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Perl AL, Pokorny JL, Green KJ. Desmosomes at a glance. J Cell Sci 2024; 137:jcs261899. [PMID: 38940346 PMCID: PMC11234380 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.261899] [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] [Indexed: 06/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Desmosomes are relatives of ancient cadherin-based junctions, which emerged late in evolution to ensure the structural integrity of vertebrate tissues by coupling the intermediate filament cytoskeleton to cell-cell junctions. Their ability to dynamically counter the contractile forces generated by actin-associated adherens junctions is particularly important in tissues under high mechanical stress, such as the skin and heart. Much more than the simple cellular 'spot welds' depicted in textbooks, desmosomes are in fact dynamic structures that can sense and respond to changes in their mechanical environment and external stressors like ultraviolet light and pathogens. These environmental signals are transmitted intracellularly via desmosome-dependent mechanochemical pathways that drive the physiological processes of morphogenesis and differentiation. This Cell Science at a Glance article and the accompanying poster review desmosome structure and assembly, highlight recent insights into how desmosomes integrate chemical and mechanical signaling in the epidermis, and discuss desmosomes as targets in human disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abbey L. Perl
- Department of Pathology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Jenny L. Pokorny
- Department of Pathology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Kathleen J. Green
- Department of Pathology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
- Department of Dermatology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
- Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
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Verkerk AJMH, Andrei D, Vermeer MCSC, Kramer D, Schouten M, Arp P, Verlouw JAM, Pas HH, Meijer HJ, van der Molen M, Oberdorf-Maass S, Nijenhuis M, Romero-Herrera PH, Hoes MF, Bremer J, Slotman JA, van den Akker PC, Diercks GFH, Giepmans BNG, Stoop H, Saris JJ, van den Ouweland AMW, Willemsen R, Hublin JJ, Dean MC, Hoogeboom AJM, Silljé HHW, Uitterlinden AG, van der Meer P, Bolling MC. Disruption of TUFT1, a Desmosome-Associated Protein, Causes Skin Fragility, Woolly Hair, and Palmoplantar Keratoderma. J Invest Dermatol 2024; 144:284-295.e16. [PMID: 37716648 DOI: 10.1016/j.jid.2023.02.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/18/2023]
Abstract
Desmosomes are dynamic complex protein structures involved in cellular adhesion. Disruption of these structures by loss-of-function variants in desmosomal genes leads to a variety of skin- and heart-related phenotypes. In this study, we report TUFT1 as a desmosome-associated protein, implicated in epidermal integrity. In two siblings with mild skin fragility, woolly hair, and mild palmoplantar keratoderma but without a cardiac phenotype, we identified a homozygous splice-site variant in the TUFT1 gene, leading to aberrant mRNA splicing and loss of TUFT1 protein. Patients' skin and keratinocytes showed acantholysis, perinuclear retraction of intermediate filaments, and reduced mechanical stress resistance. Immunolabeling and transfection studies showed that TUFT1 is positioned within the desmosome and that its location is dependent on the presence of the desmoplakin carboxy-terminal tail. A Tuft1-knockout mouse model mimicked the patients' phenotypes. Altogether, this study reveals TUFT1 as a desmosome-associated protein, whose absence causes skin fragility, woolly hair, and palmoplantar keratoderma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annemieke J M H Verkerk
- Department of Internal Medicine, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Daniela Andrei
- Department of Dermatology, University of Groningen, University Medical Centre Groningen, Center of Expertise for Blistering Diseases, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Mathilde C S C Vermeer
- Department of Cardiology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Duco Kramer
- Department of Dermatology, University of Groningen, University Medical Centre Groningen, Center of Expertise for Blistering Diseases, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Marloes Schouten
- Department of Cardiology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Pascal Arp
- Department of Internal Medicine, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Joost A M Verlouw
- Department of Internal Medicine, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Hendri H Pas
- Department of Dermatology, University of Groningen, University Medical Centre Groningen, Center of Expertise for Blistering Diseases, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Hillegonda J Meijer
- Department of Dermatology, University of Groningen, University Medical Centre Groningen, Center of Expertise for Blistering Diseases, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Marije van der Molen
- Department of Dermatology, University of Groningen, University Medical Centre Groningen, Center of Expertise for Blistering Diseases, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Silke Oberdorf-Maass
- Department of Cardiology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Miranda Nijenhuis
- Department of Dermatology, University of Groningen, University Medical Centre Groningen, Center of Expertise for Blistering Diseases, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Pedro H Romero-Herrera
- Department of Cardiology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Martijn F Hoes
- Department of Cardiology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jeroen Bremer
- Department of Dermatology, University of Groningen, University Medical Centre Groningen, Center of Expertise for Blistering Diseases, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Johan A Slotman
- Optical Imaging Centre, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Peter C van den Akker
- Department of Genetics, University of Groningen, University Medical Centre Groningen, Center of Expertise for Blistering Diseases, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Gilles F H Diercks
- Department of Pathology and Medical Biology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Ben N G Giepmans
- Department of Biomedical Sciences of Cells & Systems, University Medical Centre Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Hans Stoop
- Department of Pathology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jasper J Saris
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Rob Willemsen
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jean-Jacques Hublin
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany; Chaire de Paléoanthropologie, CIRB (UMR 7241 - U1050), Collège de France, Paris, France
| | - M Christopher Dean
- Centre for Human Origins Research, Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom; Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - A Jeannette M Hoogeboom
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Herman H W Silljé
- Department of Cardiology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - André G Uitterlinden
- Department of Internal Medicine, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Peter van der Meer
- Department of Cardiology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Maria C Bolling
- Department of Dermatology, University of Groningen, University Medical Centre Groningen, Center of Expertise for Blistering Diseases, Groningen, The Netherlands.
