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Swanson MA, Jiang H, Busquet N, Carlsen J, Brindley C, Benke TA, Van Hove RA, Friederich MW, MacLean KN, Mesches MH, Van Hove JLK. Deep postnatal phenotyping of a new mouse model of nonketotic hyperglycinemia. J Inherit Metab Dis 2024. [PMID: 38840294 DOI: 10.1002/jimd.12755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2023] [Revised: 04/18/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
Nonketotic hyperglycinemia due to deficient glycine cleavage enzyme activity causes a severe neonatal epileptic encephalopathy. Current therapies based on mitigating glycine excess have only limited impact. An animal model with postnatal phenotyping is needed to explore new therapeutic approaches. We developed a Gldc p.Ala394Val mutant model and bred it to congenic status in two colonies on C57Bl/6J (B6) and J129X1/SvJ (J129) backgrounds. Mutant mice had reduced P-protein and enzyme activity indicating a hypomorphic mutant. Glycine levels were increased in blood and brain regions, exacerbated by dietary glycine, with higher levels in female than male J129 mice. Birth defects were more prevalent in mutant B6 than J129 mice, and hydrocephalus was more frequent in B6 (40%) compared to J129 (none). The hydrocephalus rate was increased by postnatal glycine challenge in B6 mice, more so when delivered from the first neonatal week than from the fourth. Mutant mice had reduced weight gain following weaning until the eighth postnatal week, which was exacerbated by glycine loading. The electrographic spike rate was increased in mutant mice following glycine loading, but no seizures were observed. The alpha/delta band intensity ratio was decreased in the left cortex in female J129 mice, which were less active in an open field test and explored less in a Y-maze, suggesting an encephalopathic effect. Mutant mice showed no evidence of memory dysfunction. This partial recapitulation of human symptoms and biochemistry will facilitate the evaluation of new therapeutic approaches with an early postnatal time window likely most effective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael A Swanson
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Clinical Genetics and Metabolism, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Hua Jiang
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Clinical Genetics and Metabolism, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Nicolas Busquet
- NeuroTechnology Center, School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Jessica Carlsen
- NeuroTechnology Center, School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Connie Brindley
- NeuroTechnology Center, School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Tim A Benke
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Pediatric Neurology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Roxanne A Van Hove
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Clinical Genetics and Metabolism, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Marisa W Friederich
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Clinical Genetics and Metabolism, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Kenneth N MacLean
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Clinical Genetics and Metabolism, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Michael H Mesches
- NeuroTechnology Center, School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Pediatric Neurology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Johan L K Van Hove
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Clinical Genetics and Metabolism, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
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Chambers BE, Weaver NE, Lara CM, Nguyen TK, Wingert RA. (Zebra)fishing for nephrogenesis genes. Tissue Barriers 2024; 12:2219605. [PMID: 37254823 PMCID: PMC11042071 DOI: 10.1080/21688370.2023.2219605] [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: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Kidney disease is a devastating condition affecting millions of people worldwide, where over 100,000 patients in the United States alone remain waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant. Concomitant with a surge in personalized medicine, single-gene mutations, and polygenic risk alleles have been brought to the forefront as core causes of a spectrum of renal disorders. With the increasing prevalence of kidney disease, it is imperative to make substantial strides in the field of kidney genetics. Nephrons, the core functional units of the kidney, are epithelial tubules that act as gatekeepers of body homeostasis by absorbing and secreting ions, water, and small molecules to filter the blood. Each nephron contains a series of proximal and distal segments with explicit metabolic functions. The embryonic zebrafish provides an ideal platform to systematically dissect the genetic cues governing kidney development. Here, we review the use of zebrafish to discover nephrogenesis genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brooke E. Chambers
- Department of Biological Sciences, Center for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, Center for Zebrafish Research, Boler-Parseghian Center for Rare and Neglected Diseases, Warren Center for Drug Discovery, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana (IN), USA
| | - Nicole E. Weaver
- Department of Biological Sciences, Center for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, Center for Zebrafish Research, Boler-Parseghian Center for Rare and Neglected Diseases, Warren Center for Drug Discovery, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana (IN), USA
| | - Caroline M. Lara
- Department of Biological Sciences, Center for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, Center for Zebrafish Research, Boler-Parseghian Center for Rare and Neglected Diseases, Warren Center for Drug Discovery, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana (IN), USA
| | - Thanh Khoa Nguyen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Center for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, Center for Zebrafish Research, Boler-Parseghian Center for Rare and Neglected Diseases, Warren Center for Drug Discovery, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana (IN), USA
| | - Rebecca A. Wingert
- Department of Biological Sciences, Center for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, Center for Zebrafish Research, Boler-Parseghian Center for Rare and Neglected Diseases, Warren Center for Drug Discovery, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana (IN), USA
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Swanson MA, Jiang H, Busquet N, Carlsen J, Brindley C, Benke TA, Van Hove RA, Friederich MW, MacLean KN, Mesches MH, Van Hove JLK. Deep postnatal phenotyping of a new mouse model of nonketotic hyperglycinemia. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.26.586818. [PMID: 38586005 PMCID: PMC10996592 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.26.586818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
Nonketotic hyperglycinemia due to deficient glycine cleavage enzyme activity causes a severe neonatal epileptic encephalopathy. Current therapies based on mitigating glycine excess have only limited impact. An animal model with postnatal phenotyping is needed to explore new therapeutic approaches. We developed a Gldc p.Ala394Val mutant model and bred it to congenic status in 2 colonies on C57Bl/6J (B6) and J129X1/SvJ (J129) backgrounds. Mutant mice had reduced P-protein and enzyme activity indicating a hypomorphic mutant. Glycine levels were increased in blood and brain regions, exacerbated by dietary glycine, with higher levels in female than male J129 mice. Birth defects were more prevalent in mutant B6 than J129 mice, and hydrocephalus was more frequent in B6 (40%) compared to J129 (none). The hydrocephalus rate was increased by postnatal glycine challenge in B6 mice, more so when delivered from the first neonatal week than from the fourth. Mutant mice had reduced weight gain following weaning until the eighth postnatal week, which was exacerbated by glycine loading. The electrographic spike rate was increased in mutant mice following glycine loading, but no seizures were observed. The alpha/delta band intensity ratio was decreased in the left cortex in female J129 mice, which were less active in an open field test and explored less in a Y-maze, suggesting an encephalopathic effect. Mutant mice showed no evidence of memory dysfunction. This partial recapitulation of human symptoms and biochemistry will facilitate the evaluation of new therapeutic approaches with an early postnatal time window likely most effective. Take home message A mouse model of nonketotic hyperglycinemia is described that shows postnatal abnormalities in glycine levels, neural tube defects, body weight, electroencephalographic recordings, and in activity in young mice making it amenable for the evaluation of novel treatment interventions. Author contributions Study concept and design: JVH, MHM, NB, KNMAnimal study data: MAS, HJ, NB, MHM, JC, CBBiochemical and genetic studies: MAS, RAVH, MWFStatistical analysis: NB, JVHFirst draft writing: JVH, NB, MHMCritical rewriting: MAS, NB, MHM, TAB, JC, MWF, KNM, JVHFinal responsibility, guarantor, and communicating author: JVH. Competing interest statement The University of Colorado (JVH, MS, KNM, HJ) has the intention to file Intellectual property protection for certain biochemical treatments of NKH. Otherwise, the authors have stated that they had no interests that might be perceived as posing a conflict or bias to this subject matter. Funding support Financial support is acknowledged form the NKH Crusaders, Brodyn's Friends, Nora Jane Almany Foundation, the Dickens Family Foundation, the Lucas John Foundation, Les Petits Bourdons, Joseph's Fund, the Barnett Family, Maud & Vic Foundation, Lucy's BEElievers fund, Hope for NKH, Madi's Mission NKH fund, and from Dr. and Ms. Shaw, and the University of Colorado Foundation NKH research fund. The study was supported by a grant (CNS-X-19-103) from the University of Colorado School of Medicine and the Colorado Clinical Translational Science Institute, which is supported by NIH/NCATS Colorado CTSA Grant Number UL1 TR002535. Contents are the authors' sole responsibility and do not necessarily represent official NIH views. All funding sources had no role in the design or execution of the study, the interpretation of data, or the writing of the study. Ethics approval on Laboratory Animal Studies Mouse studies were carried out with approval from the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus (IACUC# 00413). Data sharing statement The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
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Marc S, Savici J, Sicoe B, Boldura OM, Paul C, Otavă G. Exencephaly-Anencephaly Sequence Associated with Maxillary Brachygnathia, Spinal Defects, and Palatoschisis in a Male Domestic Cat. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:3882. [PMID: 38136919 PMCID: PMC10741185 DOI: 10.3390/ani13243882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2023] [Revised: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Anencephaly, a severe neural tube defect characterized by the absence of major parts of the brain and skull, is a rare congenital disorder that has been observed in various species, including cats. Considering the uncommon appearance of anencephaly, this paper aims to present anencephaly in a stillborn male kitten from an accidental inbreeding using various paraclinical methods. Histological examination of tissue samples from the cranial region, where parts of the skull were absent, revealed the presence of atypical nerve tissue with neurons and glial cells organized in clusters, surrounded by an extracellular matrix and with an abundance of blood vessels, which are large, dilated, and filled with blood, not characteristic of nerve tissue structure. In CT scans, the caudal part of the frontal bone, the fronto-temporal limits, and the parietal bone were observed to be missing. CT also revealed that the dorsal tubercle of the atlas, the dorsal neural arch, and the spinal process of the C2-C7 bones were missing. In conclusion, the kitten was affected by multiple congenital malformations, a combination of exencephaly-anencephaly, maxillary brachygnathism, closed cranial spina bifida at the level of cervical vertebrae, kyphoscoliosis, palatoschisis, and partial intestinal atresia. The importance of employing imaging techniques cannot be overstated when it comes to the accurate diagnosis of neural tube defects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simona Marc
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Life Sciences “King Mihai I” from Timisoara, Calea Aradului 119, 300645 Timisoara, Romania; (S.M.); (J.S.); (B.S.); (O.M.B.); (G.O.)
| | - Jelena Savici
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Life Sciences “King Mihai I” from Timisoara, Calea Aradului 119, 300645 Timisoara, Romania; (S.M.); (J.S.); (B.S.); (O.M.B.); (G.O.)
| | - Bogdan Sicoe
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Life Sciences “King Mihai I” from Timisoara, Calea Aradului 119, 300645 Timisoara, Romania; (S.M.); (J.S.); (B.S.); (O.M.B.); (G.O.)
| | - Oana Maria Boldura
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Life Sciences “King Mihai I” from Timisoara, Calea Aradului 119, 300645 Timisoara, Romania; (S.M.); (J.S.); (B.S.); (O.M.B.); (G.O.)
| | - Cristina Paul
- Department of Applied Chemistry and Engineering of Organic and Natural Compounds, Faculty of Industrial Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Politehnica University Timisoara, Carol Telbisz 6, 300001 Timisoara, Romania
| | - Gabriel Otavă
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Life Sciences “King Mihai I” from Timisoara, Calea Aradului 119, 300645 Timisoara, Romania; (S.M.); (J.S.); (B.S.); (O.M.B.); (G.O.)
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5
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Chen Y, Pang J, Ye L, Zhang Z, Lin S, Lin N, Lee TH, Liu H. Disorders of the central nervous system: Insights from Notch and Nrf2 signaling. Biomed Pharmacother 2023; 166:115383. [PMID: 37643483 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.115383] [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: 05/29/2023] [Revised: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023] Open
Abstract
The functional complexity of the central nervous system (CNS) is unparalleled in living organisms. It arises from neural crest-derived cells that migrate by the exact route, leading to the formation of a complex network of neurons and glial cells. Recent studies have shown that novel crosstalk exists between the Notch1 and Nrf2 pathways and is associated with many neurological diseases. The Notch1-Nrf2 axis may act on nervous system development, and the molecular mechanism has recently been reported. In this review, we summarize the essential structure and function of the CNS. The significance of interactions between signaling pathways and between developmental processes like proliferation, apoptosis and migration in ensuring the correct development of the CNS is also presented. We primarily focus on research concerning possible mechanism of interaction between Notch1 and Nrf2 and the functions of Notch1-Nrf2 in neurons. There may be a direct interaction between Notch1 and NRF2, which is closely related to the crosstalk that occurs between them. The significance and potential applications of the Notch1-Nrf2 axis in abnormal development of the nervous system are been highlighten. We also discuss the molecular mechanisms by which the Notch1-Nrf2 axis controls the apoptosis, antioxidant pathway and differentiation of neurons to modulate the development of the nervous system. This information will lead to a better understanding of Notch1-Nrf2 axis signaling pathways in the nervous system and may facilitate the development of new therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuwen Chen
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Translational Research in Cancer and Neurodegenerative Diseases, The School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350122, China
| | - Jiao Pang
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Translational Research in Cancer and Neurodegenerative Diseases, The School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350122, China
| | - Lu Ye
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Translational Research in Cancer and Neurodegenerative Diseases, The School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350122, China
| | - Zhentao Zhang
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Translational Research in Cancer and Neurodegenerative Diseases, The School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350122, China
| | - Suijin Lin
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Translational Research in Cancer and Neurodegenerative Diseases, The School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350122, China
| | - Na Lin
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Translational Research in Cancer and Neurodegenerative Diseases, The School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350122, China
| | - Tae Ho Lee
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Translational Research in Cancer and Neurodegenerative Diseases, The School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350122, China
| | - Hekun Liu
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Translational Research in Cancer and Neurodegenerative Diseases, The School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350122, China.
