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Tanaka T, Chung HL. Exploiting fly models to investigate rare human neurological disorders. Neural Regen Res 2025; 20:21-28. [PMID: 38767473 PMCID: PMC11246155 DOI: 10.4103/nrr.nrr-d-23-01847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 03/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Rare neurological diseases, while individually are rare, collectively impact millions globally, leading to diverse and often severe neurological symptoms. Often attributed to genetic mutations that disrupt protein function or structure, understanding their genetic basis is crucial for accurate diagnosis and targeted therapies. To investigate the underlying pathogenesis of these conditions, researchers often use non-mammalian model organisms, such as Drosophila (fruit flies), which is valued for their genetic manipulability, cost-efficiency, and preservation of genes and biological functions across evolutionary time. Genetic tools available in Drosophila, including CRISPR-Cas9, offer a means to manipulate gene expression, allowing for a deep exploration of the genetic underpinnings of rare neurological diseases. Drosophila boasts a versatile genetic toolkit, rapid generation turnover, and ease of large-scale experimentation, making it an invaluable resource for identifying potential drug candidates. Researchers can expose flies carrying disease-associated mutations to various compounds, rapidly pinpointing promising therapeutic agents for further investigation in mammalian models and, ultimately, clinical trials. In this comprehensive review, we explore rare neurological diseases where fly research has significantly contributed to our understanding of their genetic basis, pathophysiology, and potential therapeutic implications. We discuss rare diseases associated with both neuron-expressed and glial-expressed genes. Specific cases include mutations in CDK19 resulting in epilepsy and developmental delay, mutations in TIAM1 leading to a neurodevelopmental disorder with seizures and language delay, and mutations in IRF2BPL causing seizures, a neurodevelopmental disorder with regression, loss of speech, and abnormal movements. And we explore mutations in EMC1 related to cerebellar atrophy, visual impairment, psychomotor retardation, and gain-of-function mutations in ACOX1 causing Mitchell syndrome. Loss-of-function mutations in ACOX1 result in ACOX1 deficiency, characterized by very-long-chain fatty acid accumulation and glial degeneration. Notably, this review highlights how modeling these diseases in Drosophila has provided valuable insights into their pathophysiology, offering a platform for the rapid identification of potential therapeutic interventions. Rare neurological diseases involve a wide range of expression systems, and sometimes common phenotypes can be found among different genes that cause abnormalities in neurons or glia. Furthermore, mutations within the same gene may result in varying functional outcomes, such as complete loss of function, partial loss of function, or gain-of-function mutations. The phenotypes observed in patients can differ significantly, underscoring the complexity of these conditions. In conclusion, Drosophila represents an indispensable and cost-effective tool for investigating rare neurological diseases. By facilitating the modeling of these conditions, Drosophila contributes to a deeper understanding of their genetic basis, pathophysiology, and potential therapies. This approach accelerates the discovery of promising drug candidates, ultimately benefiting patients affected by these complex and understudied diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomomi Tanaka
- Department of Neurology, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Hyung-Lok Chung
- Department of Neurology, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Neurology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA
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2
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Her Y, Pascual DM, Goldstone-Joubert Z, Marcogliese PC. Variant functional assessment in Drosophila by overexpression: what can we learn? Genome 2024; 67:158-167. [PMID: 38412472 DOI: 10.1139/gen-2023-0135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
The last decade has been highlighted by the increased use of next-generation DNA sequencing technology to identify novel human disease genes. A critical downstream part of this process is assigning function to a candidate gene variant. Functional studies in Drosophila melanogaster, the common fruit fly, have made a prominent contribution in annotating variant impact in an in vivo system. The use of patient-derived knock-in flies or rescue-based, "humanization", approaches are novel and valuable strategies in variant testing but have been recently widely reviewed. An often-overlooked strategy for determining variant impact has been GAL4/upstream activation sequence-mediated tissue-defined overexpression in Drosophila. This mini-review will summarize the recent contribution of ectopic overexpression of human reference and variant cDNA in Drosophila to assess variant function, interpret the consequence of the variant, and in some cases infer biological mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yina Her
- Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
- Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba (CHRIM), University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Danielle M Pascual
- Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
- Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba (CHRIM), University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Zoe Goldstone-Joubert
- Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
- Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba (CHRIM), University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Paul C Marcogliese
- Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
- Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba (CHRIM), University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
- Excellence in Neurodevelopment and Rehabilitation Research in Child Health (ENRRICH) Theme, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
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3
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Gregor A, Zweier C. Modelling phenotypes, variants and pathomechanisms of syndromic diseases in different systems. MED GENET-BERLIN 2024; 36:121-131. [PMID: 38854643 PMCID: PMC11154186 DOI: 10.1515/medgen-2024-2020] [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] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
In this review we describe different model organisms and systems that are commonly used to study syndromic disorders. Different use cases in modeling diseases, underlying pathomechanisms and specific effects of certain variants are elucidated. We also highlight advantages and limitations of different systems. Models discussed include budding yeast, the nematode worm, the fruit fly, the frog, zebrafish, mice and human cell-based systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Gregor
- University of BernDepartment of Human GeneticsInselspital Bern3010BernSwitzerland
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Woods E, Holmes N, Albaba S, Evans IR, Balasubramanian M. ASXL3-related disorder: Molecular phenotyping and comprehensive review providing insights into disease mechanism. Clin Genet 2024; 105:470-487. [PMID: 38420660 DOI: 10.1111/cge.14506] [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: 01/04/2024] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
ASXL3-related disorder, sometimes referred to as Bainbridge-Ropers syndrome, was first identified as a distinct neurodevelopmental disorder by Bainbridge et al. in 2013. Since then, there have been a number of case series and single case reports published worldwide. A comprehensive review of the literature was carried out. Abstracts were screened, relevant literature was analysed, and descriptions of common phenotypic features were quantified. ASXL3 variants were collated and categorised. Common phenotypic features comprised global developmental delay or intellectual disability (97%), feeding problems (76%), hypotonia (88%) and characteristic facial features (93%). The majority of genetic variants were de novo truncating variants in exon 11 or 12 of the ASXL3 gene. Several gaps in our knowledge of this disorder were identified, namely, underlying pathophysiology and disease mechanism, disease contribution of missense variants, relevance of variant location, prevalence and penetrance data. Clinical information is currently limited by patient numbers and lack of longitudinal data, which this review aims to address.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Woods
- Sheffield Clinical Genetics Service, Sheffield Children's Hospital, Sheffield, UK
- Division of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine and Population Health, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Nicola Holmes
- Sheffield Diagnostic Genetics Service, Sheffield Children's Hospital, Sheffield, UK
| | - Shadi Albaba
- Sheffield Diagnostic Genetics Service, Sheffield Children's Hospital, Sheffield, UK
| | - Iwan R Evans
- Division of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine and Population Health, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
- The Bateson Centre, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Meena Balasubramanian
- Sheffield Clinical Genetics Service, Sheffield Children's Hospital, Sheffield, UK
- Division of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine and Population Health, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
- The Bateson Centre, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
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Alaraby M, Abass D, Farre M, Hernández A, Marcos R. Are bioplastics safe? Hazardous effects of polylactic acid (PLA) nanoplastics in Drosophila. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 919:170592. [PMID: 38354814 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Revised: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
The expanded uses of bioplastics require understanding the potential health risks associated with their exposure. To address this issue, Drosophila melanogaster as a versatile terrestrial in vivo model was employed, and polylactic acid nanoplastics (PLA-NPLs), as a proxy for bioplastics, were tested as a material model. Effects were determined in larvae exposed for 4 days to different concentrations (25, 100, and 400 μg/mL) of 463.9 ± 129.4 nm PLA-NPLs. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) approaches permitted the detection of PLA-NPLs in the midgut lumen of Drosophila larvae, interacting with symbiotic bacteria. Enzymatic vacuoles were observed as carriers, collecting PLA-NPLs and enabling the crossing of the peritrophic membrane, finally internalizing into enterocytes. Although no toxic effects were observed in egg-to-adult survival, cell uptake of PLA-NPLs causes cytological disturbances and the formation of large vacuoles. The translocation across the intestinal barrier was demonstrated by their presence in the hemolymph. PLA-NPL exposure triggered intestinal damage, oxidative stress, DNA damage, and inflammation responses, as evaluated via a wide set of marker genes. Collectively, these structural and molecular interferences caused by PLA-NPLs generated high levels of oxidative stress and DNA damage in the hemocytes of Drosophila larvae. The observed effects point out the need for further studies aiming to deepen the health risks of bioplastics before adopting their uses as a safe plastic alternative.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed Alaraby
- Group of Mutagenesis, Department of Genetics and Microbiology, Faculty of Biosciences, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain; Zoology Department, Faculty of Sciences, Sohag University, 82524 Sohag, Egypt.
| | - Doaa Abass
- Group of Mutagenesis, Department of Genetics and Microbiology, Faculty of Biosciences, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain; Zoology Department, Faculty of Sciences, Sohag University, 82524 Sohag, Egypt
| | - Marinella Farre
- Department of Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDÆA-CSIC), 08034 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alba Hernández
- Group of Mutagenesis, Department of Genetics and Microbiology, Faculty of Biosciences, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
| | - Ricard Marcos
- Group of Mutagenesis, Department of Genetics and Microbiology, Faculty of Biosciences, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain.
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6
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Sutton DC, Andrews JC, Dolezal DM, Park YJ, Li H, Eberl DF, Yamamoto S, Groves AK. Comparative exploration of mammalian deafness gene homologues in the Drosophila auditory organ shows genetic correlation between insect and vertebrate hearing. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0297846. [PMID: 38412189 PMCID: PMC10898740 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0297846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/13/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Johnston's organ, the Drosophila auditory organ, is anatomically very different from the mammalian organ of Corti. However, recent evidence indicates significant cellular and molecular similarities exist between vertebrate and invertebrate hearing, suggesting that Drosophila may be a useful platform to determine the function of the many mammalian deafness genes whose underlying biological mechanisms are poorly characterized. Our goal was a comprehensive screen of all known orthologues of mammalian deafness genes in the fruit fly to better understand conservation of hearing mechanisms between the insect and the fly and ultimately gain insight into human hereditary deafness. We used bioinformatic comparisons to screen previously reported human and mouse deafness genes and found that 156 of them have orthologues in Drosophila melanogaster. We used fluorescent imaging of T2A-GAL4 gene trap and GFP or YFP fluorescent protein trap lines for 54 of the Drosophila genes and found 38 to be expressed in different cell types in Johnston's organ. We phenotypically characterized the function of strong loss-of-function mutants in three genes expressed in Johnston's organ (Cad99C, Msp-300, and Koi) using a courtship assay and electrophysiological recordings of sound-evoked potentials. Cad99C and Koi were found to have significant courtship defects. However, when we tested these genes for electrophysiological defects in hearing response, we did not see a significant difference suggesting the courtship defects were not caused by hearing deficiencies. Furthermore, we used a UAS/RNAi approach to test the function of seven genes and found two additional genes, CG5921 and Myo10a, that gave a statistically significant delay in courtship but not in sound-evoked potentials. Our results suggest that many mammalian deafness genes have Drosophila homologues expressed in the Johnston's organ, but that their requirement for hearing may not necessarily be the same as in mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel C. Sutton
- Graduate Program in Genetics & Genomics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Jonathan C. Andrews
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Dylan M. Dolezal
- Department of Biology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, United States of America
| | - Ye Jin Park
- Graduate Program in Development, Disease Models & Therapeutics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Huffington Center on Aging, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Hongjie Li
- Graduate Program in Development, Disease Models & Therapeutics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Huffington Center on Aging, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Daniel F. Eberl
- Department of Biology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, United States of America
| | - Shinya Yamamoto
- Graduate Program in Genetics & Genomics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Graduate Program in Development, Disease Models & Therapeutics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Andrew K. Groves
- Graduate Program in Genetics & Genomics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Graduate Program in Development, Disease Models & Therapeutics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
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7
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Yamamoto S, Kanca O, Wangler MF, Bellen HJ. Integrating non-mammalian model organisms in the diagnosis of rare genetic diseases in humans. Nat Rev Genet 2024; 25:46-60. [PMID: 37491400 DOI: 10.1038/s41576-023-00633-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/27/2023]
Abstract
Next-generation sequencing technology has rapidly accelerated the discovery of genetic variants of interest in individuals with rare diseases. However, showing that these variants are causative of the disease in question is complex and may require functional studies. Use of non-mammalian model organisms - mainly fruitflies (Drosophila melanogaster), nematode worms (Caenorhabditis elegans) and zebrafish (Danio rerio) - enables the rapid and cost-effective assessment of the effects of gene variants, which can then be validated in mammalian model organisms such as mice and in human cells. By probing mechanisms of gene action and identifying interacting genes and proteins in vivo, recent studies in these non-mammalian model organisms have facilitated the diagnosis of numerous genetic diseases and have enabled the screening and identification of therapeutic options for patients. Studies in non-mammalian model organisms have also shown that the biological processes underlying rare diseases can provide insight into more common mechanisms of disease and the biological functions of genes. Here, we discuss the opportunities afforded by non-mammalian model organisms, focusing on flies, worms and fish, and provide examples of their use in the diagnosis of rare genetic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shinya Yamamoto
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Oguz Kanca
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Michael F Wangler
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA.
| | - Hugo J Bellen
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA.
