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Borges KS, Little DW, Magalhães TDA, Ribeiro C, Dumontet T, Lapensee C, Basham KJ, Seth A, Azova S, Guagliardo NA, Barrett PQ, Berber M, O'Connell AE, Turcu AF, Lerario AM, Mohan DR, Rainey W, Carlone DL, Hirschhorn JN, Salic A, Breault DT, Hammer GD. Non-canonical Wnt signaling triggered by WNT2B drives adrenal aldosterone production. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.08.23.609423. [PMID: 39229119 PMCID: PMC11370552 DOI: 10.1101/2024.08.23.609423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/05/2024]
Abstract
The steroid hormone aldosterone, produced by the zona glomerulosa (zG) of the adrenal gland, is a master regulator of plasma electrolytes and blood pressure. While aldosterone control by the renin-angiotensin system is well understood, other key regulatory factors have remained elusive. Here, we replicated a prior association between a non-coding variant in WNT2B and an increased risk of primary aldosteronism, a prevalent and debilitating disease caused by excessive aldosterone production. We further show that in both mice and humans, WNT2B is expressed in the mesenchymal capsule surrounding the adrenal cortex, in close proximity to the zG. Global loss of Wnt2b in the mouse results in a dysmorphic and hypocellular zG, with impaired aldosterone production. Similarly, humans harboring WNT2B loss-of-function mutations develop a novel form of Familial Hyperreninemic Hypoaldosteronism, designated here as Type 4. Additionally, we demonstrate that WNT2B signals by activating the non-canonical Wnt/planar cell polarity pathway. Our findings identify WNT2B as a key regulator of zG function and aldosterone production with important clinical implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kleiton S Borges
- Division of Endocrinology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Donald W Little
- Doctoral Program in Cancer Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology, and Diabetes, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | | | - Claudio Ribeiro
- Division of Endocrinology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Typhanie Dumontet
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology, and Diabetes, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Chris Lapensee
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology, and Diabetes, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Kaitlin J Basham
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA
| | - Aishwarya Seth
- Division of Endocrinology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge MA, 02142
| | - Svetlana Azova
- Division of Endocrinology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Nick A Guagliardo
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22908-0735, USA
| | - Paula Q Barrett
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22908-0735, USA
| | - Mesut Berber
- Division of Endocrinology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Amy E O'Connell
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Adina F Turcu
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology, and Diabetes, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Antonio Marcondes Lerario
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology, and Diabetes, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Dipika R Mohan
- Doctoral Program in Cancer Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology, and Diabetes, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - William Rainey
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology, and Diabetes, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Diana L Carlone
- Division of Endocrinology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Joel N Hirschhorn
- Division of Endocrinology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge MA, 02142
| | - Adrian Salic
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - David T Breault
- Division of Endocrinology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge MA, 02142
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Gary D Hammer
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology, and Diabetes, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Endocrine Oncology Program, Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
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Kong SW, Lee IH, Collen LV, Manrai AK, Snapper SB, Mandl KD. Discordance between a deep learning model and clinical-grade variant pathogenicity classification in a rare disease cohort. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2024:2024.05.22.24307756. [PMID: 38826236 PMCID: PMC11142383 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.22.24307756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