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Rai S, Leydier L, Sharma S, Katwala J, Sahu A. A quest for genetic causes underlying signaling pathways associated with neural tube defects. Front Pediatr 2023; 11:1126209. [PMID: 37284286 PMCID: PMC10241075 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2023.1126209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Neural tube defects (NTDs) are serious congenital deformities of the nervous system that occur owing to the failure of normal neural tube closures. Genetic and non-genetic factors contribute to the etiology of neural tube defects in humans, indicating the role of gene-gene and gene-environment interaction in the occurrence and recurrence risk of neural tube defects. Several lines of genetic studies on humans and animals demonstrated the role of aberrant genes in the developmental risk of neural tube defects and also provided an understanding of the cellular and morphological programs that occur during embryonic development. Other studies observed the effects of folate and supplementation of folic acid on neural tube defects. Hence, here we review what is known to date regarding altered genes associated with specific signaling pathways resulting in NTDs, as well as highlight the role of various genetic, and non-genetic factors and their interactions that contribute to NTDs. Additionally, we also shine a light on the role of folate and cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) in neural tube defects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sunil Rai
- Department of Molecular Biology, Medical University of the Americas, Charlestown, Saint Kitts and Nevis
| | - Larissa Leydier
- Department of Molecular Biology, Medical University of the Americas, Charlestown, Saint Kitts and Nevis
| | - Shivani Sharma
- Department of Molecular Biology, Medical University of the Americas, Charlestown, Saint Kitts and Nevis
| | - Jigar Katwala
- Department of Molecular Biology, Medical University of the Americas, Charlestown, Saint Kitts and Nevis
| | - Anurag Sahu
- Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India
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Chen M, Li S, Zhu Z, Dai C, Hao X. Investigating the shared genetic architecture and causal relationship between pain and neuropsychiatric disorders. Hum Genet 2023; 142:431-443. [PMID: 36445456 DOI: 10.1007/s00439-022-02507-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Pain often occurs in parallel with neuropsychiatric disorders. However, the underlying mechanisms and potential causality have not been well studied. We collected the genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary statistics of 26 common pain and neuropsychiatric disorders with sample size ranging from 17,310 to 482,730 in European population. The genetic correlation between pair of pain and neuropsychiatric disorders, as well as the relevant cell types were investigated by linkage disequilibrium (LD) score regression analyses. Then, transcriptome-wide association study (TWAS) was applied to identify the potential shared genes by integrating the gene expression information and GWAS. In addition, Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses were conducted to infer the potential causality between pain and neuropsychiatric disorders. Among the 169 pairwise pain and neuropsychiatric disorders, 55 pairs showed positive correlations (median rg = 0.43) and 9 pairs showed negative correlations (median rg = -0.31). Using MR analyses, 26 likely causal associations were identified, including that neuroticism and insomnia were risk factors for most of short-term pain, and multisite chronic pain was risk factor for neuroticism, insomnia, major depressive disorder and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and vice versa. The signals of pain and neuropsychiatric disorders tended to be enriched in the functional regions of cell types from central nervous system (CNS). A total of 19 genes shared in at least one pain and neuropsychiatric disorder pair were identified by TWAS, including AMT, NCOA6, and UNC45A, which involved in glycine degradation, insulin secretion, and cell proliferation, respectively. Our findings provided the evidence of shared genetic structure, causality and potential shared pathogenic mechanisms between pain and neuropsychiatric disorders, and enhanced our understanding of the comorbidities of pain and neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengya Chen
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China
| | - Si Li
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China
| | - Ziwei Zhu
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China
| | - Chengguqiu Dai
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China
| | - Xingjie Hao
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China.
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Weaver NE, Healy A, Wingert RA. gldc Is Essential for Renal Progenitor Patterning during Kidney Development. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10123220. [PMID: 36551976 PMCID: PMC9776136 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10123220] [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: 11/05/2022] [Revised: 12/04/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The glycine cleavage system (GCS) is a complex located on the mitochondrial membrane that is responsible for regulating glycine levels and contributing one-carbon units to folate metabolism. Congenital mutations in GCS components, such as glycine decarboxylase (gldc), cause an elevation in glycine levels and the rare disease, nonketotic hyperglycinemia (NKH). NKH patients suffer from pleiotropic symptoms including seizures, lethargy, mental retardation, and early death. Therefore, it is imperative to fully elucidate the pathological effects of gldc dysfunction and glycine accumulation during development. Here, we describe a zebrafish model of gldc deficiency that recapitulates phenotypes seen in humans and mice. gldc deficient embryos displayed impaired fluid homeostasis suggesting renal abnormalities, as well as aberrant craniofacial morphology and neural development defects. Whole mount in situ hybridization (WISH) revealed that gldc transcripts were highly expressed in the embryonic kidney, as seen in mouse and human repository data, and that formation of several nephron segments was disrupted in gldc deficient embryos, including proximal and distal tubule populations. These kidney defects were caused by alterations in renal progenitor populations, revealing that the proper function of Gldc is essential for the patterning of this organ. Additionally, further analysis of the urogenital tract revealed altered collecting duct and cloaca morphology in gldc deficient embryos. Finally, to gain insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying these disruptions, we examined the effects of exogenous glycine treatment and observed analogous renal and cloacal defects. Taken together, these studies indicate for the first time that gldc function serves an essential role in regulating renal progenitor development by modulating glycine levels.
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Engelhardt DM, Martyr CA, Niswander L. Pathogenesis of neural tube defects: The regulation and disruption of cellular processes underlying neural tube closure. WIREs Mech Dis 2022; 14:e1559. [PMID: 35504597 PMCID: PMC9605354 DOI: 10.1002/wsbm.1559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Revised: 04/04/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Neural tube closure (NTC) is crucial for proper development of the brain and spinal cord and requires precise morphogenesis from a sheet of cells to an intact three-dimensional structure. NTC is dependent on successful regulation of hundreds of genes, a myriad of signaling pathways, concentration gradients, and is influenced by epigenetic and environmental cues. Failure of NTC is termed a neural tube defect (NTD) and is a leading class of congenital defects in the United States and worldwide. Though NTDs are all defined as incomplete closure of the neural tube, the pathogenesis of an NTD determines the type, severity, positioning, and accompanying phenotypes. In this review, we survey pathogenesis of NTDs relating to disruption of cellular processes arising from genetic mutations, altered epigenetic regulation, and environmental influences by micronutrients and maternal condition. This article is categorized under: Congenital Diseases > Genetics/Genomics/Epigenetics Neurological Diseases > Genetics/Genomics/Epigenetics Neurological Diseases > Stem Cells and Development.
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Affiliation(s)
- David M Engelhardt
- Molecular Cellular Developmental Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, USA
| | - Cara A Martyr
- Molecular Cellular Developmental Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, USA
| | - Lee Niswander
- Molecular Cellular Developmental Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, USA
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10
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MYCN and Metabolic Reprogramming in Neuroblastoma. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14174113. [PMID: 36077650 PMCID: PMC9455056 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14174113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Revised: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuroblastoma is a pediatric cancer responsible for approximately 15% of all childhood cancer deaths. Aberrant MYCN activation, as a result of genomic MYCN amplification, is a major driver of high-risk neuroblastoma, which has an overall survival rate of less than 50%, despite the best treatments currently available. Metabolic reprogramming is an integral part of the growth-promoting program driven by MYCN, which fuels cell growth and proliferation by increasing the uptake and catabolism of nutrients, biosynthesis of macromolecules, and production of energy. This reprogramming process also generates metabolic vulnerabilities that can be exploited for therapy. In this review, we present our current understanding of metabolic reprogramming in neuroblastoma, focusing on transcriptional regulation as a key mechanism in driving the reprogramming process. We also highlight some important areas that need to be explored for the successful development of metabolism-based therapy against high-risk neuroblastoma.
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11
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Ochenkowska K, Herold A, Samarut É. Zebrafish Is a Powerful Tool for Precision Medicine Approaches to Neurological Disorders. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:944693. [PMID: 35875659 PMCID: PMC9298522 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.944693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Personalized medicine is currently one of the most promising tools which give hope to patients with no suitable or no available treatment. Patient-specific approaches are particularly needed for common diseases with a broad phenotypic spectrum as well as for rare and yet-undiagnosed disorders. In both cases, there is a need to understand the underlying mechanisms and how to counteract them. Even though, during recent years, we have been observing the blossom of novel therapeutic techniques, there is still a gap to fill between bench and bedside in a patient-specific fashion. In particular, the complexity of genotype-to-phenotype correlations in the context of neurological disorders has dampened the development of successful disease-modifying therapeutics. Animal modeling of human diseases is instrumental in the development of therapies. Currently, zebrafish has emerged as a powerful and convenient model organism for modeling and investigating various neurological disorders. This model has been broadly described as a valuable tool for understanding developmental processes and disease mechanisms, behavioral studies, toxicity, and drug screening. The translatability of findings obtained from zebrafish studies and the broad prospect of human disease modeling paves the way for developing tailored therapeutic strategies. In this review, we will discuss the predictive power of zebrafish in the discovery of novel, precise therapeutic approaches in neurosciences. We will shed light on the advantages and abilities of this in vivo model to develop tailored medicinal strategies. We will also investigate the newest accomplishments and current challenges in the field and future perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Ochenkowska
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Department of Neuroscience, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Aveeva Herold
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Department of Neuroscience, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Éric Samarut
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Department of Neuroscience, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Modelis Inc., Montreal, QC, Canada
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Liu Y, Cui DX, Pan Y, Yu SH, Zheng LW, Wan M. Metabolic-epigenetic nexus in regulation of stem cell fate. World J Stem Cells 2022; 14:490-502. [PMID: 36157525 PMCID: PMC9350619 DOI: 10.4252/wjsc.v14.i7.490] [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: 03/18/2022] [Revised: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Stem cell fate determination is one of the central questions in stem cell biology, and although its regulation has been studied at genomic and proteomic levels, a variety of biological activities in cells occur at the metabolic level. Metabolomics studies have established the metabolome during stem cell differentiation and have revealed the role of metabolites in stem cell fate determination. While metabolism is considered to play a biological regulatory role as an energy source, recent studies have suggested the nexus between metabolism and epigenetics because several metabolites function as cofactors and substrates in epigenetic mechanisms, including histone modification, DNA methylation, and microRNAs. Additionally, the epigenetic modification is sensitive to the dynamic metabolites and consequently leads to changes in transcription. The nexus between metabolism and epigenetics proposes a novel stem cell-based therapeutic strategy through manipulating metabolites. In the present review, we summarize the possible nexus between metabolic and epigenetic regulation in stem cell fate determination, and discuss the potential preventive and therapeutic strategies via targeting metabolites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Department of Pediatric Dentistry, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Di-Xin Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Department of Pediatric Dentistry, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Yue Pan
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Department of Pediatric Dentistry, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Si-Han Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Department of Pediatric Dentistry, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Li-Wei Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Department of Pediatric Dentistry, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Mian Wan
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Department of Cariology and Endodontics, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, China
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13
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Peng MZ, Shao YX, Li XZ, Zhang KD, Cai YN, Lin YT, Jiang MY, Liu ZC, Su XY, Zhang W, Jiang XL, Liu L. Mitochondrial FAD shortage in SLC25A32 deficiency affects folate-mediated one-carbon metabolism. Cell Mol Life Sci 2022; 79:375. [PMID: 35727412 PMCID: PMC11072207 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-022-04404-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2022] [Revised: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
The SLC25A32 dysfunction is associated with neural tube defects (NTDs) and exercise intolerance, but very little is known about disease-specific mechanisms due to a paucity of animal models. Here, we generated homozygous (Slc25a32Y174C/Y174C and Slc25a32K235R/K235R) and compound heterozygous (Slc25a32Y174C/K235R) knock-in mice by mimicking the missense mutations identified from our patient. A homozygous knock-out (Slc25a32-/-) mouse was also generated. The Slc25a32K235R/K235R and Slc25a32Y174C/K235R mice presented with mild motor impairment and recapitulated the biochemical disturbances of the patient. While Slc25a32-/- mice die in utero with NTDs. None of the Slc25a32 mutations hindered the mitochondrial uptake of folate. Instead, the mitochondrial uptake of flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) was specifically blocked by Slc25a32Y174C/K235R, Slc25a32K235R/K235R, and Slc25a32-/- mutations. A positive correlation between SLC25A32 dysfunction and flavoenzyme deficiency was observed. Besides the flavoenzymes involved in fatty acid β-oxidation and amino acid metabolism being impaired, Slc25a32-/- embryos also had a subunit of glycine cleavage system-dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase damaged, resulting in glycine accumulation and glycine derived-formate reduction, which further disturbed folate-mediated one-carbon metabolism, leading to 5-methyltetrahydrofolate shortage and other folate intermediates accumulation. Maternal formate supplementation increased the 5-methyltetrahydrofolate levels and ameliorated the NTDs in Slc25a32-/- embryos. The Slc25a32K235R/K235R and Slc25a32Y174C/K235R mice had no glycine accumulation, but had another formate donor-dimethylglycine accumulated and formate deficiency. Meanwhile, they suffered from the absence of all folate intermediates in mitochondria. Formate supplementation increased the folate amounts, but this effect was not restricted to the Slc25a32 mutant mice only. In summary, we established novel animal models, which enabled us to understand the function of SLC25A32 better and to elucidate the role of SLC25A32 dysfunction in human disease development and progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min-Zhi Peng
- Department of Genetics and Endocrinology, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, the Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, 9 Jinsui Road, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yong-Xian Shao
- Department of Genetics and Endocrinology, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, the Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, 9 Jinsui Road, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiu-Zhen Li
- Department of Genetics and Endocrinology, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, the Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, 9 Jinsui Road, Guangzhou, China
| | - Kang-Di Zhang
- Department of Genetics and Endocrinology, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, the Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, 9 Jinsui Road, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yan-Na Cai
- Department of Genetics and Endocrinology, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, the Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, 9 Jinsui Road, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yun-Ting Lin
- Department of Genetics and Endocrinology, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, the Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, 9 Jinsui Road, Guangzhou, China
| | - Min-Yan Jiang
- Department of Genetics and Endocrinology, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, the Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, 9 Jinsui Road, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zong-Cai Liu
- Department of Genetics and Endocrinology, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, the Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, 9 Jinsui Road, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xue-Ying Su
- Department of Genetics and Endocrinology, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, the Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, 9 Jinsui Road, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wen Zhang
- Department of Genetics and Endocrinology, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, the Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, 9 Jinsui Road, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Xiao-Ling Jiang
- Department of Genetics and Endocrinology, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, the Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, 9 Jinsui Road, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Li Liu
- Department of Genetics and Endocrinology, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, the Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, 9 Jinsui Road, Guangzhou, China.
