (S.B.)
- Neurogenomics Unit, Center for Genomics, Bioinformatics and Biostatistics, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Nigro
- Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine, 80078 Pozzuoli, Italy; (M.K.); (M.P.); (G.C.); (V.N.); (S.B.)
- Medical Genetics, Department of Precision Medicine, Università degli Studi della Campania ‘Luigi Vanvitelli’, 80138 Naples, Italy;
| | - Sandro Banfi
- Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine, 80078 Pozzuoli, Italy; (M.K.); (M.P.); (G.C.); (V.N.); (S.B.)
- Medical Genetics, Department of Precision Medicine, Università degli Studi della Campania ‘Luigi Vanvitelli’, 80138 Naples, Italy;
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Breton VL, Aquilino MS, Repudi S, Saleem A, Mylvaganam S, Abu-Swai S, Bardakjian BL, Aqeilan RI, Carlen PL. Altered neocortical oscillations and cellular excitability in an in vitro Wwox knockout mouse model of epileptic encephalopathy. Neurobiol Dis 2021; 160:105529. [PMID: 34634460 PMCID: PMC8609180 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2021.105529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2021] [Revised: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 10/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Loss of function mutations of the WW domain-containing oxidoreductase (WWOX) gene are associated with severe and fatal drug-resistant pediatric epileptic encephalopathy. Epileptic seizures are typically characterized by neuronal hyperexcitability; however, the specific contribution of WWOX to that hyperexcitability has yet to be investigated. Using a mouse model of neuronal Wwox-deletion that exhibit spontaneous seizures, in vitro whole-cell and field potential electrophysiological characterization identified spontaneous bursting activity in the neocortex, a marker of the underlying network hyperexcitability. Spectral analysis of the neocortical bursting events highlighted increased phase-amplitude coupling, and a propagation from layer II/III to layer V. These bursts were NMDAR and gap junction dependent. In layer II/III pyramidal neurons, Wwox knockout mice demonstrated elevated amplitude of excitatory post-synaptic currents, whereas the frequency and amplitude of inhibitory post-synaptic currents were reduced, as compared to heterozygote and wild-type littermate controls. Furthermore, these neurons were depolarized and demonstrated increased action potential frequency, sag current, and post-inhibitory rebound. These findings suggest WWOX plays an essential role in balancing neocortical excitability and provide insight towards developing therapeutics for those suffering from WWOX disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa L Breton
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada; Krembil Research Institute, Division of Fundamental Neurobiology, Toronto Western Hospital, Toronto, Ontario M5T 0S8, Canada.
| | - Mark S Aquilino
- Krembil Research Institute, Division of Fundamental Neurobiology, Toronto Western Hospital, Toronto, Ontario M5T 0S8, Canada; Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G9, Canada.
| | - Srinivasarao Repudi
- The Concern Foundation Laboratories, The Lautenberg Center for Immunology and Cancer Research, Immunology and Cancer Research-IMRIC, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Afifa Saleem
- Krembil Research Institute, Division of Fundamental Neurobiology, Toronto Western Hospital, Toronto, Ontario M5T 0S8, Canada; Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G9, Canada
| | - Shanthini Mylvaganam
- Krembil Research Institute, Division of Fundamental Neurobiology, Toronto Western Hospital, Toronto, Ontario M5T 0S8, Canada
| | - Sara Abu-Swai
- The Concern Foundation Laboratories, The Lautenberg Center for Immunology and Cancer Research, Immunology and Cancer Research-IMRIC, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Berj L Bardakjian
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G9, Canada; Edward S. Rogers Sr. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G4, Canada
| | - Rami I Aqeilan
- The Concern Foundation Laboratories, The Lautenberg Center for Immunology and Cancer Research, Immunology and Cancer Research-IMRIC, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Peter L Carlen
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada; Krembil Research Institute, Division of Fundamental Neurobiology, Toronto Western Hospital, Toronto, Ontario M5T 0S8, Canada; Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G9, Canada; Department of Medicine (Neurology), University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario M5G 2C4, Canada
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6
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Steinberg DJ, Aqeilan RI. WWOX-Related Neurodevelopmental Disorders: Models and Future Perspectives. Cells 2021; 10:cells10113082. [PMID: 34831305 PMCID: PMC8623516 DOI: 10.3390/cells10113082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 10/28/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The WW domain-containing oxidoreductase (WWOX) gene was originally discovered as a putative tumor suppressor spanning the common fragile site FRA16D, but as time has progressed the extent of its pleiotropic function has become apparent. At present, WWOX is a major source of interest in the context of neurological disorders, and more specifically developmental and epileptic encephalopathies (DEEs). This review article aims to introduce the many model systems used through the years to study its function and roles in neuropathies. Similarities and fundamental differences between rodent and human models are discussed. Finally, future perspectives and promising research avenues are suggested.
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7
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Molecular Biology of the WWOX Gene That Spans Chromosomal Fragile Site FRA16D. Cells 2021; 10:cells10071637. [PMID: 34210081 PMCID: PMC8305172 DOI: 10.3390/cells10071637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2021] [Revised: 06/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
It is now more than 20 years since the FRA16D common chromosomal fragile site was characterised and the WWOX gene spanning this site was identified. In this time, much information has been discovered about its contribution to disease; however, the normal biological role of WWOX is not yet clear. Experiments leading to the identification of the WWOX gene are recounted, revealing enigmatic relationships between the fragile site, its gene and the encoded protein. We also highlight research mainly using the genetically tractable model organism Drosophila melanogaster that has shed light on the integral role of WWOX in metabolism. In addition to this role, there are some particularly outstanding questions that remain regarding WWOX, its gene and its chromosomal location. This review, therefore, also aims to highlight two unanswered questions. Firstly, what is the biological relationship between the WWOX gene and the FRA16D common chromosomal fragile site that is located within one of its very large introns? Secondly, what is the actual substrate and product of the WWOX enzyme activity? It is likely that understanding the normal role of WWOX and its relationship to chromosomal fragility are necessary in order to understand how the perturbation of these normal roles results in disease.
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8
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Banne E, Abudiab B, Abu-Swai S, Repudi SR, Steinberg DJ, Shatleh D, Alshammery S, Lisowski L, Gold W, Carlen PL, Aqeilan RI. Neurological Disorders Associated with WWOX Germline Mutations-A Comprehensive Overview. Cells 2021; 10:824. [PMID: 33916893 PMCID: PMC8067556 DOI: 10.3390/cells10040824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2021] [Revised: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 04/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The transcriptional regulator WW domain-containing oxidoreductase (WWOX) is a key player in a number of cellular and biological processes including tumor suppression. Recent evidence has emerged associating WWOX with non-cancer disorders. Patients harboring pathogenic germline bi-allelic WWOX variants have been described with the rare devastating neurological syndromes autosomal recessive spinocerebellar ataxia 12 (SCAR12) (6 patients) and WWOX-related epileptic encephalopathy (DEE28 or WOREE syndrome) (56 patients). Individuals with these syndromes present with a highly heterogenous clinical spectrum, the most common clinical symptoms being severe epileptic encephalopathy and profound global developmental delay. Knowledge of the underlying pathophysiology of these syndromes, the range of variants of the WWOX gene and its genotype-phenotype correlations is limited, hampering therapeutic efforts. Therefore, there is a critical need to identify and consolidate all the reported variants in WWOX to distinguish between disease-causing alleles and their associated severity, and benign variants, with the aim of improving diagnosis and increasing therapeutic efforts. Here, we provide a comprehensive review of the literature on WWOX, and analyze the pathogenic variants from published and unpublished reports by collecting entries from the ClinVar, DECIPHER, VarSome, and PubMed databases to generate the largest dataset of WWOX pathogenic variants. We estimate the correlation between variant type and patient phenotype, and delineate the impact of each variant, and used GnomAD to cross reference these variants found in the general population. From these searches, we generated the largest published cohort of WWOX individuals. We conclude with a discussion on potential personalized medicine approaches to tackle the devastating disorders associated with WWOX mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ehud Banne
- The Genetic Institute, Kaplan Medical Center, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Rehovot 76100, Israel;
- The Rina Mor Genetic Institute, Wolfson Medical Center, Holon 58100, Israel
| | - Baraa Abudiab
- The Concern Foundation Laboratories, The Lautenberg Center for Immunology and Cancer Research, Department of Immunology and Cancer Research-IMRIC, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem 91120, Israel; (B.A.); (S.A.-S.); (D.J.S.); (S.R.R.); (D.S.)
