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Li H, Zheng K, Xie M. A novel small deletion in CWC27 gene associated with CWC27-related spliceosomeopathy. Ophthalmic Genet 2024:1-5. [PMID: 38956876 DOI: 10.1080/13816810.2024.2368791] [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: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND CWC27-related spliceosomeopathy is a rare autosomal recessive disorder with only 14 patients have been reported. It is characterized by retinal degeneration, short stature, skeletal anomalies, and neurological defects. We described the clinical features of a Chinese patient with CWC27-related spliceosomeopathy and identified the pathogenic variant. METHODS The affected subject underwent detailed ophthalmic examinations. Systemic abnormalities were assessed, including body height, craniofacial morphology, oral cavity, hands, feet, hair and skin. Genomic DNA was isolated from peripheral blood and sequenced by next-generation sequencing. Sanger sequencing was performed for validation and segregation. RESULTS The patient had poor vision, nyctalopia and nystagmus from childhood. Fundoscopy revealed extensive chorioretinal atrophy with numerous scattered greyish pigmentation. Severe circular areas of macular atrophy were observed. Optical coherent tomography showed reduced retinal thickness with nearly absent ellipsoid zone and retinal pigment epithelium. In addition, craniofacial abnormalities, short statue, brachydactyly, dental anomalies, cafe-au-lait spots, scant hair, absent eyebrows and thin eyelashes were documented. Genetic analysis revealed a novel homozygous novel small deletion c.1133delG(p.G378Efs*12) in CWC27 (NM_005869.2). CONCLUSIONS We present a patient with early-onset retinitis pigmentosa and marked syndromic features. A novel CWC27 pathogenic variant was identified. Our findings broaden the clinical and mutation spectrum of CWC27-related spliceosomeopathy, and could be helpful in diagnosis of this rare disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huajin Li
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Kailing Zheng
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Maosong Xie
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
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2
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Lu J, Zheng KQ, Bertrand RE, Quinlan J, Ferdous S, Srinivasan T, Oh S, Wang K, Chen R. Gene augmentation therapy to rescue degenerative photoreceptors in a Cwc27 mutant mouse model. Exp Eye Res 2023; 234:109596. [PMID: 37479075 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2023.109596] [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: 04/24/2023] [Revised: 06/18/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/23/2023]
Abstract
Previous reports have demonstrated that defects in the spliceosome-associated protein CWC27 can lead to the degeneration of retinal cells in Cwc27 mutant mouse models. However, it is unknown whether gene replacement therapy can rescue this phenotype. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether AAV based gene therapy could rescue the retinal degeneration observed in Cwc27 mutant mice. By 6 months of age, Cwc27 mutant mice show a retinal degenerative phenotype, including morphological and functional abnormalities, primarily driven by the death of photoreceptors. We hypothesize that subretinal injection of AAV8 to drive exogenous CWC27 protein expression will improve the retinal phenotype. We evaluated these improvements after gene therapy with electroretinography (ERG) and histology, either hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) or immunostaining. In this study, we demonstrated that subretinal injection of AAV8-GRK-Cwc27-FLAG in mutant mice can improve the functionality and morphology of the retina. Immunostaining analyses revealed a notable decrease in photoreceptor degeneration, including cone cell degeneration, in the AAV-injected eyes compared to the PBS-injected eyes. Based on these results, gene replacement therapy could be a promising method for treating retinal degeneration caused by mutations in Cwc27.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaxiong Lu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA; Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA; Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Karen Q Zheng
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA; Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA; Department of BioSciences, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Renae Elaine Bertrand
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA; Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA; Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Joseph Quinlan
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA; Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA; Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Salma Ferdous
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA; Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Tanmay Srinivasan