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
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8
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DePew AT, Bruckner JJ, O’Connor-Giles KM, Mosca TJ. Neuronal LRP4 directs the development, maturation, and cytoskeletal organization of peripheral synapses. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.03.564481. [PMID: 37961323 PMCID: PMC10635100 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.03.564481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Synapse development requires multiple signaling pathways to accomplish the myriad of steps needed to ensure a successful connection. Transmembrane receptors on the cell surface are optimally positioned to facilitate communication between the synapse and the rest of the neuron and often function as synaptic organizers to synchronize downstream signaling events. One such organizer, the LDL receptor-related protein LRP4, is a cell surface receptor most well-studied postsynaptically at mammalian neuromuscular junctions. Recent work, however, has identified emerging roles for LRP4 as a presynaptic molecule, but how LRP4 acts as a presynaptic organizer, what roles LRP4 plays in organizing presynaptic biology, and the downstream mechanisms of LRP4 are not well understood. Here we show that LRP4 functions presynaptically at Drosophila neuromuscular synapses, acting in motor neurons to instruct multiple aspects of pre- and postsynaptic development. Loss of presynaptic LRP4 results in a range of developmental defects, impairing active zone organization, synapse growth, physiological function, microtubule organization, synaptic ultrastructure, and synapse maturation. We further demonstrate that LRP4 promotes most aspects of presynaptic development via a downstream SR-protein kinase, SRPK79D. SRPK79D overexpression suppresses synaptic defects associated with loss of lrp4. These data demonstrate a function for LRP4 as a peripheral synaptic organizer acting presynaptically, highlight a downstream mechanism conserved with its CNS function, and indicate previously unappreciated roles for LRP4 in cytoskeletal organization, synapse maturation, and active zone organization, underscoring its developmental importance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison T. DePew
- Dept. of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute of Neuroscience, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107 USA
| | - Joseph J. Bruckner
- Cell and Molecular Biology Training Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706 USA
| | - Kate M. O’Connor-Giles
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912 USA
- Carney Institute for Brain Science, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Timothy J. Mosca
- Dept. of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute of Neuroscience, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107 USA
- Lead Contact
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Guichard A, Lu S, Kanca O, Bressan D, Huang Y, Ma M, Sanz Juste S, Andrews JC, Jay KL, Sneider M, Schwartz R, Huang MC, Bei D, Pan H, Ma L, Lin WW, Auradkar A, Bhagwat P, Park S, Wan KH, Ohsako T, Takano-Shimizu T, Celniker SE, Wangler MF, Yamamoto S, Bellen HJ, Bier E. A comprehensive Drosophila resource to identify key functional interactions between SARS-CoV-2 factors and host proteins. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112842. [PMID: 37480566 PMCID: PMC10962759 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Revised: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Development of effective therapies against SARS-CoV-2 infections relies on mechanistic knowledge of virus-host interface. Abundant physical interactions between viral and host proteins have been identified, but few have been functionally characterized. Harnessing the power of fly genetics, we develop a comprehensive Drosophila COVID-19 resource (DCR) consisting of publicly available strains for conditional tissue-specific expression of all SARS-CoV-2 encoded proteins, UAS-human cDNA transgenic lines encoding established host-viral interacting factors, and GAL4 insertion lines disrupting fly homologs of SARS-CoV-2 human interacting proteins. We demonstrate the utility of the DCR to functionally assess SARS-CoV-2 genes and candidate human binding partners. We show that NSP8 engages in strong genetic interactions with several human candidates, most prominently with the ATE1 arginyltransferase to induce actin arginylation and cytoskeletal disorganization, and that two ATE1 inhibitors can reverse NSP8 phenotypes. The DCR enables parallel global-scale functional analysis of SARS-CoV-2 components in a prime genetic model system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annabel Guichard
- Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, San Diego (UCSD), La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Shenzhao Lu
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Oguz Kanca
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Daniel Bressan
- Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, San Diego (UCSD), La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas (ICB), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, Brazil
| | - Yan Huang
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Mengqi Ma
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Sara Sanz Juste
- Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, San Diego (UCSD), La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Department of Epigenetics & Molecular Carcinogenesis at MD Anderson, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77054, USA; Center for Cancer Epigenetics, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jonathan C Andrews
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Kristy L Jay
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Marketta Sneider
- Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, San Diego (UCSD), La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Ruth Schwartz
- Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, San Diego (UCSD), La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Mei-Chu Huang
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Danqing Bei
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Hongling Pan
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Liwen Ma
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Wen-Wen Lin
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Ankush Auradkar
- Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, San Diego (UCSD), La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Pranjali Bhagwat
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Soo Park
- Biological Systems and Engineering, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Kenneth H Wan
- Biological Systems and Engineering, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Takashi Ohsako
- Advanced Technology Center, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Kyoto 606-8585, Japan
| | - Toshiyuki Takano-Shimizu
- Kyoto Drosophila Stock Center and Faculty of Applied Biology, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Kyoto 616-8354, Japan
| | - Susan E Celniker
- Biological Systems and Engineering, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Michael F Wangler
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Shinya Yamamoto
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Development, Disease Models & Therapeutics Graduate Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
| | - Hugo J Bellen
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
| | - Ethan Bier
- Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, San Diego (UCSD), La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Tata Institute for Genetics and Society - UCSD, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
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10
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Hu Qian S, Shi MW, Wang DY, Fear JM, Chen L, Tu YX, Liu HS, Zhang Y, Zhang SJ, Yu SS, Oliver B, Chen ZX. Integrating massive RNA-seq data to elucidate transcriptome dynamics in Drosophila melanogaster. Brief Bioinform 2023; 24:bbad177. [PMID: 37232385 PMCID: PMC10505420 DOI: 10.1093/bib/bbad177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Revised: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The volume of ribonucleic acid (RNA)-seq data has increased exponentially, providing numerous new insights into various biological processes. However, due to significant practical challenges, such as data heterogeneity, it is still difficult to ensure the quality of these data when integrated. Although some quality control methods have been developed, sample consistency is rarely considered and these methods are susceptible to artificial factors. Here, we developed MassiveQC, an unsupervised machine learning-based approach, to automatically download and filter large-scale high-throughput data. In addition to the read quality used in other tools, MassiveQC also uses the alignment and expression quality as model features. Meanwhile, it is user-friendly since the cutoff is generated from self-reporting and is applicable to multimodal data. To explore its value, we applied MassiveQC to Drosophila RNA-seq data and generated a comprehensive transcriptome atlas across 28 tissues from embryogenesis to adulthood. We systematically characterized fly gene expression dynamics and found that genes with high expression dynamics were likely to be evolutionarily young and expressed at late developmental stages, exhibiting high nonsynonymous substitution rates and low phenotypic severity, and they were involved in simple regulatory programs. We also discovered that human and Drosophila had strong positive correlations in gene expression in orthologous organs, revealing the great potential of the Drosophila system for studying human development and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheng Hu Qian
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, College of Biomedicine and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Meng-Wei Shi
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, College of Biomedicine and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Dan-Yang Wang
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, College of Biomedicine and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Justin M Fear
- Section of Developmental Genomics, National Institute of Diabetes and Kidney and Digestive Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Lu Chen
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, College of Biomedicine and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Yi-Xuan Tu
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, College of Biomedicine and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Hong-Shan Liu
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, College of Biomedicine and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Yuan Zhang
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, College of Biomedicine and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Shuai-Jie Zhang
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, College of Biomedicine and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Shan-Shan Yu
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, College of Biomedicine and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Brian Oliver
- Section of Developmental Genomics, National Institute of Diabetes and Kidney and Digestive Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Zhen-Xia Chen
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, College of Biomedicine and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
- Section of Developmental Genomics, National Institute of Diabetes and Kidney and Digestive Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Agricultural Bioinformatics, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
- Interdisciplinary Sciences Institute, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
- Shenzhen Institute of Nutrition and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Shenzhen 518000, China
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518000, China
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11
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Guss EJ, Akbergenova Y, Cunningham KL, Littleton JT. Loss of the extracellular matrix protein Perlecan disrupts axonal and synaptic stability during Drosophila development. eLife 2023; 12:RP88273. [PMID: 37368474 PMCID: PMC10328508 DOI: 10.7554/elife.88273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) form essential components of the extracellular matrix (ECM) and basement membrane (BM) and have both structural and signaling roles. Perlecan is a secreted ECM-localized HSPG that contributes to tissue integrity and cell-cell communication. Although a core component of the ECM, the role of Perlecan in neuronal structure and function is less understood. Here, we identify a role for Drosophila Perlecan in the maintenance of larval motoneuron axonal and synaptic stability. Loss of Perlecan causes alterations in the axonal cytoskeleton, followed by axonal breakage and synaptic retraction of neuromuscular junctions. These phenotypes are not prevented by blocking Wallerian degeneration and are independent of Perlecan's role in Wingless signaling. Expression of Perlecan solely in motoneurons cannot rescue synaptic retraction phenotypes. Similarly, removing Perlecan specifically from neurons, glia, or muscle does not cause synaptic retraction, indicating the protein is secreted from multiple cell types and functions non-cell autonomously. Within the peripheral nervous system, Perlecan predominantly localizes to the neural lamella, a specialized ECM surrounding nerve bundles. Indeed, the neural lamella is disrupted in the absence of Perlecan, with axons occasionally exiting their usual boundary in the nerve bundle. In addition, entire nerve bundles degenerate in a temporally coordinated manner across individual hemi-segments throughout larval development. These observations indicate disruption of neural lamella ECM function triggers axonal destabilization and synaptic retraction of motoneurons, revealing a role for Perlecan in axonal and synaptic integrity during nervous system development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellen J Guss
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Biology, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States
| | - Yulia Akbergenova
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Biology, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States
| | - Karen L Cunningham
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Biology, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States
| | - J Troy Littleton
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Biology, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States
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12
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Wolf S, Abhyankar V, Melo D, Ayroles JF, Pallares LF. From GWAS to signal validation: An approach for estimating genetic effects while preserving genomic context. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.09.531909. [PMID: 36945453 PMCID: PMC10028994 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.09.531909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2023]
Abstract
Validating associations between genotypic and phenotypic variation remains a challenge, despite advancements in association studies. Common approaches for signal validation rely on gene-level perturbations, such as loss-of-function mutations or RNAi, which test the effect of genetic modifications usually not observed in nature. CRISPR-based methods can validate associations at the SNP level, but have significant drawbacks, including resulting off-target effects and being both time-consuming and expensive. Both approaches usually modify the genome of a single genetic background, limiting the generalizability of experiments. To address these challenges, we present a simple, low-cost experimental scheme for validating genetic associations at the SNP level in outbred populations. The approach involves genotyping live outbred individuals at a focal SNP, crossing homozygous individuals with the same genotype at that locus, and contrasting phenotypes across resulting synthetic outbred populations. We tested this method in Drosophila melanogaster, measuring the longevity effects of a polymorphism at a naturally-segregating cis-eQTL for the midway gene. Our results demonstrate the utility of this method in SNP-level validation of naturally occurring genetic variation regulating complex traits. This method provides a bridge between the statistical discovery of genotype-phenotype associations and their validation in the natural context of heterogeneous genomic contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott Wolf
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Varada Abhyankar
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Diogo Melo
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Julien F. Ayroles
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Luisa F. Pallares
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Current address: Friedrich Miescher Laboratory of the Max Planck Society, Tübingen, Germany
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13
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Teague AG, Quintero M, Karimi Dermani F, Cagan RL, Bangi E. A polycistronic transgene design for combinatorial genetic perturbations from a single transcript in Drosophila. PLoS Genet 2023; 19:e1010792. [PMID: 37267433 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Experimental models that capture the genetic complexity of human disease and allow mechanistic explorations of the underlying cell, tissue, and organ interactions are crucial to furthering our understanding of disease biology. Such models require combinatorial manipulations of multiple genes, often in more than one tissue at once. The ability to perform complex genetic manipulations in vivo is a key strength of Drosophila, where many tools for sophisticated and orthogonal genetic perturbations exist. However, combining the large number of transgenes required to establish more representative disease models and conducting mechanistic studies in these already complex genetic backgrounds is challenging. Here we present a design that pushes the limits of Drosophila genetics by allowing targeted combinatorial ectopic expression and knockdown of multiple genes from a single inducible transgene. The polycistronic transcript encoded by this transgene includes a synthetic short hairpin cluster cloned within an intron placed at the 5' end of the transcript, followed by two protein-coding sequences separated by the T2A sequence that mediates ribosome skipping. This technology is particularly useful for modeling genetically complex diseases like cancer, which typically involve concurrent activation of multiple oncogenes and loss of multiple tumor suppressors. Furthermore, consolidating multiple genetic perturbations into a single transgene further streamlines the ability to perform combinatorial genetic manipulations and makes it readily adaptable to a broad palette of transgenic systems. This flexible design for combinatorial genetic perturbations will also be a valuable tool for functionally exploring multigenic gene signatures identified from omics studies of human disease and creating humanized Drosophila models to characterize disease-associated variants in human genes. It can also be adapted for studying biological processes underlying normal tissue homeostasis and development that require simultaneous manipulation of many genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander G Teague
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, United States of America
| | - Maria Quintero
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, United States of America
| | - Fateme Karimi Dermani
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, United States of America
| | - Ross L Cagan
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, United States of America
| | - Erdem Bangi
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, United States of America
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14
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Katanaev VL. Humanization for neurological disease modeling: A roadmap to increase the potential of Drosophila model systems. Animal Model Exp Med 2023; 6:230-236. [PMID: 37323110 PMCID: PMC10272901 DOI: 10.1002/ame2.12322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuroscience and neurology research is dominated by experimentation with rodents. Around 75% of neurology disease-associated genes have orthologs in Drosophila melanogaster, the fruit fly amenable to complex neurological and behavioral investigations. However, non-vertebrate models including Drosophila have so far been unable to significantly replace mice and rats in this field of studies. One reason for this situation is the predominance of gene overexpression (and gene loss-of-function) methodologies used when establishing a Drosophila model of a given neurological disease, a strategy that does not recapitulate accurately enough the genetic disease conditions. I argue here the need for a systematic humanization approach, whereby the Drosophila orthologs of human disease genes are replaced with the human sequences. This approach will identify the list of diseases and the underlying genes that can be adequately modeled in the fruit fly. I discuss the neurological disease genes to which this systematic humanization approach should be applied and provide an example of such an application, and consider its importance for subsequent disease modeling and drug discovery in Drosophila. I argue that this paradigm will not only advance our understanding of the molecular etiology of a number of neurological disorders, but will also gradually enable researchers to reduce experimentation using rodent models of multiple neurological diseases and eventually replace these models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladimir L. Katanaev
- Department of Cell Physiology and Metabolism, Faculty of MedicineUniversity of GenevaGenevaSwitzerland
- HumanaFly Facility, Faculty of MedicineUniversity of GenevaGenevaSwitzerland
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15
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Ma M, Zhang X, Zheng Y, Lu S, Pan X, Mao X, Pan H, Chung HL, Wang H, Guo H, Bellen HJ. The fly homolog of SUPT16H, a gene associated with neurodevelopmental disorders, is required in a cell-autonomous fashion for cell survival. Hum Mol Genet 2023; 32:984-997. [PMID: 36255738 PMCID: PMC9991001 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddac259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2022] [Revised: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
SUPT16H encodes the large subunit of the FAcilitate Chromatin Transcription (FACT) complex, which functions as a nucleosome organizer during transcription. We identified two individuals from unrelated families carrying de novo missense variants in SUPT16H. The probands exhibit global developmental delay, intellectual disability, epilepsy, facial dysmorphism and brain structural abnormalities. We used Drosophila to characterize two variants: p.T171I and p.G808R. Loss of the fly ortholog, dre4, causes lethality at an early developmental stage. RNAi-mediated knockdown of dre4 in either glia or neurons causes severely reduced eclosion and longevity. Tissue-specific knockdown of dre4 in the eye or wing leads to the loss of these tissues, whereas overexpression of SUPT16H has no dominant effect. Moreover, expression of the reference SUPT16H significantly rescues the loss-of-function phenotypes in the nervous system as well as wing and eye. In contrast, expression of SUPT16H p.T171I or p.G808R rescues the phenotypes poorly, indicating that the variants are partial loss-of-function alleles. While previous studies argued that the developmental arrest caused by loss of dre4 is due to impaired ecdysone production in the prothoracic gland, our data show that dre4 is required for proper cell growth and survival in multiple tissues in a cell-autonomous manner. Altogether, our data indicate that the de novo loss-of-function variants in SUPT16H are indeed associated with developmental and neurological defects observed in the probands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengqi Ma
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Xi Zhang
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Birth Defects Research, Prevention and Treatment, Hunan Provincial Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China
| | - Yiming Zheng
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Shenzhao Lu
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Xueyang Pan
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Xiao Mao
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Birth Defects Research, Prevention and Treatment, Hunan Provincial Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China
- Department of Medical Genetics, Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Hunan Province, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China
| | - Hongling Pan
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Hyung-lok Chung
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Hua Wang
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Birth Defects Research, Prevention and Treatment, Hunan Provincial Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China
- Department of Medical Genetics, Hunan Children’s Hospital, Changsha, Hunan 410007, China
| | - Hong Guo
- Department of Medical Genetics, Army Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China
| | - Hugo J Bellen
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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16
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Mele S, Martelli F, Lin J, Kanca O, Christodoulou J, Bellen HJ, Piper MDW, Johnson TK. Drosophila as a diet discovery tool for treating amino acid disorders. Trends Endocrinol Metab 2023; 34:85-105. [PMID: 36567227 DOI: 10.1016/j.tem.2022.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Amino acid disorders (AADs) are a large group of rare inherited conditions that collectively impact one in 6500 live births, often resulting in rapid neurological decline and death during infancy. For several AADs, including phenylketonuria, dietary modification prevents physiological deterioration and ameliorates symptoms. Despite this remarkable potential for treatment success, dietary therapy for most AADs remains largely unexplored. Although animal models have provided novel insights into AAD mechanisms, few have been used for therapeutic diet discovery. Here, we find that of all the animal models, Drosophila is particularly well suited for nutrigenomic disease modelling, having amino acid pathways conserved with humans, exceptional genetic tractability, and the unique availability of a synthetic customisable diet.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Mele
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Felipe Martelli
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Jiayi Lin
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Oguz Kanca
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; Duncan Neurological Research Institute of Texas Children's Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - John Christodoulou
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Australia; Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Hugo J Bellen
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; Duncan Neurological Research Institute of Texas Children's Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Matthew D W Piper
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia.