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14
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Crouse MS, Caton JS, Claycombe-Larson KJ, Diniz WJS, Lindholm-Perry AK, Reynolds LP, Dahlen CR, Borowicz PP, Ward AK. Epigenetic Modifier Supplementation Improves Mitochondrial Respiration and Growth Rates and Alters DNA Methylation of Bovine Embryonic Fibroblast Cells Cultured in Divergent Energy Supply. Front Genet 2022; 13:812764. [PMID: 35281844 PMCID: PMC8907857 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.812764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic modifiers (EM; methionine, choline, folate, and vitamin B12) are important for early embryonic development due to their roles as methyl donors or cofactors in methylation reactions. Additionally, they are essential for the synthesis of nucleotides, polyamines, redox equivalents, and energy metabolites. Despite their importance, investigation into the supplementation of EM in ruminants has been limited to one or two epigenetic modifiers. Like all biochemical pathways, one-carbon metabolism needs to be stoichiometrically balanced. Thus, we investigated the effects of supplementing four EM encompassing the methionine–folate cycle on bovine embryonic fibroblast growth, mitochondrial function, and DNA methylation. We hypothesized that EM supplemented to embryonic fibroblasts cultured in divergent glucose media would increase mitochondrial respiration and cell growth rate and alter DNA methylation as reflected by changes in the gene expression of enzymes involved in methylation reactions, thereby improving the growth parameters beyond Control treated cells. Bovine embryonic fibroblast cells were cultured in Eagle’s minimum essential medium with 1 g/L glucose (Low) or 4.5 g/L glucose (High). The control medium contained no additional OCM, whereas the treated media contained supplemented EM at 2.5, 5, and 10 times (×2.5, ×5, and ×10, respectively) the control media, except for methionine (limited to ×2). Therefore, the experimental design was a 2 (levels of glucose) × 4 (levels of EM) factorial arrangement of treatments. Cells were passaged three times in their respective treatment media before analysis for growth rate, cell proliferation, mitochondrial respiration, transcript abundance of methionine–folate cycle enzymes, and DNA methylation by reduced-representation bisulfite sequencing. Total cell growth was greatest in High ×10 and mitochondrial maximal respiration, and reserve capacity was greatest (p < 0.01) for High ×2.5 and ×10 compared with all other treatments. In Low cells, the total growth rate, mitochondrial maximal respiration, and reserve capacity increased quadratically to 2.5 and ×5 and decreased to control levels at ×10. The biological processes identified due to differential methylation included the positive regulation of GTPase activity, molecular function, protein modification processes, phosphorylation, and metabolic processes. These data are interpreted to imply that EM increased the growth rate and mitochondrial function beyond Control treated cells in both Low and High cells, which may be due to changes in the methylation of genes involved with growth and energy metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew S. Crouse
- USDA, ARS, U.S. Meat Animal Research Center, Clay Center, NE, United States
- *Correspondence: Matthew S. Crouse,
| | - Joel S. Caton
- Department of Animal Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND, United States
| | | | | | | | - Lawrence P. Reynolds
- Department of Animal Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND, United States
| | - Carl R. Dahlen
- Department of Animal Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND, United States
| | - Pawel P. Borowicz
- Department of Animal Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND, United States
| | - Alison K. Ward
- Department of Animal Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND, United States
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15
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Mayneris-Perxachs J, Castells-Nobau A, Arnoriaga-Rodríguez M, Garre-Olmo J, Puig J, Ramos R, Martínez-Hernández F, Burokas A, Coll C, Moreno-Navarrete JM, Zapata-Tona C, Pedraza S, Pérez-Brocal V, Ramió-Torrentà L, Ricart W, Moya A, Martínez-García M, Maldonado R, Fernández-Real JM. Caudovirales bacteriophages are associated with improved executive function and memory in flies, mice, and humans. Cell Host Microbe 2022; 30:340-356.e8. [PMID: 35176247 DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2022.01.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Revised: 11/12/2021] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Growing evidence implicates the gut microbiome in cognition. Viruses, the most abundant life entities on the planet, are a commonly overlooked component of the gut virome, dominated by the Caudovirales and Microviridae bacteriophages. Here, we show in a discovery (n = 114) and a validation cohort (n = 942) that subjects with increased Caudovirales and Siphoviridae levels in the gut microbiome had better performance in executive processes and verbal memory. Conversely, increased Microviridae levels were linked to a greater impairment in executive abilities. Microbiota transplantation from human donors with increased specific Caudovirales (>90% from the Siphoviridae family) levels led to increased scores in the novel object recognition test in mice and up-regulated memory-promoting immediate early genes in the prefrontal cortex. Supplementation of the Drosophila diet with the 936 group of lactococcal Siphoviridae bacteriophages resulted in increased memory scores and upregulation of memory-involved brain genes. Thus, bacteriophages warrant consideration as novel actors in the microbiome-brain axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordi Mayneris-Perxachs
- Department of Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Nutrition, Dr. Josep Trueta University Hospital, Girona, Spain; Nutrition, Eumetabolism, and Health Group, Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IdibGi), Girona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Madrid, Spain.
| | - Anna Castells-Nobau
- Department of Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Nutrition, Dr. Josep Trueta University Hospital, Girona, Spain; Nutrition, Eumetabolism, and Health Group, Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IdibGi), Girona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Madrid, Spain
| | - María Arnoriaga-Rodríguez
- Department of Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Nutrition, Dr. Josep Trueta University Hospital, Girona, Spain; Nutrition, Eumetabolism, and Health Group, Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IdibGi), Girona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Madrid, Spain; Department of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Girona, Girona, Spain
| | - Josep Garre-Olmo
- Research Group on Aging, Disability, and Health, Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IdibGi), Girona, Spain; Serra-Hunter Fellow. Department of Nursing, University of Girona, Girona, Spain
| | - Josep Puig
- Department of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Girona, Girona, Spain; Institute of Diagnostic Imaging (IDI)-Research Unit (IDIR), Parc Sanitari Pere Virgili, Barcelona, Spain; Medical Imaging, Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IdibGi), Girona, Spain; Department of Radiology (IDI), Dr. Josep Trueta University Hospital, Girona, Spain
| | - Rafael Ramos
- Department of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Girona, Girona, Spain; Vascular Health Research Group of Girona (ISV-Girona), Jordi Gol Institute for Primary Care Research, (Institut Universitari per a la Recerca en Atenció Primària Jordi Gol I Gorina-IDIAPJGol), Girona Biomedical Research Institute, (IDIBGI), Dr. Josep Trueta University Hospital, Catalonia, Spain; Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBGI), Dr. Josep Trueta University Hospital, Catalonia, Spain
| | | | - Aurelijus Burokas
- Laboratory of Neuropharmacology, Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Biological Models, Institute of Biochemistry, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Clàudia Coll
- Neuroimmunology and Multiple Sclerosis Unit, Department of Neurology, Dr. Josep Trueta University Hospital, Girona, Spain
| | - José Maria Moreno-Navarrete
- Department of Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Nutrition, Dr. Josep Trueta University Hospital, Girona, Spain; Nutrition, Eumetabolism, and Health Group, Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IdibGi), Girona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Madrid, Spain; Department of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Girona, Girona, Spain
| | - Cristina Zapata-Tona
- Department of Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Nutrition, Dr. Josep Trueta University Hospital, Girona, Spain; Nutrition, Eumetabolism, and Health Group, Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IdibGi), Girona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Madrid, Spain; Department of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Girona, Girona, Spain
| | - Salvador Pedraza
- Department of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Girona, Girona, Spain; Medical Imaging, Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IdibGi), Girona, Spain; Department of Radiology (IDI), Dr. Josep Trueta University Hospital, Girona, Spain
| | - Vicente Pérez-Brocal
- Area of Genomics and Health, Foundation for the Promotion of Sanitary and Biomedical Research of Valencia Region (FISABIO-Public Health), Valencia, Spain; Biomedical Research Networking Center for Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Lluís Ramió-Torrentà
- Department of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Girona, Girona, Spain; Neuroimmunology and Multiple Sclerosis Unit, Department of Neurology, Dr. Josep Trueta University Hospital, Girona, Spain; Neurodegeneration and Neuroinflammation research group. Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IdibGi), Girona, Spain
| | - Wifredo Ricart
- Department of Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Nutrition, Dr. Josep Trueta University Hospital, Girona, Spain; Nutrition, Eumetabolism, and Health Group, Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IdibGi), Girona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Madrid, Spain; Department of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Girona, Girona, Spain
| | - Andrés Moya
- Area of Genomics and Health, Foundation for the Promotion of Sanitary and Biomedical Research of Valencia Region (FISABIO-Public Health), Valencia, Spain; Biomedical Research Networking Center for Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain; Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio), University of Valencia and Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Valencia, Spain
| | - Manuel Martínez-García
- Department of Physiology, Genetics, and Microbiology, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| | - Rafael Maldonado
- Laboratory of Neuropharmacology, Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain; Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM), Barcelona, Spain.
| | - José-Manuel Fernández-Real
- Department of Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Nutrition, Dr. Josep Trueta University Hospital, Girona, Spain; Nutrition, Eumetabolism, and Health Group, Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IdibGi), Girona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Madrid, Spain; Department of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Girona, Girona, Spain.