Genetic testing has become an essential component in the diagnosis and management of a wide range of clinical conditions, from cancer to developmental disorders, especially in rare Mendelian diseases. Efforts to identify rare phenotype-associated variants have predominantly focused on protein-truncating variants, while the interpretation of missense variants presents a considerable challenge. Deep learning algorithms excel in various applications across biomedical tasks1,2, yet accurately distinguishing between pathogenic and benign genetic variants remains an elusive goal3-5. Specifically, even the most sophisticated models encounter difficulties in accurately assessing the pathogenicity of missense variants of uncertain significance (VUS). Our investigation of AlphaMissense (AM)5, the latest iteration of deep learning methods for predicting the potential functional impact of missense variants and assessing gene essentiality, reveals important limitations in its ability to identify pathogenic missense variants within a rare disease cohort. Indeed, AM struggles to accurately assess the pathogenicity of variants in intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs), leading to unreliable gene-level essentiality scores for certain genes containing IDRs. This limitation highlights the challenges in applying AM faces in the context of clinical genetics6.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sek Won Kong
- Computational Health Informatics Program, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02215
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
| | - In-Hee Lee
- Computational Health Informatics Program, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02215
| | - Lauren V. Collen
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02215
| | - Arjun K. Manrai
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Scott B. Snapper
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02215
| | - Kenneth D. Mandl
- Computational Health Informatics Program, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02215
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
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3
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O'Connell AE, Raveenthiraraj S, Oliveira LFS, Adegboye C, Dasuri VS, Qi W, Khetani RS, Singh A, Sundaram N, Lin J, Nandivada P, Rincón-Cruz L, Goldsmith JD, Thiagarajah JR, Carlone DL, Turner JR, Agrawal PB, Helmrath M, Breault DT. WNT2B Deficiency Causes Enhanced Susceptibility to Colitis Due to Increased Inflammatory Cytokine Production. Cell Mol Gastroenterol Hepatol 2024; 18:101349. [PMID: 38697357 PMCID: PMC11217757 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcmgh.2024.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2023] [Revised: 04/21/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Humans with WNT2B deficiency have severe intestinal disease, including significant inflammatory injury, highlighting a critical role for WNT2B. We sought to understand how WNT2B contributes to intestinal homeostasis. METHODS We investigated the intestinal health of Wnt2b knock out (KO) mice. We assessed the baseline histology and health of the small intestine and colon, and the impact of inflammatory challenge using dextran sodium sulfate (DSS). We also evaluated human intestinal tissue. RESULTS Mice with WNT2B deficiency had normal baseline histology but enhanced susceptibility to DSS colitis because of an increased early injury response. Although intestinal stem cells markers were decreased, epithelial proliferation was similar to control subjects. Wnt2b KO mice showed an enhanced inflammatory signature after DSS treatment. Wnt2b KO colon and human WNT2B-deficient organoids had increased levels of CXCR4 and IL6, and biopsy tissue from humans showed increased neutrophils. CONCLUSIONS WNT2B is important for regulation of inflammation in the intestine. Absence of WNT2B leads to increased expression of inflammatory cytokines and increased susceptibility to gastrointestinal inflammation, particularly in the colon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy E O'Connell
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts; The Manton Center for Orphan Disease Research at Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
| | | | | | - Comfort Adegboye
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Venkata Siva Dasuri
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Wanshu Qi
- Division of Endocrinology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | | | - Akaljot Singh
- Department of Pediatric, General, and Thoracic Surgery, Cincinnati Children's Hospital, Cincinnati, Ohio; Center for Stem Cell and Organoid Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Nambirajam Sundaram
- Department of Pediatric, General, and Thoracic Surgery, Cincinnati Children's Hospital, Cincinnati, Ohio; Center for Stem Cell and Organoid Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Jasmine Lin
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Prathima Nandivada
- Department of Surgery, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Lorena Rincón-Cruz
- Department of Surgery, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | | | - Jay R Thiagarajah
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; Division of Gastroenterology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Diana L Carlone
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; Division of Endocrinology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts; Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Jerrold R Turner
- Laboratory of Mucosal Barrier Pathobiology, Department of Pathology and Medicine, Brigham & Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Pankaj B Agrawal
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts; The Manton Center for Orphan Disease Research at Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; Division of Genetics and Genomics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts; Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and Holtz Children's Hospital, Jackson Health System, Miami, Florida