| | - Sara Abu-Swai
- The Concern Foundation Laboratories, The Lautenberg Center for Immunology and Cancer Research, Department of Immunology and Cancer Research-IMRIC, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem 91120, Israel; (B.A.); (S.A.-S.); (D.J.S.); (S.R.R.); (D.S.)
| | - Srinivasa Rao Repudi
- The Concern Foundation Laboratories, The Lautenberg Center for Immunology and Cancer Research, Department of Immunology and Cancer Research-IMRIC, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem 91120, Israel; (B.A.); (S.A.-S.); (D.J.S.); (S.R.R.); (D.S.)
| | - Daniel J. Steinberg
- The Concern Foundation Laboratories, The Lautenberg Center for Immunology and Cancer Research, Department of Immunology and Cancer Research-IMRIC, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem 91120, Israel; (B.A.); (S.A.-S.); (D.J.S.); (S.R.R.); (D.S.)
| | - Diala Shatleh
- The Concern Foundation Laboratories, The Lautenberg Center for Immunology and Cancer Research, Department of Immunology and Cancer Research-IMRIC, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem 91120, Israel; (B.A.); (S.A.-S.); (D.J.S.); (S.R.R.); (D.S.)
| | - Sarah Alshammery
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, School of Medical Sciences and Discipline of Child and Adolescent Health, The University of Sydney, Westmead 2145, NSW, Australia; (S.A.); (W.G.)
| | - Leszek Lisowski
- Translational Vectorology Research Unit, Children’s Medical Research Institute, The University of Sydney, Westmead 2145, NSW, Australia;
- Laboratory of Molecular Oncology and Innovative Therapies, Military Institute of Medicine, 04-141 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Wendy Gold
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, School of Medical Sciences and Discipline of Child and Adolescent Health, The University of Sydney, Westmead 2145, NSW, Australia; (S.A.); (W.G.)
- Molecular Neurobiology Research Laboratory, Kids Research, Children’s Hospital at Westmead and The Children’s Medical Research Institute, Westmead 2145, NSW, Australia
- Kids Neuroscience Centre, Kids Research, Children’s Hospital at Westmead, Westmead 2145, NSW, Australia
| | - Peter L. Carlen
- Krembil Research Institute, University Health Network and Department of Medicine, Physiology and BME, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 1M8, Canada;
| | - Rami I. Aqeilan
- The Concern Foundation Laboratories, The Lautenberg Center for Immunology and Cancer Research, Department of Immunology and Cancer Research-IMRIC, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem 91120, Israel; (B.A.); (S.A.-S.); (D.J.S.); (S.R.R.); (D.S.)
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9
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Chou YT, Lai FJ, Chang NS, Hsu LJ. Wwox Deficiency Causes Downregulation of Prosurvival ERK Signaling and Abnormal Homeostatic Responses in Mouse Skin. Front Cell Dev Biol 2020; 8:558432. [PMID: 33195192 PMCID: PMC7652735 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.558432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2020] [Accepted: 10/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Deficiency of tumor suppressor WW domain-containing oxidoreductase (WWOX) in humans and animals leads to growth retardation and premature death during postnatal developmental stages. Skin integrity is essential for organism survival due to its protection against dehydration and hypothermia. Our previous report demonstrated that human epidermal suprabasal cells express WWOX protein, and the expression is gradually increased toward the superficial differentiated cells prior to cornification. Here, we investigated whether abnormal skin development and homeostasis occur under Wwox deficiency that may correlate with early death. We determined that keratinocyte proliferation and differentiation were decreased, while apoptosis was increased in Wwox–/– mouse epidermis and primary keratinocyte cultures and WWOX-knockdown human HaCaT cells. Without WWOX, progenitor cells in hair follicle junctional zone underwent massive proliferation in early postnatal developmental stages and the stem/progenitor cell pools were depleted at postnatal day 21. These events lead to significantly decreased epidermal thickness, dehydration state, and delayed hair development in Wwox–/– mouse skin, which is associated with downregulation of prosurvival MEK/ERK signaling in Wwox–/– keratinocytes. Moreover, Wwox depletion results in substantial downregulation of dermal collagen contents in mice. Notably, Wwox–/– mice exhibit severe loss of subcutaneous adipose tissue and significant hypothermia. Collectively, our knockout mouse model supports the validity of WWOX in assisting epidermal and adipose homeostasis, and the involvement of prosurvival ERK pathway in the homeostatic responses regulated by WWOX.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying-Tsen Chou
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Feng-Jie Lai
- Department of Dermatology, Chimei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan.,Center for General Education, Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Nan-Shan Chang
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.,Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Li-Jin Hsu
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.,Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
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10
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Iacomino M, Baldassari S, Tochigi Y, Kośla K, Buffelli F, Torella A, Severino M, Paladini D, Mandarà L, Riva A, Scala M, Balagura G, Accogli A, Nigro V, Minetti C, Fulcheri E, Zara F, Bednarek AK, Striano P, Suzuki H, Salpietro V. Loss of Wwox Perturbs Neuronal Migration and Impairs Early Cortical Development. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:644. [PMID: 32581702 PMCID: PMC7300205 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.00644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2020] [Accepted: 05/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations in the WWOX gene cause a broad range of ultra-rare neurodevelopmental and brain degenerative disorders, associated with a high likelihood of premature death in animal models as well as in humans. The encoded Wwox protein is a WW domain-containing oxidoreductase that participates in crucial biological processes including tumor suppression, cell growth/differentiation and regulation of steroid metabolism, while its role in neural development is less understood. We analyzed the exomes of a family affected with multiple pre- and postnatal anomalies, including cerebellar vermis hypoplasia, severe neurodevelopmental impairment and refractory epilepsy, and identified a segregating homozygous WWOX mutation leading to a premature stop codon. Abnormal cerebral cortex development due to a defective architecture of granular and molecular cell layers was found in the developing brain of a WWOX-deficient human fetus from this family. A similar disorganization of cortical layers was identified in lde/lde rats (carrying a homozygous truncating mutation which disrupts the active Wwox C-terminal domain) investigated at perinatal stages. Transcriptomic analyses of Wwox-depleted human neural progenitor cells showed an impaired expression of a number of neuronal migration-related genes encoding for tubulins, kinesins and associated proteins. These findings indicate that loss of Wwox may affect different cytoskeleton components and alter prenatal cortical development, highlighting a regulatory role of the WWOX gene in migrating neurons across different species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michele Iacomino
- Unit of Medical Genetics, IRCCS Istituto "Giannina Gaslini", Genoa, Italy
| | - Simona Baldassari
- Unit of Medical Genetics, IRCCS Istituto "Giannina Gaslini", Genoa, Italy
| | - Yuki Tochigi
- Laboratory of Veterinary Physiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Nippon Veterinary and Life Science University, Musashinoi, Japan
| | - Katarzyna Kośla
- Department of Molecular Carcinogenesis, Medical University of Łódź, Łódź, Poland
| | - Francesca Buffelli
- Fetal and Perinatal Pathology Unit, IRCCS Istituto "Giannina Gaslini", Genoa, Italy
| | - Annalaura Torella