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16
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Fonseca PAS, Schenkel FS, Cánovas A. Genome-wide association study using haplotype libraries and repeated measures model to identify candidate genomic regions for stillbirth in Holstein cattle. J Dairy Sci 2022; 105:1314-1326. [PMID: 34998559 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2021-20936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 09/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Reduced fertility is one of the main causes of economic losses on dairy farms, resulting in economic losses estimated at $938 per stillbirth case in Holstein herds. The identification of genomic regions associated with stillbirth could help to develop better management and breeding strategies aimed to reduce the frequency of undesirable gestation outcomes. Here, 10,570 cows and 50,541 birth records were used to perform a haplotype-based GWAS. A total of 41 significantly associated pseudo-SNPs (haplotypes within haplotype blocks converted to a binary classification) were identified after Bonferroni adjustment for multiple tests. A total of 117 positional candidate genes were annotated within or close (in a 200-kb interval) to significant pseudo-SNPs (haplotype blocks). The guilt-by-association functional prioritization identified 31 potential functional candidate genes for reproductive performance out of the 117 positional candidate genes annotated. These genes play crucial roles in biological processes associated with pregnancy persistence, fetus development, immune response, among others. These results helped us to better understand the genetic basis of stillbirth in dairy cattle and may be useful for the prediction of stillbirth in Holstein cattle, helping to reduce the related economic losses caused by this phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- P A S Fonseca
- Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - F S Schenkel
- Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - A Cánovas
- Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada.
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17
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Fiani B, Jarrah R, Cathel A, Sarhadi K, Covarrubias C, Soula M. The role of gene therapy as a valuable treatment modality for multiple spinal pathologies. Regen Med 2021; 16:175-188. [PMID: 33709797 DOI: 10.2217/rme-2020-0147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The world of biomedical research has led to several breakthroughs in the treatment of various spinal pathologies. As we investigate chronic pathologies of the spine, we start to unravel the underlying molecular mechanisms through a careful analysis of mutated genetic sequences. Investigations have led to gene therapy being explored for its potential as a treatment modality. Despite only about 2% of current gene therapy trials being centered for spinal pathologies, spinal diseases are valuable targets in gene therapy administration. Through a comprehensive literature review, our objective is to discuss the molecular mechanisms behind gene therapy for spinal pathologies, the genetic targets, along with the outcomes, success, and possible pitfalls in gene therapy research and administration. The emerging development of robotic technologies and intelligent carriers are recognized as a promising innovative technique for increasing the efficiency of gene therapy and potentially resolving spinal pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Fiani
- Department of Neurosurgery, Desert Regional Medical Center, Palm Springs, CA 92262, USA
| | - Ryan Jarrah
- College of Arts & Science, University of Michigan-Flint, Flint, MI 48502, USA
| | - Alessandra Cathel
- Department of Neurosurgery, Desert Regional Medical Center, Palm Springs, CA 92262, USA
| | - Kasra Sarhadi
- Department of Neurology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Claudia Covarrubias
- School of Medicine, Universidad Anáhuac Querétaro, Santiago de Querétaro 76246, México
| | - Marisol Soula
- School of Medicine, New York University, NY 10016, USA
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18
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Leung KY, De Castro SCP, Galea GL, Copp AJ, Greene NDE. Glycine Cleavage System H Protein Is Essential for Embryonic Viability, Implying Additional Function Beyond the Glycine Cleavage System. Front Genet 2021; 12:625120. [PMID: 33569080 PMCID: PMC7868403 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.625120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Glycine cleavage system H protein (GCSH) is a component of the glycine cleavage system (GCS), a conserved protein complex that acts to decarboxylate glycine. Mutation of AMT or GLDC, encoding the GCS components aminomethyltransferase and glycine decarboxylase, can cause malformations of the developing CNS (neural tube defects (NTDs) and ventriculomegaly) as well as a post-natal life-limiting neurometabolic disorder, Non-Ketotic Hyperglycinemia. In contrast, it is unclear whether mutation of GCSH contributes to these conditions and we therefore investigated GCSH loss of function in mice. Mice that were heterozygous for a Gcsh null allele were viable and did not exhibit elevated plasma glycine. Moreover, heterozygous mutation of Gcsh did not increase the frequency of NTDs in Gldc mutant embryos. Homozygous Gcsh null mice were not recovered at post-natal stages. Analysis of litters at E8.5-10.5, revealed the presence of homozygous null embryos which were much smaller than littermates and had failed to develop beyond early post-implantation stages with no visible somites or head-folds. Hence, unlike null mutations of Gldc or Amt, which are compatible with embryonic survival despite the presence of NTDs, loss of Gcsh causes embryonic death prior to mid-gestation. Maternal supplementation with formate did not restore embryonic development beyond E7.5, suggesting that the primary cause of lethality was not loss of glycine cleavage activity or suppression of folate one-carbon metabolism. These findings suggest that GCSH has additional roles beyond function in the glycine cleavage system. We hypothesize that GCSH potentially acts in lipoylation of 2-oxoacid dehydrogenase proteins, as reported in bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kit-Yi Leung
- Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sandra C P De Castro
- Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Gabriel L Galea
- Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew J Copp
- Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Nicholas D E Greene
- Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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19
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Cai S, Quan S, Yang G, Ye Q, Chen M, Yu H, Wang G, Wang Y, Zeng X, Qiao S. One Carbon Metabolism and Mammalian Pregnancy Outcomes. Mol Nutr Food Res 2020; 65:e2000734. [PMID: 33226182 DOI: 10.1002/mnfr.202000734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2020] [Revised: 09/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
One-carbon metabolism is involved in varieties of physiological processes in mammals, including nucleic acid synthesis, amino acid homeostasis, epigenetic regulation, redox balance and neurodevelopment. The current evidence linking levels of one-carbon nutrients during pregnancy to the development of oocytes, embryos, and placentas, as well as maternal and offspring health, is reviewed. The sources of mammalian one-carbon units, the pathways active in mammalian one-carbon metabolism, the maternal and fetal needs for one-carbon units and their functions during pregnancy are described. The demand for one-carbon metabolism is highest during pregnancy compared to the entire lifetime of a mammal. The primary types of one-carbon metabolism in mammals are the folate cycle, methionine cycle and transsulfuration pathway, which varies at different pregnancy stages (e.g., methylation programming of embryo, neural development of fetus, fetal growth and placenta development). Therefore, an overall consideration of one-carbon metabolism requirements for different pregnancy stages, is called for, specifically, the balance of all nutrients involved, not just one single nutrient in one-carbon metabolism. Moreover, the establishment of an ideal one-carbon metabolism requirement model is suggested according to the requirements for different pregnancy stages to support optimal pregnancy outcomes and maternal and offspring health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuang Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, P. R. China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Bio-feed additives, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, P. R. China
| | - Shuang Quan
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, P. R. China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Bio-feed additives, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, P. R. China
| | - Guangxin Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, P. R. China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Bio-feed additives, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, P. R. China
| | - Qianhong Ye
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, P. R. China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Bio-feed additives, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, P. R. China
| | - Meixia Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, P. R. China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Bio-feed additives, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, P. R. China
| | - Haitao Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, P. R. China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Bio-feed additives, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, P. R. China
| | - Gang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, P. R. China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Bio-feed additives, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, P. R. China
| | - Yuming Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, P. R. China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Bio-feed additives, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, P. R. China
| | - Xiangfang Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, P. R. China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Bio-feed additives, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, P. R. China
| | - Shiyan Qiao
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, P. R. China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Bio-feed additives, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, P. R. China
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20
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Santos C, Pai YJ, Mahmood MR, Leung KY, Savery D, Waddington SN, Copp AJ, Greene NDE. Impaired folate 1-carbon metabolism causes formate-preventable hydrocephalus in glycine decarboxylase-deficient mice. J Clin Invest 2020; 130:1446-1452. [PMID: 31794432 PMCID: PMC7269562 DOI: 10.1172/jci132360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2019] [Accepted: 11/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Ventriculomegaly and hydrocephalus are associated with loss of function of glycine decarboxylase (Gldc) in mice and in humans suffering from non-ketotic hyperglycinemia (NKH), a neurometabolic disorder characterized by accumulation of excess glycine. Here, we showed that ventriculomegaly in Gldc-deficient mice is preceded by stenosis of the Sylvian aqueduct and malformation or absence of the subcommissural organ and pineal gland. Gldc functions in the glycine cleavage system, a mitochondrial component of folate metabolism, whose malfunction results in accumulation of glycine and diminished supply of glycine-derived 1-carbon units to the folate cycle. We showed that inadequate 1-carbon supply, as opposed to excess glycine, is the cause of hydrocephalus associated with loss of function of the glycine cleavage system. Maternal supplementation with formate prevented both ventriculomegaly, as assessed at prenatal stages, and postnatal development of hydrocephalus in Gldc-deficient mice. Furthermore, ventriculomegaly was rescued by genetic ablation of 5,10-methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase (Mthfr), which results in retention of 1-carbon groups in the folate cycle at the expense of transfer to the methylation cycle. In conclusion, a defect in folate metabolism can lead to prenatal aqueduct stenosis and resultant hydrocephalus. These defects are preventable by maternal supplementation with formate, which acts as a 1-carbon donor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chloe Santos
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health and
| | - Yun Jin Pai
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health and
| | | | - Kit-Yi Leung
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health and
| | - Dawn Savery
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health and
| | - Simon N Waddington
- EGA Institute for Women's Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom.,MRC Antiviral Gene Therapy Research Unit, Faculty of Health Science, University of the Witswatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Andrew J Copp
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health and
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21
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Dean JH, Pauly R, Stevenson RE. Neural Tube Defects and Associated Anomalies before and after Folic Acid Fortification. J Pediatr 2020; 226:186-194.e4. [PMID: 32634404 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2020.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2019] [Revised: 06/15/2020] [Accepted: 07/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To examine the prevalence and types of neural tube defects and the types of anomalies co-occurring with neural tube defects in 6 years before fortification of cereal grain flour with folic acid (1992-1998) and 20 years after fortification (1999-2018) in South Carolina, a state with a historically high prevalence of these birth defects. STUDY DESIGN The prevalence of neural tube defects was determined by active and passive surveillance methods in South Carolina since 1992. The types of neural tube defects and co-occurring malformations were determined by prenatal ultrasound and post-delivery examination. RESULTS In the 6 prefortification years, 363 neural tube defects were identified among 279 163 live births and fetal deaths (1/769), 305 (84%) of which were isolated defects of the calvaria or spine. In the 20 fortification years, there were significant reductions in the prevalence and percentage of isolated defects: 938 neural tube defects were identified among 1 165 134 live births and fetal deaths (1/1242), 696 (74.2%) of which were isolated. The current prevalence of neural tube defects in South Carolina (0.56/1000 live births and fetal deaths) is comparable with that nationwide. CONCLUSIONS The continued occurrence of neural tube defects, the majority of which are isolated, after folic acid fortification of cereal grain flours suggests that additional prevention measures are necessary to reduce further the prevalence of these serious defects of the brain and spine.
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22
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Eto F, Sato S, Setou M, Yao I, Sato K. Mass spectrometry imaging reveals glycine distribution in the developing and adult mouse brain. J Chem Neuroanat 2020; 110:101869. [PMID: 33098935 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchemneu.2020.101869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2020] [Revised: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 10/01/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Glycine is an important amino acid in the central nervous system. The aberrant conditions of glycine concentrations cause sever neurological disorders, such as nonketotic-hyperglycinemia (NKH), also known as glycine encephalopathy. Therefore, a better understanding of its relative abundance and distribution in the developing and adult brains would provide insights into the pathogeneses of this kind of disorders. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry (MS) imaging has been used for direct molecular-specific compound detection, distribution mapping, and identifying molecular species in tissue sections. Although a few reports have already shown the imaging of glycine using MALDI-MS in the adult mouse brain, they lack detailed neuroanatomical and developmental evaluations. We, thus, investigated the detailed distribution and abundance of glycine not only in the adult mouse brain but also in the developing mouse brain using this technique. In both brains, we detected derivatized glycine throughout the mouse brain. Interestingly, in both brains, derivatized glycine was abundantly detected in the brain stem. The other areas showed relatively lower signal intensities. As many model mice are used for glycine-related diseases, MALDI-MS is a suitable technique to analyze the pathogenesis of these diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fumihiro Eto
- Department of Optical Imaging, Institute for Medical Photonics Research, Preeminent Medical Photonics Education & Research Center, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-20-1 Handayama, Higashi-ku, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, 431-3192, Japan; Department of Cellular and Molecular Anatomy, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-20-1 Handayama, Higashi-ku, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, 431-3192, Japan
| | - Shumpei Sato
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Anatomy, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-20-1 Handayama, Higashi-ku, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, 431-3192, Japan; International Mass Imaging Center, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-20-1 Handayama, Higashi-ku, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, 431-3192, Japan
| | - Mitsutoshi Setou
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Anatomy, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-20-1 Handayama, Higashi-ku, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, 431-3192, Japan; International Mass Imaging Center, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-20-1 Handayama, Higashi-ku, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, 431-3192, Japan; Department of Systems Molecular Anatomy, Institute for Medical Photonics Research, Preeminent Medical Photonics Education & Research Center, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-20-1 Handayama, Higashi-ku, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, 431-3192, Japan
| | - Ikuko Yao
- Department of Optical Imaging, Institute for Medical Photonics Research, Preeminent Medical Photonics Education & Research Center, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-20-1 Handayama, Higashi-ku, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, 431-3192, Japan; International Mass Imaging Center, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-20-1 Handayama, Higashi-ku, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, 431-3192, Japan
| | - Kohji Sato
- Department of Organ & Tissue Anatomy, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-20-1 Handayama, Higashi-ku, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, 431-3192, Japan.