| | - Travis K Johnson
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia.
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17
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Venken KJ, Matinyan N, Gonzalez Y, Dierick HA. Serial Recombineering Cloning to Build Selectable and Tagged Genomic P[acman] BAC Clones for Selection Transgenesis and Functional Gene Analysis using Drosophila melanogaster. Curr Protoc 2023; 3:e675. [PMID: 36757632 PMCID: PMC9923880 DOI: 10.1002/cpz1.675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/10/2023]
Abstract
Transgenes with genomic DNA fragments that encompass genes of interest are the gold standard for complementing null alleles in rescue experiments in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. Of particular interest are genomic DNA clones available as bacterial artificial chromosomes (BACs) or fosmids from publicly available genomic DNA libraries. Genes contained within BAC and fosmid clones can be easily modified by recombineering cloning to insert peptide or protein tags to localize, visualize, or manipulate gene products, and to create point mutations or deletions for structure-function analysis of the inserted genes. However, since transgenesis efficiency is inversely correlated with transgene size, obtaining transgenic animals for increasingly larger BAC and fosmid clones requires increasingly laborious screening efforts using the transgenesis marker commonly used for these transgenes, the dominant eye color marker white+ . We recently described a drug-based selectable genetic platform for Drosophila melanogaster, which included four resistance markers that allow direct selection of transgenic animals, eliminating the need to identify transgenic progeny by laborious phenotypic screening. By integrating these resistance markers into BAC transgenes, we were able to isolate animals containing large transgenes by direct selection, avoiding laborious screening. Here we present procedures on how to upgrade BAC clones by serial recombineering cloning to build both selectable and tagged BAC transgenes, for selection transgenesis and functional gene analysis, respectively. We illustrate these procedures using a BAC clone encompassing the gene encoding the synaptic vesicle protein, cysteine string protein. We demonstrate that the modified BAC clone, serially recombineered with a selectable marker for selection transgenesis and an N-terminal green fluorescent protein tag for gene expression analysis, is functional by showing the expression pattern obtained after successful selection transgenesis. The protocols cover: (1) cloning and preparation of the recombineering templates needed for serial recombineering cloning to incorporate selectable markers and protein tags; (2) preparing electrocompetent cells needed to perform serial recombineering cloning; and (3) the serial recombineering workflow to generate both selectable and tagged genomic BAC reporter transgenes for selection transgenesis and functional gene analysis in Drosophila melanogaster. The protocols we describe can be easily adapted to incorporate any of four selectable markers, protein tags, or any other modification for structure-function analysis of the genes present within any of the BAC or fosmid clones. A protocol for generating transgenic animals using serially recombineered BAC clones is presented in an accompanying Current Protocols article (Venken, Matinyan, Gonzalez, & Dierick, 2023a). © 2023 Wiley Periodicals LLC. Basic Protocol 1: Cloning and preparation of recombineering templates used for serial recombineering cloning. Basic Protocol 2: Making electrocompetent cells of the bacterial strains used to perform serial recombineering cloning or induction of plasmid copy number. Basic Protocol 3: Serial recombineering cloning to generate both selectable and tagged genomic P[acman] BAC reporter transgenes for selection transgenesis and gene expression analysis in Drosophila melanogaster.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koen J.T. Venken
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Integrative Molecular Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- McNair Medical Institute at The Robert and Janice McNair Foundation, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Nick Matinyan
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Integrative Molecular Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Yezabel Gonzalez
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Herman A. Dierick
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
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18
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Venken KJ, Matinyan N, Gonzalez Y, Dierick HA. Multiplexed Transgenic Selection and Counterselection Strategies to Expedite Genetic Manipulation Workflows Using Drosophila melanogaster. Curr Protoc 2023; 3:e652. [PMID: 36757287 PMCID: PMC9923875 DOI: 10.1002/cpz1.652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/10/2023]
Abstract
We recently described a set of four selectable and two counterselectable markers that provide resistance and sensitivity, respectively, against their corresponding drugs using the model organism Drosophila melanogaster. The four selectable markers provide animals with resistance against G418 sulfate, puromycin HCl, blasticidin S, or hygromycin B, whereas the two counterselection markers make animals sensitive to ganciclovir/acyclovir or 5-fluorocytosine. Unlike classical phenotypic markers, whether visual or fluorescent, which require extensive screening of progeny of a genetic cross for desired genotypes, resistance and sensitivity markers eliminate this laborious procedure by directly selecting for, or counterselecting against, the desired genotypes. We demonstrated the usefulness of these markers with three applications: 1) generating dual transgenic animals for binary overexpression (e.g., GAL4/UAS) analysis in a single step through the process of co-injection, followed by co-selection resulting in co-transgenesis; 2) obtaining balancer chromosomes that are both selectable and counterselectable to manipulate crossing schemes for, or against, the presence of the modified balancer chromosome; and 3) making both selectable and fluorescently tagged P[acman] BAC transgenic animals for gene expression and proteomic analysis. Here, we describe detailed procedures for how to use these drug-based selection and counterselection markers in the fruit fly D. melanogaster when making dual transgenic animals for binary overexpression as an example. Dual transgenesis integrates site-specifically into two sites in the genome in a single step, namely both components of the binary GAL4/UAS overexpression system, via a G418 sulfate-selectable GAL4 transactivator plasmid and a blasticidin S-selectable UAS responder plasmid. The process involves co-injecting the two plasmids, followed by co-selection using G418 sulfate and blasticidin S, resulting in co-transgenesis of the two plasmids in the fly genome. We demonstrate the functionality of the procedure based on the expression pattern obtained after dual transgenesis of the two plasmids. We provide protocols on how to prepare drugged fly food vials, determine the effective drug concentration for markers used during transgenic selection and counterselection strategies, and prepare and confirm plasmid DNA for microinjection, followed by the microinjection procedure itself and setting up crossing schemes to isolate desired progeny through selection and/or counterselection. These protocols can be easily adapted to any combination of the six selectable and counterselectable markers we described or any new marker that is resistant or sensitive to a novel drug. Protocols on how to build plasmids by synthetic-assembly DNA cloning or modify plasmids by serial recombineering to perform a plethora of selection, counterselection, or any other genetic strategies are presented in two accompanying Current Protocols articles. © 2023 Wiley Periodicals LLC. Basic Protocol 1: Preparing drugged fly food vials for transgenic selection and counterselection strategies using D. melanogaster Basic Protocol 2: Determining the effective drug concentration for resistance and sensitivity markers used during transgenic selection and counterselection strategies using D. melanogaster Basic Protocol 3: Preparing and confirming plasmid DNA for microinjection to perform transgenic selection and counterselection strategies using D. melanogaster Basic Protocol 4: Microinjecting plasmid DNA into fly embryos to perform transgenic selection and counterselection strategies using D. melanogaster Basic Protocol 5: Crossing schemes to isolate desired progeny through transgenic selection and counterselection strategies using D. melanogaster.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koen J.T. Venken
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Integrative Molecular Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- McNair Medical Institute at The Robert and Janice McNair Foundation, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Nick Matinyan
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Integrative Molecular Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Yezabel Gonzalez
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Herman A. Dierick
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
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19
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Fischer FP, Karge RA, Weber YG, Koch H, Wolking S, Voigt A. Drosophila melanogaster as a versatile model organism to study genetic epilepsies: An overview. Front Mol Neurosci 2023; 16:1116000. [PMID: 36873106 PMCID: PMC9978166 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2023.1116000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2022] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Epilepsy is one of the most prevalent neurological disorders, affecting more than 45 million people worldwide. Recent advances in genetic techniques, such as next-generation sequencing, have driven genetic discovery and increased our understanding of the molecular and cellular mechanisms behind many epilepsy syndromes. These insights prompt the development of personalized therapies tailored to the genetic characteristics of an individual patient. However, the surging number of novel genetic variants renders the interpretation of pathogenetic consequences and of potential therapeutic implications ever more challenging. Model organisms can help explore these aspects in vivo. In the last decades, rodent models have significantly contributed to our understanding of genetic epilepsies but their establishment is laborious, expensive, and time-consuming. Additional model organisms to investigate disease variants on a large scale would be desirable. The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster has been used as a model organism in epilepsy research since the discovery of "bang-sensitive" mutants more than half a century ago. These flies respond to mechanical stimulation, such as a brief vortex, with stereotypic seizures and paralysis. Furthermore, the identification of seizure-suppressor mutations allows to pinpoint novel therapeutic targets. Gene editing techniques, such as CRISPR/Cas9, are a convenient way to generate flies carrying disease-associated variants. These flies can be screened for phenotypic and behavioral abnormalities, shifting of seizure thresholds, and response to anti-seizure medications and other substances. Moreover, modification of neuronal activity and seizure induction can be achieved using optogenetic tools. In combination with calcium and fluorescent imaging, functional alterations caused by mutations in epilepsy genes can be traced. Here, we review Drosophila as a versatile model organism to study genetic epilepsies, especially as 81% of human epilepsy genes have an orthologous gene in Drosophila. Furthermore, we discuss newly established analysis techniques that might be used to further unravel the pathophysiological aspects of genetic epilepsies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian P Fischer
- Department of Epileptology and Neurology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Robin A Karge
- Department of Epileptology and Neurology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Yvonne G Weber
- Department of Epileptology and Neurology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.,Department of Neurology and Epileptology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Henner Koch
- Department of Epileptology and Neurology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Stefan Wolking
- Department of Epileptology and Neurology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Aaron Voigt
- Department of Neurology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.,JARA-BRAIN Institute Molecular Neuroscience and Neuroimaging, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH and RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
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20
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Pan X, Dutta D, Lu S, Bellen HJ. Sphingolipids in neurodegenerative diseases. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1137893. [PMID: 36875645 PMCID: PMC9978793 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1137893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/27/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurodegenerative Diseases (NDDs) are a group of disorders that cause progressive deficits of neuronal function. Recent evidence argues that sphingolipid metabolism is affected in a surprisingly broad set of NDDs. These include some lysosomal storage diseases (LSDs), hereditary sensory and autonomous neuropathy (HSAN), hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP), infantile neuroaxonal dystrophy (INAD), Friedreich's ataxia (FRDA), as well as some forms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Parkinson's disease (PD). Many of these diseases have been modeled in Drosophila melanogaster and are associated with elevated levels of ceramides. Similar changes have also been reported in vertebrate cells and mouse models. Here, we summarize studies using fly models and/or patient samples which demonstrate the nature of the defects in sphingolipid metabolism, the organelles that are implicated, the cell types that are initially affected, and potential therapeutics for these diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueyang Pan
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States.,Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Debdeep Dutta
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States.,Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Shenzhao Lu
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States.,Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Hugo J Bellen
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States.,Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, United States.,Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
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21
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Hopkins CE, Brock T, Caulfield TR, Bainbridge M. Phenotypic screening models for rapid diagnosis of genetic variants and discovery of personalized therapeutics. Mol Aspects Med 2022; 91:101153. [PMID: 36411139 PMCID: PMC10073243 DOI: 10.1016/j.mam.2022.101153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Revised: 10/22/2022] [Accepted: 10/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Precision medicine strives for highly individualized treatments for disease under the notion that each individual's unique genetic makeup and environmental exposures imprints upon them not only a disposition to illness, but also an optimal therapeutic approach. In the realm of rare disorders, genetic predisposition is often the predominant mechanism driving disease presentation. For such, mostly, monogenic disorders, a causal gene to phenotype association is likely. As a result, it becomes important to query the patient's genome for the presence of pathogenic variations that are likely to cause the disease. Determining whether a variant is pathogenic or not is critical to these analyses and can be challenging, as many disease-causing variants are novel and, ergo, have no available functional data to help categorize them. This problem is exacerbated by the need for rapid evaluation of pathogenicity, since many genetic diseases present in young children who will experience increased morbidity and mortality without rapid diagnosis and therapeutics. Here, we discuss the utility of animal models, with a focus mainly on C. elegans, as a contrast to tissue culture and in silico approaches, with emphasis on how these systems are used in determining pathogenicity of variants with uncertain significance and then used to screen for novel therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Thomas R Caulfield
- Mayo Clinic, Department of Neuroscience, Department of Computational Biology, Department of Clinical Genomics, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
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22
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Molnar C, Reina J, Herrero A, Heinen JP, Méndiz V, Bonnal S, Irimia M, Sánchez-Jiménez M, Sánchez-Molina S, Mora J, Gonzalez C. Human EWS-FLI protein recapitulates in Drosophila the neomorphic functions that induce Ewing sarcoma tumorigenesis. PNAS NEXUS 2022; 1:pgac222. [PMID: 36714878 PMCID: PMC9802468 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgac222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Ewing sarcoma (EwS) is a human malignant tumor typically driven by the Ewing sarcoma-Friend leukemia integration (EWS-FLI) fusion protein. A paucity of genetically modified animal models, partially owed to the high toxicity of EWS-FLI, hinders research on EwS. Here, we report a spontaneous mutant variant, EWS-FLI1FS, that circumvents the toxicity issue in Drosophila. Through proteomic and genomic analyses, we show that human EWS-FLI1FS interacts with the Drosophila homologues of EWS-FLI human protein partners, including core subunits of chromatin remodeling complexes, the transcription machinery, and the spliceosome; brings about a massive dysregulation of transcription that affects a significant fraction of known targets of EWS-FLI in human cells; and modulates splicing. We also show that EWS-FLI1FS performs in Drosophila the two major neomorphic activities that it is known to have in human cells: activation of transcription from GGAA microsatellites and out competition of ETS transcription factors. We conclude that EWS-FLI1FS reproduces in Drosophila the known oncogenic activities of EWS-FLI that drive EwS tumorigenesis in humans. These results open up an unprecedented opportunity to investigate EWS-FLI's oncogenic pathways in vivo in a genetically tractable organism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Molnar
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Carrer Baldiri Reixac 10, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jose Reina
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Carrer Baldiri Reixac 10, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Anastasia Herrero
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Carrer Baldiri Reixac 10, 08028 Barcelona, Spain,Developmental Tumor Biology Laboratory, Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat 08950 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jan Peter Heinen
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Carrer Baldiri Reixac 10, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Victoria Méndiz
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Carrer Baldiri Reixac 10, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sophie Bonnal
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, 08003 Barcelona, Spain,Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), 08002 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Manuel Irimia
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, 08003 Barcelona, Spain,Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), 08002 Barcelona, Spain,Institucio Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Pg Lluis Companys 23, 08010 Barcelona, Spain
| | - María Sánchez-Jiménez
- Developmental Tumor Biology Laboratory, Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat 08950 Barcelona, Spain,Pediatric Cancer Center Barcelona (PCCB), Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, 08950 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sara Sánchez-Molina
- Developmental Tumor Biology Laboratory, Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat 08950 Barcelona, Spain,Pediatric Cancer Center Barcelona (PCCB), Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, 08950 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jaume Mora
- To whom correspondence should be addressed:
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23
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Chilian M, Vargas Parra K, Sandoval A, Ramirez J, Yoon WH. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated tissue-specific knockout and cDNA rescue using sgRNAs that target exon-intron junctions in Drosophila melanogaster. STAR Protoc 2022; 3:101465. [PMID: 35719725 PMCID: PMC9204798 DOI: 10.1016/j.xpro.2022.101465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
In this protocol, we take CRISPR/Cas9 and Gal4/UAS approaches to achieve tissue-specific knockout in parallel with rescue of the knockout by cDNA expression in Drosophila. We demonstrate that guide RNAs targeting the exon-intron junction of target genes cleave the genomic locus of the genes, but not UAS-cDNA transgenes, in a tissue where Gal4 drives Cas9 expression. The efficiency of this approach enables the determination of pathogenicity of disease-associated variants in human genes in a tissue-specific manner in Drosophila. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Yap et al. (2021).
