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Chen Y, Jiang Y, Sarvanantharajah N, Apirakkan O, Yang M, Milcova A, Topinka J, Abbate V, Arlt VM, Stürzenbaum SR. Genome-modified Caenorhabditis elegans expressing the human cytochrome P450 (CYP1A1 and CYP1A2) pathway: An experimental model for environmental carcinogenesis and pharmacological research. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2024; 194:109187. [PMID: 39671827 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2024.109187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2024] [Revised: 11/27/2024] [Accepted: 12/04/2024] [Indexed: 12/15/2024]
Abstract
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), including the Group 1 human carcinogen benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), are produced by the incomplete combustion of organic matter and thus are present in tobacco smoke, charbroiled food and diesel exhaust. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is an established model organism, however it lacks the genetic components of the classical mammalian cytochrome P450 (CYP)-mediated BaP-diol-epoxide metabolism pathway. We therefore introduced human CYP1A1 or CYP1A2 together with human epoxide hydrolase (EPHX) into the worm genome by Mos1-mediated Single Copy Insertion (MosSCI) and evaluated their response to BaP exposure via toxicological endpoints. Compared to wild-type control, CYP-humanised worms were characterised by an increase in pharyngeal pumping rate and a decrease in volumetric surface area. Furthermore, BaP exposure reduced reproductive performance, as reflected in smaller brood size, which coincided with the downregulation of the nematode-specific major sperm protein as determined by transcriptomics (RNAseq). BaP-mediated reproductive toxicity was exacerbated in CYP-humanised worms at higher exposure levels. Collagen-related genes were downregulated in BaP-exposed animals, which correlate with the reduction in volumetric size. Whole genome DNA sequencing revealed a higher frequency of T > G (A > C) base substitution mutations in worms expressing human CYP1A1;EPHX which aligned with an increase in DNA adducts identified via an ELISA method (but not classical 32P-postlabelling). Overall, the CYP-humanised worms provided new insights into the value of genome-optimised invertebrate models by identifying the benefits and limitations within the context of the (3Rs) concept which aims to replace, reduce and refine the use of animals in research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuzhi Chen
- Department of Analytical, Environmental and Forensic Sciences, School of Cancer & Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Yang Jiang
- Hubrecht Institute, Developmental Biology and Stem Cell Research, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Nirujah Sarvanantharajah
- Department of Analytical, Environmental and Forensic Sciences, School of Cancer & Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Orapan Apirakkan
- Department of Analytical, Environmental and Forensic Sciences, School of Cancer & Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Mengqi Yang
- Department of Analytical, Environmental and Forensic Sciences, School of Cancer & Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Alena Milcova
- Department of Toxicology and Molecular Epidemiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 14220 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Topinka
- Department of Toxicology and Molecular Epidemiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 14220 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Vincenzo Abbate
- Department of Analytical, Environmental and Forensic Sciences, School of Cancer & Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Volker M Arlt
- Department of Analytical, Environmental and Forensic Sciences, School of Cancer & Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, UK; Toxicology Department, GAB Consulting GmbH, 69126 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Stephen R Stürzenbaum
- Department of Analytical, Environmental and Forensic Sciences, School of Cancer & Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, UK.