| | - Michael Helmrath
- Department of Pediatric, General, and Thoracic Surgery, Cincinnati Children's Hospital, Cincinnati, Ohio; Center for Stem Cell and Organoid Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - David T Breault
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; Division of Endocrinology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts; Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts
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Ogiwara Y, Hattori A, Ikegawa K, Hasegawa Y, Kuroki Y, Miyado M, Fukami M. Optical Genome Mapping for a Patient with a Congenital Disorder and Chromosomal Translocation. Cytogenet Genome Res 2023; 162:617-624. [PMID: 37231804 DOI: 10.1159/000531103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023] Open
Abstract
We performed optical genome mapping (OGM), a newly developed cytogenetic technique, for a patient with a disorder of sex development (DSD) and a 46,XX,t(9;11)(p22;p13) karyotype. The results of OGM were validated using other methods. OGM detected a 9;11 reciprocal translocation and successfully mapped its breakpoints to small regions of 0.9-12.3 kb. OGM identified 46 additional small structural variants, only three of which were detected by array-based comparative genomic hybridization. OGM suggested the presence of complex rearrangements on chromosome 10; however, these variants appeared to be artifacts. The 9;11 translocation was unlikely to be associated with DSD, while the pathogenicity of the other structural variants remained unknown. These results indicate that OGM is a powerful tool for detecting and characterizing chromosomal structural variations, although the current methods of OGM data analyses need to be improved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasuko Ogiwara
- Department of Molecular Endocrinology, National Research Institute for Child Health and Development, Tokyo, Japan
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Tokyo Metropolitan Children's Medical Center, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Advanced Pediatric Medicine, Tohoku University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Atsushi Hattori
- Department of Molecular Endocrinology, National Research Institute for Child Health and Development, Tokyo, Japan
- Division of Diversity Research, National Research Institute for Child Health and Development, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kento Ikegawa
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Tokyo Metropolitan Children's Medical Center, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yukihiro Hasegawa
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Tokyo Metropolitan Children's Medical Center, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yoko Kuroki
- Division of Diversity Research, National Research Institute for Child Health and Development, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Genome Medicine, National Research Institute for Child Health and Development, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Mami Miyado
- Department of Molecular Endocrinology, National Research Institute for Child Health and Development, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Maki Fukami
- Department of Molecular Endocrinology, National Research Institute for Child Health and Development, Tokyo, Japan
- Division of Diversity Research, National Research Institute for Child Health and Development, Tokyo, Japan
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Babcock SJ, Flores-Marin D, Thiagarajah JR. The genetics of monogenic intestinal epithelial disorders. Hum Genet 2023; 142:613-654. [PMID: 36422736 PMCID: PMC10182130 DOI: 10.1007/s00439-022-02501-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Monogenic intestinal epithelial disorders, also known as congenital diarrheas and enteropathies (CoDEs), are a group of rare diseases that result from mutations in genes that primarily affect intestinal epithelial cell function. Patients with CoDE disorders generally present with infantile-onset diarrhea and poor growth, and often require intensive fluid and nutritional management. CoDE disorders can be classified into several categories that relate to broad areas of epithelial function, structure, and development. The advent of accessible and low-cost genetic sequencing has accelerated discovery in the field with over 45 different genes now associated with CoDE disorders. Despite this increasing knowledge in the causal genetics of disease, the underlying cellular pathophysiology remains incompletely understood for many disorders. Consequently, clinical management options for CoDE disorders are currently limited and there is an urgent need for new and disorder-specific therapies. In this review, we provide a general overview of CoDE disorders, including a historical perspective of the field and relationship to other monogenic disorders of the intestine. We describe the genetics, clinical presentation, and known pathophysiology for specific disorders. Lastly, we describe the major challenges relating to CoDE disorders, briefly outline key areas that need further study, and provide a perspective on the future genetic and therapeutic landscape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen J Babcock
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Enders Rm 605, 300 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - David Flores-Marin