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23
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Zou J, Wang F, Yang X, Wang H, Niswander L, Zhang T, Li H. Association between rare variants in specific functional pathways and human neural tube defects multiple subphenotypes. Neural Dev 2020; 15:8. [PMID: 32650820 PMCID: PMC7353782 DOI: 10.1186/s13064-020-00145-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2019] [Accepted: 05/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neural tube defects (NTDs) are failure of neural tube closure, which includes multiple central nervous system phenotypes. More than 300 mouse mutant strains exhibits NTDs phenotypes and give us some clues to establish association between biological functions and subphenotypes. However, the knowledge about association in human remains still very poor. METHODS High throughput targeted genome DNA sequencing were performed on 280 neural tube closure-related genes in 355 NTDs cases and 225 ethnicity matched controls, RESULTS: We explored that potential damaging rare variants in genes functioning in chromatin modification, apoptosis, retinoid metabolism and lipid metabolism are associated with human NTDs. Importantly, our data indicate that except for planar cell polarity pathway, craniorachischisis is also genetically related with chromatin modification and retinoid metabolism. Furthermore, single phenotype in cranial or spinal regions displays significant association with specific biological function, such as anencephaly is associated with potentially damaging rare variants in genes functioning in chromatin modification, encephalocele is associated with apoptosis, retinoid metabolism and one carbon metabolism, spina bifida aperta and spina bifida cystica are associated with apoptosis; lumbar sacral spina bifida aperta and spina bifida occulta are associated with lipid metabolism. By contrast, complex phenotypes in both cranial and spinal regions display association with various biological functions given the different phenotypes. CONCLUSIONS Our study links genetic variant to subphenotypes of human NTDs and provides a preliminary but direct clue to investigate pathogenic mechanism for human NTDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jizhen Zou
- Beijing Municipal Key Laboratory of Child Development and Nutriomics, Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing, 100020, China.
| | - Fang Wang
- Beijing Municipal Key Laboratory of Child Development and Nutriomics, Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing, 100020, China
| | - Xueyan Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering and MOE Key Laboratory of Contemporary Anthropology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Hongyan Wang
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Key Lab of Reproduction Regulation of NPFPC in SIPPR, Institute of Reproduction and Development, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200011, China
| | - Lee Niswander
- Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, 80309, USA
| | - Ting Zhang
- Beijing Municipal Key Laboratory of Child Development and Nutriomics, Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing, 100020, China
| | - Huili Li
- Beijing Municipal Key Laboratory of Child Development and Nutriomics, Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing, 100020, China. .,Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, 80309, USA.
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24
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Taiwo TE, Cao X, Cabrera RM, Lei Y, Finnell RH. Approaches to studying the genomic architecture of complex birth defects. Prenat Diagn 2020; 40:1047-1055. [PMID: 32468575 DOI: 10.1002/pd.5760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2020] [Revised: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 05/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Every year nearly 6 percent of children worldwide are born with a serious congenital malformation, resulting in death or lifelong disability. In the United States, birth defects remain one of the leading causes of infant mortality. Among the common structural congenital defects are conditions known as neural tube defects (NTDs). These are a class of malformation of the brain and spinal cord where the neural tube fails to close during the neurulation. Although NTDs remain among the most pervasive and debilitating of all human developmental anomalies, there is insufficient understanding of their etiology. Previous studies have proposed that complex birth defects like NTDs are likely omnigenic, involving interconnected gene regulatory networks with associated signals throughout the genome. Advances in technologies have allowed researchers to more critically investigate regulatory gene networks in ever increasing detail, informing our understanding of the genetic basis of NTDs. Employing a systematic analysis of these complex birth defects using massively parallel DNA sequencing with stringent bioinformatic algorithms, it is possible to approach a greater level of understanding of the genomic architecture underlying NTDs. Herein, we present a brief overview of different approaches undertaken in our laboratory to dissect out the genetics of susceptibility to NTDs. This involves the use of mouse models to identify candidate genes, as well as large scale whole genome/whole exome (WGS/WES) studies to interrogate the genomic landscape of NTDs. The goal of this research is to elucidate the gene-environment interactions contributing to NTDs, thus encouraging global research efforts in their prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toluwani E Taiwo
- Rice University, Houston, Texas, USA.,Center for Precision Environmental Health, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Xuanye Cao
- Center for Precision Environmental Health, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA.,Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Robert M Cabrera
- Center for Precision Environmental Health, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA.,Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Yunping Lei
- Center for Precision Environmental Health, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA.,Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Richard H Finnell
- Center for Precision Environmental Health, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA.,Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA.,Departments of Molecular and Human Genetics and Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
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25
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Closing in on Mechanisms of Open Neural Tube Defects. Trends Neurosci 2020; 43:519-532. [PMID: 32423763 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2020.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2020] [Revised: 04/02/2020] [Accepted: 04/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Neural tube defects (NTDs) represent a failure of the neural plate to complete the developmental transition to a neural tube. NTDs are the most common birth anomaly of the CNS. Following mandatory folic acid fortification of dietary grains, a dramatic reduction in the incidence of NTDs was observed in areas where the policy was implemented, yet the genetic drivers of NTDs in humans, and the mechanisms by which folic acid prevents disease, remain disputed. Here, we discuss current understanding of human NTD genetics, recent advances regarding potential mechanisms by which folic acid might modify risk through effects on the epigenome and transcriptome, and new approaches to study refined phenotypes for a greater appreciation of the developmental and genetic causes of NTDs.
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26
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Abstract
During embryonic development, the central nervous system forms as the neural plate and then rolls into a tube in a complex morphogenetic process known as neurulation. Neural tube defects (NTDs) occur when neurulation fails and are among the most common structural birth defects in humans. The frequency of NTDs varies greatly anywhere from 0.5 to 10 in 1000 live births, depending on the genetic background of the population, as well as a variety of environmental factors. The prognosis varies depending on the size and placement of the lesion and ranges from death to severe or moderate disability, and some NTDs are asymptomatic. This chapter reviews how mouse models have contributed to the elucidation of the genetic, molecular, and cellular basis of neural tube closure, as well as to our understanding of the causes and prevention of this devastating birth defect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene E Zohn
- Center for Genetic Medicine, Children's Research Institute, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA.
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27
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Abstract
Spinal dysraphism is an umbrella term that encompasses a number of congenital malformations that affect the central nervous system. The etiology of these conditions can be traced back to a specific defect in embryological development, with the more disabling malformations occurring at an earlier gestational age. A thorough understanding of the relevant neuroembryology is imperative for clinicians to select the correct treatment and prevent complications associated with spinal dysraphism. This paper will review the neuroembryology associated with the various forms of spinal dysraphism and provide a clinical-pathological correlation for these congenital malformations.
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28
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Formate is a one-carbon molecule at the crossroad between cellular and whole body metabolism, between host and microbiome metabolism, and between nutrition and toxicology. This centrality confers formate with a key role in human physiology and disease that is currently unappreciated. SCOPE OF REVIEW Here we review the scientific literature on formate metabolism, highlighting cellular pathways, whole body metabolism, and interactions with the diet and the gut microbiome. We will discuss the relevance of formate metabolism in the context of embryonic development, cancer, obesity, immunometabolism, and neurodegeneration. MAJOR CONCLUSIONS We will conclude with an outlook of some open questions bringing formate metabolism into the spotlight.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Johannes Meiser
- Department of Oncology, Luxembourg Institute of Health, L-1526 Luxembourg, Luxembourg
| | - Alexei Vazquez
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Glasgow, UK; Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.
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29
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Steele JW, Kim SE, Finnell RH. One-carbon metabolism and folate transporter genes: Do they factor prominently in the genetic etiology of neural tube defects? Biochimie 2020; 173:27-32. [PMID: 32061804 DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2020.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2019] [Accepted: 02/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Neural tube defects (NTDs) are a broad class of congenital birth defects that result from the failure of neural tube closure during neurulation. Folic acid supplementation has been shown to prevent the occurrence of NTDs by as much as 70% in some human populations, and folate deficiency in a pregnant woman is associated with increased risk for having an NTD affected infant. Thus, folate transport-related genes and genes involved in the subsequent folate-mediated one-carbon metabolic pathway have long been considered primary candidates to study the genetic etiology of human NTDs. Herein, we review the genes involved in folate transport and one-carbon metabolism thus far identified as contributing variants that influence human NTD risk, and place these findings in the context of our evolving understanding of the complex genetic architecture underlying these defects.
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Affiliation(s)
- John W Steele
- Center for Precision Environmental Health, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA; Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA.
| | - Sung-Eun Kim
- Department of Pediatrics, The University of Texas at Austin/Dell Medical School, Austin, TX, 78723, USA.