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Affiliation(s)
- Madison Chilian
- Aging and Metabolism Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| | - Karen Vargas Parra
- Aging and Metabolism Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| | - Abigail Sandoval
- Aging and Metabolism Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| | - Juan Ramirez
- Aging and Metabolism Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| | - Wan Hee Yoon
- Aging and Metabolism Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
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24
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Cheng KC, Burdine RD, Dickinson ME, Ekker SC, Lin AY, Lloyd KCK, Lutz CM, MacRae CA, Morrison JH, O'Connor DH, Postlethwait JH, Rogers CD, Sanchez S, Simpson JH, Talbot WS, Wallace DC, Weimer JM, Bellen HJ. Promoting validation and cross-phylogenetic integration in model organism research. Dis Model Mech 2022; 15:276675. [PMID: 36125045 PMCID: PMC9531892 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.049600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Model organism (MO) research provides a basic understanding of biology and disease due to the evolutionary conservation of the molecular and cellular language of life. MOs have been used to identify and understand the function of orthologous genes, proteins, cells and tissues involved in biological processes, to develop and evaluate techniques and methods, and to perform whole-organism-based chemical screens to test drug efficacy and toxicity. However, a growing richness of datasets and the rising power of computation raise an important question: How do we maximize the value of MOs? In-depth discussions in over 50 virtual presentations organized by the National Institutes of Health across more than 10 weeks yielded important suggestions for improving the rigor, validation, reproducibility and translatability of MO research. The effort clarified challenges and opportunities for developing and integrating tools and resources. Maintenance of critical existing infrastructure and the implementation of suggested improvements will play important roles in maintaining productivity and facilitating the validation of animal models of human biology and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keith C Cheng
- Department of Pathology, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA 17033, USA.,Institute for Computational and Data Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Rebecca D Burdine
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA
| | - Mary E Dickinson
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77007, USA.,Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77007, USA
| | - Stephen C Ekker
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55906, USA
| | - Alex Y Lin
- Department of Pathology, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA 17033, USA
| | - K C Kent Lloyd
- Mouse Biology Program, School of Medicinel, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95618, USA.,Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95618, USA
| | - Cathleen M Lutz
- The Jackson Laboratory, Genetic Resource Science, Bar Harbor, ME 04609, USA
| | - Calum A MacRae
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 360 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - John H Morrison
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA.,Department of Neurology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - David H O'Connor
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University ofWisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53711, USA
| | | | - Crystal D Rogers
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Susan Sanchez
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, The University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Julie H Simpson
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93117, USA
| | - William S Talbot
- Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Douglas C Wallace
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Jill M Weimer
- Pediatrics and Rare Diseases Group, Sanford Research, Sioux Falls, SD 57104, USA
| | - Hugo J Bellen
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Neurological Research Institute (TCH), Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77007, USA
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25
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Ma M, Moulton MJ, Lu S, Bellen HJ. 'Fly-ing' from rare to common neurodegenerative disease mechanisms. Trends Genet 2022; 38:972-984. [PMID: 35484057 PMCID: PMC9378361 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2022.03.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Revised: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Advances in genome sequencing have enabled researchers and clinicians to probe vast numbers of human variants to distinguish pathogenic from benign variants. Model organisms have been crucial in variant assessment and in delineating the molecular mechanisms of some of the diseases caused by these variants. The fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, has played a valuable role in this endeavor, taking advantage of its genetic technologies and established biological knowledge. We highlight the utility of the fly in studying the function of genes associated with rare neurological diseases that have led to a better understanding of common disease mechanisms. We emphasize that shared themes emerge among disease mechanisms, including the importance of lipids, in two prominent neurodegenerative diseases: Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD).
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengqi Ma
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Matthew J Moulton
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Shenzhao Lu
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Hugo J Bellen
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
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26
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Barish S, Senturk M, Schoch K, Minogue AL, Lopergolo D, Fallerini C, Harland J, Seemann JH, Stong N, Kranz PG, Kansagra S, Mikati MA, Jasien J, El-Dairi M, Galluzzi P, Ariani F, Renieri A, Mari F, Wangler MF, Arur S, Jiang YH, Yamamoto S, Shashi V, Bellen HJ. The microRNA processor DROSHA is a candidate gene for a severe progressive neurological disorder. Hum Mol Genet 2022; 31:2934-2950. [PMID: 35405010 PMCID: PMC9433733 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddac085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Revised: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
DROSHA encodes a ribonuclease that is a subunit of the Microprocessor complex and is involved in the first step of microRNA (miRNA) biogenesis. To date, DROSHA has not yet been associated with a Mendelian disease. Here, we describe two individuals with profound intellectual disability, epilepsy, white matter atrophy, microcephaly and dysmorphic features, who carry damaging de novo heterozygous variants in DROSHA. DROSHA is constrained for missense variants and moderately intolerant to loss-of-function (o/e = 0.24). The loss of the fruit fly ortholog drosha causes developmental arrest and death in third instar larvae, a severe reduction in brain size and loss of imaginal discs in the larva. Loss of drosha in eye clones causes small and rough eyes in adult flies. One of the identified DROSHA variants (p.Asp1219Gly) behaves as a strong loss-of-function allele in flies, while another variant (p.Arg1342Trp) is less damaging in our assays. In worms, a knock-in that mimics the p.Asp1219Gly variant at a worm equivalent residue causes loss of miRNA expression and heterochronicity, a phenotype characteristic of the loss of miRNA. Together, our data show that the DROSHA variants found in the individuals presented here are damaging based on functional studies in model organisms and likely underlie the severe phenotype involving the nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott Barish
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Mumine Senturk
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, BCM, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Program in Developmental Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Kelly Schoch
- Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Amanda L Minogue
- Program in Developmental Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Department of Genetics, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Diego Lopergolo
- Med Biotech Hub and Competence Center, Department of Medical Biotechnologies, University of Siena, Siena 53100, Italy
- Medical Genetics, University of Siena, Siena 53100, Italy
- Genetica Medica, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Senese, Siena 53100, Italy
| | - Chiara Fallerini
- Med Biotech Hub and Competence Center, Department of Medical Biotechnologies, University of Siena, Siena 53100, Italy
- Medical Genetics, University of Siena, Siena 53100, Italy
| | - Jake Harland
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Jacob H Seemann
- Department of Genetics, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Nicholas Stong
- Institute for Genomic Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Peter G Kranz
- Division of Neuroradiology, Department of Radiology, Duke Health, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Sujay Kansagra
- Division of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Duke Health, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Mohamad A Mikati
- Division of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Duke Health, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Joan Jasien
- Division of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Duke Health, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Mays El-Dairi
- Department of Ophthalmology, Duke Health, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Paolo Galluzzi
- Department of Medical Genetics, NeuroImaging and NeuroInterventional Unit, Azienda Ospedaliera e Universitaria, Senese, Siena 53100, Italy
| | - Francesca Ariani
- Med Biotech Hub and Competence Center, Department of Medical Biotechnologies, University of Siena, Siena 53100, Italy
- Medical Genetics, University of Siena, Siena 53100, Italy
- Genetica Medica, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Senese, Siena 53100, Italy
| | - Alessandra Renieri
- Med Biotech Hub and Competence Center, Department of Medical Biotechnologies, University of Siena, Siena 53100, Italy
- Medical Genetics, University of Siena, Siena 53100, Italy
- Genetica Medica, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Senese, Siena 53100, Italy
| | - Francesca Mari
- Med Biotech Hub and Competence Center, Department of Medical Biotechnologies, University of Siena, Siena 53100, Italy
- Medical Genetics, University of Siena, Siena 53100, Italy
- Genetica Medica, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Senese, Siena 53100, Italy
| | - Michael F Wangler
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Program in Developmental Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Swathi Arur
- Department of Genetics, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Yong-Hui Jiang
- Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
- Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Shinya Yamamoto
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Program in Developmental Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Vandana Shashi
- Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Hugo J Bellen
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, BCM, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Program in Developmental Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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27
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Haddadi M, Ataei R. wde, calpA, if, dap160, and poe genes knock down Drosophila models exhibit neurofunctional deficit. Gene 2022; 829:146499. [PMID: 35447243 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2022.146499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2022] [Revised: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 04/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Intellectual disability (ID) is a heterogeneous disorder with high prevalence and remarkable social and cost burdens. Novel genetic variants of ATF7IP, CAPN9, ITGAV, ITSN1, and UBR4 genes are reported to be associated with the ID among Iranian families. However, in vivo validation is required to confirm the functional role of these variants in ID development. Drosophila melanogaster is a convenient model for such functional investigations as its genome bears ortholog of more than 75% of the disease-causing genes in human and represents numerous approaches to study defects in neuronal function. In this connection, RNAi gene silencing was applied to wde, calpA, if, dap160, and poe genes, the Drosophila ortholog of the selected human genes, and then consequent structural and functional changes in neurons were studied by means of immunohistochemistry and confocal microscopy of mushroom bodies (MBs) and validated behavioural assays including larvae and adult conditioning learning and memories, and ethanol sensitivity. Down-regulation of these genes led to neuronal loss which was evident by decline in total fluorescent signal intensity in micrographs of MBs structure. The gene silencing caused neuronal dysfunction and induction of ID-like symptoms manifested by deficits in larval preference learning, and short-term olfactory memory and courtship suppression learning in adults. Moreover, the RNAi flies showed higher sensitivity to ethanol vapour. Interestingly, the poe knock-down flies exhibited the most severe phenotypes among other genes. Altogether, we believe this study is first-of-its-kind and findings are highly applicable to confirm pathogenecity of the selected ID gene variants in Iranian population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Haddadi
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zabol, Zabol, Iran.
| | - Reza Ataei
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zabol, Zabol, Iran
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28
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Kachroo AH, Vandeloo M, Greco BM, Abdullah M. Humanized yeast to model human biology, disease and evolution. Dis Model Mech 2022; 15:275614. [PMID: 35661208 PMCID: PMC9194483 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.049309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
For decades, budding yeast, a single-cellular eukaryote, has provided remarkable insights into human biology. Yeast and humans share several thousand genes despite morphological and cellular differences and over a billion years of separate evolution. These genes encode critical cellular processes, the failure of which in humans results in disease. Although recent developments in genome engineering of mammalian cells permit genetic assays in human cell lines, there is still a need to develop biological reagents to study human disease variants in a high-throughput manner. Many protein-coding human genes can successfully substitute for their yeast equivalents and sustain yeast growth, thus opening up doors for developing direct assays of human gene function in a tractable system referred to as 'humanized yeast'. Humanized yeast permits the discovery of new human biology by measuring human protein activity in a simplified organismal context. This Review summarizes recent developments showing how humanized yeast can directly assay human gene function and explore variant effects at scale. Thus, by extending the 'awesome power of yeast genetics' to study human biology, humanizing yeast reinforces the high relevance of evolutionarily distant model organisms to explore human gene evolution, function and disease.