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Enders Rm 605, 300 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Jay R Thiagarajah
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Enders Rm 605, 300 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
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6
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O'Connell AE, Raveenthiraraj S, Adegboye C, Qi W, Khetani RS, Singh A, Sundaram N, Emeonye C, Lin J, Goldsmith JD, Thiagarajah JR, Carlone DL, Turner JR, Agrawal PB, Helmrath M, Breault DT. WNT2B Deficiency Causes Increased Susceptibility to Colitis in Mice and Impairs Intestinal Epithelial Development in Humans. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.04.21.537894. [PMID: 37131772 PMCID: PMC10153278 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.21.537894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Background and aims WNT2B is a canonical Wnt ligand previously thought to be fully redundant with other Wnts in the intestinal epithelium. However, humans with WNT2B deficiency have severe intestinal disease, highlighting a critical role for WNT2B. We sought to understand how WNT2B contributes to intestinal homeostasis. Methods We investigated the intestinal health of Wnt2b knock out (KO) mice. We assessed the impact of inflammatory challenge to the small intestine, using anti-CD3χ antibody, and to the colon, using dextran sodium sulfate (DSS). In addition, we generated human intestinal organoids (HIOs) from WNT2B-deficient human iPSCs for transcriptional and histological analyses. Results Mice with WNT2B deficiency had significantly decreased Lgr5 expression in the small intestine and profoundly decreased expression in the colon, but normal baseline histology. The small intestinal response to anti-CD3χ antibody was similar in Wnt2b KO and wild type (WT) mice. In contrast, the colonic response to DSS in Wnt2b KO mice showed an accelerated rate of injury, featuring earlier immune cell infiltration and loss of differentiated epithelium compared to WT. WNT2B-deficient HIOs showed abnormal epithelial organization and an increased mesenchymal gene signature. Conclusion WNT2B contributes to maintenance of the intestinal stem cell pool in mice and humans. WNT2B deficient mice, which do not have a developmental phenotype, show increased susceptibility to colonic injury but not small intestinal injury, potentially due to a higher reliance on WNT2B in the colon compared to the small intestine.WNT2B deficiency causes a developmental phenotype in human intestine with HIOs showing a decrease in their mesenchymal component and WNT2B-deficient patients showing epithelial disorganization. Data Transparency Statement All RNA-Seq data will be available through online repository as indicated in Transcript profiling. Any other data will be made available upon request by emailing the study authors.
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Hattori A, Fukami M. Nuclear Receptor Gene Variants Underlying Disorders/Differences of Sex Development through Abnormal Testicular Development. Biomolecules 2023; 13:691. [PMID: 37189438 PMCID: PMC10135730 DOI: 10.3390/biom13040691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Revised: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Gonadal development is the first step in human reproduction. Aberrant gonadal development during the fetal period is a major cause of disorders/differences of sex development (DSD). To date, pathogenic variants of three nuclear receptor genes (NR5A1, NR0B1, and NR2F2) have been reported to cause DSD via atypical testicular development. In this review article, we describe the clinical significance of the NR5A1 variants as the cause of DSD and introduce novel findings from recent studies. NR5A1 variants are associated with 46,XY DSD and 46,XX testicular/ovotesticular DSD. Notably, both 46,XX DSD and 46,XY DSD caused by the NR5A1 variants show remarkable phenotypic variability, to which digenic/oligogenic inheritances potentially contribute. Additionally, we discuss the roles of NR0B1 and NR2F2 in the etiology of DSD. NR0B1 acts as an anti-testicular gene. Duplications containing NR0B1 result in 46,XY DSD, whereas deletions encompassing NR0B1 can underlie 46,XX testicular/ovotesticular DSD. NR2F2 has recently been reported as a causative gene for 46,XX testicular/ovotesticular DSD and possibly for 46,XY DSD, although the role of NR2F2 in gonadal development is unclear. The knowledge about these three nuclear receptors provides novel insights into the molecular networks involved in the gonadal development in human fetuses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atsushi Hattori
- Department of Molecular Endocrinology, National Research Institute for Child Health and Development, 2-10-1 Okura, Setagaya, Tokyo 157-8535, Japan;
- Division of Diversity Research, National Research Institute for Child Health and Development, 2-10-1 Okura, Setagaya, Tokyo 157-8535, Japan
| | - Maki Fukami
- Department of Molecular Endocrinology, National Research Institute for Child Health and Development, 2-10-1 Okura, Setagaya, Tokyo 157-8535, Japan;
- Division of Diversity Research, National Research Institute for Child Health and Development, 2-10-1 Okura, Setagaya, Tokyo 157-8535, Japan
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8