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA; Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA; Department of BioSciences, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Soo Oh
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA; Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Keqing Wang
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA; Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Rui Chen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA; Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA; Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
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Sarafidou T, Galliopoulou E, Apostolopoulou D, Fragkiadakis GA, Moschonas NK. Reconstruction of a Comprehensive Interactome and Experimental Data Analysis of FRA10AC1 May Provide Insights into Its Biological Role in Health and Disease. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:genes14030568. [PMID: 36980839 PMCID: PMC10048706 DOI: 10.3390/genes14030568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2022] [Revised: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/03/2023] Open
Abstract
FRA10AC1, the causative gene for the manifestation of the FRA10A fragile site, encodes a well-conserved nuclear protein characterized as a non-core spliceosomal component. Pre-mRNA splicing perturbations have been linked with neurodevelopmental diseases. FRA10AC1 variants have been, recently, causally linked with severe neuropathological and growth retardation phenotypes. To further elucidate the participation of FRA10AC1 in spliceosomal multiprotein complexes and its involvement in neurological phenotypes related to splicing, we exploited protein–protein interaction experimental data and explored network information and information deduced from transcriptomics. We confirmed the direct interaction of FRA10AC1with ESS2, a non-core spliceosomal protein, mapped their interacting domains, and documented their tissue co-localization and physical interaction at the level of intracellular protein stoichiometries. Although FRA10AC1 and SF3B2, a major core spliceosomal protein, were shown to interact under in vitro conditions, the endogenous proteins failed to co-immunoprecipitate. A reconstruction of a comprehensive, strictly binary, protein–protein interaction network of FRA10AC1 revealed dense interconnectivity with many disease-associated spliceosomal components and several non-spliceosomal regulatory proteins. The topological neighborhood of FRA10AC1 depicts an interactome associated with multiple severe monogenic and multifactorial neurodevelopmental diseases mainly referring to spliceosomopathies. Our results suggest that FRA10AC1 involvement in pre-mRNA processing might be strengthened by interconnecting splicing with transcription and mRNA export, and they propose the broader role(s) of FRA10AC1 in cell pathophysiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theologia Sarafidou
- Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, University of Thessaly, Viopolis, 41500 Larissa, Greece
- Correspondence: (T.S.); (N.K.M.)
| | - Eleni Galliopoulou
- Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, University of Thessaly, Viopolis, 41500 Larissa, Greece
| | | | - Georgios A. Fragkiadakis
- Department of Nutrition and Dietetics Sciences, Hellenic Mediterranean University, Tripitos, 72300 Siteia, Greece
| | - Nicholas K. Moschonas
- School of Medicine, University of Patras, 26500 Patras, Greece
- Institute of Chemical Engineering Sciences, Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas (FORTH/ICE-HT), 26504 Patras, Greece
- Correspondence: (T.S.); (N.K.M.)
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Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Pathogenesis Underlying Inherited Retinal Dystrophies. Biomolecules 2023; 13:biom13020271. [PMID: 36830640 PMCID: PMC9953031 DOI: 10.3390/biom13020271] [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: 12/21/2022] [Revised: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/27/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Inherited retinal dystrophies (IRDs) are congenital retinal degenerative diseases that have various inheritance patterns, including dominant, recessive, X-linked, and mitochondrial. These diseases are most often the result of defects in rod and/or cone photoreceptor and retinal pigment epithelium function, development, or both. The genes associated with these diseases, when mutated, produce altered protein products that have downstream effects in pathways critical to vision, including phototransduction, the visual cycle, photoreceptor development, cellular respiration, and retinal homeostasis. The aim of this manuscript is to provide a comprehensive review of the underlying molecular mechanisms of pathogenesis of IRDs by delving into many of the genes associated with IRD development, their protein products, and the pathways interrupted by genetic mutation.