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Lu S, Hernan R, Marcogliese PC, Huang Y, Gertler TS, Akcaboy M, Liu S, Chung HL, Pan X, Sun X, Oguz MM, Oztoprak U, de Baaij JH, Ivanisevic J, McGinnis E, Guillen Sacoto MJ, Chung WK, Bellen HJ. Loss-of-function variants in TIAM1 are associated with developmental delay, intellectual disability, and seizures. Am J Hum Genet 2022; 109:571-586. [PMID: 35240055 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2022.01.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
TIAM Rac1-associated GEF 1 (TIAM1) regulates RAC1 signaling pathways that affect the control of neuronal morphogenesis and neurite outgrowth by modulating the actin cytoskeletal network. To date, TIAM1 has not been associated with a Mendelian disorder. Here, we describe five individuals with bi-allelic TIAM1 missense variants who have developmental delay, intellectual disability, speech delay, and seizures. Bioinformatic analyses demonstrate that these variants are rare and likely pathogenic. We found that the Drosophila ortholog of TIAM1, still life (sif), is expressed in larval and adult central nervous system (CNS) and is mainly expressed in a subset of neurons, but not in glia. Loss of sif reduces the survival rate, and the surviving adults exhibit climbing defects, are prone to severe seizures, and have a short lifespan. The TIAM1 reference (Ref) cDNA partially rescues the sif loss-of-function (LoF) phenotypes. We also assessed the function associated with three TIAM1 variants carried by two of the probands and compared them to the TIAM1 Ref cDNA function in vivo. TIAM1 p.Arg23Cys has reduced rescue ability when compared to TIAM1 Ref, suggesting that it is a partial LoF variant. In ectopic expression studies, both wild-type sif and TIAM1 Ref are toxic, whereas the three variants (p.Leu862Phe, p.Arg23Cys, and p.Gly328Val) show reduced toxicity, suggesting that they are partial LoF variants. In summary, we provide evidence that sif is important for appropriate neural function and that TIAM1 variants observed in the probands are disruptive, thus implicating loss of TIAM1 in neurological phenotypes in humans.
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Disease Modeling of Rare Neurological Disorders in Zebrafish. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23073946. [PMID: 35409306 PMCID: PMC9000079 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23073946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2022] [Revised: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Rare diseases are those which affect a small number of people compared to the general population. However, many patients with a rare disease remain undiagnosed, and a large majority of rare diseases still have no form of viable treatment. Approximately 40% of rare diseases include neurologic and neurodevelopmental disorders. In order to understand the characteristics of rare neurological disorders and identify causative genes, various model organisms have been utilized extensively. In this review, the characteristics of model organisms, such as roundworms, fruit flies, and zebrafish, are examined, with an emphasis on zebrafish disease modeling in rare neurological disorders.
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31
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Marcogliese PC, Deal SL, Andrews J, Harnish JM, Bhavana VH, Graves HK, Jangam S, Luo X, Liu N, Bei D, Chao YH, Hull B, Lee PT, Pan H, Bhadane P, Huang MC, Longley CM, Chao HT, Chung HL, Haelterman NA, Kanca O, Manivannan SN, Rossetti LZ, German RJ, Gerard A, Schwaibold EMC, Fehr S, Guerrini R, Vetro A, England E, Murali CN, Barakat TS, van Dooren MF, Wilke M, van Slegtenhorst M, Lesca G, Sabatier I, Chatron N, Brownstein CA, Madden JA, Agrawal PB, Keren B, Courtin T, Perrin L, Brugger M, Roser T, Leiz S, Mau-Them FT, Delanne J, Sukarova-Angelovska E, Trajkova S, Rosenhahn E, Strehlow V, Platzer K, Keller R, Pavinato L, Brusco A, Rosenfeld JA, Marom R, Wangler MF, Yamamoto S. Drosophila functional screening of de novo variants in autism uncovers damaging variants and facilitates discovery of rare neurodevelopmental diseases. Cell Rep 2022; 38:110517. [PMID: 35294868 PMCID: PMC8983390 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Revised: 09/23/2021] [Accepted: 02/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibit an increased burden of de novo mutations (DNMs) in a broadening range of genes. While these studies have implicated hundreds of genes in ASD pathogenesis, which DNMs cause functional consequences in vivo remains unclear. We functionally test the effects of ASD missense DNMs using Drosophila through "humanization" rescue and overexpression-based strategies. We examine 79 ASD variants in 74 genes identified in the Simons Simplex Collection and find 38% of them to cause functional alterations. Moreover, we identify GLRA2 as the cause of a spectrum of neurodevelopmental phenotypes beyond ASD in 13 previously undiagnosed subjects. Functional characterization of variants in ASD candidate genes points to conserved neurobiological mechanisms and facilitates gene discovery for rare neurodevelopmental diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul C Marcogliese
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine (BCM), Houston, TX 77030, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital (TCH), Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Samantha L Deal
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital (TCH), Houston, TX 77030, USA; Program in Developmental Biology, BCM, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Jonathan Andrews
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine (BCM), Houston, TX 77030, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital (TCH), Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - J Michael Harnish
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine (BCM), Houston, TX 77030, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital (TCH), Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - V Hemanjani Bhavana
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine (BCM), Houston, TX 77030, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital (TCH), Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Hillary K Graves
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine (BCM), Houston, TX 77030, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital (TCH), Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Sharayu Jangam
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine (BCM), Houston, TX 77030, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital (TCH), Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Xi Luo
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine (BCM), Houston, TX 77030, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital (TCH), Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology/Oncology, BCM, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Ning Liu
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine (BCM), Houston, TX 77030, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital (TCH), Houston, TX 77030, USA; Baylor Genetics Laboratories, Houston, TX 77021, USA
| | - Danqing Bei
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine (BCM), Houston, TX 77030, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital (TCH), Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Yu-Hsin Chao
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine (BCM), Houston, TX 77030, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital (TCH), Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Brooke Hull
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine (BCM), Houston, TX 77030, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital (TCH), Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Pei-Tseng Lee
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine (BCM), Houston, TX 77030, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital (TCH), Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Hongling Pan
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine (BCM), Houston, TX 77030, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital (TCH), Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Pradnya Bhadane
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine (BCM), Houston, TX 77030, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital (TCH), Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Mei-Chu Huang
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine (BCM), Houston, TX 77030, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital (TCH), Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Colleen M Longley
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital (TCH), Houston, TX 77030, USA; Program in Developmental Biology, BCM, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Hsiao-Tuan Chao
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine (BCM), Houston, TX 77030, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital (TCH), Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neurology and Developmental Neuroscience, BCM, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Neuroscience, BCM, Houston, TX 77030, USA; McNair Medical Institute, The Robert and Janice McNair Foundation, Houston, TX 77030, USA; TCH, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Development, Disease Models & Therapeutics Graduate Program, BCM, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Hyung-Lok Chung
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine (BCM), Houston, TX 77030, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital (TCH), Houston, TX 77030, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Nele A Haelterman
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine (BCM), Houston, TX 77030, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital (TCH), Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Oguz Kanca
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine (BCM), Houston, TX 77030, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital (TCH), Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Sathiya N Manivannan
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine (BCM), Houston, TX 77030, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital (TCH), Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Linda Z Rossetti
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine (BCM), Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Ryan J German
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine (BCM), Houston, TX 77030, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital (TCH), Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Amanda Gerard
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine (BCM), Houston, TX 77030, USA; TCH, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | | | - Sarah Fehr
- Praxis für Humangenetik Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Renzo Guerrini
- Neuroscience Department, Children's Hospital Meyer-University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Annalisa Vetro
- Neuroscience Department, Children's Hospital Meyer-University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Eleina England
- The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Chaya N Murali
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine (BCM), Houston, TX 77030, USA; TCH, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Tahsin Stefan Barakat
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Marieke F van Dooren
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Martina Wilke
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Marjon van Slegtenhorst
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Gaetan Lesca
- Department of Medical Genetics, Lyon University Hospital, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France; Institut NeuroMyoGène, CNRS UMR 5310 - INSERM U1217, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France
| | - Isabelle Sabatier
- Department of Pediatric Neurology, Lyon University Hospitals, Lyon, France
| | - Nicolas Chatron
- Department of Medical Genetics, Lyon University Hospital, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France; Institut NeuroMyoGène, CNRS UMR 5310 - INSERM U1217, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France
| | - Catherine A Brownstein
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; The Manton Center for Orphan Disease Research, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jill A Madden
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; The Manton Center for Orphan Disease Research, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Pankaj B Agrawal
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; The Manton Center for Orphan Disease Research, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Division of Newborn Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Boris Keren
- Genetic Department, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, APHP.Sorbonne Université, Paris 75013, France
| | - Thomas Courtin
- Genetic Department, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, APHP.Sorbonne Université, Paris 75013, France
| | - Laurence Perrin
- Genetic Department, Robert Debré Hospital, APHP.Nord-Université de Paris, Paris 75019, France
| | - Melanie Brugger
- Institute of Human Genetics, Technical University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Timo Roser
- Division of Pediatric Neurology, Developmental Medicine and Social Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, Dr. von Hauner Children's Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Lindwurmstraße 4, 80337 Munich, Germany
| | - Steffen Leiz
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Hospital Dritter Orden, Munich, Germany
| | - Frederic Tran Mau-Them
- INSERM U1231, LNC UMR1231 GAD, Burgundy University, 21000 Dijon, France; Laboratoire de Génétique, Innovation en Diagnostic Génomique des Maladies Rares UF6254, Plateau Technique de Biologie, CHU Dijon, 14 Rue Paul Gaffarel, BP 77908, 21079 Dijon, France
| | - Julian Delanne
- INSERM U1231, LNC UMR1231 GAD, Burgundy University, 21000 Dijon, France
| | - Elena Sukarova-Angelovska
- Department of Endocrinology and Genetics, University Clinic for Children's Diseases, Medical Faculty, University Sv. Kiril i Metodij, Skopje, Republic of Macedonia
| | - Slavica Trajkova
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Erik Rosenhahn
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Vincent Strehlow
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Konrad Platzer
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Roberto Keller
- Adult Autism Center, Mental Health Department, Health Unit ASL Città di Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Lisa Pavinato
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Torino, Turin, Italy; Institute of Human Genetics and Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Alfredo Brusco
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Torino, Turin, Italy; Medical Genetics Unit, Città della Salute e della Scienza, University Hospital, Turin, Italy
| | - Jill A Rosenfeld
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine (BCM), Houston, TX 77030, USA; Baylor Genetics Laboratories, Houston, TX 77021, USA
| | - Ronit Marom
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine (BCM), Houston, TX 77030, USA; TCH, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Michael F Wangler
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine (BCM), Houston, TX 77030, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital (TCH), Houston, TX 77030, USA; TCH, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Development, Disease Models & Therapeutics Graduate Program, BCM, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
| | - Shinya Yamamoto
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine (BCM), Houston, TX 77030, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital (TCH), Houston, TX 77030, USA; Program in Developmental Biology, BCM, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Neuroscience, BCM, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Development, Disease Models & Therapeutics Graduate Program, BCM, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
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Chung HL, Rump P, Lu D, Glassford MR, Mok JW, Fatih J, Basal A, Marcogliese PC, Kanca O, Rapp M, Fock JM, Kamsteeg EJ, Lupski JR, Larson A, Haninbal MC, Bellen H, Harel T. De novo variants in EMC1 lead to neurodevelopmental delay and cerebellar degeneration and affect glial function in Drosophila. Hum Mol Genet 2022; 31:3231-3244. [PMID: 35234901 PMCID: PMC9523557 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddac053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Revised: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-membrane protein complex (EMC) is a multi-protein transmembrane complex composed of 10 subunits that functions as a membrane-protein chaperone. Variants in EMC1 lead to neurodevelopmental delay and cerebellar degeneration. Multiple families with biallelic variants have been published, yet to date, only a single report of a monoallelic variant has been described, and functional evidence is sparse. METHODS Exome sequencing was used to investigate the genetic cause underlying severe developmental delay in three unrelated children. EMC1 variants were modeled in Drosophila, using loss-of-function (LoF) and overexpression studies. Glial-specific and neuronal-specific assays were used to determine whether the dysfunction was specific to one cell type. RESULTS Exome sequencing identified de novo variants in EMC1 in three individuals affected by global developmental delay, hypotonia, seizures, visual impairment and cerebellar atrophy. All variants were located at Pro582 or Pro584. Drosophila studies indicated that imbalance of EMC1-either overexpression or knockdown-results in pupal lethality and suggest that the tested homologous variants are LoF alleles. In addition, glia-specific gene dosage, overexpression or knockdown, of EMC1 led to lethality, whereas neuron-specific alterations were tolerated. DISCUSSION We establish de novo monoallelic EMC1 variants as causative of a neurological disease trait by providing functional evidence in a Drosophila model. The identified variants failed to rescue the lethality of a null allele. Variations in dosage of the wild-type EMC1, specifically in glia, lead to pupal lethality, which we hypothesize results from the altered stoichiometry of the multi-subunit protein complex EMC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyung-Lok Chung
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA,Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Patrick Rump
- University of Groningen, University Medical Centre Groningen, Department of Genetics, Groningen 9700 RB, The Netherlands
| | - Di Lu