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Blomfield AK, Maurya M, Bora K, Pavlovich MC, Yemanyi F, Huang S, Fu Z, O’Connell AE, Chen J. Ectopic Rod Photoreceptor Development in Mice with Genetic Deficiency of WNT2B. Cells 2023; 12:1033. [PMID: 37048106 PMCID: PMC10093714 DOI: 10.3390/cells12071033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Wnt/β-catenin signaling is essential for embryonic eye development in both the anterior eye and retina. WNT2B, a ligand and activator of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, assists in the development of the lens and peripheral regions of the eye. In humans WNT2B mutations are associated with coloboma and WNT2B may also assist in retinal progenitor cell differentiation in chicken, yet the potential role of WNT2B in retinal neuronal development is understudied. This study explored the effects of WNT2B on retinal neuronal and vascular formation using systemic Wnt2b knockout (KO) mice generated by crossing Wnt2bflox/flox (fl/fl) mice with CMV-cre mice. Wnt2b KO eyes exhibited relatively normal anterior segments and retinal vasculature. Ectopic formation of rod photoreceptor cells in the subretinal space was observed in Wnt2b KO mice as early as one week postnatally and persisted through nine-month-old mice. Other retinal neuronal layers showed normal organization in both thickness and lamination, without detectable signs of retinal thinning. The presence of abnormal photoreceptor genesis was also observed in heterozygous Wnt2b mice, and occasionally in wild type mice with decreased Wnt2b expression levels. Expression of Wnt2b was found to be enriched in the retinal pigment epithelium compared with whole retina. Together these findings suggest that WNT2B is potentially involved in rod photoreceptor genesis during eye development; however, potential influence by a yet unknown genetic factor is also possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra K. Blomfield
- Department of Ophthalmology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Meenakshi Maurya
- Department of Ophthalmology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Kiran Bora
- Department of Ophthalmology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Madeline C. Pavlovich
- Department of Ophthalmology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Felix Yemanyi
- Department of Ophthalmology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Shuo Huang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Zhongjie Fu
- Department of Ophthalmology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Amy E. O’Connell
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jing Chen
- Department of Ophthalmology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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9
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CODEs with Hypogammaglobinemia Associated with WNT2B Heterozygous Mutation in an Infant. Indian J Pediatr 2022; 89:820. [PMID: 35704217 DOI: 10.1007/s12098-022-04251-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
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10
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Swoboda J, Mittelsdorf P, Chen Y, Weiskirchen R, Stallhofer J, Schüle S, Gassler N. Intestinal Wnt in the transition from physiology to oncology. World J Clin Oncol 2022; 13:168-185. [PMID: 35433295 PMCID: PMC8966512 DOI: 10.5306/wjco.v13.i3.168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Revised: 09/07/2021] [Accepted: 02/20/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Adult stem cells are necessary for self-renewal tissues and regeneration after damage. Especially in the intestine, which self-renews every few days, they play a key role in tissue homeostasis. Therefore, complex regulatory mechanisms are needed to prevent hyperproliferation, which can lead in the worst case to carcinogenesis or under-activation of stem cells, which can result in dysfunctional epithelial. One main regulatory signaling pathway is the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. It is a highly conserved pathway, with β-catenin, a transcription factor, as target protein. Translocation of β-catenin from cytoplasm to nucleus activates the transcription of numerous genes involved in regulating stem cell pluripo-tency, proliferation, cell differentiation and regulation of cell death. This review presents a brief overview of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, the regulatory mechanism of this pathway and its role in intestinal homeostasis. Additionally, this review highlights the molecular mechanisms and the histomorphological features of Wnt hyperactivation. Furthermore, the central role of the Wnt signaling pathway in intestinal carcinogenesis as well as its clinical relevance in colorectal carcinoma are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Swoboda
- Section Pathology, Institute of Forensic Medicine, Jena University Hospital, Jena 07747, Germany
| | - Patrick Mittelsdorf
- Section Pathology, Institute of Forensic Medicine, Jena University Hospital, Jena 07747, Germany
| | - Yuan Chen
- Section Pathology, Institute of Forensic Medicine, Jena University Hospital, Jena 07747, Germany
| | - Ralf Weiskirchen
- Institute of Molecular Pathobiochemistry, Experimental Gene Therapy and Clinical Chemistry, RWTH University Hospital Aachen, Aachen 52074, Germany
| | - Johannes Stallhofer
- Department of Internal Medicine IV (Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Infectious Diseases), Jena University Hospital, Jena 07747, Germany