| | - Richard H Finnell
- Center for Precision Environmental Health, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA; Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Molecular and Human Genetics, and Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
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30
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Li H, Wang X, Zhao H, Wang F, Bao Y, Guo J, Chang S, Wu L, Cheng H, Chen S, Zou J, Cui X, Niswander L, Finnell RH, Wang H, Zhang T. Low folate concentration impacts mismatch repair deficiency in neural tube defects. Epigenomics 2019; 12:5-18. [PMID: 31769301 DOI: 10.2217/epi-2019-0279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Aim: To know the cause of sequence variants in neural tube defect (NTD). Materials & methods: We sequenced genes implicated in neural tube closure (NTC) in a Chinese cohort and elucidated the molecular mechanism-driving mutations. Results: In NTD cases, an increase in specific variants was identified, potentially deleterious rare variants harbored in H3K36me3 occupancy regions that recruits mismatch repair (MMR) machinery. Lower folate concentrations in local brain tissues were also observed. In neuroectoderm cells, folic acid insufficiency attenuated association of Msh6 to H3K36me3, and reduced bindings to NTC genes. Rare variants in human NTDs were featured by MMR deficiency and more severe microsatellite instability. Conclusion: Our work suggests a mechanistic link between folate insufficiency and MMR deficiency that correlates with an increase of rare variants in NTC genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huili Li
- Beijing Municipal Key Laboratory of Child Development & Nutriomics, Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing 100020, China.,Department of Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Xiaolei Wang
- Beijing Municipal Key Laboratory of Child Development & Nutriomics, Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing 100020, China
| | - Huizhi Zhao
- Beijing Municipal Key Laboratory of Child Development & Nutriomics, Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing 100020, China
| | - Fang Wang
- Beijing Municipal Key Laboratory of Child Development & Nutriomics, Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing 100020, China
| | - Yihua Bao
- Beijing Municipal Key Laboratory of Child Development & Nutriomics, Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing 100020, China
| | - Jin Guo
- Beijing Municipal Key Laboratory of Child Development & Nutriomics, Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing 100020, China
| | - Shaoyan Chang
- Beijing Municipal Key Laboratory of Child Development & Nutriomics, Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing 100020, China
| | - Lihua Wu
- Beijing Municipal Key Laboratory of Child Development & Nutriomics, Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing 100020, China
| | - Haiqin Cheng
- Beijing Municipal Key Laboratory of Child Development & Nutriomics, Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing 100020, China
| | - Shuyuan Chen
- Beijing Municipal Key Laboratory of Child Development & Nutriomics, Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing 100020, China
| | - Jizhen Zou
- Beijing Municipal Key Laboratory of Child Development & Nutriomics, Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing 100020, China
| | - Xiaodai Cui
- Beijing Municipal Key Laboratory of Child Development & Nutriomics, Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing 100020, China
| | - Lee Niswander
- Department of Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Richard H Finnell
- Obstetrics & Gynecology Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering at School of Life Sciences, Institute of Reproduction & Development, Fudan University, Shanghai 200011, China.,Center for Precision Environmental Health, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Hongyan Wang
- Obstetrics & Gynecology Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering at School of Life Sciences, Institute of Reproduction & Development, Fudan University, Shanghai 200011, China.,Key Laboratory of Reproduction Regulation of NPFPC, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics & Development, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.,Children's Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 201102, China
| | - Ting Zhang
- Beijing Municipal Key Laboratory of Child Development & Nutriomics, Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing 100020, China
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31
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Sudiwala S, Palmer A, Massa V, Burns AJ, Dunlevy LPE, de Castro SCP, Savery D, Leung KY, Copp AJ, Greene NDE. Cellular mechanisms underlying Pax3-related neural tube defects and their prevention by folic acid. Dis Model Mech 2019; 12:dmm042234. [PMID: 31636139 PMCID: PMC6899032 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.042234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2019] [Accepted: 10/16/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Neural tube defects (NTDs), including spina bifida and anencephaly, are among the most common birth defects worldwide, but their underlying genetic and cellular causes are not well understood. Some NTDs are preventable by supplemental folic acid. However, despite widespread use of folic acid supplements and implementation of food fortification in many countries, the protective mechanism is unclear. Pax3 mutant (splotch; Sp2H ) mice provide a model in which NTDs are preventable by folic acid and exacerbated by maternal folate deficiency. Here, we found that cell proliferation was diminished in the dorsal neuroepithelium of mutant embryos, corresponding to the region of abolished Pax3 function. This was accompanied by premature neuronal differentiation in the prospective midbrain. Contrary to previous reports, we did not find evidence that increased apoptosis could underlie failed neural tube closure in Pax3 mutant embryos, nor that inhibition of apoptosis could prevent NTDs. These findings suggest that Pax3 functions to maintain the neuroepithelium in a proliferative, undifferentiated state, allowing neurulation to proceed. NTDs in Pax3 mutants were not associated with abnormal abundance of specific folates and were not prevented by formate, a one-carbon donor to folate metabolism. Supplemental folic acid restored proliferation in the cranial neuroepithelium. This effect was mediated by enhanced progression of the cell cycle from S to G2 phase, specifically in the Pax3 mutant dorsal neuroepithelium. We propose that the cell-cycle-promoting effect of folic acid compensates for the loss of Pax3 and thereby prevents cranial NTDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonia Sudiwala
- Developmental Biology and Cancer Research and Teaching Department, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Alexandra Palmer
- Developmental Biology and Cancer Research and Teaching Department, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Valentina Massa
- Developmental Biology and Cancer Research and Teaching Department, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Alan J Burns
- Developmental Biology and Cancer Research and Teaching Department, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Louisa P E Dunlevy
- Developmental Biology and Cancer Research and Teaching Department, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Sandra C P de Castro
- Developmental Biology and Cancer Research and Teaching Department, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Dawn Savery
- Developmental Biology and Cancer Research and Teaching Department, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Kit-Yi Leung
- Developmental Biology and Cancer Research and Teaching Department, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Andrew J Copp
- Developmental Biology and Cancer Research and Teaching Department, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Nicholas D E Greene
- Developmental Biology and Cancer Research and Teaching Department, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London WC1N 1EH, UK
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32
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Disruption of the mouse Shmt2 gene confers embryonic anaemia via foetal liver-specific metabolomic disorders. Sci Rep 2019; 9:16054. [PMID: 31690790 PMCID: PMC6831688 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-52372-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2019] [Accepted: 10/16/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
In a previous study, we proposed that age-related mitochondrial respiration defects observed in elderly subjects are partially due to age-associated downregulation of nuclear-encoded genes, including serine hydroxymethyltransferase 2 (SHMT2), which is involved in mitochondrial one-carbon (1C) metabolism. This assertion is supported by evidence that the disruption of mouse Shmt2 induces mitochondrial respiration defects in mouse embryonic fibroblasts generated from Shmt2-knockout E13.5 embryos experiencing anaemia and lethality. Here, we elucidated the potential mechanisms by which the disruption of this gene induces mitochondrial respiration defects and embryonic anaemia using Shmt2-knockout E13.5 embryos. The livers but not the brains of Shmt2-knockout E13.5 embryos presented mitochondrial respiration defects and growth retardation. Metabolomic profiling revealed that Shmt2 deficiency induced foetal liver-specific downregulation of 1C-metabolic pathways that create taurine and nucleotides required for mitochondrial respiratory function and cell division, respectively, resulting in the manifestation of mitochondrial respiration defects and growth retardation. Given that foetal livers function to produce erythroblasts in mouse embryos, growth retardation in foetal livers directly induced depletion of erythroblasts. By contrast, mitochondrial respiration defects in foetal livers also induced depletion of erythroblasts as a consequence of the inhibition of erythroblast differentiation, resulting in the manifestation of anaemia in Shmt2-knockout E13.5 embryos.
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33
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Krupenko SA, Horita DA. The Role of Single-Nucleotide Polymorphisms in the Function of Candidate Tumor Suppressor ALDH1L1. Front Genet 2019; 10:1013. [PMID: 31737034 PMCID: PMC6831610 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2019.01013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2018] [Accepted: 09/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Folate (vitamin B9) is a common name for a group of coenzymes that function as carriers of chemical moieties called one-carbon groups in numerous biochemical reactions. The combination of these folate-dependent reactions constitutes one-carbon metabolism, the name synonymous to folate metabolism. Folate coenzymes and associated metabolic pathways are vital for cellular homeostasis due to their key roles in nucleic acid biosynthesis, DNA repair, methylation processes, amino acid biogenesis, and energy balance. Folate is an essential nutrient because humans are unable to synthesize this coenzyme and must obtain it from the diet. Insufficient folate intake can ultimately increase risk of certain diseases, most notably neural tube defects. More than 20 enzymes are known to participate in folate metabolism. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes encoding for folate enzymes are associated with altered metabolism, changes in DNA methylation and modified risk for the development of human pathologies including cardiovascular diseases, birth defects, and cancer. ALDH1L1, one of the folate-metabolizing enzymes, serves a regulatory function in folate metabolism restricting the flux of one-carbon groups through biosynthetic processes. Numerous studies have established that ALDH1L1 is often silenced or strongly down-regulated in cancers. The loss of ALDH1L1 protein positively correlates with the occurrence of malignant tumors and tumor aggressiveness, hence the enzyme is viewed as a candidate tumor suppressor. ALDH1L1 has much higher frequency of non-synonymous exonic SNPs than most other genes for folate enzymes. Common SNPs at the polymorphic loci rs3796191, rs2886059, rs9282691, rs2276724, rs1127717, and rs4646750 in ALDH1L1 exons characterize more than 97% of Europeans while additional common variants are found in other ethnic populations. The effects of these SNPs on the enzyme is not clear but studies indicate that some coding and non-coding ALDH1L1 SNPs are associated with altered risk of certain cancer types and it is also likely that specific haplotypes define the metabolic response to dietary folate. This review discusses the role of ALDH1L1 in folate metabolism and etiology of diseases with the focus on non-synonymous coding ALDH1L1 SNPs and their effects on the enzyme structure/function, metabolic role and association with cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergey A. Krupenko
- Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
- Nutrition Research Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - David A. Horita
- Nutrition Research Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
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Why is folate effective in preventing neural tube closure defects? Med Hypotheses 2019; 134:109429. [PMID: 31634773 DOI: 10.1016/j.mehy.2019.109429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2019] [Revised: 10/03/2019] [Accepted: 10/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Neural tube defects (NTDs) originate from a failure of the embryonic neural tube to close. The pathogenesis of NTDs is largely unknown. Fortunately, adequate maternal folate application is known to reduce the risk of human NTDs. However, why folate reduces NTDs is largely unknown. The main cause for NTDs is the disturbance of the cell growth in the neuroepithelium. Of course, rapid cell growth needs enough synthesis of nuclei acids. Interestingly, folate is used as a source for the synthesis of nucleic acids. Furthermore, glycine cleavage system (GCS) is essential for the synthesis of nucleic acids from folate, and very strongly expressed in neuroepithelial cells, suggesting that these highly proliferating cells need enough synthesis of nuclei acids and high amounts of folate. Taken together, I speculate the following hypothesis; (1) The closure of the neural tube requires rapid growth of neuroepithelial cells. (2) High rates of nuclei acids synthesis are needed for the rapid growth. (3) GCS, which is requisite in nucleic acid synthesis from folate, is expressed very strongly and functions robustly in neuroepithelial cells. (4) Pregnant women require 5-10-fold higher amounts of folate compared to non-pregnant women. (5) So, folate-deficient situations are easy to occur in neuroepithelial cells, resulting in NTDs. (6) Thus, folate is effective to prevent NTDs.
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Cytosolic 10-formyltetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase regulates glycine metabolism in mouse liver. Sci Rep 2019; 9:14937. [PMID: 31624291 PMCID: PMC6797707 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-51397-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2019] [Accepted: 09/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
ALDH1L1 (10-formyltetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase), an enzyme of folate metabolism highly expressed in liver, metabolizes 10-formyltetrahydrofolate to produce tetrahydrofolate (THF). This reaction might have a regulatory function towards reduced folate pools, de novo purine biosynthesis, and the flux of folate-bound methyl groups. To understand the role of the enzyme in cellular metabolism, Aldh1l1−/− mice were generated using an ES cell clone (C57BL/6N background) from KOMP repository. Though Aldh1l1−/− mice were viable and did not have an apparent phenotype, metabolomic analysis indicated that they had metabolic signs of folate deficiency. Specifically, the intermediate of the histidine degradation pathway and a marker of folate deficiency, formiminoglutamate, was increased more than 15-fold in livers of Aldh1l1−/− mice. At the same time, blood folate levels were not changed and the total folate pool in the liver was decreased by only 20%. A two-fold decrease in glycine and a strong drop in glycine conjugates, a likely result of glycine shortage, were also observed in Aldh1l1−/− mice. Our study indicates that in the absence of ALDH1L1 enzyme, 10-formyl-THF cannot be efficiently metabolized in the liver. This leads to the decrease in THF causing reduced generation of glycine from serine and impaired histidine degradation, two pathways strictly dependent on THF.
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Tian S, Feng J, Cao Y, Shen S, Cai Y, Yang D, Yan R, Wang L, Zhang H, Zhong X, Gao P. Glycine cleavage system determines the fate of pluripotent stem cells via the regulation of senescence and epigenetic modifications. Life Sci Alliance 2019; 2:2/5/e201900413. [PMID: 31562192 PMCID: PMC6765226 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.201900413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2019] [Revised: 09/15/2019] [Accepted: 09/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The glycine cleavage system (GCS) is highly activated to promote stem cell pluripotency. The GCS catabolizes glycine to prevent methylglyoxal accumulation and to fuel H3K4me3 modification, promoting the expression of pluripotency genes. Metabolic remodelling has emerged as critical for stem cell pluripotency; however, the underlying mechanisms have yet to be fully elucidated. Here, we found that the glycine cleavage system (GCS) is highly activated to promote stem cell pluripotency and during somatic cell reprogramming. Mechanistically, we revealed that the expression of Gldc, a rate-limiting GCS enzyme regulated by Sox2 and Lin28A, facilitates this activation. We further found that the activated GCS catabolizes glycine to fuel H3K4me3 modification, thus promoting the expression of pluripotency genes. Moreover, the activated GCS helps to cleave excess glycine and prevents methylglyoxal accumulation, which stimulates senescence in stem cells and during reprogramming. Collectively, our results demonstrate a novel mechanism whereby GCS activation controls stem cell pluripotency by promoting H3K4me3 modification and preventing cellular senescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengya Tian
- School of Medicine and Institutes for Life Sciences, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China.,Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, The Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Science and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Junru Feng
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, The Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Science and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Yang Cao
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, The Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Science and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Shengqi Shen
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, The Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Science and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Yongping Cai
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Dongdong Yang
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, The Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Science and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Ronghui Yan
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, The Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Science and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Lihua Wang
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, The Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Science and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Huafeng Zhang
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, The Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Science and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Xiuying Zhong
- School of Medicine and Institutes for Life Sciences, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ping Gao
- School of Medicine and Institutes for Life Sciences, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China .,Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, The Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Science and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.,Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health Guangdong Laboratory, Guangzhou, China
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Alptekin A, Ye B, Yu Y, Poole CJ, van Riggelen J, Zha Y, Ding HF. Glycine decarboxylase is a transcriptional target of MYCN required for neuroblastoma cell proliferation and tumorigenicity. Oncogene 2019; 38:7504-7520. [PMID: 31444411 PMCID: PMC6908766 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-019-0967-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2019] [Revised: 08/05/2019] [Accepted: 08/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Genomic amplification of the oncogene MYCN is a major driver in the development of high-risk neuroblastoma, a pediatric cancer with poor prognosis. Given the challenge in targeting MYCN directly for therapy, we sought to identify MYCN-dependent metabolic vulnerabilities that can be targeted therapeutically. Here, we report that the gene encoding glycine decarboxylase (GLDC), which catalyzes the first and rate-limiting step in glycine breakdown with the production of the one-carbon unit 5,10-methylene-tetrahydrofolate, is a direct transcriptional target of MYCN. As a result, GLDC expression is markedly elevated in MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma tumors and cell lines. This transcriptional upregulation of GLDC expression is of functional significance, as GLDC depletion by RNA interference inhibits the proliferation and tumorigenicity of MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma cell lines by inducing G1 arrest. Metabolomic profiling reveals that GLDC knockdown disrupts purine and central carbon metabolism and reduces citrate production, leading to a decrease in the steady-state levels of cholesterol and fatty acids. Moreover, blocking purine or cholesterol synthesis recapitulates the growth inhibitory effect of GLDC knockdown. These findings reveal a critical role of GLDC in sustaining the proliferation of neuroblastoma cells with high-level GLDC expression and suggest that MYCN amplification is a biomarker for GLDC-based therapeutic strategies against high-risk neuroblastoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmet Alptekin
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA.,Georgia Cancer Center, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA
| | - Bingwei Ye
- Georgia Cancer Center, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA
| | - Yajie Yu
- Institute of Neural Regeneration and Repair and Department of Neurology, The First Hospital of Yichang, Three Gorges University College of Medicine, 443000, Yichang, China
| | - Candace J Poole
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA.,Georgia Cancer Center, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA
| | - Jan van Riggelen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA.,Georgia Cancer Center, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA
| | - Yunhong Zha
- Institute of Neural Regeneration and Repair and Department of Neurology, The First Hospital of Yichang, Three Gorges University College of Medicine, 443000, Yichang, China
| | - Han-Fei Ding
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA. .,Georgia Cancer Center, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA. .,Department of Pathology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA.