- Department of Precision Medicine, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy.,Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine (TIGEM), Naples, Italy
| | | | - Dario Paladini
- Fetal Medicine and Surgery Unit, IRCCS Istituto "Giannina Gaslini", Genoa, Italy
| | - Luana Mandarà
- Medical Genetics Unit, Maria Paternò Arezzo Hospital, Ragusa, Italy
| | - Antonella Riva
- Pediatric Neurology and Muscular Diseases Unit, IRCCS Istituto "Giannina Gaslini", Genoa, Italy
| | - Marcello Scala
- Pediatric Neurology and Muscular Diseases Unit, IRCCS Istituto "Giannina Gaslini", Genoa, Italy.,Department of Neurosciences, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DiNOGMI), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Ganna Balagura
- Pediatric Neurology and Muscular Diseases Unit, IRCCS Istituto "Giannina Gaslini", Genoa, Italy.,Department of Neurosciences, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DiNOGMI), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Andrea Accogli
- Unit of Medical Genetics, IRCCS Istituto "Giannina Gaslini", Genoa, Italy.,Department of Neurosciences, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DiNOGMI), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Nigro
- Department of Precision Medicine, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy.,Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine (TIGEM), Naples, Italy
| | - Carlo Minetti
- Pediatric Neurology and Muscular Diseases Unit, IRCCS Istituto "Giannina Gaslini", Genoa, Italy.,Department of Neurosciences, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DiNOGMI), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Ezio Fulcheri
- Fetal and Perinatal Pathology Unit, IRCCS Istituto "Giannina Gaslini", Genoa, Italy.,Department of Surgical Sciences and Integrated Diagnostics (DISC), Pathology Division of Anatomic Pathology, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Federico Zara
- Unit of Medical Genetics, IRCCS Istituto "Giannina Gaslini", Genoa, Italy.,Department of Neurosciences, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DiNOGMI), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Andrzej K Bednarek
- Department of Molecular Carcinogenesis, Medical University of Łódź, Łódź, Poland
| | - Pasquale Striano
- Pediatric Neurology and Muscular Diseases Unit, IRCCS Istituto "Giannina Gaslini", Genoa, Italy.,Department of Neurosciences, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DiNOGMI), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Hiroetsu Suzuki
- Laboratory of Veterinary Physiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Nippon Veterinary and Life Science University, Musashinoi, Japan
| | - Vincenzo Salpietro
- Pediatric Neurology and Muscular Diseases Unit, IRCCS Istituto "Giannina Gaslini", Genoa, Italy.,Department of Neurosciences, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DiNOGMI), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.,Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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11
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Huang S, Hsu L, Chang N. Functional role of WW domain-containing proteins in tumor biology and diseases: Insight into the role in ubiquitin-proteasome system. FASEB Bioadv 2020; 2:234-253. [PMID: 32259050 PMCID: PMC7133736 DOI: 10.1096/fba.2019-00060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2019] [Revised: 07/23/2019] [Accepted: 01/31/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) governs the protein degradation process and balances proteostasis and cellular homeostasis. It is a well-controlled mechanism, in which removal of the damaged or excessive proteins is essential in driving signal pathways for cell survival or death. Accumulation of damaged proteins and failure in removal may contribute to disease initiation such as in cancers and neurodegenerative diseases. In this notion, specific protein-protein interaction is essential for the recognition of targeted proteins in UPS. WW domain plays an indispensable role in the protein-protein interactions during signaling. Among the 51 WW domain-containing proteins in the human proteomics, near one-quarter of them are involved in the UPS, suggesting that WW domains are crucial modules for driving the protein-protein binding and subsequent ubiquitination and degradation. In this review, we detail a broad spectrum of WW domains in protein-protein recognition, signal transduction, and relevance to diseases. New perspectives in dissecting the molecular interactions are provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shenq‐Shyang Huang
- Graduate Program of Biotechnology in MedicineInstitute of Molecular and Cellular BiologyNational Tsing Hua UniversityHsinchuTaiwan, ROC
| | - Li‐Jin Hsu
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science and BiotechnologyNational Cheng Kung University College of MedicineTainanTaiwan, ROC
| | - Nan‐Shan Chang
- Institute of Molecular MedicineNational Cheng Kung University College of MedicineTainanTaiwan, ROC
- Department of NeurochemistryNew York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental DisabilitiesStaten IslandNYUSA
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical SciencesCollege of MedicineChina Medical UniversityTaichungTaiwan, ROC
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12
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Su T, Yan Y, Xu S, Zhang K, Xu S. Early onset epileptic encephalopathy caused by novel compound heterozygous mutation of WWOX gene. Int J Dev Neurosci 2020; 80:157-161. [PMID: 32037574 DOI: 10.1002/jdn.10013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2019] [Revised: 01/28/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The human WW domain containing oxidoreductase (WWOX) gene has been identified as a tumor suppressor gene. However, recent reports have demonstrated its dominant role in autosomal recessive disorders of the central nervous system, especially in early onset epileptic encephalopathy. Here, we report a Chinese case with novel compound heterozygous mutation of WWOX gene (c.229_230+2del mutation originated from her mother and c.1065dup (p.Ala356Serfs*173) variation from her father), and compare them to previously reported 59 WWOX-related epileptic encephalopathy (WOREE). Early onset and frequent epileptic seizures in the postnatal period, hypsarrhythmia patterns in EEG background and retarded development are the most important characteristics of WOREE in infants. Although the seizures in our case can be controlled by phenobarbital and topiramate, the prognosis of WOREE is poor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tangfeng Su
- Department of Pediatrics, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yu Yan
- Department of Neurology, People's Hospital of Dongxihu District, Wuhan, China
| | - Shuang Xu
- Department of Pediatrics, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Ke Zhang
- Department of Pediatrics, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Sanqing Xu
- Department of Pediatrics, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
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13
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Novel compound heterozygous mutations in the WWOX gene cause early infantile epileptic encephalopathy. Int J Dev Neurosci 2019; 79:45-48. [PMID: 31669195 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2019.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2019] [Revised: 10/08/2019] [Accepted: 10/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Defects of WW domain-containing oxidoreductase (WWOX) has been associated with autosomal recessive spinocerebellar ataxia type 12 (SCAR12) and severe early-onset epileptic encephalopathy. The mutations in this gene can lead to global developmental delay, acquired microcephaly, and epilepsy. We report an infant with an autosomal recessive severe early-onset epileptic encephalopathy. Whole exome sequencing analysis was applied to the patient. Novel compound heterozygous mutations in the WWOX gene, c.173-2A > G and c.775 T > C (p.Ser259Pro), were identified. The present study expands our knowledge of WWOX mutations and related phenotypes, and provides new information on the genetic defects associated with this disease for clinical diagnosis.