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA,Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Megan R Glassford
- Division of Pediatric Genetics, Metabolism & Genomic Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Jung-Wan Mok
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA,Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Jawid Fatih
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Adily Basal
- Department of Genetics, Hadassah Medical Organization, Jerusalem 9112001, Israel
| | - Paul C Marcogliese
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA,Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Oguz Kanca
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA,Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Michele Rapp
- University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 60045, USA
| | - Johanna M Fock
- University of Groningen, University Medical Centre Groningen, Department of Neurology, Groningen 9700 RB, The Netherlands
| | - Erik-Jan Kamsteeg
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen 6500 HB, The Netherlands
| | - James R Lupski
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA,Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA,Department of Pediatrics, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Austin Larson
- University of Colorado School of Medicine and Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, CO 60045, United States
| | - Mark C Haninbal
- Division of Pediatric Genetics, Metabolism & Genomic Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Hugo Bellen
- To whom correspondence should be addressed at: Department of Genetics, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, POB 12000, Jerusalem 9112001, Israel. Tel: +(972)-2-6776329; Fax: +(972)-2-6777618; ; Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA. Tel: +1 832824-8750; Fax: +1832825-1240;
| | - Tamar Harel
- To whom correspondence should be addressed at: Department of Genetics, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, POB 12000, Jerusalem 9112001, Israel. Tel: +(972)-2-6776329; Fax: +(972)-2-6777618; ; Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA. Tel: +1 832824-8750; Fax: +1832825-1240;
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Lee JH. Invertebrate Model Organisms as a Platform to Investigate Rare Human Neurological Diseases. Exp Neurobiol 2022; 31:1-16. [PMID: 35256540 PMCID: PMC8907251 DOI: 10.5607/en22003] [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: 01/22/2022] [Revised: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Patients suffering from rare human diseases often go through a painful journey for finding a definite molecular diagnosis prerequisite of appropriate cures. With a novel variant isolated from a single patient, determination of its pathogenicity to end such "diagnostic odyssey" requires multi-step processes involving experts in diverse areas of interest, including clinicians, bioinformaticians and research scientists. Recent efforts in building large-scale genomic databases and in silico prediction platforms have facilitated identification of potentially pathogenic variants causative of rare human diseases of a Mendelian basis. However, the functional significance of individual variants remains elusive in many cases, thus requiring incorporation of versatile and rapid model organism (MO)-based platforms for functional analyses. In this review, the current scope of rare disease research is briefly discussed. In addition, an overview of invertebrate MOs for their key features relevant to rare neurological diseases is provided, with the characteristics of two representative invertebrate MOs, Drosophila melanogaster and Caenorhabditis elegans, as well as the challenges against them. Finally, recently developed research networks integrating these MOs in collaborative research are portraited with an array of bioinformatical analyses embedded. A comprehensive survey of MO-based research activities provided in this review will help us to design a wellstructured analysis of candidate genes or potentially pathogenic variants for their roles in rare neurological diseases in future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji-Hye Lee
- Department of Oral Pathology & Life Science in Dentistry, School of Dentistry, Pusan National University, Yangsan 50612, Korea.,Dental Life Science Institute, Pusan National University, Yangsan 50612, Korea.,Periodontal Disease Signaling Network Research Center, Pusan National University, Yangsan 50612, Korea
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34
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Ecovoiu AA, Ratiu AC, Micheu MM, Chifiriuc MC. Inter-Species Rescue of Mutant Phenotype—The Standard for Genetic Analysis of Human Genetic Disorders in Drosophila melanogaster Model. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23052613. [PMID: 35269756 PMCID: PMC8909942 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23052613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Revised: 02/23/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Drosophila melanogaster (the fruit fly) is arguably a superstar of genetics, an astonishing versatile experimental model which fueled no less than six Nobel prizes in medicine. Nowadays, an evolving research endeavor is to simulate and investigate human genetic diseases in the powerful D. melanogaster platform. Such a translational experimental strategy is expected to allow scientists not only to understand the molecular mechanisms of the respective disorders but also to alleviate or even cure them. In this regard, functional gene orthology should be initially confirmed in vivo by transferring human or vertebrate orthologous transgenes in specific mutant backgrounds of D. melanogaster. If such a transgene rescues, at least partially, the mutant phenotype, then it qualifies as a strong candidate for modeling the respective genetic disorder in the fruit fly. Herein, we review various examples of inter-species rescue of relevant mutant phenotypes of the fruit fly and discuss how these results recommend several human genes as candidates to study and validate genetic variants associated with human diseases. We also consider that a wider implementation of this evolutionist exploratory approach as a standard for the medicine of genetic disorders would allow this particular field of human health to advance at a faster pace.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandru Al. Ecovoiu
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest, 060101 Bucharest, Romania;
| | - Attila Cristian Ratiu
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest, 060101 Bucharest, Romania;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +40-722250366
| | - Miruna Mihaela Micheu
- Department of Cardiology, Clinical Emergency Hospital of Bucharest, 014461 Bucharest, Romania;
| | - Mariana Carmen Chifiriuc
- The Research Institute of the University of Bucharest and Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest, 050095 Bucharest, Romania;
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Yang SA, Salazar JL, Li-Kroeger D, Yamamoto S. Functional Studies of Genetic Variants Associated with Human Diseases in Notch Signaling-Related Genes Using Drosophila. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2472:235-276. [PMID: 35674905 PMCID: PMC9396741 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2201-8_19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Rare variants in the many genes related to Notch signaling cause diverse Mendelian diseases that affect myriad organ systems. In addition, genome- and exome-wide association studies have linked common and rare variants in Notch-related genes to common diseases and phenotypic traits. Moreover, somatic mutations in these genes have been observed in many types of cancer, some of which are classified as oncogenic and others as tumor suppressive. While functional characterization of some of these variants has been performed through experimental studies, the number of "variants of unknown significance" identified in patients with diverse conditions keeps increasing as high-throughput sequencing technologies become more commonly used in the clinic. Furthermore, as disease gene discovery efforts identify rare variants in human genes that have yet to be linked to a disease, the demand for functional characterization of variants in these "genes of unknown significance" continues to increase. In this chapter, we describe a workflow to functionally characterize a rare variant in a Notch signaling related gene that was found to be associated with late-onset Alzheimer's disease. This pipeline involves informatic analysis of the variant of interest using diverse human and model organism databases, followed by in vivo experiments in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. The protocol described here can be used to study variants that affect amino acids that are not conserved between human and fly. By "humanizing" the almondex gene in Drosophila with mutant alleles and heterologous genomic rescue constructs, a missense variant in TM2D3 (TM2 Domain Containing 3) was shown to be functionally damaging. This, and similar approaches, greatly facilitate functional interpretations of genetic variants in the human genome and propel personalized medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheng-An Yang
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jose L Salazar
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - David Li-Kroeger
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA.
- Department of Neurology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
| | - Shinya Yamamoto
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA.
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
- Development, Disease Models and Therapeutics Graduate Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
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Bilder D, Ong K, Hsi TC, Adiga K, Kim J. Tumour-host interactions through the lens of Drosophila. Nat Rev Cancer 2021; 21:687-700. [PMID: 34389815 PMCID: PMC8669834 DOI: 10.1038/s41568-021-00387-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
There is a large gap between the deep understanding of mechanisms driving tumour growth and the reasons why patients ultimately die of cancer. It is now appreciated that interactions between the tumour and surrounding non-tumour (sometimes referred to as host) cells play critical roles in mortality as well as tumour progression, but much remains unknown about the underlying molecular mechanisms, especially those that act beyond the tumour microenvironment. Drosophila has a track record of high-impact discoveries about cell-autonomous growth regulation, and is well suited to now probe mysteries of tumour - host interactions. Here, we review current knowledge about how fly tumours interact with microenvironmental stroma, circulating innate immune cells and distant organs to influence disease progression. We also discuss reciprocal regulation between tumours and host physiology, with a particular focus on paraneoplasias. The fly's simplicity along with the ability to study lethality directly provide an opportunity to shed new light on how cancer actually kills.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Bilder
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.
| | - Katy Ong
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Tsai-Ching Hsi
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Kavya Adiga
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Jung Kim
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
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Agrawal N, Lawler K, Davidson CM, Keogh JM, Legg R, Barroso I, Farooqi IS, Brand AH. Predicting novel candidate human obesity genes and their site of action by systematic functional screening in Drosophila. PLoS Biol 2021; 19:e3001255. [PMID: 34748544 PMCID: PMC8575313 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 09/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The discovery of human obesity-associated genes can reveal new mechanisms to target for weight loss therapy. Genetic studies of obese individuals and the analysis of rare genetic variants can identify novel obesity-associated genes. However, establishing a functional relationship between these candidate genes and adiposity remains a significant challenge. We uncovered a large number of rare homozygous gene variants by exome sequencing of severely obese children, including those from consanguineous families. By assessing the function of these genes in vivo in Drosophila, we identified 4 genes, not previously linked to human obesity, that regulate adiposity (itpr, dachsous, calpA, and sdk). Dachsous is a transmembrane protein upstream of the Hippo signalling pathway. We found that 3 further members of the Hippo pathway, fat, four-jointed, and hippo, also regulate adiposity and that they act in neurons, rather than in adipose tissue (fat body). Screening Hippo pathway genes in larger human cohorts revealed rare variants in TAOK2 associated with human obesity. Knockdown of Drosophila tao increased adiposity in vivo demonstrating the strength of our approach in predicting novel human obesity genes and signalling pathways and their site of action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neha Agrawal
- The Gurdon Institute and Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Katherine Lawler
- University of Cambridge Metabolic Research Laboratories and NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, Wellcome-MRC Institute of Metabolic Science, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Catherine M. Davidson
- The Gurdon Institute and Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Julia M. Keogh
- University of Cambridge Metabolic Research Laboratories and NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, Wellcome-MRC Institute of Metabolic Science, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Robert Legg
- University of Cambridge Metabolic Research Laboratories and NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, Wellcome-MRC Institute of Metabolic Science, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | | | - Inês Barroso
- University of Cambridge Metabolic Research Laboratories and NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, Wellcome-MRC Institute of Metabolic Science, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- MRC Epidemiology Unit, Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - I. Sadaf Farooqi
- University of Cambridge Metabolic Research Laboratories and NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, Wellcome-MRC Institute of Metabolic Science, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Andrea H. Brand
- The Gurdon Institute and Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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Ravenscroft TA, Phillips JB, Fieg E, Bajikar SS, Peirce J, Wegner J, Luna AA, Fox EJ, Yan YL, Rosenfeld JA, Zirin J, Kanca O, Benke PJ, Cameron ES, Strehlow V, Platzer K, Jamra RA, Klöckner C, Osmond M, Licata T, Rojas S, Dyment D, Chong JSC, Lincoln S, Stoler JM, Postlethwait JH, Wangler MF, Yamamoto S, Krier J, Westerfield M, Bellen HJ. Heterozygous loss-of-function variants significantly expand the phenotypes associated with loss of GDF11. Genet Med 2021; 23:1889-1900. [PMID: 34113007 PMCID: PMC8487929 DOI: 10.1038/s41436-021-01216-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Revised: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Growth differentiation factor 11 (GDF11) is a key signaling protein required for proper development of many organ systems. Only one prior study has associated an inherited GDF11 variant with a dominant human disease in a family with variable craniofacial and vertebral abnormalities. Here, we expand the phenotypic spectrum associated with GDF11 variants and document the nature of the variants. METHODS We present a cohort of six probands with de novo and inherited nonsense/frameshift (4/6 patients) and missense (2/6) variants in GDF11. We generated gdf11 mutant zebrafish to model loss of gdf11 phenotypes and used an overexpression screen in Drosophila to test variant functionality. RESULTS Patients with variants in GDF11 presented with craniofacial (5/6), vertebral (5/6), neurological (6/6), visual (4/6), cardiac (3/6), auditory (3/6), and connective tissue abnormalities (3/6). gdf11 mutant zebrafish show craniofacial abnormalities and body segmentation defects that match some patient phenotypes. Expression of the patients' variants in the fly showed that one nonsense variant in GDF11 is a severe loss-of-function (LOF) allele whereas the missense variants in our cohort are partial LOF variants. CONCLUSION GDF11 is needed for human development, particularly neuronal development, and LOF GDF11 alleles can affect the development of numerous organs and tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas A Ravenscroft
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | | | | | - Sameer S Bajikar
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Judy Peirce
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA
| | - Jeremy Wegner
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA
| | - Alia A Luna
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA
| | - Eric J Fox
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA
| | - Yi-Lin Yan
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA
| | - Jill A Rosenfeld
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Baylor Genetics Laboratories, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jonathan Zirin
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Oguz Kanca
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Paul J Benke
- Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital, Hollywood, FL, USA
| | | | - Vincent Strehlow
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Konrad Platzer
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Rami Abou Jamra
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Chiara Klöckner
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Matthew Osmond
- Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Thomas Licata
- Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Samantha Rojas
- Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - David Dyment
- Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Josephine S C Chong
- The Chinese University of Hong Kong-Baylor College of Medicine Joint Center of Medical Genetics, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, The People's Republic of China
| | | | | | | | - Michael F Wangler
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Shinya Yamamoto
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Joel Krier
- Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Hugo J Bellen
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children Hospital, Houston, TX, USA.