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Abstract
Despite unequivocal evidence that folate deficiency increases risk for human pathologies, and that folic acid intake among women of childbearing age markedly decreases risk for birth defects, definitive evidence for a causal biochemical pathway linking folate to disease and birth defect etiology remains elusive. The de novo and salvage pathways for thymidylate synthesis translocate to the nucleus of mammalian cells during S- and G2/M-phases of the cell cycle and associate with the DNA replication and repair machinery, which limits uracil misincorporation into DNA and genome instability. There is increasing evidence that impairments in nuclear de novo thymidylate synthesis occur in many pathologies resulting from impairments in one-carbon metabolism. Understanding the roles and regulation of nuclear de novo thymidylate synthesis and its relationship to genome stability will increase our understanding of the fundamental mechanisms underlying folate- and vitamin B12-associated pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martha S Field
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA;
| | - Elena Kamynina
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA;
| | - James Chon
- Graduate Field of Biochemistry, Molecular, and Cell Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA
| | - Patrick J Stover
- College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843-2142, USA;
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39
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Targeted panel sequencing establishes the implication of planar cell polarity pathway and involves new candidate genes in neural tube defect disorders. Hum Genet 2019; 138:363-374. [DOI: 10.1007/s00439-019-01993-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2018] [Accepted: 02/26/2019] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
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40
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Assessing the causal association of glycine with risk of cardio-metabolic diseases. Nat Commun 2019; 10:1060. [PMID: 30837465 PMCID: PMC6400990 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-08936-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2018] [Accepted: 02/11/2019] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Circulating levels of glycine have previously been associated with lower incidence of coronary heart disease (CHD) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) but it remains uncertain if glycine plays an aetiological role. We present a meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies for glycine in 80,003 participants and investigate the causality and potential mechanisms of the association between glycine and cardio-metabolic diseases using genetic approaches. We identify 27 genetic loci, of which 22 have not previously been reported for glycine. We show that glycine is genetically associated with lower CHD risk and find that this may be partly driven by blood pressure. Evidence for a genetic association of glycine with T2D is weaker, but we find a strong inverse genetic effect of hyperinsulinaemia on glycine. Our findings strengthen evidence for a protective effect of glycine on CHD and show that the glycine-T2D association may be driven by a glycine-lowering effect of insulin resistance.
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41
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Fofou-Caillierez MB, Guéant-Rodriguez RM, Alberto JM, Chéry C, Josse T, Gérard P, Forges T, Foliguet B, Feillet F, Guéant JL. Vitamin B-12 and liver activity and expression of methionine synthase are decreased in fetuses with neural tube defects. Am J Clin Nutr 2019; 109:674-683. [PMID: 30848279 DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/nqy340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2018] [Accepted: 10/29/2018] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The risk of neural tube defects (NTDs) is influenced by nutritional factors and genetic determinants of one-carbon metabolism. A key pathway of this metabolism is the vitamin B-12- and folate-dependent remethylation of homocysteine, which depends on methionine synthase (MS, encoded by MTR), methionine synthase reductase, and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase. Methionine, the product of this pathway, is the direct precursor of S-adenosylmethionine (SAM), the universal methyl donor needed for epigenetic mechanisms. OBJECTIVES This study aimed to evaluate whether the availability of vitamin B-12 and folate and the expression or activity of the target enzymes of the remethylation pathway are involved in NTD risk. METHODS We studied folate and vitamin B-12 concentrations and activity, expression, and gene variants of the 3 enzymes in liver from 14 NTD and 16 non-NTD fetuses. We replicated the main findings in cord blood from pregnancies of 41 NTD fetuses compared with 21 fetuses with polymalformations (metabolic and genetic findings) and 375 control pregnancies (genetic findings). RESULTS The tissue concentration of vitamin B-12 (P = 0.003), but not folate, and the activity (P = 0.001), transcriptional level (P = 0.016), and protein expression (P = 0.003) of MS were decreased and the truncated inactive isoforms of MS were increased in NTD livers. SAM was significantly correlated with MS activity and vitamin B-12. A gene variant in exon 1 of GIF (Gastric Intrinsic Factor gene) was associated with a dramatic decrease of liver vitamin B-12 in 2 cases. We confirmed the decreased vitamin B-12 in cord blood from NTD pregnancies. A gene variant of GIF exon 3 was associated with NTD risk. CONCLUSIONS The decreased vitamin B-12 in liver and cord blood and decreased expression and activity of MS in liver point out the impaired remethylation pathway as hallmarks associated with NTD risk. We suggest evaluating vitamin B-12 in the nutritional recommendations for prevention of NTD risk beside folate fortification or supplementation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ma'atem B Fofou-Caillierez
- Inserm UMRS 954, Nutrition-Genetics-Environmental Risk Exposure, Inserm and University of Lorraine, Nancy, France.,Department of Molecular Medicine and Personalized Therapeutics, Department of Pediatrics, and National Reference Centre for Inherited Metabolic Diseases
| | - Rosa-Maria Guéant-Rodriguez
- Inserm UMRS 954, Nutrition-Genetics-Environmental Risk Exposure, Inserm and University of Lorraine, Nancy, France.,Department of Molecular Medicine and Personalized Therapeutics, Department of Pediatrics, and National Reference Centre for Inherited Metabolic Diseases
| | - Jean-Marc Alberto
- Inserm UMRS 954, Nutrition-Genetics-Environmental Risk Exposure, Inserm and University of Lorraine, Nancy, France
| | - Céline Chéry
- Inserm UMRS 954, Nutrition-Genetics-Environmental Risk Exposure, Inserm and University of Lorraine, Nancy, France
| | - Thomas Josse
- Inserm UMRS 954, Nutrition-Genetics-Environmental Risk Exposure, Inserm and University of Lorraine, Nancy, France
| | - Philippe Gérard
- Inserm UMRS 954, Nutrition-Genetics-Environmental Risk Exposure, Inserm and University of Lorraine, Nancy, France
| | - Thierry Forges
- Regional Maternity of Nancy, University Regional Hospital Center of Nancy, Nancy, France
| | - Bernard Foliguet
- Regional Maternity of Nancy, University Regional Hospital Center of Nancy, Nancy, France
| | - François Feillet
- Inserm UMRS 954, Nutrition-Genetics-Environmental Risk Exposure, Inserm and University of Lorraine, Nancy, France
| | - Jean-Louis Guéant
- Inserm UMRS 954, Nutrition-Genetics-Environmental Risk Exposure, Inserm and University of Lorraine, Nancy, France.,Department of Molecular Medicine and Personalized Therapeutics, Department of Pediatrics, and National Reference Centre for Inherited Metabolic Diseases
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42
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Zheng Y, Cantley LC. Toward a better understanding of folate metabolism in health and disease. J Exp Med 2019; 216:253-266. [PMID: 30587505 PMCID: PMC6363433 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20181965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2018] [Revised: 11/18/2018] [Accepted: 12/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Folate metabolism is crucial for many biochemical processes, including purine and thymidine monophosphate (dTMP) biosynthesis, mitochondrial protein translation, and methionine regeneration. These biochemical processes in turn support critical cellular functions such as cell proliferation, mitochondrial respiration, and epigenetic regulation. Not surprisingly, abnormal folate metabolism has been causally linked with a myriad of diseases. In this review, we provide a historical perspective, delve into folate chemistry that is often overlooked, and point out various missing links and underdeveloped areas in folate metabolism for future exploration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuxiang Zheng
- Department of Medicine, Meyer Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY
| | - Lewis C Cantley
- Department of Medicine, Meyer Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY
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43
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van Gool JD, Hirche H, Lax H, De Schaepdrijver L. Folic acid and primary prevention of neural tube defects: A review. Reprod Toxicol 2018; 80:73-84. [DOI: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2018.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2018] [Revised: 05/03/2018] [Accepted: 05/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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Insights into the Etiology of Mammalian Neural Tube Closure Defects from Developmental, Genetic and Evolutionary Studies. J Dev Biol 2018; 6:jdb6030022. [PMID: 30134561 PMCID: PMC6162505 DOI: 10.3390/jdb6030022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2018] [Revised: 08/13/2018] [Accepted: 08/15/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The human neural tube defects (NTD), anencephaly, spina bifida and craniorachischisis, originate from a failure of the embryonic neural tube to close. Human NTD are relatively common and both complex and heterogeneous in genetic origin, but the genetic variants and developmental mechanisms are largely unknown. Here we review the numerous studies, mainly in mice, of normal neural tube closure, the mechanisms of failure caused by specific gene mutations, and the evolution of the vertebrate cranial neural tube and its genetic processes, seeking insights into the etiology of human NTD. We find evidence of many regions along the anterior–posterior axis each differing in some aspect of neural tube closure—morphology, cell behavior, specific genes required—and conclude that the etiology of NTD is likely to be partly specific to the anterior–posterior location of the defect and also genetically heterogeneous. We revisit the hypotheses explaining the excess of females among cranial NTD cases in mice and humans and new developments in understanding the role of the folate pathway in NTD. Finally, we demonstrate that evidence from mouse mutants strongly supports the search for digenic or oligogenic etiology in human NTD of all types.