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14
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Weisz-Hubshman M, Meirson H, Michaelson-Cohen R, Beeri R, Tzur S, Bormans C, Modai S, Shomron N, Shilon Y, Banne E, Orenstein N, Konen O, Marek-Yagel D, Veber A, Shalva N, Imagawa E, Matsumoto N, Lev D, Lerman Sagie T, Raas-Rothschild A, Ben-Zeev B, Basel-Salmon L, Behar DM, Heimer G. Novel WWOX deleterious variants cause early infantile epileptic encephalopathy, severe developmental delay and dysmorphism among Yemenite Jews. Eur J Paediatr Neurol 2019; 23:418-426. [PMID: 30853297 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpn.2019.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2018] [Revised: 02/09/2019] [Accepted: 02/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The human WW Domain Containing Oxidoreductase (WWOX) gene was originally described as a tumor suppressor gene. However, recent reports have demonstrated its cardinal role in the pathogenesis of central nervous systems disorders such as epileptic encephalopathy, intellectual disability, and spinocerebellar ataxia. We report on six patients from three unrelated families of full or partial Yemenite Jewish ancestry exhibiting early infantile epileptic encephalopathy and profound developmental delay. Importantly, four patients demonstrated facial dysmorphism. Exome sequencing revealed that four of the patients were homozygous for a novel WWOX c.517-2A > G splice-site variant and two were compound heterozygous for this variant and a novel c.689A > C, p.Gln230Pro missense variant. Complementary DNA sequencing demonstrated that the WWOX c.517-2A > G splice-site variant causes skipping of exon six. A carrier rate of 1:177 was found among Yemenite Jews. We provide the first detailed description of patients harboring a splice-site variant in the WWOX gene and propose that the clinical synopsis of WWOX related epileptic encephalopathy should be broadened to include facial dysmorphism. The increased frequency of the c.517-2A > G splice-site variant among Yemenite Jews coupled with the severity of the phenotype makes it a candidate for inclusion in expanded preconception screening programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Weisz-Hubshman
- Pediatric Genetics Unit, Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel, Petach Tikva, Israel; Raphael Recanati Genetic Institute, Rabin Medical Center, Petach Tikva, Israel; Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
| | - H Meirson
- Pediatric Neurology Unit, Kaplan Medical Center Rehovot, Israel
| | - R Michaelson-Cohen
- Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Hebrew University School of Medicine, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - R Beeri
- Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa, Israel
| | - S Tzur
- Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa, Israel; Genomic Research Department, Emedgene Technologies, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - C Bormans
- Gene by Gene, Genomic Research Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - S Modai
- Variantyx, Inc, Framingham, MA, USA
| | - N Shomron
- Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; Variantyx, Inc, Framingham, MA, USA
| | - Y Shilon
- Pediatric Neurology Unit, Kaplan Medical Center Rehovot, Israel
| | - E Banne
- Institute of Medical Genetics, Kaplan Medical Center, Rehovot, Israel
| | - N Orenstein
- Pediatric Genetics Unit, Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel, Petach Tikva, Israel; Raphael Recanati Genetic Institute, Rabin Medical Center, Petach Tikva, Israel; Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - O Konen
- Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; Radiology Unit, Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel, Petach Tikva, Israel
| | - D Marek-Yagel
- Metabolic Diseases Unit, Safra Children Hospital, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel
| | - A Veber
- Metabolic Diseases Unit, Safra Children Hospital, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel
| | - N Shalva
- Metabolic Diseases Unit, Safra Children Hospital, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel
| | - E Imagawa
- Department of Human Genetics, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan
| | - N Matsumoto
- Department of Human Genetics, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan
| | - D Lev
- Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; Metabolic Neurogenetic Clinic, Wolfson Medical Center, Holon, Israel; Institute of Medical Genetics, Wolfson Medical Center, Holon, Israel
| | - T Lerman Sagie
- Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; Metabolic Neurogenetic Clinic, Wolfson Medical Center, Holon, Israel
| | - A Raas-Rothschild
- Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; Institute of Rare Diseases, The Danek Gertner Institute of Human Genetics, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel
| | - B Ben-Zeev
- Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; Pediatric Neurology Unit, Safra Children Hospital, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel
| | - L Basel-Salmon
- Pediatric Genetics Unit, Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel, Petach Tikva, Israel; Raphael Recanati Genetic Institute, Rabin Medical Center, Petach Tikva, Israel; Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; Felsenstein Medical Research Center, Petach Tikva, Israel
| | - D M Behar
- Gene by Gene, Genomic Research Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - G Heimer
- Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; Pediatric Neurology Unit, Safra Children Hospital, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel; The Pinchas Borenstein Talpiot Medical Leadership Program, The Chaim Sheba Medical Center, 52621, Ramat Gan, Israel
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15
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Ehaideb SN, Al-Bu Ali MJ, Al-Obaid JJ, Aljassim KM, Alfadhel M. Novel Homozygous Mutation in the WWOX Gene Causes Seizures and Global Developmental Delay: Report and Review. Transl Neurosci 2018; 9:203-208. [PMID: 30746283 PMCID: PMC6368664 DOI: 10.1515/tnsci-2018-0029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2018] [Accepted: 12/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The WWOX gene has a WW domain containing oxidoreductase, which is located at the common fragile site FRA16D at chromosome 16q23. WWOX is a tumor suppressor gene that has been associated with several types of cancer such as hepatic, breast, lung, prostate, gastric, and ovarian. Recently WWOX has been implicated in epilepsy, where studies show homozygous loss-of-function mutation lead to early-infantile epileptic encephalopathy, spinocerebellar ataxia, intractable seizures and developmental delay, and early lethal microcephaly syndrome with epilepsy. Here we investigate two consanguineous Saudi families and we identified three probands with epileptic encephalopathy. Whole exome sequencing revealed a novel homozygous mutation in the WWOX gene in one proband. In addition, we identified a previously reported WWOX mutation in two probands. Later on these findings were confirmed with Sanger sequencing. The underlying mechanism on how WWOX mutations lead to seizure remains elusive. To date very few WWOX mutations have been associated with neurological disorder and our newly identified mutations support the notion that WWOX play an important role in neurons and will aid in better diagnosis and genetic counseling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salleh N Ehaideb
- King Abdullah International Medical Research Centre (KAIMRC), King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, King Abdulaziz Medical City, Ministry of National Guard-Health Affairs (MNGHA), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Majed J Al-Bu Ali
- Medical Genetic Unit, Pediatrics department, Maternity Children Hospital, Al-hassa Hofuf, Saudi Arabia
| | | | - Kareemah M Aljassim
- Medical Genetic Unit, Pediatrics department, Maternity Children Hospital, Al-hassa Hofuf, Saudi Arabia
| | - Majid Alfadhel