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
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Matinyan N, Karkhanis MS, Gonzalez Y, Jain A, Saltzman A, Malovannaya A, Sarrion-Perdigones A, Dierick HA, Venken KJT. Multiplexed drug-based selection and counterselection genetic manipulations in Drosophila. Cell Rep 2021; 36:109700. [PMID: 34525356 PMCID: PMC8480232 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2020] [Revised: 06/10/2021] [Accepted: 08/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The power of Drosophila melanogaster as a model system relies on tractable germline genetic manipulations. Despite Drosophila's expansive genetics toolbox, such manipulations are still accomplished one change at a time and depend predominantly on phenotypic screening. We describe a drug-based genetic platform consisting of four selection and two counterselection markers, eliminating the need to screen for modified progeny. These markers work reliably individually or in combination to produce specific genetic outcomes. We demonstrate three example applications of multiplexed drug-based genetics by generating (1) transgenic animals, expressing both components of binary overexpression systems in a single transgenesis step; (2) dual selectable and counterselectable balancer chromosomes; and (3) selectable, fluorescently tagged P[acman] bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) strains. We perform immunoprecipitation followed by proteomic analysis on one tagged BAC line, demonstrating our platform's applicability to biological discovery. Lastly, we provide a plasmid library resource to facilitate custom transgene design and technology transfer to other model systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nick Matinyan
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Integrative Molecular Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Mansi S Karkhanis
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Yezabel Gonzalez
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Antrix Jain
- Advanced Technology Cores, Mass Spectrometry Proteomics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Alexander Saltzman
- Advanced Technology Cores, Mass Spectrometry Proteomics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Anna Malovannaya
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Advanced Technology Cores, Mass Spectrometry Proteomics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Dan L. Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Alejandro Sarrion-Perdigones
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Herman A Dierick
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
| | - Koen J T Venken
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Integrative Molecular Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Dan L. Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; McNair Medical Institute at The Robert and Janice McNair Foundation, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
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40
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Goodman LD, Cope H, Nil Z, Ravenscroft TA, Charng WL, Lu S, Tien AC, Pfundt R, Koolen DA, Haaxma CA, Veenstra-Knol HE, Wassink-Ruiter JSK, Wevers MR, Jones M, Walsh LE, Klee VH, Theunis M, Legius E, Steel D, Barwick KES, Kurian MA, Mohammad SS, Dale RC, Terhal PA, van Binsbergen E, Kirmse B, Robinette B, Cogné B, Isidor B, Grebe TA, Kulch P, Hainline BE, Sapp K, Morava E, Klee EW, Macke EL, Trapane P, Spencer C, Si Y, Begtrup A, Moulton MJ, Dutta D, Kanca O, Wangler MF, Yamamoto S, Bellen HJ, Tan QKG. TNPO2 variants associate with human developmental delays, neurologic deficits, and dysmorphic features and alter TNPO2 activity in Drosophila. Am J Hum Genet 2021; 108:1669-1691. [PMID: 34314705 PMCID: PMC8456166 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2021.06.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Transportin-2 (TNPO2) mediates multiple pathways including non-classical nucleocytoplasmic shuttling of >60 cargoes, such as developmental and neuronal proteins. We identified 15 individuals carrying de novo coding variants in TNPO2 who presented with global developmental delay (GDD), dysmorphic features, ophthalmologic abnormalities, and neurological features. To assess the nature of these variants, functional studies were performed in Drosophila. We found that fly dTnpo (orthologous to TNPO2) is expressed in a subset of neurons. dTnpo is critical for neuronal maintenance and function as downregulating dTnpo in mature neurons using RNAi disrupts neuronal activity and survival. Altering the activity and expression of dTnpo using mutant alleles or RNAi causes developmental defects, including eye and wing deformities and lethality. These effects are dosage dependent as more severe phenotypes are associated with stronger dTnpo loss. Interestingly, similar phenotypes are observed with dTnpo upregulation and ectopic expression of TNPO2, showing that loss and gain of Transportin activity causes developmental defects. Further, proband-associated variants can cause more or less severe developmental abnormalities compared to wild-type TNPO2 when ectopically expressed. The impact of the variants tested seems to correlate with their position within the protein. Specifically, those that fall within the RAN binding domain cause more severe toxicity and those in the acidic loop are less toxic. Variants within the cargo binding domain show tissue-dependent effects. In summary, dTnpo is an essential gene in flies during development and in neurons. Further, proband-associated de novo variants within TNPO2 disrupt the function of the encoded protein. Hence, TNPO2 variants are causative for neurodevelopmental abnormalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsey D Goodman
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Heidi Cope
- Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Zelha Nil
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Thomas A Ravenscroft
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Wu-Lin Charng
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Shenzhao Lu
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - An-Chi Tien
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Rolph Pfundt
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 10, 6525 GA, PO Box 9101, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - David A Koolen
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 10, 6525 GA, PO Box 9101, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Charlotte A Haaxma
- Department of Pediatric Neurology, Amalia Children's Hospital, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 10, 6525 GA, PO Box 9101, the Netherlands
| | - Hermine E Veenstra-Knol
- Department of Genetics, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, 9713 GZ Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Jolien S Klein Wassink-Ruiter
- Department of Genetics, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, 9713 GZ Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Marijke R Wevers
- Department of Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, PO Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Melissa Jones
- Houston Area Pediatric Neurology, 24514 Kingsland Blvd, Katy, TX 77494, USA
| | - Laurence E Walsh
- Department of Pediatric Neurology, Riley Hospital for Children, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Victoria H Klee
- Department of Pediatric Neurology, Riley Hospital for Children, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Miel Theunis
- Center for Human Genetics, University Hospital Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Eric Legius
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Dora Steel
- Molecular Neurosciences, Developmental Neurosciences, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London WC1N 1EH, UK; Department of Neurology, Great Ormond Street Hospital, London WC1N 3JH, UK
| | - Katy E S Barwick
- Molecular Neurosciences, Developmental Neurosciences, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Manju A Kurian
- Molecular Neurosciences, Developmental Neurosciences, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London WC1N 1EH, UK; Department of Neurology, Great Ormond Street Hospital, London WC1N 3JH, UK
| | - Shekeeb S Mohammad
- T.Y. Nelson Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia; Kids Neuroscience Centre, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
| | - Russell C Dale
- T.Y. Nelson Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia; Kids Neuroscience Centre, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
| | - Paulien A Terhal
- Department of Genetics, University Medical Center Utrecht, Lundlaan 6, 3584 EA Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Ellen van Binsbergen
- Department of Genetics, University Medical Center Utrecht, Lundlaan 6, 3584 EA Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Brian Kirmse
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216, USA
| | - Bethany Robinette
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216, USA
| | - Benjamin Cogné
- Centre hospitalier universitaire (CHU) de Nantes, Service de Génétique Médicale, 9 quai Moncousu, 44093 Nantes, France; INSERM, CNRS, UNIV Nantes, Centre hospitalier universitaire (CHU) de Nantes, l'institut du thorax, 44007 Nantes, France
| | - Bertrand Isidor
- Centre hospitalier universitaire (CHU) de Nantes, Service de Génétique Médicale, 9 quai Moncousu, 44093 Nantes, France; INSERM, CNRS, UNIV Nantes, Centre hospitalier universitaire (CHU) de Nantes, l'institut du thorax, 44007 Nantes, France
| | - Theresa A Grebe
- Phoenix Children's Hospital, Phoenix, AZ 85016, USA; Department of Child Health, University of Arizona College of Medicine Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA
| | - Peggy Kulch
- Phoenix Children's Hospital, Phoenix, AZ 85016, USA
| | - Bryan E Hainline
- Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Katherine Sapp
- Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Eva Morava
- Center for Individualized Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA; Department of Clinical Genomics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Eric W Klee
- Center for Individualized Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA; Department of Clinical Genomics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Erica L Macke
- Center for Individualized Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Pamela Trapane
- University of Florida, College of Medicine, Jacksonville, Jacksonville, FL 32209, USA
| | - Christopher Spencer
- University of Florida, College of Medicine, Jacksonville, Jacksonville, FL 32209, USA
| | - Yue Si
- GeneDx, Gaithersburg, MD 20877, USA
| | | | - Matthew J Moulton
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Debdeep Dutta
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Oguz Kanca
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Michael F Wangler
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Shinya Yamamoto
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Development, Disease Models & Therapeutics Graduate Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Hugo J Bellen
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Development, Disease Models & Therapeutics Graduate Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
| | - Queenie K-G Tan
- Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
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Cope H, Barseghyan H, Bhattacharya S, Fu Y, Hoppman N, Marcou C, Walley N, Rehder C, Deak K, Alkelai A, Vilain E, Shashi V. Detection of a mosaic CDKL5 deletion and inversion by optical genome mapping ends an exhaustive diagnostic odyssey. Mol Genet Genomic Med 2021; 9:e1665. [PMID: 33955715 PMCID: PMC8372083 DOI: 10.1002/mgg3.1665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2020] [Revised: 02/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Currently available structural variant (SV) detection methods do not span the complete spectrum of disease-causing SVs. Optical genome mapping (OGM), an emerging technology with the potential to resolve diagnostic dilemmas, was performed to investigate clinically-relevant SVs in a 4-year-old male with an epileptic encephalopathy of undiagnosed molecular origin. METHODS OGM was utilized to image long, megabase-size DNA molecules, fluorescently labeled at specific sequence motifs throughout the genome with high sensitivity for detection of SVs greater than 500 bp in size. OGM results were confirmed in a CLIA-certified laboratory via mate-pair sequencing. RESULTS OGM identified a mosaic, de novo 90 kb deletion and inversion on the X chromosome disrupting the CDKL5 gene. Detection of the mosaic deletion, which had been previously undetected by chromosomal microarray, an infantile epilepsy panel including exon-level microarray for CDKL5, exome sequencing as well as genome sequencing, resulted in a diagnosis of X-linked dominant early infantile epileptic encephalopathy-2. CONCLUSION OGM affords an effective technology for the detection of SVs, especially those that are mosaic, since these remain difficult to detect with current NGS technologies and with conventional chromosomal microarrays. Further research in undiagnosed populations with OGM is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heidi Cope
- Division of Medical GeneticsDepartment of PediatricsDuke University Medical CenterDurhamNCUSA
| | - Hayk Barseghyan
- Center for Genetic Medicine ResearchChildren’s National HospitalWashingtonDCUSA
- Department of genomics and Precision MedicineSchool of Medicine and Health SciencesGeorge Washington UniversityWashingtonDCUSA
- Bionano Genomics IncSan DiegoCAUSA
| | | | - Yulong Fu
- Center for Genetic Medicine ResearchChildren’s National HospitalWashingtonDCUSA
| | - Nicole Hoppman
- Division of Laboratory Genetics and GenomicsDepartment of Laboratory Medicine and PathologyMayo ClinicRochesterMNUSA
| | - Cherisse Marcou
- Division of Laboratory Genetics and GenomicsDepartment of Laboratory Medicine and PathologyMayo ClinicRochesterMNUSA
| | - Nicole Walley
- Division of Medical GeneticsDepartment of PediatricsDuke University Medical CenterDurhamNCUSA
| | - Catherine Rehder
- Department of PathologyDuke University Medical CenterDurhamNCUSA
| | - Kristen Deak
- Department of PathologyDuke University Medical CenterDurhamNCUSA
| | - Anna Alkelai
- Institute for Genomic MedicineColumbia University Medical CenterNew YorkNYUSA
| | - Eric Vilain
- Center for Genetic Medicine ResearchChildren’s National HospitalWashingtonDCUSA
- Department of genomics and Precision MedicineSchool of Medicine and Health SciencesGeorge Washington UniversityWashingtonDCUSA
| | - Vandana Shashi
- Division of Medical GeneticsDepartment of PediatricsDuke University Medical CenterDurhamNCUSA
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42
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Reiss AP, Rankin CH. Gaining an understanding of behavioral genetics through studies of foraging in Drosophila and learning in C. elegans. J Neurogenet 2021; 35:119-131. [PMID: 34151727 DOI: 10.1080/01677063.2021.1928113] [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: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
The pursuit of understanding behavior has led to investigations of how genes, the environment, and the nervous system all work together to produce and influence behavior, giving rise to a field of research known as behavioral neurogenetics. This review focuses on the research journeys of two pioneers of aspects of behavioral neurogenetic research: Dr. Marla Sokolowski and Dr. Catharine Rankin as examples of how different approaches have been used to understand relationships between genes and behavior. Marla Sokolowski's research is centered around the discovery and analysis of foraging, a gene responsible for the natural behavioral polymorphism of Drosophila melanogaster larvae foraging behavior. Catharine Rankin's work began with demonstrating the ability to learn in Caenorhabditis elegans and then setting out to investigate the mechanisms underlying the "simplest" form of learning, habituation. Using these simple invertebrate organisms both investigators were able to perform in-depth dissections of behavior at genetic and molecular levels. By exploring their research and highlighting their findings we present ways their work has furthered our understanding of behavior and contributed to the field of behavioral neurogenetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron P Reiss
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.,Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Catharine H Rankin
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.,Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
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43
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van de Leemput J, Han Z. Drosophila, a powerful model to study virus-host interactions and pathogenicity in the fight against SARS-CoV-2. Cell Biosci 2021; 11:110. [PMID: 34120640 PMCID: PMC8200282 DOI: 10.1186/s13578-021-00621-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Accepted: 05/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic is having a tremendous impact on humanity. Although COVID-19 vaccines are showing promising results, they are not 100% effective and resistant mutant SARS-CoV-2 strains are on the rise. To successfully fight against SARS-CoV-2 and prepare for future coronavirus outbreaks, it is essential to understand SARS-CoV-2 protein functions, their host interactions, and how these processes convey pathogenicity at host tissue, organ and systemic levels. In vitro models are valuable but lack the physiological context of a whole organism. Current animal models for SARS-CoV-2 research are exclusively mammals, with the intrinsic limitations of long reproduction times, few progeny, ethical concerns and high maintenance costs. These limitations make them unsuitable for rapid functional investigations of virus proteins as well as genetic and pharmacological screens. Remarkably, 90% of the SARS-CoV-2 virus-host interacting proteins are conserved between Drosophila and humans. As a well-established model system for studying human diseases, the fruit fly offers a highly complementary alternative to current mammalian models for SARS-CoV-2 research, from investigating virus protein function to developing targeted drugs. Herein, we review Drosophila's track record in studying human viruses and discuss the advantages and limitations of using fruit flies for SARS-CoV-2 research. We also review studies that already used Drosophila to investigate SARS-CoV-2 protein pathogenicity and their damaging effects in COVID-19 relevant tissues, as well as studies in which the fly was used as an efficient whole animal drug testing platform for targeted therapeutics against SARS-CoV-2 proteins or their host interacting pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joyce van de Leemput
- Center for Precision Disease Modeling, Department of Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Nutrition, Department of Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - Zhe Han
- Center for Precision Disease Modeling, Department of Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA.
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Nutrition, Department of Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA.
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44
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Baldridge D, Wangler MF, Bowman AN, Yamamoto S, Schedl T, Pak SC, Postlethwait JH, Shin J, Solnica-Krezel L, Bellen HJ, Westerfield M. Model organisms contribute to diagnosis and discovery in the undiagnosed diseases network: current state and a future vision. Orphanet J Rare Dis 2021; 16:206. [PMID: 33962631 PMCID: PMC8103593 DOI: 10.1186/s13023-021-01839-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Decreased sequencing costs have led to an explosion of genetic and genomic data. These data have revealed thousands of candidate human disease variants. Establishing which variants cause phenotypes and diseases, however, has remained challenging. Significant progress has been made, including advances by the National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded Undiagnosed Diseases Network (UDN). However, 6000-13,000 additional disease genes remain to be identified. The continued discovery of rare diseases and their genetic underpinnings provides benefits to affected patients, of whom there are more than 400 million worldwide, and also advances understanding the mechanisms of more common diseases. Platforms employing model organisms enable discovery of novel gene-disease relationships, help establish variant pathogenicity, and often lead to the exploration of underlying mechanisms of pathophysiology that suggest new therapies. The Model Organism Screening Center (MOSC) of the UDN is a unique resource dedicated to utilizing informatics and functional studies in model organisms, including worm (Caenorhabditis elegans), fly (Drosophila melanogaster), and zebrafish (Danio rerio), to aid in diagnosis. The MOSC has directly contributed to the diagnosis of challenging cases, including multiple patients with complex, multi-organ phenotypes. In addition, the MOSC provides a framework for how basic scientists and clinicians can collaborate to drive diagnoses. Customized experimental plans take into account patient presentations, specific genes and variant(s), and appropriateness of each model organism for analysis. The MOSC also generates bioinformatic and experimental tools and reagents for the wider scientific community. Two elements of the MOSC that have been instrumental in its success are (1) multidisciplinary teams with expertise in variant bioinformatics and in human and model organism genetics, and (2) mechanisms for ongoing communication with clinical teams. Here we provide a position statement regarding the central role of model organisms for continued discovery of disease genes, and we advocate for the continuation and expansion of MOSC-type research entities as a Model Organisms Network (MON) to be funded through grant applications submitted to the NIH, family groups focused on specific rare diseases, other philanthropic organizations, industry partnerships, and other sources of support.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dustin Baldridge
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA.