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Parmar JM, Laing NG, Kennerson ML, Ravenscroft G. Genetics of inherited peripheral neuropathies and the next frontier: looking backwards to progress forwards. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2024; 95:992-1001. [PMID: 38744462 PMCID: PMC11503175 DOI: 10.1136/jnnp-2024-333436] [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: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Inherited peripheral neuropathies (IPNs) encompass a clinically and genetically heterogeneous group of disorders causing length-dependent degeneration of peripheral autonomic, motor and/or sensory nerves. Despite gold-standard diagnostic testing for pathogenic variants in over 100 known associated genes, many patients with IPN remain genetically unsolved. Providing patients with a diagnosis is critical for reducing their 'diagnostic odyssey', improving clinical care, and for informed genetic counselling. The last decade of massively parallel sequencing technologies has seen a rapid increase in the number of newly described IPN-associated gene variants contributing to IPN pathogenesis. However, the scarcity of additional families and functional data supporting variants in potential novel genes is prolonging patient diagnostic uncertainty and contributing to the missing heritability of IPNs. We review the last decade of IPN disease gene discovery to highlight novel genes, structural variation and short tandem repeat expansions contributing to IPN pathogenesis. From the lessons learnt, we provide our vision for IPN research as we anticipate the future, providing examples of emerging technologies, resources and tools that we propose that will expedite the genetic diagnosis of unsolved IPN families.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jevin M Parmar
- Rare Disease Genetics and Functional Genomics, Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
- Centre for Medical Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Nigel G Laing
- Centre for Medical Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
- Preventive Genetics, Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Marina L Kennerson
- Northcott Neuroscience Laboratory, ANZAC Research Institute, Concord, New South Wales, Australia
- Molecular Medicine Laboratory, Concord Hospital, Concord, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Gianina Ravenscroft
- Rare Disease Genetics and Functional Genomics, Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
- Centre for Medical Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
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Bunik VI. A challenging interplay between basic research, technologies and medical education to provide therapies based on disease mechanisms. Front Med (Lausanne) 2024; 11:1464672. [PMID: 39228799 PMCID: PMC11368752 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2024.1464672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2024] [Accepted: 07/29/2024] [Indexed: 09/05/2024] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Victoria I. Bunik
- Belozersky Institute of Physicochemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
- Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
- Department of Biochemistry, Sechenov University, Moscow, Russia
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Alotaibi BS, Hakami MA, Anwar S, Mawkili W, Albaqami A, Hassan MI. Structure-based investigation of pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase-3 inhibitory potential of thymoquinone, targeting lung cancer therapy. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 265:131064. [PMID: 38518935 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.131064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2023] [Revised: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/24/2024]
Abstract
Protein kinases are an attractive therapeutic target for cardiovascular, cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. Cancer cells demand energy generation through aerobic glycolysis, surpassing "oxidative phosphorylation" (OXPHOS) in mitochondria. The pyruvate dehydrogenase kinases (PDKs) have many regulatory roles in energy generation balance by controlling the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex. Overexpression of PDKs is associated with the overall survival of cancer. PDK3, an isoform of PDK is highly expressed in various cancer types, is targeted for inhibition in this study. PDK3 has been shown to binds strongly with a natural compound, thymoquinone (TQ), which is known to exhibit anti-cancer potential. Detailed interaction between the PDK3 and TQ was carried out using spectroscopic and docking methods. The overall changes in the protein's structures after TQ binding were estimated by UV-Vis spectroscopy, circular dichroism and fluorescence binding studies. The kinase activity assay was also carried out to see the kinase inhibitory potential of TQ. The enzyme inhibition assay suggested an excellent inhibitory potential of TQ towards PDK3 (IC50 = 5.49 μM). We observed that TQ forms a stable complex with PDK3 without altering its structure and can be a potent PDK3 inhibitor which may be implicated in cancer therapy after desired clinical validation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bader S Alotaibi
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Shaqra University, Al-Quwayiyah, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohammed Ageeli Hakami
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Shaqra University, Al-Quwayiyah, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Saleha Anwar
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Sciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, Jamia Nagar, New Delhi 110025, India
| | - Wedad Mawkili
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, Jazan University, Jazan 45142, Saudi Arabia
| | - Amirah Albaqami
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, Turabah University College, Taif University, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia
| | - Md Imtaiyaz Hassan
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Sciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, Jamia Nagar, New Delhi 110025, India.
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5
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Szabo E, Nagy B, Czajlik A, Komlodi T, Ozohanics O, Tretter L, Ambrus A. Mitochondrial Alpha-Keto Acid Dehydrogenase Complexes: Recent Developments on Structure and Function in Health and Disease. Subcell Biochem 2024; 104:295-381. [PMID: 38963492 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-58843-3_13] [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] [Indexed: 07/05/2024]
Abstract
The present work delves into the enigmatic world of mitochondrial alpha-keto acid dehydrogenase complexes discussing their metabolic significance, enzymatic operation, moonlighting activities, and pathological relevance with links to underlying structural features. This ubiquitous family of related but diverse multienzyme complexes is involved in carbohydrate metabolism (pyruvate dehydrogenase complex), the citric acid cycle (α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase complex), and amino acid catabolism (branched-chain α-keto acid dehydrogenase complex, α-ketoadipate dehydrogenase complex); the complexes all function at strategic points and also participate in regulation in these metabolic pathways. These systems are among the largest multienzyme complexes with at times more than 100 protein chains and weights ranging up to ~10 million Daltons. Our chapter offers a wealth of up-to-date information on these multienzyme complexes for a comprehensive understanding of their significance in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eszter Szabo
- Department of Biochemistry, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Balint Nagy
- Department of Biochemistry, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Andras Czajlik
- Department of Biochemistry, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Timea Komlodi
- Department of Biochemistry, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Oliver Ozohanics
- Department of Biochemistry, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Laszlo Tretter
- Department of Biochemistry, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Attila Ambrus
- Department of Biochemistry, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary.