- King Abdullah International Medical Research Centre (KAIMRC), King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, King Abdulaziz Medical City, Ministry of National Guard-Health Affairs (MNGHA), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.,Division of Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, King Abdulaziz Medical City, Ministry of National Guard-Health Affairs (MNGHA), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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16
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Hussain T, Liu B, Shrock MS, Williams T, Aldaz CM. WWOX, the FRA16D gene: A target of and a contributor to genomic instability. Genes Chromosomes Cancer 2018; 58:324-338. [PMID: 30350478 DOI: 10.1002/gcc.22693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2018] [Accepted: 10/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
WWOX is one of the largest human genes spanning over 1.11 Mbp in length at chr16q23.1-q23.2 and containing FRA16D, the second most common chromosomal fragile site. FRA16D is a hot spot of genomic instability, prone to breakage and for causing germline and somatic copy number variations (CNVs). Consequentially WWOX is frequent target for deletions in cancer. Esophageal, stomach, colon, bladder, ovarian, and uterine cancers are those most commonly affected by WWOX deep focal deletions. WWOX deletions significantly correlate with various clinicopathological features in esophageal carcinoma. WWOX is also a common target for translocations in multiple myeloma. By mapping R-loop (RNA:DNA hybrid) forming sequences (RFLS) we observe this to be a consistent feature aligning with germline and somatic CNV break points at the edges and core of FRA16D spanning from introns 5 to 8 of WWOX. Germline CNV polymorphisms affecting WWOX are extremely common in humans across different ethnic groups. Importantly, structural variants datasets allowed us to identify a specific hot spot for germline duplications and deletions within intron 5 of WWOX coinciding with the 5' edge of the FRA16D core and various RFLS. Recently, multiple pathogenic CNVs spanning WWOX have been identified associated with neurological conditions such as autism spectrum disorder, infantile epileptic encephalopathies, and other developmental anomalies. Loss of WWOX function has recently been associated with DNA damage repair abnormalities, increased genomic instability, and resistance to chemoradiotherapy. The described observations place WWOX both as a target of and a contributor to genomic instability. Both of these aspects will be discussed in this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tabish Hussain
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, Science Park, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Smithville, Texas
| | - Bin Liu
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, Science Park, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Smithville, Texas
| | - Morgan S Shrock
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Terence Williams
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio
| | - C Marcelo Aldaz
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, Science Park, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Smithville, Texas
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17
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Davids M, Markello T, Wolfe LA, Chepa-Lotrea X, Tifft CJ, Gahl WA, Malicdan MCV. Early infantile-onset epileptic encephalopathy 28 due to a homozygous microdeletion involving the WWOX gene in a region of uniparental disomy. Hum Mutat 2018; 40:42-47. [PMID: 30362252 DOI: 10.1002/humu.23675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2018] [Revised: 09/25/2018] [Accepted: 10/21/2018] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
The genetic etiologies of many rare disorders, including early infantile epileptic encephalopathies, are largely undiagnosed. A 6-year-old girl was admitted to the National Institutes of Health Undiagnosed Diseases Program with profound intellectual disability, infantile-onset seizures, chronic respiratory failure, facial dysmorphisms, skeletal abnormalities, and atrial septum defect. A large region of homozygosity was discovered on chromosome 16, spanning 16q22.1-16q24.3' caused by uniparental disomy (UPD) that included a maternally inherited homozygous microdeletion covering exon 6 of WWOX (NM_016373.3). mRNA expression analysis revealed that the deletion led to nonsense-mediated decay of the NM_016373.3 transcript; the exon 6 of an alternative transcript (NM_130791.3), lacking the short-chain dehydrogenase, was utilized. The microdeletion in WWOX explains the seizures and intellectual disability, while pathogenic variants in another gene, HSPG2, are likely responsible for the patient's skeletal abnormalities. This report describes a rare autosomal recessive disorder with multiple genetic etiologies, one of which involves UPD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariska Davids
- NIH Undiagnosed Diseases Program, Common Fund, Office of the Director, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Thomas Markello
- NIH Undiagnosed Diseases Program, Common Fund, Office of the Director, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland.,Office of the Clinical Director, NHGRI, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Lynne A Wolfe
- NIH Undiagnosed Diseases Program, Common Fund, Office of the Director, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland.,Office of the Clinical Director, NHGRI, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Xenia Chepa-Lotrea
- NIH Undiagnosed Diseases Program, Common Fund, Office of the Director, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Cynthia J Tifft
- NIH Undiagnosed Diseases Program, Common Fund, Office of the Director, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland.,Office of the Clinical Director, NHGRI, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - William A Gahl
- NIH Undiagnosed Diseases Program, Common Fund, Office of the Director, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland.,Office of the Clinical Director, NHGRI, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - May Christine V Malicdan
- NIH Undiagnosed Diseases Program, Common Fund, Office of the Director, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland.,Office of the Clinical Director, NHGRI, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
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18
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The phenotypic spectrum of WWOX-related disorders: 20 additional cases of WOREE syndrome and review of the literature. Genet Med 2018; 21:1308-1318. [PMID: 30356099 PMCID: PMC6752669 DOI: 10.1038/s41436-018-0339-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2018] [Accepted: 10/03/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Germline WWOX pathogenic variants
have been associated with disorder of sex differentiation (DSD), spinocerebellar
ataxia (SCA), and WWOX-related epileptic
encephalopathy (WOREE syndrome). We review clinical and molecular data on
WWOX-related disorders, further
describing WOREE syndrome and phenotype/genotype correlations. Methods We report clinical and molecular findings in 20 additional patients
from 18 unrelated families with WOREE syndrome and biallelic pathogenic variants
in the WWOX gene. Different molecular
screening approaches were used (quantitative polymerase chain reaction/multiplex
ligation-dependent probe amplification [qPCR/MLPA], array comparative genomic
hybridization [array-CGH], Sanger sequencing, epilepsy gene panel, exome
sequencing), genome sequencing. Results Two copy-number variations (CNVs) or two single-nucleotide
variations (SNVs) were found respectively in four and nine families, with
compound heterozygosity for one SNV and one CNV in five families. Eight novel
missense pathogenic variants have been described. By aggregating our patients
with all cases reported in the literature, 37 patients from 27 families with
WOREE syndrome are known. This review suggests WOREE syndrome is a very severe
epileptic encephalopathy characterized by absence of language development and
acquisition of walking, early-onset drug-resistant seizures, ophthalmological
involvement, and a high likelihood of premature death. The most severe clinical
presentation seems to be associated with null genotypes. Conclusion Germline pathogenic variants in WWOX are clearly associated with a severe early-onset epileptic
encephalopathy. We report here the largest cohort of individuals with WOREE
syndrome.