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Yassin SH, Henderson R, Lenberg J, Murillo V, Murdock DR, Friedman J, Jones MC, Wigby K, Borooah S. Further delineation of the CWC27-associated spliceosomeopathy: Case report and review of the literature. Am J Med Genet A 2023; 191:1378-1383. [PMID: 36718996 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.a.63134] [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: 10/14/2022] [Revised: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Pre-mRNA splicing factors are crucial in regulating transcript diversity, by removing introns from eukaryotic transcripts, an essential step in gene expression. Splicing of pre-mRNA is catalyzed by spliceosomes. CWC27 is a cyclophilin associated with spliceosome, in which genetic defects of its components have been linked to spliceosomopathies with clinical phenotypes including skeletal developmental defects, retinitis pigmentosa (RP), short stature, skeletal anomalies, and neurological disorders. We report two siblings (male and female) of Mexican descent with a novel homozygous frameshift variant in CWC27 and aim to highlight the cardinal features among the previously described 12 cases as well as expand the currently recognized phenotypic spectrum. Both siblings presented with a range of ocular and extraocular manifestations including novel features such as solitary kidney and tarsal coalition in the male sibling, together with gait abnormalities, and Hashimoto's thyroiditis in the female sibling. Finally, we highlight ectodermal involvement including sparse scalp hair, eyebrows and lashes, pigmentary differences, nail dysplasia, and dental anomalies as a core phenotype associated with the CWC27 spliceosomopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaden H Yassin
- Shiley Eye Institute, University of California, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Riley Henderson
- Rady Children's Institute for Genomic Medicine, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Jerica Lenberg
- Rady Children's Institute for Genomic Medicine, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Viridiana Murillo
- Rady Children's Institute for Genomic Medicine, San Diego, California, USA
| | - David R Murdock
- Invitae Clinical Genomics Group, Invitae Corporation, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Jennifer Friedman
- Rady Children's Institute for Genomic Medicine, San Diego, California, USA.,Rady Children's Hospital-San Diego, Genetics and Dysmorphology Division, San Diego, California, USA.,Departments of Neurosciences and Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Marilyn C Jones
- Rady Children's Hospital-San Diego, Genetics and Dysmorphology Division, San Diego, California, USA.,Division of Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Kristen Wigby
- Rady Children's Institute for Genomic Medicine, San Diego, California, USA.,Rady Children's Hospital-San Diego, Genetics and Dysmorphology Division, San Diego, California, USA.,Division of Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Shyamanga Borooah
- Shiley Eye Institute, University of California, San Diego, California, USA
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Matalkah F, Jeong B, Sheridan M, Horstick E, Ramamurthy V, Stoilov P. The Musashi proteins direct post-transcriptional control of protein expression and alternate exon splicing in vertebrate photoreceptors. Commun Biol 2022; 5:1011. [PMID: 36153373 PMCID: PMC9509328 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03990-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The Musashi proteins, MSI1 and MSI2, are conserved RNA binding proteins with a role in the maintenance and renewal of stem cells. Contrasting with this role, terminally differentiated photoreceptor cells express high levels of MSI1 and MSI2, pointing to a role for the two proteins in vision. Combined knockout of Msi1 and Msi2 in mature photoreceptor cells abrogated the retinal response to light and caused photoreceptor cell death. In photoreceptor cells the Musashi proteins perform distinct nuclear and cytoplasmic functions. In the nucleus, the Musashi proteins promote splicing of photoreceptor-specific alternative exons. Surprisingly, conserved photoreceptor-specific alternative exons in genes critical for vision proved to be dispensable, raising questions about the selective pressures that lead to their conservation. In the cytoplasm MSI1 and MSI2 activate protein expression. Loss of Msi1 and Msi2 lead to reduction in the levels of multiple proteins including proteins required for vision and photoreceptor survival. The requirement for MSI1 and MSI2 in terminally differentiated photoreceptors alongside their role in stem cells shows that, depending on cellular context, these two proteins can control processes ranging from cell proliferation to sensory perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatimah Matalkah
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Bohye Jeong
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Macie Sheridan
- Undergraduate Program in Biochemistry, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Eric Horstick
- Department of Biology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Visvanathan Ramamurthy
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Peter Stoilov
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA.
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7