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Bunik V. The Therapeutic Potential of Vitamins B1, B3 and B6 in Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease with the Compromised Status of Vitamin-Dependent Processes. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:897. [PMID: 37508330 PMCID: PMC10376249 DOI: 10.3390/biology12070897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Revised: 06/11/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the molecular mechanisms of neurological disorders is necessary for the development of personalized medicine. When the diagnosis considers not only the disease symptoms, but also their molecular basis, treatments tailored to individual patients may be suggested. Vitamin-responsive neurological disorders are induced by deficiencies in vitamin-dependent processes. These deficiencies may occur due to genetic impairments of proteins whose functions are involved with the vitamins. This review considers the enzymes encoded by the DHTKD1, PDK3 and PDXK genes, whose mutations are observed in patients with Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease. The enzymes bind or produce the coenzyme forms of vitamins B1 (thiamine diphosphate, ThDP) and B6 (pyridoxal-5'-phosphate, PLP). Alleviation of such disorders through administration of the lacking vitamin or its derivative calls for a better introduction of mechanistic knowledge to medical diagnostics and therapies. Recent data on lower levels of the vitamin B3 derivative, NAD+, in the blood of patients with CMT disease vs. control subjects are also considered in view of the NAD-dependent mechanisms of pathological axonal degeneration, suggesting the therapeutic potential of vitamin B3 in these patients. Thus, improved diagnostics of the underlying causes of CMT disease may allow patients with vitamin-responsive disease forms to benefit from the administration of the vitamins B1, B3, B6, their natural derivatives, or their pharmacological forms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria Bunik
- Belozersky Institute of Physicochemical Biology, Department of Biokinetics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119234 Moscow, Russia
- Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119234 Moscow, Russia
- Department of Biochemistry, Sechenov University, 119048 Moscow, Russia
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Cutrupi AN, Narayanan RK, Perez-Siles G, Grosz BR, Lai K, Boyling A, Ellis M, Lin RCY, Neumann B, Mao D, Uesugi M, Nicholson GA, Vucic S, Saporta MA, Kennerson ML. Novel gene-intergenic fusion involving ubiquitin E3 ligase UBE3C causes distal hereditary motor neuropathy. Brain 2023; 146:880-897. [PMID: 36380488 PMCID: PMC9976978 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awac424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Revised: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 10/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Distal hereditary motor neuropathies (dHMNs) are a group of inherited diseases involving the progressive, length-dependent axonal degeneration of the lower motor neurons. There are currently 29 reported causative genes and four disease loci implicated in dHMN. Despite the high genetic heterogeneity, mutations in the known genes account for less than 20% of dHMN cases, with the mutations identified predominantly being point mutations or indels. We have expanded the spectrum of dHMN mutations with the identification of a 1.35 Mb complex structural variation (SV) causing a form of autosomal dominant dHMN (DHMN1 OMIM %182906). Given the complex nature of SV mutations and the importance of studying pathogenic mechanisms in a neuronal setting, we generated a patient-derived DHMN1 motor neuron model harbouring the 1.35 Mb complex insertion. The DHMN1 complex insertion creates a duplicated copy of the first 10 exons of the ubiquitin-protein E3 ligase gene (UBE3C) and forms a novel gene-intergenic fusion sense transcript by incorporating a terminal pseudo-exon from intergenic sequence within the DHMN1 locus. The UBE3C intergenic fusion (UBE3C-IF) transcript does not undergo nonsense-mediated decay and results in a significant reduction of wild-type full-length UBE3C (UBE3C-WT) protein levels in DHMN1 iPSC-derived motor neurons. An engineered transgenic Caenorhabditis elegans model expressing the UBE3C-IF transcript in GABA-ergic motor neurons shows neuronal synaptic transmission deficits. Furthermore, the transgenic animals are susceptible to heat stress, which may implicate defective protein homeostasis underlying DHMN1 pathogenesis. Identification of the novel UBE3C-IF gene-intergenic fusion transcript in motor neurons highlights a potential new disease mechanism underlying axonal and motor neuron degeneration. These complementary models serve as a powerful paradigm for studying the DHMN1 complex SV and an invaluable tool for defining therapeutic targets for DHMN1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony N Cutrupi
- Northcott Neuroscience Laboratory, ANZAC Research Institute, Sydney, NSW 2139, Australia
