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Zucco J, Baldan F, Allegri L, Bregant E, Passon N, Franzoni A, D'Elia AV, Faletra F, Damante G, Mio C. A bird's eye view on the use of whole exome sequencing in rare congenital ophthalmic diseases. J Hum Genet 2024; 69:271-282. [PMID: 38459225 PMCID: PMC11126393 DOI: 10.1038/s10038-024-01237-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Revised: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/10/2024]
Abstract
Phenotypic and genotypic heterogeneity in congenital ocular diseases, especially in anterior segment dysgenesis (ASD), have created challenges for proper diagnosis and classification of diseases. Over the last decade, genomic research has indeed boosted our understanding in the molecular basis of ASD and genes associated with both autosomal dominant and recessive patterns of inheritance have been described with a wide range of expressivity. Here we describe the molecular characterization of a cohort of 162 patients displaying isolated or syndromic congenital ocular dysgenesis. Samples were analyzed with diverse techniques, such as direct sequencing, multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification, and whole exome sequencing (WES), over 20 years. Our data reiterate the notion that PAX6 alterations are primarily associated with ASD, mostly aniridia, since the majority of the cohort (66.7%) has a pathogenic or likely pathogenic variant in the PAX6 locus. Unexpectedly, a high fraction of positive samples (20.3%) displayed deletions involving the 11p13 locus, either partially/totally involving PAX6 coding region or abolishing its critical regulatory region, underlying its significance. Most importantly, the use of WES has allowed us to both assess variants in known ASD genes (i.e., CYP1B1, ITPR1, MAB21L1, PXDN, and PITX2) and to identify rarer phenotypes (i.e., MIDAS, oculogastrointestinal-neurodevelopmental syndrome and Jacobsen syndrome). Our data clearly suggest that WES allows expanding the analytical portfolio of ocular dysgenesis, both isolated and syndromic, and that is pivotal for the differential diagnosis of those conditions in which there may be phenotypic overlaps and in general in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Zucco
- Institute of Medical Genetics, Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria Friuli Centrale (ASUFC), Udine, Italy
| | - Federica Baldan
- Department of Medicine (DMED), University of Udine, Udine, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Allegri
- Department of Medicine (DMED), University of Udine, Udine, Italy
| | - Elisa Bregant
- Institute of Medical Genetics, Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria Friuli Centrale (ASUFC), Udine, Italy
| | - Nadia Passon
- Institute of Medical Genetics, Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria Friuli Centrale (ASUFC), Udine, Italy
| | - Alessandra Franzoni
- Institute of Medical Genetics, Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria Friuli Centrale (ASUFC), Udine, Italy
| | - Angela Valentina D'Elia
- Institute of Medical Genetics, Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria Friuli Centrale (ASUFC), Udine, Italy
| | - Flavio Faletra
- Institute of Medical Genetics, Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria Friuli Centrale (ASUFC), Udine, Italy.
| | - Giuseppe Damante
- Institute of Medical Genetics, Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria Friuli Centrale (ASUFC), Udine, Italy
- Department of Medicine (DMED), University of Udine, Udine, Italy
| | - Catia Mio
- Department of Medicine (DMED), University of Udine, Udine, Italy
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Qu Y, Lim JJY, An O, Yang H, Toh YC, Chua JJE. FEZ1 participates in human embryonic brain development by modulating neuronal progenitor subpopulation specification and migrations. iScience 2023; 26:108497. [PMID: 38213789 PMCID: PMC10783620 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Revised: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Mutations in the human fasciculation and elongation protein zeta 1 (FEZ1) gene are found in schizophrenia and Jacobsen syndrome patients. Here, using human cerebral organoids (hCOs), we show that FEZ1 expression is turned on early during brain development and is detectable in both neuroprogenitor subtypes and immature neurons. FEZ1 deletion disrupts expression of neuronal and synaptic development genes. Using single-cell RNA sequencing, we detected abnormal expansion of homeodomain-only protein homeobox (HOPX)- outer radial glia (oRG), concurrent with a reduction of HOPX+ oRG, in FEZ1-null hCOs. HOPX- oRGs show higher cell mobility as compared to HOPX+ oRGs. Ectopic localization of neuroprogenitors to the outer layer is seen in FEZ1-null hCOs. Anomalous encroachment of TBR2+ intermediate progenitors into CTIP2+ deep layer neurons further indicated abnormalities in cortical layer formation these hCOs. Collectively, our findings highlight the involvement of FEZ1 in early cortical brain development and how it contributes to neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinghua Qu
- Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117456, Singapore
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117583, Singapore
| | - Jonathan Jun-Yong Lim
- Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117456, Singapore
- Healthy Longevity Translational Research Program, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117456, Singapore
- LSI Neurobiology Programme, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117456, Singapore
| | - Omer An
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117599, Singapore
| | - Henry Yang
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117599, Singapore
| | - Yi-Chin Toh
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117583, Singapore
- School of Mechanical, Medical and Process Engineering, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4059, Australia
- Centre for Biomedical Technologies, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4059, Australia
| | - John Jia En Chua
- Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117456, Singapore
- Healthy Longevity Translational Research Program, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117456, Singapore
- LSI Neurobiology Programme, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117456, Singapore
- Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology, A∗STAR, Singapore 138473, Singapore
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Glomb O, Swaim G, Munoz LLancao P, Lovejoy C, Sutradhar S, Park J, Wu Y, Cason SE, Holzbaur ELF, Hammarlund M, Howard J, Ferguson SM, Gramlich MW, Yogev S. A kinesin-1 adaptor complex controls bimodal slow axonal transport of spectrin in Caenorhabditis elegans. Dev Cell 2023; 58:1847-1863.e12. [PMID: 37751746 PMCID: PMC10574138 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2023.08.031] [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: 06/25/2023] [Revised: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023]
Abstract
An actin-spectrin lattice, the membrane periodic skeleton (MPS), protects axons from breakage. MPS integrity relies on spectrin delivery via slow axonal transport, a process that remains poorly understood. We designed a probe to visualize endogenous spectrin dynamics at single-axon resolution in vivo. Surprisingly, spectrin transport is bimodal, comprising fast runs and movements that are 100-fold slower than previously reported. Modeling and genetic analysis suggest that the two rates are independent, yet both require kinesin-1 and the coiled-coil proteins UNC-76/FEZ1 and UNC-69/SCOC, which we identify as spectrin-kinesin adaptors. Knockdown of either protein led to disrupted spectrin motility and reduced distal MPS, and UNC-76 overexpression instructed excessive transport of spectrin. Artificially linking spectrin to kinesin-1 drove robust motility but inefficient MPS assembly, whereas impairing MPS assembly led to excessive spectrin transport, suggesting a balance between transport and assembly. These results provide insight into slow axonal transport and MPS integrity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver Glomb
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Grace Swaim
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Department of Cell Biology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Pablo Munoz LLancao
- Department of Cell Biology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Christopher Lovejoy
- Department of Cell Biology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Sabyasachi Sutradhar
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Junhyun Park
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Youjun Wu
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Sydney E Cason
- Department of Physiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Group, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Erika L F Holzbaur
- Department of Physiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Pennsylvania Muscle Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Marc Hammarlund
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Jonathon Howard
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Quantitative Biology Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Shawn M Ferguson
- Department of Cell Biology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | | | - Shaul Yogev
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA.