| | - Michael F Wangler
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine (BCM), Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
- Department of Pediatrics, BCM, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
- Development, Disease Models & Therapeutics Graduate Program, BCM, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
| | - Angela N Bowman
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Center of Regenerative Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Shinya Yamamoto
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine (BCM), Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Development, Disease Models & Therapeutics Graduate Program, BCM, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, BCM, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Tim Schedl
- Center of Regenerative Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Stephen C Pak
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | | | - Jimann Shin
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Lilianna Solnica-Krezel
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Center of Regenerative Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Hugo J Bellen
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine (BCM), Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Development, Disease Models & Therapeutics Graduate Program, BCM, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, BCM, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Monte Westerfield
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, 97403, USA
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45
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Yap ZY, Park YH, Wortmann SB, Gunning AC, Ezer S, Lee S, Duraine L, Wilichowski E, Wilson K, Mayr JA, Wagner M, Li H, Kini U, Black ED, Monaghan KG, Lupski JR, Ellard S, Westphal DS, Harel T, Yoon WH. Functional interpretation of ATAD3A variants in neuro-mitochondrial phenotypes. Genome Med 2021; 13:55. [PMID: 33845882 PMCID: PMC8042885 DOI: 10.1186/s13073-021-00873-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background ATPase family AAA-domain containing protein 3A (ATAD3A) is a nuclear-encoded mitochondrial membrane-anchored protein involved in diverse processes including mitochondrial dynamics, mitochondrial DNA organization, and cholesterol metabolism. Biallelic deletions (null), recessive missense variants (hypomorph), and heterozygous missense variants or duplications (antimorph) in ATAD3A lead to neurological syndromes in humans. Methods To expand the mutational spectrum of ATAD3A variants and to provide functional interpretation of missense alleles in trans to deletion alleles, we performed exome sequencing for identification of single nucleotide variants (SNVs) and copy number variants (CNVs) in ATAD3A in individuals with neurological and mitochondrial phenotypes. A Drosophila Atad3a Gal4 knockin-null allele was generated using CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing technology to aid the interpretation of variants. Results We report 13 individuals from 8 unrelated families with biallelic ATAD3A variants. The variants included four missense variants inherited in trans to loss-of-function alleles (p.(Leu77Val), p.(Phe50Leu), p.(Arg170Trp), p.(Gly236Val)), a homozygous missense variant p.(Arg327Pro), and a heterozygous non-frameshift indel p.(Lys568del). Affected individuals exhibited findings previously associated with ATAD3A pathogenic variation, including developmental delay, hypotonia, congenital cataracts, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and cerebellar atrophy. Drosophila studies indicated that Phe50Leu, Gly236Val, Arg327Pro, and Lys568del are severe loss-of-function alleles leading to early developmental lethality. Further, we showed that Phe50Leu, Gly236Val, and Arg327Pro cause neurogenesis defects. On the contrary, Leu77Val and Arg170Trp are partial loss-of-function alleles that cause progressive locomotion defects and whose expression leads to an increase in autophagy and mitophagy in adult muscles. Conclusion Our findings expand the allelic spectrum of ATAD3A variants and exemplify the use of a functional assay in Drosophila to aid variant interpretation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheng Yie Yap
- Aging and Metabolism Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA
| | - Yo Han Park
- Aging and Metabolism Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA
| | - Saskia B Wortmann
- Institute of Human Genetics, Technical University Munich, Munich, Germany.,University Children's Hospital, Paracelsus Medical University (PMU), Salzburg, Austria.,Radboud Centre for Mitochondrial Medicine (RCMM), Amalia Children's Hospital, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Adam C Gunning
- Exeter Genomics Laboratory, Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust, Exeter, EX2 5DW, UK.,Institute of Biomedical and Clinical Science, College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter, Exeter, EX2 5DW, UK
| | - Shlomit Ezer
- Department of Genetics, Hadassah Medical Center, POB 12000, 9112001, Jerusalem, Israel.,Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, POB 12000, 9112001, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Sukyeong Lee
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Lita Duraine
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Ekkehard Wilichowski
- Department of Pediatrics and Pediatric Neurology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Kate Wilson
- Oxford Centre for Genomic Medicine, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK
| | - Johannes A Mayr
- University Children's Hospital, Paracelsus Medical University (PMU), Salzburg, Austria
| | - Matias Wagner
- Institute of Human Genetics, Technical University Munich, Munich, Germany.,Institute of Neurogenomics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Hong Li
- Department of Human Genetics, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Usha Kini
- Oxford Centre for Genomic Medicine, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK
| | - Emily Davis Black
- Department of Human Genetics, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | | | - James R Lupski
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.,Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.,Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Sian Ellard
- Exeter Genomics Laboratory, Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust, Exeter, EX2 5DW, UK.,Institute of Biomedical and Clinical Science, College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter, Exeter, EX2 5DW, UK
| | - Dominik S Westphal
- Institute of Human Genetics, Technical University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Tamar Harel
- Department of Genetics, Hadassah Medical Center, POB 12000, 9112001, Jerusalem, Israel. .,Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, POB 12000, 9112001, Jerusalem, Israel.
| | - Wan Hee Yoon
- Aging and Metabolism Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA.
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46
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Harnish JM, Link N, Yamamoto S. Drosophila as a Model for Infectious Diseases. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:2724. [PMID: 33800390 PMCID: PMC7962867 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22052724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2021] [Revised: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 02/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, has been used to understand fundamental principles of genetics and biology for over a century. Drosophila is now also considered an essential tool to study mechanisms underlying numerous human genetic diseases. In this review, we will discuss how flies can be used to deepen our knowledge of infectious disease mechanisms in vivo. Flies make effective and applicable models for studying host-pathogen interactions thanks to their highly conserved innate immune systems and cellular processes commonly hijacked by pathogens. Drosophila researchers also possess the most powerful, rapid, and versatile tools for genetic manipulation in multicellular organisms. This allows for robust experiments in which specific pathogenic proteins can be expressed either one at a time or in conjunction with each other to dissect the molecular functions of each virulent factor in a cell-type-specific manner. Well documented phenotypes allow large genetic and pharmacological screens to be performed with relative ease using huge collections of mutant and transgenic strains that are publicly available. These factors combine to make Drosophila a powerful tool for dissecting out host-pathogen interactions as well as a tool to better understand how we can treat infectious diseases that pose risks to public health, including COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- J. Michael Harnish
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine (BCM), Houston, TX 77030, USA; (J.M.H.); (N.L.)
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Nichole Link
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine (BCM), Houston, TX 77030, USA; (J.M.H.); (N.L.)
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Shinya Yamamoto
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine (BCM), Houston, TX 77030, USA; (J.M.H.); (N.L.)
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, BCM, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Development, Disease Models and Therapeutics Graduate Program, BCM, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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47
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Dutta D, Sharma V, Mutsuddi M, Mukherjee A. Regulation of Notch signaling by E3 ubiquitin ligases. FEBS J 2021; 289:937-954. [PMID: 33644958 DOI: 10.1111/febs.15792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2020] [Revised: 02/07/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Notch signaling is an evolutionarily conserved pathway that is widely used for multiple cellular events during development. Activation of the Notch pathway occurs when the ligand from a neighboring cell binds to the Notch receptor and induces cleavage of the intracellular domain of Notch, which further translocates into the nucleus to activate its downstream genes. The involvement of the Notch pathway in diverse biological events is possible due to the complexity in its regulation. In order to maintain tight spatiotemporal regulation, the Notch receptor, as well as its ligand, undergoes a series of physical and biochemical modifications that, in turn, helps in proper maintenance and fine-tuning of the signaling outcome. Ubiquitination is the post-translational addition of a ubiquitin molecule to a substrate protein, and the process is regulated by E3 ubiquitin ligases. The present review describes the involvement of different E3 ubiquitin ligases that play an important role in the regulation and maintenance of proper Notch signaling and how perturbation in ubiquitination results in abnormal Notch signaling leading to a number of human diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debdeep Dutta
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India
| | - Vartika Sharma
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India
| | - Mousumi Mutsuddi
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India
| | - Ashim Mukherjee
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India
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48
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Savitsky M, Solis GP, Kryuchkov M, Katanaev VL. Humanization of Drosophila Gαo to Model GNAO1 Paediatric Encephalopathies. Biomedicines 2020; 8:E395. [PMID: 33036271 PMCID: PMC7599900 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines8100395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2020] [Revised: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 10/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Several hundred genes have been identified to contribute to epilepsy-the disease affecting 65 million people worldwide. One of these genes is GNAO1 encoding Gαo, the major neuronal α-subunit of heterotrimeric G proteins. An avalanche of dominant de novo mutations in GNAO1 have been recently described in paediatric epileptic patients, suffering, in addition to epilepsy, from motor dysfunction and developmental delay. Although occurring in amino acids conserved from humans to Drosophila, these mutations and their functional consequences have only been poorly analysed at the biochemical or neuronal levels. Adequate animal models to study the molecular aetiology of GNAO1 encephalopathies have also so far been lacking. As the first step towards modeling the disease in Drosophila, we here describe the humanization of the Gαo locus in the fruit fly. A two-step CRISPR/Cas9-mediated replacement was conducted, first substituting the coding exons 2-3 of Gαo with respective human GNAO1 sequences. At the next step, the remaining exons 4-7 were similarly replaced, keeping intact the gene Cyp49a1 embedded in between, as well as the non-coding exons, exon 1 and the surrounding regulatory sequences. The resulting flies, homozygous for the humanized GNAO1 loci, are viable and fertile without any visible phenotypes; their body weight, locomotion, and longevity are also normal. Human Gαo-specific antibodies confirm the endogenous-level expression of the humanized Gαo, which fully replaces the Drosophila functions. The genetic model we established will make it easy to incorporate encephalopathic GNAO1 mutations and will permit intensive investigations into the molecular aetiology of the human disease through the powerful toolkit of Drosophila genetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikhail Savitsky
- Translational Research Center in Oncohaematology, Department of Cell Physiology and Metabolism, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland; (M.S.); (G.P.S.); (M.K.)
| | - Gonzalo P. Solis
- Translational Research Center in Oncohaematology, Department of Cell Physiology and Metabolism, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland; (M.S.); (G.P.S.); (M.K.)
| | - Mikhail Kryuchkov
- Translational Research Center in Oncohaematology, Department of Cell Physiology and Metabolism, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland; (M.S.); (G.P.S.); (M.K.)
| | - Vladimir L. Katanaev
- Translational Research Center in Oncohaematology, Department of Cell Physiology and Metabolism, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland; (M.S.); (G.P.S.); (M.K.)
- School of Biomedicine, Far Eastern Federal University, 690690 Vladivostok, Russia
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49
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Link N, Bellen HJ. Using Drosophila to drive the diagnosis and understand the mechanisms of rare human diseases. Development 2020; 147:dev191411. [PMID: 32988995 PMCID: PMC7541339 DOI: 10.1242/dev.191411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Next-generation sequencing has greatly accelerated the discovery of rare human genetic diseases. Nearly 45% of patients have variants associated with known diseases but the unsolved cases remain a conundrum. Moreover, causative mutations can be difficult to pinpoint because variants frequently map to genes with no previous disease associations and, often, only one or a few patients with variants in the same gene are identified. Model organisms, such as Drosophila, can help to identify and characterize these new disease-causing genes. Importantly, Drosophila allow quick and sophisticated genetic manipulations, permit functional testing of human variants, enable the characterization of pathogenic mechanisms and are amenable to drug tests. In this Spotlight, focusing on microcephaly as a case study, we highlight how studies of human genes in Drosophila have aided our understanding of human genetic disorders, allowing the identification of new genes in well-established signaling pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nichole Link
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, BCM, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics (MHG), BCM, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Hugo J Bellen
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, BCM, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics (MHG), BCM, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
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50
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Dutta D, Briere LC, Kanca O, Marcogliese PC, Walker MA, High FA, Vanderver A, Krier J, Carmichael N, Callahan C, Taft RJ, Simons C, Helman G, Network UD, Wangler MF, Yamamoto S, Sweetser DA, Bellen HJ. De novo mutations in TOMM70, a receptor of the mitochondrial import translocase, cause neurological impairment. Hum Mol Genet 2020; 29:1568-1579. [PMID: 32356556 PMCID: PMC7268787 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddaa081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2020] [Revised: 04/02/2020] [Accepted: 04/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The translocase of outer mitochondrial membrane (TOMM) complex is the entry gate for virtually all mitochondrial proteins and is essential to build the mitochondrial proteome. TOMM70 is a receptor that assists mainly in mitochondrial protein import. Here, we report two individuals with de novo variants in the C-terminal region of TOMM70. While both individuals exhibited shared symptoms including hypotonia, hyper-reflexia, ataxia, dystonia and significant white matter abnormalities, there were differences between the two individuals, most prominently the age of symptom onset. Both individuals were undiagnosed despite extensive genetics workups. Individual 1 was found to have a p.Thr607Ile variant while Individual 2 was found to have a p.Ile554Phe variant in TOMM70. To functionally assess both TOMM70 variants, we replaced the Drosophila Tom70 coding region with a Kozak-mini-GAL4 transgene using CRISPR-Cas9. Homozygous mutant animals die as pupae, but lethality is rescued by the mini-GAL4-driven expression of human UAS-TOMM70 cDNA. Both modeled variants lead to significantly less rescue indicating that they are loss-of-function alleles. Similarly, RNAi-mediated knockdown of Tom70 in the developing eye causes roughening and synaptic transmission defect, common findings in neurodegenerative and mitochondrial disorders. These phenotypes were rescued by the reference, but not the variants, of TOMM70. Altogether, our data indicate that de novo loss-of-function variants in TOMM70 result in variable white matter disease and neurological phenotypes in affected individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debdeep Dutta
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Lauren C Briere
- Division of Medical Genetics and Metabolism, Department of Pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital for Children, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Oguz Kanca
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Paul C Marcogliese
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Melissa A Walker
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Frances A High
- Division of Medical Genetics and Metabolism, Department of Pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital for Children, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Adeline Vanderver
- Division of Neurology, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Joel Krier
- Brigham Genomic Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Nikkola Carmichael
- Brigham Genomic Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Christine Callahan
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | | | - Cas Simons
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, The Royal Children’s Hospital, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Guy Helman
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, The Royal Children’s Hospital, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | | | - Michael F Wangler
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Program in Developmental Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Shinya Yamamoto
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Program in Developmental Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - David A Sweetser
- Division of Medical Genetics and Metabolism, Department of Pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital for Children, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Hugo J Bellen
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Program in Developmental Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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