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19
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Tanna M, Aqeilan RI. Modeling WWOX Loss of Function in vivo: What Have We Learned? Front Oncol 2018; 8:420. [PMID: 30370248 PMCID: PMC6194312 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2018.00420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2018] [Accepted: 09/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The WW domain–containing oxidoreductase (WWOX) gene encompasses a common fragile sites (CFS) known as FRA16D, and is implicated in cancer. WWOX encodes a 46kDa adaptor protein, which contains two N-terminal WW–domains and a catalytic domain at its C–terminus homologous to short–chain dehydrogenase/reductase (SDR) family proteins. A high sequence conservation of WWOX orthologues from insects to rodents and ultimately humans suggest its significant role in physiology and homeostasis. Indeed, data obtained from several animal models including flies, fish, and rodents demonstrate WWOX in vivo requirement and that its deregulation results in severe pathological consequences including growth retardation, post–natal lethality, neuropathy, metabolic disorders, and tumorigenesis. Altogether, these findings set WWOX as an essential protein that is necessary to maintain normal cellular/physiological homeostasis. Here, we review and discuss lessons and outcomes learned from modeling loss of WWOX expression in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayur Tanna
- Faculty of Medicine, The Lautenberg Center for Immunology and Cancer Research, Institute for Medical Research, Israel-Canada (IMRIC), Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Rami I Aqeilan
- Faculty of Medicine, The Lautenberg Center for Immunology and Cancer Research, Institute for Medical Research, Israel-Canada (IMRIC), Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.,Department of Cancer Biology & Genetics, Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, United States
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20
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Hussain T, Kil H, Hattiangady B, Lee J, Kodali M, Shuai B, Attaluri S, Takata Y, Shen J, Abba MC, Shetty AK, Aldaz CM. Wwox deletion leads to reduced GABA-ergic inhibitory interneuron numbers and activation of microglia and astrocytes in mouse hippocampus. Neurobiol Dis 2018; 121:163-176. [PMID: 30290271 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2018.09.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2018] [Revised: 09/18/2018] [Accepted: 09/30/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The association of WW domain-containing oxidoreductase WWOX gene loss of function with central nervous system (CNS) related pathologies is well documented. These include spinocerebellar ataxia, epilepsy and mental retardation (SCAR12, OMIM: 614322) and early infantile epileptic encephalopathy (EIEE28, OMIM: 616211) syndromes. However, there is complete lack of understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms at play. In this study, using a Wwox knockout (Wwox KO) mouse model (2 weeks old, both sexes) and stereological studies we observe that Wwox deletion leads to a significant reduction in the number of hippocampal GABA-ergic (γ-aminobutyric acid) interneurons. Wwox KO mice displayed significantly reduced numbers of calcium-binding protein parvalbumin (PV) and neuropeptide Y (NPY) expressing interneurons in different subfields of the hippocampus in comparison to Wwox wild-type (WT) mice. We also detected decreased levels of Glutamic Acid Decarboxylase protein isoforms GAD65/67 expression in Wwox null hippocampi suggesting lower levels of GABA synthesis. In addition, Wwox deficiency was associated with signs of neuroinflammation such as evidence of activated microglia, astrogliosis, and overexpression of inflammatory cytokines Tnf-a and Il6. We also performed comparative transcriptome-wide expression analyses of neural stem cells grown as neurospheres from hippocampi of Wwox KO and WT mice thus identifying 283 genes significantly dysregulated in their expression. Functional annotation of transcriptome profiling differences identified 'neurological disease' and 'CNS development related functions' to be significantly enriched. Several epilepsy-related genes were found differentially expressed in Wwox KO neurospheres. This study provides the first genotype-phenotype observations as well as potential mechanistic clues associated with Wwox loss of function in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tabish Hussain
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, Science Park, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Smithville, TX, United States
| | - Hyunsuk Kil
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, Science Park, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Smithville, TX, United States
| | - Bharathi Hattiangady
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine, Temple and College Station, TX, United States; Research Service, Olin E. Teague Veterans' Medical Center, CTVHCS, Temple, TX, United States
| | - Jaeho Lee
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, Science Park, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Smithville, TX, United States
| | - Maheedhar Kodali
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine, Temple and College Station, TX, United States; Research Service, Olin E. Teague Veterans' Medical Center, CTVHCS, Temple, TX, United States
| | - Bing Shuai
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine, Temple and College Station, TX, United States; Research Service, Olin E. Teague Veterans' Medical Center, CTVHCS, Temple, TX, United States
| | - Sahithi Attaluri
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine, Temple and College Station, TX, United States; Research Service, Olin E. Teague Veterans' Medical Center, CTVHCS, Temple, TX, United States
| | - Yoko Takata
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, Science Park, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Smithville, TX, United States
| | - Jianjun Shen
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, Science Park, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Smithville, TX, United States
| | - Martin C Abba
- CINIBA, School of Medicine, UNLP, La Plata, Argentina
| | - Ashok K Shetty
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine, Temple and College Station, TX, United States; Research Service, Olin E. Teague Veterans' Medical Center, CTVHCS, Temple, TX, United States
| | - C Marcelo Aldaz
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, Science Park, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Smithville, TX, United States.
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21
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Liu CC, Ho PC, Lee IT, Chen YA, Chu CH, Teng CC, Wu SN, Sze CI, Chiang MF, Chang NS. WWOX Phosphorylation, Signaling, and Role in Neurodegeneration. Front Neurosci 2018; 12:563. [PMID: 30158849 PMCID: PMC6104168 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2018.00563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2018] [Accepted: 07/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Homozygous null mutation of tumor suppressor WWOX/Wwox gene leads to severe neural diseases, metabolic disorders and early death in the newborns of humans, mice and rats. WWOX is frequently downregulated in the hippocampi of patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). In vitro analysis revealed that knockdown of WWOX protein in neuroblastoma cells results in aggregation of TRAPPC6AΔ, TIAF1, amyloid β, and Tau in a sequential manner. Indeed, TRAPPC6AΔ and TIAF1, but not tau and amyloid β, aggregates are present in the brains of healthy mid-aged individuals. It is reasonable to assume that very slow activation of a protein aggregation cascade starts sequentially with TRAPPC6AΔ and TIAF1 aggregation at mid-ages, then caspase activation and APP de-phosphorylation and degradation, and final accumulation of amyloid β and Tau aggregates in the brains at greater than 70 years old. WWOX binds Tau-hyperphosphorylating enzymes (e.g., GSK-3β) and blocks their functions, thereby supporting neuronal survival and differentiation. As a neuronal protective hormone, 17β-estradiol (E2) binds WWOX at an NSYK motif in the C-terminal SDR (short-chain alcohol dehydrogenase/reductase) domain. In this review, we discuss how WWOX and E2 block protein aggregation during neurodegeneration, and how a 31-amino-acid zinc finger-like Zfra peptide restores memory loss in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chan-Chuan Liu
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, National Cheng Kung University College of Medicine, Tainan, Taiwan.,Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, National Cheng Kung University College of Medicine, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Pei-Chuan Ho
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, National Cheng Kung University College of Medicine, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - I-Ting Lee
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, National Cheng Kung University College of Medicine, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Yu-An Chen
- Graduate Institute of Medical Genomics and Proteomics, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chun-Hsien Chu
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, National Cheng Kung University College of Medicine, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Chuan Teng
- Department of Nursing, Chronic Diseases and Health Promotion Research Center, Chang Gung University of Science and Technology, Chiayi, Taiwan
| | - Sheng-Nan Wu
- Department of Physiology, National Cheng Kung University College of Medicine, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Chun-I Sze
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, National Cheng Kung University College of Medicine, Tainan, Taiwan.,Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, National Cheng Kung University College of Medicine, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Ming-Fu Chiang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Mackay Medicine, Nursing and Management College, Graduate Institute of Injury Prevention and Control, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Nan-Shan Chang
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, National Cheng Kung University College of Medicine, Tainan, Taiwan.,Institute of Molecular Medicine, National Cheng Kung University College of Medicine, Tainan, Taiwan.,Department of Neurochemistry, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, New York, NY, United States.,Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
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22
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Serin HM, Simsek E, Isik E, Gokben S. WWOX-associated encephalopathies: identification of the phenotypic spectrum and the resulting genotype-phenotype correlation. Neurol Sci 2018; 39:1977-1980. [PMID: 30094525 DOI: 10.1007/s10072-018-3528-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2018] [Accepted: 08/06/2018] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Epileptic encephalopathies are a group of disorders in which epileptiform abnormalities cause progressive deterioration in cerebral function. Genetic causes have been described in several of the epileptic encephalopathies, and many previously unknown genes have been identified. WW domain-containing oxidoreductase (WWOX) has recently been implicated in autosomal recessive spinocerebellar ataxia type 12 (SCAR12) and severe early-onset epileptic encephalopathy. With whole-exome sequencing, we identified a homozygous WWOX missense mutation, p.Leu239Arg, in a girl from a consanguineous family with psychomotor developmental delay, acquired microcephaly, and epileptic seizures. WWOX-related epileptic encephalopathy is a rare condition but it should be considered in cases having early epileptic spasms and parental consanguinity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hepsen Mine Serin
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Child Neurology, Ege University Faculty of Medicine, Bornova, 35100, Izmir, Turkey.