| | - Silke Schüle
- Department of General, Visceral and Vascular Surgery, Jena University Hospital, Jena 07747, Germany
| | - Nikolaus Gassler
- Section Pathology, Institute of Forensic Medicine, Jena University Hospital, Jena 07747, Germany
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McNeill A. 2021 at European Journal of Human Genetics: the year in review. Eur J Hum Genet 2022; 30:3-4. [PMID: 34992228 PMCID: PMC8738720 DOI: 10.1038/s41431-021-01009-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Alisdair McNeill
- grid.11835.3e0000 0004 1936 9262Department of Neuroscience, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK ,grid.413991.70000 0004 0641 6082Sheffield Clinical Genetics Department, Sheffield Children’s Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Sheffield, UK
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Yu Q, Kilik U, Holloway EM, Tsai YH, Harmel C, Wu A, Wu JH, Czerwinski M, Childs CJ, He Z, Capeling MM, Huang S, Glass IA, Higgins PDR, Treutlein B, Spence JR, Camp JG. Charting human development using a multi-endodermal organ atlas and organoid models. Cell 2021; 184:3281-3298.e22. [PMID: 34019796 PMCID: PMC8208823 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2021.04.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Revised: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 04/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Organs are composed of diverse cell types that traverse transient states during organogenesis. To interrogate this diversity during human development, we generate a single-cell transcriptome atlas from multiple developing endodermal organs of the respiratory and gastrointestinal tract. We illuminate cell states, transcription factors, and organ-specific epithelial stem cell and mesenchyme interactions across lineages. We implement the atlas as a high-dimensional search space to benchmark human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC)-derived intestinal organoids (HIOs) under multiple culture conditions. We show that HIOs recapitulate reference cell states and use HIOs to reconstruct the molecular dynamics of intestinal epithelium and mesenchyme emergence. We show that the mesenchyme-derived niche cue NRG1 enhances intestinal stem cell maturation in vitro and that the homeobox transcription factor CDX2 is required for regionalization of intestinal epithelium and mesenchyme in humans. This work combines cell atlases and organoid technologies to understand how human organ development is orchestrated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qianhui Yu
- Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel, 4031 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Umut Kilik
- Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel, 4031 Basel, Switzerland; Department of Ophthalmology, University of Basel, 4031 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Emily M Holloway
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Yu-Hwai Tsai
- Department of Internal Medicine, Gastroenterology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Christoph Harmel
- Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel, 4031 Basel, Switzerland; Department of Ophthalmology, University of Basel, 4031 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Angeline Wu
- Department of Internal Medicine, Gastroenterology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Joshua H Wu
- Department of Internal Medicine, Gastroenterology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Michael Czerwinski
- Department of Internal Medicine, Gastroenterology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Charlie J Childs
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Zhisong He
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zürich, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Meghan M Capeling
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan College of Engineering, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Sha Huang
- Department of Internal Medicine, Gastroenterology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Ian A Glass
- Department of Pediatrics, Genetic Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Peter D R Higgins
- Department of Internal Medicine, Gastroenterology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Barbara Treutlein
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zürich, 4058 Basel, Switzerland.
| | - Jason R Spence
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Internal Medicine, Gastroenterology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan College of Engineering, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
| | - J Gray Camp
- Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel, 4031 Basel, Switzerland; Department of Ophthalmology, University of Basel, 4031 Basel, Switzerland.
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McNeill A. Clinical genomics-but faster. Eur J Hum Genet 2021; 29:889-890. [PMID: 34006928 PMCID: PMC8131170 DOI: 10.1038/s41431-021-00906-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Alisdair McNeill
- Department of Neuroscience, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK. .,Sheffield Clinical Genetics Department, Sheffield Children's Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Sheffield, UK.
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