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Ramesh K Narayanan
- Northcott Neuroscience Laboratory, ANZAC Research Institute, Sydney, NSW 2139, Australia
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Gonzalo Perez-Siles
- Northcott Neuroscience Laboratory, ANZAC Research Institute, Sydney, NSW 2139, Australia
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Bianca R Grosz
- Northcott Neuroscience Laboratory, ANZAC Research Institute, Sydney, NSW 2139, Australia
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Kaitao Lai
- Northcott Neuroscience Laboratory, ANZAC Research Institute, Sydney, NSW 2139, Australia
- Ancestry and Health Genomics Laboratory, Charles Perkins Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Alexandra Boyling
- Northcott Neuroscience Laboratory, ANZAC Research Institute, Sydney, NSW 2139, Australia
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Melina Ellis
- Northcott Neuroscience Laboratory, ANZAC Research Institute, Sydney, NSW 2139, Australia
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Ruby C Y Lin
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
- Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Sydney, NSW 2145, Australia
| | - Brent Neumann
- Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Di Mao
- Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences and Institute for Chemical Research, Kyoto University, Uji 611-0011, Japan
| | - Motonari Uesugi
- Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences and Institute for Chemical Research, Kyoto University, Uji 611-0011, Japan
| | - Garth A Nicholson
- Northcott Neuroscience Laboratory, ANZAC Research Institute, Sydney, NSW 2139, Australia
- Molecular Medicine Laboratory, Concord Repatriation General Hospital, Sydney, NSW 2139, Australia
| | - Steve Vucic
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
- Brain and Nerve Research Centre, Concord Repatriation General Hospital, Sydney, NSW 2139, Australia
| | - Mario A Saporta
- Department of Neurology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Marina L Kennerson
- Northcott Neuroscience Laboratory, ANZAC Research Institute, Sydney, NSW 2139, Australia
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
- Molecular Medicine Laboratory, Concord Repatriation General Hospital, Sydney, NSW 2139, Australia
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Boyling A, Perez-Siles G, Kennerson ML. Structural Variation at a Disease Mutation Hotspot: Strategies to Investigate Gene Regulation and the 3D Genome. Front Genet 2022; 13:842860. [PMID: 35401663 PMCID: PMC8990796 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.842860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2021] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
A rare form of X-linked Charcot-Marie-Tooth neuropathy, CMTX3, is caused by an interchromosomal insertion occurring at chromosome Xq27.1. Interestingly, eight other disease phenotypes have been associated with insertions (or insertion-deletions) occurring at the same genetic locus. To date, the pathogenic mechanism underlying most of these diseases remains unsolved, although local gene dysregulation has clearly been implicated in at least two phenotypes. The challenges of accessing disease-relevant tissue and modelling these complex genomic rearrangements has led to this research impasse. We argue that recent technological advancements can overcome many of these challenges, particularly induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) and their capacity to provide access to patient-derived disease-relevant tissue. However, to date these valuable tools have not been utilized to investigate the disease-associated insertions at chromosome Xq27.1. Therefore, using CMTX3 as a reference disease, we propose an experimental approach that can be used to explore these complex mutations, as well as similar structural variants located elsewhere in the genome. The mutational hotspot at Xq27.1 is a valuable disease paradigm with the potential to improve our understanding of the pathogenic consequences of complex structural variation, and more broadly, refine our knowledge of the multifaceted process of long-range gene regulation. Intergenic structural variation is a critically understudied class of mutation, although it is likely to contribute significantly to unsolved genetic disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Boyling
- Northcott Neuroscience Laboratory, ANZAC Research Institute, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- *Correspondence: Alexandra Boyling, ; Marina L. Kennerson,
| | - Gonzalo Perez-Siles
- Northcott Neuroscience Laboratory, ANZAC Research Institute, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Marina L. Kennerson
- Northcott Neuroscience Laboratory, ANZAC Research Institute, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Molecular Medicine Laboratory, Concord Repatriation General Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- *Correspondence: Alexandra Boyling, ; Marina L. Kennerson,
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