| | - Erdem Simsek
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Child Neurology, Ege University Faculty of Medicine, Bornova, 35100, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Esra Isik
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Genetics, Ege University Faculty of Medicine, Bornova, 35100, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Sarenur Gokben
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Child Neurology, Ege University Faculty of Medicine, Bornova, 35100, Izmir, Turkey
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23
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Gambin T, Akdemir ZC, Yuan B, Gu S, Chiang T, Carvalho CMB, Shaw C, Jhangiani S, Boone PM, Eldomery MK, Karaca E, Bayram Y, Stray-Pedersen A, Muzny D, Charng WL, Bahrambeigi V, Belmont JW, Boerwinkle E, Beaudet AL, Gibbs RA, Lupski JR. Homozygous and hemizygous CNV detection from exome sequencing data in a Mendelian disease cohort. Nucleic Acids Res 2017; 45:1633-1648. [PMID: 27980096 PMCID: PMC5389578 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkw1237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2015] [Accepted: 11/29/2016] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
We developed an algorithm, HMZDelFinder, that uses whole exome sequencing (WES) data to identify rare and intragenic homozygous and hemizygous (HMZ) deletions that may represent complete loss-of-function of the indicated gene. HMZDelFinder was applied to 4866 samples in the Baylor–Hopkins Center for Mendelian Genomics (BHCMG) cohort and detected 773 HMZ deletion calls (567 homozygous or 206 hemizygous) with an estimated sensitivity of 86.5% (82% for single-exonic and 88% for multi-exonic calls) and precision of 78% (53% single-exonic and 96% for multi-exonic calls). Out of 773 HMZDelFinder-detected deletion calls, 82 were subjected to array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) and/or breakpoint PCR and 64 were confirmed. These include 18 single-exon deletions out of which 8 were exclusively detected by HMZDelFinder and not by any of seven other CNV detection tools examined. Further investigation of the 64 validated deletion calls revealed at least 15 pathogenic HMZ deletions. Of those, 7 accounted for 17–50% of pathogenic CNVs in different disease cohorts where 7.1–11% of the molecular diagnosis solved rate was attributed to CNVs. In summary, we present an algorithm to detect rare, intragenic, single-exon deletion CNVs using WES data; this tool can be useful for disease gene discovery efforts and clinical WES analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomasz Gambin
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.,Institute of Computer Science, Warsaw University of Technology, Warsaw, 00-665 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Zeynep C Akdemir
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Bo Yuan
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Shen Gu
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Theodore Chiang
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Claudia M B Carvalho
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Chad Shaw
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Shalini Jhangiani
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.,Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Philip M Boone
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Mohammad K Eldomery
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Ender Karaca
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Yavuz Bayram
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Asbjørg Stray-Pedersen
- Norwegian National Unit for Newborn Screening, Division for Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, N-0424 Oslo, Norway
| | - Donna Muzny
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.,Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Wu-Lin Charng
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Vahid Bahrambeigi
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.,Graduate Program in Diagnostic Genetics, School of Health Professions, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - John W Belmont
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Eric Boerwinkle
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.,Human Genetics Center, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Arthur L Beaudet
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.,Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Richard A Gibbs
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.,Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - James R Lupski
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.,Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.,Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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24
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Leppa VM, Kravitz SN, Martin CL, Andrieux J, Le Caignec C, Martin-Coignard D, DyBuncio C, Sanders SJ, Lowe JK, Cantor RM, Geschwind DH. Rare Inherited and De Novo CNVs Reveal Complex Contributions to ASD Risk in Multiplex Families. Am J Hum Genet 2016; 99:540-554. [PMID: 27569545 PMCID: PMC5011063 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2016.06.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 122] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2016] [Accepted: 06/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Rare mutations, including copy-number variants (CNVs), contribute significantly to autism spectrum disorder (ASD) risk. Although their importance has been established in families with only one affected child (simplex families), the contribution of both de novo and inherited CNVs to ASD in families with multiple affected individuals (multiplex families) is less well understood. We analyzed 1,532 families from the Autism Genetic Resource Exchange (AGRE) to assess the impact of de novo and rare CNVs on ASD risk in multiplex families. We observed a higher burden of large, rare CNVs, including inherited events, in individuals with ASD than in their unaffected siblings (odds ratio [OR] = 1.7), but the rate of de novo events was significantly lower than in simplex families. In previously characterized ASD risk loci, we identified 49 CNVs, comprising 24 inherited events, 19 de novo events, and 6 events of unknown inheritance, a significant enrichment in affected versus control individuals (OR = 3.3). In 21 of the 30 families (71%) in whom at least one affected sibling harbored an established ASD major risk CNV, including five families harboring inherited CNVs, the CNV was not shared by all affected siblings, indicating that other risk factors are contributing. We also identified a rare risk locus for ASD and language delay at chromosomal region 2q24 (implicating NR4A2) and another lower-penetrance locus involving inherited deletions and duplications of WWOX. The genetic architecture in multiplex families differs from that in simplex families and is complex, warranting more complete genetic characterization of larger multiplex ASD cohorts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virpi M Leppa
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Center for Autism Research and Treatment and Program in Neurobehavioral Genetics, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Stephanie N Kravitz
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Christa Lese Martin
- Autism and Developmental Medicine Institute, Geisinger Health System, Lewisburg, PA 18704, USA
| | - Joris Andrieux
- Institut de Génétique Médicale, Hôpital Jeanne de Flandre, Centre Hospitalier Régional Universitaire de Lille, Lille 59037, France
| | - Cedric Le Caignec
- Service de Génétique Medicale, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Nantes, 9 Quai Moncousu, Nantes 44093, France; Laboratoire de Physiopathologie de la Résorption Osseuse et Thérapie des Tumeurs Osseuses Primitives, INSERM UMR-957, Nantes 44000, France
| | | | - Christina DyBuncio
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Stephan J Sanders
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Jennifer K Lowe
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Center for Autism Research and Treatment and Program in Neurobehavioral Genetics, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Rita M Cantor
- Department of Human Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Daniel H Geschwind
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Center for Autism Research and Treatment and Program in Neurobehavioral Genetics, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Department of Human Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
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25
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Elsaadany L, El-Said M, Ali R, Kamel H, Ben-Omran T. W44X mutation in the WWOX gene causes intractable seizures and developmental delay: a case report. BMC MEDICAL GENETICS 2016; 17:53. [PMID: 27495153 PMCID: PMC4975905 DOI: 10.1186/s12881-016-0317-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2015] [Accepted: 07/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Background WW domain containing oxidoreductase (WWOX) gene was cloned in 2000; alteration has been seen in many cancer cells. It acts as a tumor suppresser by blocking cell growth and causing apoptosis. WWOX protein showed different expression of mice brain and spinal cord, for which deletion causes seizure and early death. Case presentation Clinical and molecular characteristics of a consanguineous family show a homozygous mutation of WWOX gene at specific bases, causing a debilitating syndrome characterized by growth retardation, intractable epilepsy, intellectual disability, and early death. Using Whole Exome Sequencing (WES), a novel homozygous mutation in the WWOX gene is identified in a consanguineous Arab family from Qatar with two daughters who presented with intractable seizure and developmental delay. Conclusion The study presents the importance of human WWOX gene for brain development and the association between gene mutation and epileptic encephalopathy. It also highlights the power of WES particularly in clinically challenging cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loai Elsaadany
- Department of Pediatric, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, State of Qatar
| | - Mahmoud El-Said
- Department of Pediatric, Pediatric Neurology, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, State of Qatar
| | - Rehab Ali
- Department of Pediatric, Clinical and Metabolic Genetic, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, State of Qatar
| | - Hussein Kamel
- Department of Neuro-Radiology, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, State of Qatar
| | - Tawfeg Ben-Omran
- Department of Pediatric, Clinical and Metabolic Genetic, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, State of Qatar. .,Department of Pediatric, Clinical Genetics, Weill-Cornell Medical College-Qatar, Clinical and Metabolic Genetic, Hamad Medical Corporation, PO Box 3050, Doha, State of Qatar.