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Wu P, Guo Y. Susceptibility Loci in SLC15A1, UGT1A3, and CWC27 Genes Associated with Bladder Cancer in the Northeast Chinese Population. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 2022:2988159. [PMID: 36124064 PMCID: PMC9482523 DOI: 10.1155/2022/2988159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Revised: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Bladder cancer (BCa) is an increasingly severe clinical and public health issue. Therefore, we aim to investigate BCa susceptibility loci in the Chinese population. In this study, 487 BCa patients and 563 controls were recruited from the First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University from July 2015 to September 2020. A total of ten single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in solute carrier family 15 member 1 (SLC15A1), CWC27 spliceosome associated cyclophilin (CWC27), or UDP glucuronosyltransferase family 1 member A3 (UGT1A3) genes were genotyped. The associations between the candidate SNPs and BCa were analyzed using genotype and haplotype analysis. The results demonstrated that Rs4646227 of SLC15A1 has a significant association with BCa. The patients with CG (OR =2.513, p < 0.05) and GG (OR =2.859, p < 0.05) genotypes had an increasing risk of BCa compared with the CC genotype. For the CWC27 gene, genotypic frequency analysis revealed that the GT or TT genotype of rs2042329 and the CT or TT genotype of rs1870437 were more frequent in BCa patients than those in the control group, indicating that these genotypes were associated with a higher risk of BCa (all p < 0.05). Haplotypes of SLC15A1, UGT1A3, and CWC27 genes found that the C-C-C haplotype of SLC15A1 was associated with a lower risk of BCa while the C-G-C haplotype was associated with a higher risk. For the UGT1A3 gene, a moderate protective effect was observed with the most frequent T-T-C haplotype, and for the CWC27 gene, most of the haplotypes showed no association with BCa, except the G-G-C-T haplotype (order of SNPs: rs2042329-rs7735338-rs1870437-rs2278351, OR =0.81, p =0.038). In sum, this study indicated that rs2042329 and rs1870437 in the CWC27 gene and rs4646227 in the SLC15A1 gene are independent indicators for BCa risk in Chinese people. Further large-scale studies are required to validate these findings. Also, this study provided the theoretical basis for developing new therapeutic drug targeting of BCa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peihong Wu
- Department of Pathology, First Affiliated Hospital and College of Basic Medical Sciences of China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, China
| | - Yaoxing Guo
- Department of Pathology, First Affiliated Hospital and College of Basic Medical Sciences of China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, China
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Stofkova A, Zloh M, Andreanska D, Fiserova I, Kubovciak J, Hejda J, Kutilek P, Murakami M. Depletion of Retinal Dopaminergic Activity in a Mouse Model of Rod Dysfunction Exacerbates Experimental Autoimmune Uveoretinitis: A Role for the Gateway Reflex. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 23:ijms23010453. [PMID: 35008877 PMCID: PMC8745287 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23010453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 12/24/2021] [Accepted: 12/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The gateway reflex is a mechanism by which neural inputs regulate chemokine expression at endothelial cell barriers, thereby establishing gateways for the invasion of autoreactive T cells into barrier-protected tissues. In this study, we hypothesized that rod photoreceptor dysfunction causes remodeling of retinal neural activity, which influences the blood–retinal barrier and the development of retinal inflammation. We evaluated this hypothesis using Gnat1rd17 mice, a model of night blindness with late-onset rod-cone dystrophy, and experimental autoimmune uveoretinitis (EAU). Retinal remodeling and its effect on EAU development were investigated by transcriptome profiling, target identification, and functional validation. We showed that Gnat1rd17 mice primarily underwent alterations in their retinal dopaminergic system, triggering the development of an exacerbated EAU, which was counteracted by dopamine replacement with L-DOPA administered either systemically or locally. Remarkably, dopamine acted on retinal endothelial cells to inhibit NF-κB and STAT3 activity and the expression of downstream target genes such as chemokines involved in T cell recruitment. These results suggest that rod-mediated dopamine release functions in a gateway reflex manner in the homeostatic control of immune cell entry into the retina, and the loss of retinal dopaminergic activity in conditions associated with rod dysfunction increases the susceptibility to autoimmune uveitis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Stofkova
- Department of Physiology, Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Ke Karlovu 4, 120 00 Prague, Czech Republic; (M.Z.); (D.A.); (I.F.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +420-224-902-718
| | - Miloslav Zloh
- Department of Physiology, Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Ke Karlovu 4, 120 00 Prague, Czech Republic; (M.Z.); (D.A.); (I.F.)
| | - Dominika Andreanska
- Department of Physiology, Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Ke Karlovu 4, 120 00 Prague, Czech Republic; (M.Z.); (D.A.); (I.F.)
| | - Ivana Fiserova
- Department of Physiology, Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Ke Karlovu 4, 120 00 Prague, Czech Republic; (M.Z.); (D.A.); (I.F.)
- Department of Pathophysiology, Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Ruska 87, 100 00 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Kubovciak
- Laboratory of Genomics and Bioinformatics, Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Videnska 1083, 142 20 Prague, Czech Republic;
| | - Jan Hejda
- Department of Health Care and Population Protection, Faculty of Biomedical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, Sitna Sq. 3105, 272 01 Kladno, Czech Republic; (J.H.); (P.K.)
| | - Patrik Kutilek
- Department of Health Care and Population Protection, Faculty of Biomedical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, Sitna Sq. 3105, 272 01 Kladno, Czech Republic; (J.H.); (P.K.)
| | - Masaaki Murakami
- Division of Molecular Psychoimmunology, Institute for Genetic Medicine and Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Kita-15, Nishi-7, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0815, Japan;
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