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Alhesain M, Ronan H, LeBeau FEN, Clowry GJ. Expression of the schizophrenia associated gene FEZ1 in the early developing fetal human forebrain. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1249973. [PMID: 37746155 PMCID: PMC10514365 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1249973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction The protein fasciculation and elongation zeta-1 (FEZ1) is involved in axon outgrowth but potentially interacts with various proteins with roles ranging from intracellular transport to transcription regulation. Gene association and other studies have identified FEZ1 as being directly, or indirectly, implicated in schizophrenia susceptibility. To explore potential roles in normal early human forebrain neurodevelopment, we mapped FEZ1 expression by region and cell type. Methods All tissues were provided with maternal consent and ethical approval by the Human Developmental Biology Resource. RNAseq data were obtained from previously published sources. Thin paraffin sections from 8 to 21 post-conceptional weeks (PCW) samples were used for RNAScope in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry against FEZ1 mRNA and protein, and other marker proteins. Results Tissue RNAseq revealed that FEZ1 is highly expressed in the human cerebral cortex between 7.5-17 PCW and single cell RNAseq at 17-18 PCW confirmed its expression in all neuroectoderm derived cells. The highest levels were found in more mature glutamatergic neurons, the lowest in GABAergic neurons and dividing progenitors. In the thalamus, single cell RNAseq similarly confirmed expression in multiple cell types. In cerebral cortex sections at 8-10 PCW, strong expression of mRNA and protein appeared confined to post-mitotic neurons, with low expression seen in progenitor zones. Protein expression was observed in some axon tracts by 16-19 PCW. However, in sub-cortical regions, FEZ1 was highly expressed in progenitor zones at early developmental stages, showing lower expression in post-mitotic cells. Discussion FEZ1 has different expression patterns and potentially diverse functions in discrete forebrain regions during prenatal human development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Gavin J. Clowry
- Centre for Transformative Research in Neuroscience, Newcastle University Biosciences Institute, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
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Razar RBBA, Qu Y, Gunaseelan S, Chua JJE. The importance of fasciculation and elongation protein zeta-1 in neural circuit establishment and neurological disorders. Neural Regen Res 2021; 17:1165-1171. [PMID: 34782550 PMCID: PMC8643053 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.327327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
The human brain contains an estimated 100 billion neurons that must be systematically organized into functional neural circuits for it to function properly. These circuits range from short-range local signaling networks between neighboring neurons to long-range networks formed between various brain regions. Compelling converging evidence indicates that alterations in neural circuits arising from abnormalities during early neuronal development or neurodegeneration contribute significantly to the etiology of neurological disorders. Supporting this notion, efforts to identify genetic causes of these disorders have uncovered an over-representation of genes encoding proteins involved in the processes of neuronal differentiation, maturation, synaptogenesis and synaptic function. Fasciculation and elongation protein zeta-1, a Kinesin-1 adapter, has emerged as a key central player involved in many of these processes. Fasciculation and elongation protein zeta-1-dependent transport of synaptic cargoes and mitochondria is essential for neuronal development and synapse establishment. Furthermore, it acts downstream of guidance cue pathways to regulate axo-dendritic development. Significantly, perturbing its function causes abnormalities in neuronal development and synapse formation both in the brain as well as the peripheral nervous system. Mutations and deletions of the fasciculation and elongation protein zeta-1 gene are linked to neurodevelopmental disorders. Moreover, altered phosphorylation of the protein contributes to neurodegenerative disorders. Together, these findings strongly implicate the importance of fasciculation and elongation protein zeta-1 in the establishment of neuronal circuits and its maintenance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafhanah Banu Bte Abdul Razar
- Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine; LSI Neurobiology Programme; Institute for Health Innovation and Technology, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Yinghua Qu
- Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine; LSI Neurobiology Programme, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Saravanan Gunaseelan
- Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine; LSI Neurobiology Programme, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - John Jia En Chua
- Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine; LSI Neurobiology Programme; Institute for Health Innovation and Technology; Healthy Longevity Translational Research Program, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore; Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
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