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Alkhateeb AM, Aburahma SK, Habbab W, Thompson IR. Novel mutations in WWOX, RARS2, and C10orf2 genes in consanguineous Arab families with intellectual disability. Metab Brain Dis 2016; 31:901-7. [PMID: 27121845 DOI: 10.1007/s11011-016-9827-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2016] [Accepted: 04/19/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Intellectual disability is a heterogeneous disease with many genes and mutations influencing the phenotype. Consanguineous families constitute a rich resource for the identification of rare variants causing autosomal recessive disease, due to the effects of inbreeding. Here, we examine three consanguineous Arab families, recruited in a quest to identify novel genes/mutations. All the families had multiple offspring with non-specific intellectual disability. We identified homozygosity (autozygosity) intervals in those families through SNP genotyping and whole exome sequencing, with variants filtered using Ingenuity Variant Analysis (IVA) software. The families showed heterogeneity and novel mutations in three different genes known to be associated with intellectual disability. These mutations were not found in 514 ethnically matched control chromosomes. p.G410C in WWOX, p.H530Y in RARS2, and p.I69F in C10orf2 are novel changes that affect protein function and could give new insights into the development and function of the central nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asem M Alkhateeb
- Qatar Biomedical Research Institute, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha, P.O. Box 5825, Qatar.
- Biotechnology and Genetics Department, Jordan University of Science and Technology, P.O. Box 3030, Irbid, 22110, Jordan.
| | - Samah K Aburahma
- Neurosciences Department, Jordan University of Science and Technology, P.O. Box 3030, Irbid, 22110, Jordan
| | - Wesal Habbab
- Qatar Biomedical Research Institute, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha, P.O. Box 5825, Qatar
| | - I Richard Thompson
- Qatar Biomedical Research Institute, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha, P.O. Box 5825, Qatar
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Abu-Remaileh M, Joy-Dodson E, Schueler-Furman O, Aqeilan RI. Pleiotropic Functions of Tumor Suppressor WWOX in Normal and Cancer Cells. J Biol Chem 2015; 290:30728-35. [PMID: 26499798 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.r115.676346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
WW domain-containing oxidoreductase (WWOX), originally marked as a likely tumor suppressor gene, has over the years become recognized for its role in a much wider range of cellular activities. Phenotypic effects displayed in animal studies, along with resolution of WWOX's architecture, fold, and binding partners, point to the protein's multifaceted biological functions. Results from a series of complementary experiments seem to indicate WWOX's involvement in metabolic regulation. More recently, clinical studies involving cases of severe encephalopathy suggest that WWOX also plays a part in controlling CNS development, further expanding our understanding of the breadth and complexity of WWOX behavior. Here we present a short overview of the various approaches taken to study this dynamic gene, emphasizing the most recent findings regarding WWOX's metabolic- and CNS-associated functions and their underlying molecular basis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Emma Joy-Dodson
- Microbiology & Molecular Genetics, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada (IMRIC), Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel 91120
| | - Ora Schueler-Furman
- Microbiology & Molecular Genetics, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada (IMRIC), Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel 91120
| | - Rami I Aqeilan
- From the Departments of Immunology & Cancer Research and
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Chang JY, Chang NS. WWOX dysfunction induces sequential aggregation of TRAPPC6AΔ, TIAF1, tau and amyloid β, and causes apoptosis. Cell Death Discov 2015; 1:15003. [PMID: 27551439 PMCID: PMC4981022 DOI: 10.1038/cddiscovery.2015.3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2015] [Accepted: 06/05/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Aggregated vesicle-trafficking protein isoform TRAPPC6AΔ (TPC6AΔ) has a critical role in causing caspase activation, tau aggregation and Aβ generation in the brains of nondemented middle-aged humans, patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and 3-week-old Wwox gene knockout mice. WWOX blocks neurodegeneration via interactions with tau and tau-phosphorylating enzymes. WWOX deficiency leads to epilepsy, mental retardation and early death. Here, we demonstrated that TGF-β1 induces shuttling of endogenous wild-type TPC6A and TPC6AΔ in between nucleoli and mitochondria (~40-60 min per round trip), and WWOX reduces the shuttling time by 50%. TGF-β1 initially maximizes the binding of TPC6AΔ to the C-terminal tail of WWOX, followed by dissociation. TPC6AΔ then undergoes aggregation, together with TIAF1 (TGF-β1-induced antiapoptotic factor), in the mitochondria to induce apoptosis. An additional rescue scenario is that TGF-β1 induces Tyr33 phosphorylation and unfolding of WWOX and its the N-terminal WW domain slowly binds TPC6AΔ to block aggregation and apoptosis. Similarly, loss of WWOX induces TPC6AΔ polymerization first, then aggregation of TIAF1, amyloid β and tau, and subsequent cell death, suggesting that a cascade of protein aggregation leads to neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- J-Y Chang
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Medical College, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - N-S Chang
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Medical College, Tainan, Taiwan
- Center for Infectious Disease and Signaling Research, National Cheng Kung University Medical College, Tainan, Taiwan
- Advanced Optoelectronic Technology Center, National Cheng Kung University Medical College, Tainan, Taiwan
- Department of Neurochemistry, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, USA
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