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45
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O'Reilly J, Pangilinan F, Hokamp K, Ueland PM, Brosnan JT, Brosnan ME, Brody LC, Molloy AM. The impact of common genetic variants in the mitochondrial glycine cleavage system on relevant metabolites. Mol Genet Metab Rep 2018; 16:20-22. [PMID: 29988937 PMCID: PMC6034155 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymgmr.2018.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2018] [Revised: 05/30/2018] [Accepted: 05/30/2018] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The glycine cleavage system (GCS) is a complex of four enzymes enabling glycine to serve as a source of one-carbon units to the cell. We asked whether concentrations of glycine, dimethylglycine, formate, and serine in blood are influenced by variation within GCS genes in a sample of young, healthy individuals. Fifty-two variants tagging (r2 < 0.9) the four GCS genes were tested; one variant, GLDC rs2297442-G, was significantly associated (p = .0007) with decreased glycine concentrations in serum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica O'Reilly
- Department of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Faith Pangilinan
- Genetic and Environmental Interaction Section, National Human Genome Research Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, United States
| | - Karsten Hokamp
- School of Genetics and Microbiology, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Per M Ueland
- Section of Pharmacology, Institute of Medicine, University of Bergen and Haukeland University Hospital, 5021 Bergen, Norway
| | - John T Brosnan
- Department of Biochemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada
| | - Margaret E Brosnan
- Department of Biochemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada
| | - Lawrence C Brody
- Genetic and Environmental Interaction Section, National Human Genome Research Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, United States
| | - Anne M Molloy
- Department of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin 2, Ireland
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46
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Leung KY, Pai YJ, Chen Q, Santos C, Calvani E, Sudiwala S, Savery D, Ralser M, Gross SS, Copp AJ, Greene NDE. Partitioning of One-Carbon Units in Folate and Methionine Metabolism Is Essential for Neural Tube Closure. Cell Rep 2018; 21:1795-1808. [PMID: 29141214 PMCID: PMC5699646 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2017.10.072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2017] [Revised: 09/27/2017] [Accepted: 10/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Abnormal folate one-carbon metabolism (FOCM) is implicated in neural tube defects (NTDs), severe malformations of the nervous system. MTHFR mediates unidirectional transfer of methyl groups from the folate cycle to the methionine cycle and, therefore, represents a key nexus in partitioning one-carbon units between FOCM functional outputs. Methionine cycle inhibitors prevent neural tube closure in mouse embryos. Similarly, the inability to use glycine as a one-carbon donor to the folate cycle causes NTDs in glycine decarboxylase (Gldc)-deficient embryos. However, analysis of Mthfr-null mouse embryos shows that neither S-adenosylmethionine abundance nor neural tube closure depend on one-carbon units derived from embryonic or maternal folate cycles. Mthfr deletion or methionine treatment prevents NTDs in Gldc-null embryos by retention of one-carbon units within the folate cycle. Overall, neural tube closure depends on the activity of both the methionine and folate cycles, but transfer of one-carbon units between the cycles is not necessary. Inhibition of methionine cycle activity prevents neural tube closure, causing NTDs Loss of embryonic and maternal MTHFR activity does not prevent neural tube closure Glycine is a 1C donor to the folate cycle via the glycine cleavage system in the embryo Ablation of glycine cleavage causes NTDs, preventable by MTHFR inactivity or methionine
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Affiliation(s)
- Kit-Yi Leung
- Developmental Biology & Cancer Programme, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Yun Jin Pai
- Developmental Biology & Cancer Programme, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Qiuying Chen
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, 1300 York Avenue, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Chloe Santos
- Developmental Biology & Cancer Programme, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Enrica Calvani
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Sonia Sudiwala
- Developmental Biology & Cancer Programme, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Dawn Savery
- Developmental Biology & Cancer Programme, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Markus Ralser
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Steven S Gross
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, 1300 York Avenue, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Andrew J Copp
- Developmental Biology & Cancer Programme, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Nicholas D E Greene
- Developmental Biology & Cancer Programme, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London WC1N 1EH, UK.
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47
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Schittmayer M, Birner-Gruenberger R, Zamboni N. Quantification of Cellular Folate Species by LC-MS after Stabilization by Derivatization. Anal Chem 2018; 90:7349-7356. [PMID: 29792680 PMCID: PMC6011177 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.8b00650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
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Folate
cofactors play a key role in one-carbon metabolism. Analysis
of individual folate species is hampered by the low chemical stability
and high interconvertibility of folates, which can lead to severe
experimental bias. Here, we present a complete workflow that employs
simultaneous extraction and stabilization of folates by derivatization.
We perform reductive methylation employing stable isotope labeled
reagents to retain information on the position and redox state of
one-carbon units as well as the redox state of the pteridine ring.
The derivatives are analyzed by a targeted LC(HILIC)-MS/MS method
without the need for deconjugation, thereby also preserving the glutamation
state of folates. The presented method does not only improve analyte
coverage and sensitivity as compared to other published methods, it
also greatly simplifies sample handling and storage. Finally, we report
differences in the response of bacterial and mammalian systems to
pharmacological inhibition of dihydrofolate reductase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Schittmayer
- Gottfried Schatz Research Center, Molecular Biology and Biochemistry , Medical University of Graz , Stiftingtalstrasse 2 , 8010 Graz , Austria.,Institute of Molecular Systems Biology , ETH Zürich , 8093 Zürich , Switzerland.,Omics Center Graz , BioTechMed-Graz , 8010 Graz , Austria
| | - Ruth Birner-Gruenberger
- Gottfried Schatz Research Center, Molecular Biology and Biochemistry , Medical University of Graz , Stiftingtalstrasse 2 , 8010 Graz , Austria.,Omics Center Graz , BioTechMed-Graz , 8010 Graz , Austria
| | - Nicola Zamboni
- Institute of Molecular Systems Biology , ETH Zürich , 8093 Zürich , Switzerland
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48
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Abstract
West syndrome (WS) is an early life epileptic encephalopathy associated with infantile spasms, interictal electroencephalography (EEG) abnormalities including high amplitude, disorganized background with multifocal epileptic spikes (hypsarrhythmia), and often neurodevelopmental impairments. Approximately 64% of the patients have structural, metabolic, genetic, or infectious etiologies and, in the rest, the etiology is unknown. Here we review the contribution of etiologies due to various metabolic disorders in the pathology of WS. These may include metabolic errors in organic molecules involved in amino acid and glucose metabolism, fatty acid oxidation, metal metabolism, pyridoxine deficiency or dependency, or acidurias in organelles such as mitochondria and lysosomes. We discuss the biochemical, clinical, and EEG features of these disorders as well as the evidence of how they may be implicated in the pathogenesis and treatment of WS. The early recognition of these etiologies in some cases may permit early interventions that may improve the course of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seda Salar
- Laboratory of Developmental EpilepsySaul R. Korey Department of NeurologyMontefiore/Einstein Epilepsy CenterAlbert Einstein College of MedicineBronxNew YorkU.S.A.
| | - Solomon L. Moshé
- Laboratory of Developmental EpilepsySaul R. Korey Department of NeurologyMontefiore/Einstein Epilepsy CenterAlbert Einstein College of MedicineBronxNew YorkU.S.A.
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of NeuroscienceMontefiore/Einstein Epilepsy CenterAlbert Einstein College of MedicineBronxNew YorkU.S.A.
- Department of PediatricsMontefiore/Einstein Epilepsy CenterAlbert Einstein College of MedicineBronxNew YorkU.S.A.
| | - Aristea S. Galanopoulou
- Laboratory of Developmental EpilepsySaul R. Korey Department of NeurologyMontefiore/Einstein Epilepsy CenterAlbert Einstein College of MedicineBronxNew YorkU.S.A.
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of NeuroscienceMontefiore/Einstein Epilepsy CenterAlbert Einstein College of MedicineBronxNew YorkU.S.A.
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49
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Kim J, Lei Y, Guo J, Kim SE, Wlodarczyk BJ, Cabrera RM, Lin YL, Nilsson TK, Zhang T, Ren A, Wang L, Yuan Z, Zheng YF, Wang HY, Finnell RH. Formate rescues neural tube defects caused by mutations in Slc25a32. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:4690-4695. [PMID: 29666258 PMCID: PMC5939102 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1800138115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Periconceptional folic acid (FA) supplementation significantly reduces the prevalence of neural tube defects (NTDs). Unfortunately, some NTDs are FA resistant, and as such, NTDs remain a global public health concern. Previous studies have identified SLC25A32 as a mitochondrial folate transporter (MFT), which is capable of transferring tetrahydrofolate (THF) from cellular cytoplasm to the mitochondria in vitro. Herein, we show that gene trap inactivation of Slc25a32 (Mft) in mice induces NTDs that are folate (5-methyltetrahydrofolate, 5-mTHF) resistant yet are preventable by formate supplementation. Slc25a32gt/gt embryos die in utero with 100% penetrant cranial NTDs. 5-mTHF supplementation failed to promote normal neural tube closure (NTC) in mutant embryos, while formate supplementation enabled the majority (78%) of knockout embryos to complete NTC. A parallel genetic study in human subjects with NTDs identified biallelic loss of function SLC25A32 variants in a cranial NTD case. These data demonstrate that the loss of functional Slc25a32 results in cranial NTDs in mice and has also been observed in a human NTD patient.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jimi Kim
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, Dell Pediatric Research Institute, Dell Medical School, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78723
| | - Yunping Lei
- Department of Pediatrics, Dell Pediatric Research Institute, Dell Medical School, University of Texas at Austin , Austin, TX 78723
| | - Jin Guo
- Beijing Municipal Key Laboratory of Child Development and Nutriomics, Capital Institute of Pediatrics, 100700 Beijing, China
| | - Sung-Eun Kim
- Department of Pediatrics, Dell Pediatric Research Institute, Dell Medical School, University of Texas at Austin , Austin, TX 78723
| | - Bogdan J Wlodarczyk
- Department of Pediatrics, Dell Pediatric Research Institute, Dell Medical School, University of Texas at Austin , Austin, TX 78723
| | - Robert M Cabrera
- Department of Pediatrics, Dell Pediatric Research Institute, Dell Medical School, University of Texas at Austin , Austin, TX 78723
| | - Ying Linda Lin
- Department of Pediatrics, Dell Pediatric Research Institute, Dell Medical School, University of Texas at Austin , Austin, TX 78723
| | - Torbjorn K Nilsson
- Department of Medical Biosciences, Clinical Chemistry, Umea University, SE-90185 Umea, Sweden
| | - Ting Zhang
- Beijing Municipal Key Laboratory of Child Development and Nutriomics, Capital Institute of Pediatrics, 100700 Beijing, China
| | - Aiguo Ren
- Institute of Reproductive and Child Health, Peking University, 100191 Beijing, China
| | - Linlin Wang
- Institute of Reproductive and Child Health, Peking University, 100191 Beijing, China
| | - Zhengwei Yuan
- Key Laboratory of Health Ministry for Congenital Malformation, Shengjing Hospital, China Medical University, 117004 Shenyang, China
| | - Yu-Fang Zheng
- Obstetrics & Gynecology Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering and School of Life Sciences of Fudan University, 20043 Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Reproduction Regulation of National Population and Family Planning Commission, Institute of Reproduction & Development and Children's Hospital of Fudan University, 200011 Shanghai, China
| | - Hong-Yan Wang
- Obstetrics & Gynecology Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering and School of Life Sciences of Fudan University, 20043 Shanghai, China;
- Key Laboratory of Reproduction Regulation of National Population and Family Planning Commission, Institute of Reproduction & Development and Children's Hospital of Fudan University, 200011 Shanghai, China
| | - Richard H Finnell
- Department of Pediatrics, Dell Pediatric Research Institute, Dell Medical School, University of Texas at Austin , Austin, TX 78723;
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Genetics & Development, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, 200438 Shanghai, China
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50
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Li H, Zhang J, Chen S, Wang F, Zhang T, Niswander L. Genetic contribution of retinoid-related genes to neural tube defects. Hum Mutat 2018; 39:550-562. [PMID: 29297599 PMCID: PMC5839987 DOI: 10.1002/humu.23397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2017] [Revised: 12/27/2017] [Accepted: 12/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Rare variants are considered underlying causes of complex diseases. The complex and severe group of disorders called neural tube defects (NTDs) results from failure of the neural tube to close during early embryogenesis. Neural tube closure requires the coordination of numerous signaling pathways, including the precise regulation of retinoic acid (RA) concentration, which is controlled by enzymes involved in RA synthesis and degradation. Here, we used a case-control mutation screen study to reveal rare variants in retinoid-related genes in a Han Chinese NTD population by sequencing six genes in 355 NTD cases and 225 controls. More specific rare variants were found in exonic and upstream regions in NTD cases. The RA-responsive genes CYP26A1, CRABP1, and ALDH1A2 harbored NTD-specific rare variants in their upstream regions. Unexpectedly, the majority of missense variants in NTD cases were found in CYP26B1, which encodes a RA degradation enzyme, whereas no missense variants in this gene were found in controls. Functional analysis indicated that the CYP26B1 NTD variants were inefficient in the degradation of RA using assays of RA-induced transcription and RA-initiated neuronal differentiation. Our study supports the contribution of rare variants in RA-related genes to the etiology of human NTDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huili Li
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Children’s Hospital Colorado, Aurora, Colorado 80045
- Beijing Municipal Key Laboratory of Child Development and Nutriomics, Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing 100020, China
| | - Jing Zhang
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Children’s Hospital Colorado, Aurora, Colorado 80045
| | - Shuyuan Chen
- Department of Pediatrics, XiangYa Hospital of Central South University, Changsha 410008, China
| | - Fang Wang
- Beijing Municipal Key Laboratory of Child Development and Nutriomics, Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing 100020, China
| | - Ting Zhang
- Beijing Municipal Key Laboratory of Child Development and Nutriomics, Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing 100020, China
| | - Lee Niswander
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Children’s Hospital Colorado, Aurora, Colorado 80045
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