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Šilhavý J, Mlejnek P, Šimáková M, Liška F, Malínská H, Marková I, Hüttl M, Miklánková D, Mušálková D, Stránecký V, Kmoch S, Sticová E, Vrbacký M, Mráček T, Pravenec M. Spontaneous nonsense mutation in the tuftelin 1 gene is associated with abnormal hair appearance and amelioration of glucose and lipid metabolism in the rat. Physiol Genomics 2024; 56:65-73. [PMID: 37955133 DOI: 10.1152/physiolgenomics.00084.2023] [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: 08/07/2023] [Revised: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Recently, we have identified a recessive mutation, an abnormal coat appearance in the BXH6 strain, a member of the HXB/BXH set of recombinant inbred (RI) strains. The RI strains were derived from the spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) and Brown Norway rat (BN-Lx) progenitors. Whole genome sequencing of the mutant rats identified the 195875980 G/A mutation in the tuftelin 1 (Tuft1) gene on chromosome 2, which resulted in a premature stop codon. Compared with wild-type BXH6 rats, BXH6-Tuft1 mutant rats exhibited lower body weight due to reduced visceral fat and ectopic fat accumulation in the liver and heart. Reduced adiposity was associated with decreased serum glucose and insulin and increased insulin-stimulated glycogenesis in skeletal muscle. In addition, mutant rats had lower serum monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 and leptin levels, indicative of reduced inflammation. Analysis of the liver proteome identified differentially expressed proteins from fatty acid metabolism and β-oxidation, peroxisomes, carbohydrate metabolism, inflammation, and proteasome pathways. These results provide evidence for the important role of the Tuft1 gene in the regulation of lipid and glucose metabolism and suggest underlying molecular mechanisms.NEW & NOTEWORTHY A new spontaneous mutation, abnormal hair appearance in the rat, has been identified as a nonfunctional tuftelin 1 (Tuft1) gene. The pleiotropic effects of this mutation regulate glucose and lipid metabolism. Analysis of the liver proteome revealed possible molecular mechanisms for the metabolic effects of the Tuft1 gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Šilhavý
- Institute of Physiology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Mlejnek
- Institute of Physiology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Miroslava Šimáková
- Institute of Physiology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - František Liška
- Institute of Physiology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
- Institute of Biology and Medical Genetics, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Hana Malínská
- Center for Experimental Medicine, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Irena Marková
- Center for Experimental Medicine, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Martina Hüttl
- Center for Experimental Medicine, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Denisa Miklánková
- Center for Experimental Medicine, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Dita Mušálková
- Institute for Inherited Metabolic Disorders, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Viktor Stránecký
- Institute for Inherited Metabolic Disorders, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Stanislav Kmoch
- Institute for Inherited Metabolic Disorders, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Eva Sticová
- Center for Experimental Medicine, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Prague, Czech Republic
- Department of Pathology, Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Marek Vrbacký
- Institute of Physiology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Tomáš Mráček
- Institute of Physiology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Michal Pravenec
- Institute of Physiology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
- Institute of Biology and Medical Genetics, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic
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Cipriani V, Vestito L, Magavern EF, Jacobsen JO, Arno G, Behr ER, Benson KA, Bertoli M, Bockenhauer D, Bowl MR, Burley K, Chan LF, Chinnery P, Conlon P, Costa M, Davidson AE, Dawson SJ, Elhassan E, Flanagan SE, Futema M, Gale DP, García-Ruiz S, Corcia CG, Griffin HR, Hambleton S, Hicks AR, Houlden H, Houlston RS, Howles SA, Kleta R, Lekkerkerker I, Lin S, Liskova P, Mitchison H, Morsy H, Mumford AD, Newman WG, Neatu R, O'Toole EA, Ong AC, Pagnamenta AT, Rahman S, Rajan N, Robinson PN, Ryten M, Sadeghi-Alavijeh O, Sayer JA, Shovlin CL, Taylor JC, Teltsh O, Tomlinson I, Tucci A, Turnbull C, van Eerde AM, Ware JS, Watts LM, Webster AR, Westbury SK, Zheng SL, Caulfield M, Smedley D. Rare disease gene association discovery from burden analysis of the 100,000 Genomes Project data. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2023:2023.12.20.23300294. [PMID: 38196618 PMCID: PMC10775325 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.20.23300294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
To discover rare disease-gene associations, we developed a gene burden analytical framework and applied it to rare, protein-coding variants from whole genome sequencing of 35,008 cases with rare diseases and their family members recruited to the 100,000 Genomes Project (100KGP). Following in silico triaging of the results, 88 novel associations were identified including 38 with existing experimental evidence. We have published the confirmation of one of these associations, hereditary ataxia with UCHL1 , and independent confirmatory evidence has recently been published for four more. We highlight a further seven compelling associations: hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with DYSF and SLC4A3 where both genes show high/specific heart expression and existing associations to skeletal dystrophies or short QT syndrome respectively; monogenic diabetes with UNC13A with a known role in the regulation of β cells and a mouse model with impaired glucose tolerance; epilepsy with KCNQ1 where a mouse model shows seizures and the existing long QT syndrome association may be linked; early onset Parkinson's disease with RYR1 with existing links to tremor pathophysiology and a mouse model with neurological phenotypes; anterior segment ocular abnormalities associated with POMK showing expression in corneal cells and with a zebrafish model with developmental ocular abnormalities; and cystic kidney disease with COL4A3 showing high renal expression and prior evidence for a digenic or modifying role in renal disease. Confirmation of all 88 associations would lead to potential diagnoses in 456 molecularly undiagnosed cases within the 100KGP, as well as other rare disease patients worldwide, highlighting the clinical impact of a large-scale statistical approach to rare disease gene discovery.
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