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Brown RE. Evo-devo applied to sleep research: an approach whose time has come. SLEEP ADVANCES : A JOURNAL OF THE SLEEP RESEARCH SOCIETY 2024; 5:zpae040. [PMID: 39022590 PMCID: PMC11253433 DOI: 10.1093/sleepadvances/zpae040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2024] [Revised: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
Sleep occurs in all animals but its amount, form, and timing vary considerably between species and between individuals. Currently, little is known about the basis for these differences, in part, because we lack a complete understanding of the brain circuitry controlling sleep-wake states and markers for the cell types which can identify similar circuits across phylogeny. Here, I explain the utility of an "Evo-devo" approach for comparative studies of sleep regulation and function as well as for sleep medicine. This approach focuses on the regulation of evolutionary ancient transcription factors which act as master controllers of cell-type specification. Studying these developmental transcription factor cascades can identify novel cell clusters which control sleep and wakefulness, reveal the mechanisms which control differences in sleep timing, amount, and expression, and identify the timepoint in evolution when different sleep-wake control neurons appeared. Spatial transcriptomic studies, which identify cell clusters based on transcription factor expression, will greatly aid this approach. Conserved developmental pathways regulate sleep in mice, Drosophila, and C. elegans. Members of the LIM Homeobox (Lhx) gene family control the specification of sleep and circadian neurons in the forebrain and hypothalamus. Increased Lhx9 activity may account for increased orexin/hypocretin neurons and reduced sleep in Mexican cavefish. Other transcription factor families specify sleep-wake circuits in the brainstem, hypothalamus, and basal forebrain. The expression of transcription factors allows the generation of specific cell types for transplantation approaches. Furthermore, mutations in developmental transcription factors are linked to variation in sleep duration in humans, risk for restless legs syndrome, and sleep-disordered breathing. This paper is part of the "Genetic and other molecular underpinnings of sleep, sleep disorders, and circadian rhythms including translational approaches" collection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ritchie E Brown
- Department of Psychiatry, VA Boston Healthcare System and Harvard Medical School, West Roxbury, MA, USA
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2
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Hollingsworth EW, Liu TA, Jacinto SH, Chen CX, Alcantara JA, Kvon EZ. Rapid and Quantitative Functional Interrogation of Human Enhancer Variant Activity in Live Mice. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.10.570890. [PMID: 38105996 PMCID: PMC10723448 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.10.570890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Functional analysis of non-coding variants associated with human congenital disorders remains challenging due to the lack of efficient in vivo models. Here we introduce dual-enSERT, a robust Cas9-based two-color fluorescent reporter system which enables rapid, quantitative comparison of enhancer allele activities in live mice of any genetic background. We use this new technology to examine and measure the gain- and loss-of-function effects of enhancer variants linked to limb polydactyly, autism, and craniofacial malformation. By combining dual-enSERT with single-cell transcriptomics, we characterize variant enhancer alleles at cellular resolution, thereby implicating candidate molecular pathways in pathogenic enhancer misregulation. We further show that independent, polydactyly-linked enhancer variants lead to ectopic expression in the same cell populations, indicating shared genetic mechanisms underlying non-coding variant pathogenesis. Finally, we streamline dual-enSERT for analysis in F0 animals by placing both reporters on the same transgene separated by a synthetic insulator. Dual-enSERT allows researchers to go from identifying candidate enhancer variants to analysis of comparative enhancer activity in live embryos in under two weeks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ethan W. Hollingsworth
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of California, Irvine School of Medicine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Taryn A. Liu
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Sandra H. Jacinto
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Cindy X. Chen
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Joshua A. Alcantara
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Evgeny Z. Kvon
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
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3
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Chenini S, Barateau L, Dauvilliers Y. Restless legs syndrome: From clinic to personalized medicine. Rev Neurol (Paris) 2023; 179:703-714. [PMID: 37689536 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurol.2023.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/11/2023]
Abstract
Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a common neurological sensorimotor disorder that impairs sleep, mood and quality of life. RLS is defined by an urge to move the legs at rest that increases in the evening and at night, and is frequently associated with metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. Symptoms frequency, age at RLS onset, severity, familial history and consequences of RLS vary widely between patients. A genetic susceptibility, iron deficiency, dopamine deregulation, and possible hypo-adenosinergic state may play a role in the pathophysiology of RLS. Polysomnographic recordings found often periodic leg movements during sleep and wakefulness in patients with RLS. RLS can be classified as primary or comorbid with major diseases: iron deficiency, renal, neurological, rheumatological and lung diseases. First-line treatments are low-dose dopamine agonists, and alpha-2-delta ligands depending on the clinical context, and second/third line opiates for pharmacoresistant forms of RLS. Augmentation syndrome is a serious complication of dopamine agonists and should be prevented by using the recommended low dose. Despite an increase in knowledge, RLS is still underdiagnosed, poorly recognized, resulting in substantial individual health burden and socioeconomic coast, and education is urgently needed to increase awareness of this disabling disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Chenini
- National Reference Centre for Orphan Diseases Narcolepsy and Rare Hypersomnias, Sleep Unit, Department of Neurology, CHU Montpellier, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France; Institute for Neurosciences of Montpellier (INM), University of Montpellier, INSERM, Montpellier, France.
| | - L Barateau
- National Reference Centre for Orphan Diseases Narcolepsy and Rare Hypersomnias, Sleep Unit, Department of Neurology, CHU Montpellier, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France; Institute for Neurosciences of Montpellier (INM), University of Montpellier, INSERM, Montpellier, France
| | - Y Dauvilliers
- National Reference Centre for Orphan Diseases Narcolepsy and Rare Hypersomnias, Sleep Unit, Department of Neurology, CHU Montpellier, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France; Institute for Neurosciences of Montpellier (INM), University of Montpellier, INSERM, Montpellier, France.
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4
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Investigation of UTR Variants by Computational Approaches Reveal Their Functional Significance in PRKCI Gene Regulation. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:genes14020247. [PMID: 36833174 PMCID: PMC9956319 DOI: 10.3390/genes14020247] [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: 12/18/2022] [Revised: 01/02/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are associated with many diseases including neurological disorders, heart diseases, diabetes, and different types of cancers. In the context of cancer, the variations within non-coding regions, including UTRs, have gained utmost importance. In gene expression, translational regulation is as important as transcriptional regulation for the normal functioning of cells; modification in normal functions can be associated with the pathophysiology of many diseases. UTR-localized SNPs in the PRKCI gene were evaluated using the PolymiRTS, miRNASNP, and MicroSNIper for association with miRNAs. Furthermore, the SNPs were subjected to analysis using GTEx, RNAfold, and PROMO. The genetic intolerance to functional variation was checked through GeneCards. Out of 713 SNPs, a total of thirty-one UTR SNPs (three in 3' UTR region and twenty-nine in 5' UTR region) were marked as ≤2b by RegulomeDB. The associations of 23 SNPs with miRNAs were found. Two SNPs, rs140672226 and rs2650220, were significantly linked with expression in the stomach and esophagus mucosa. The 3' UTR SNPs rs1447651774 and rs115170199 and the 5' UTR region variants rs778557075, rs968409340, and 750297755 were predicted to destabilize the mRNA structure with substantial change in free energy (∆G). Seventeen variants were predicted to have linkage disequilibrium with various diseases. The SNP rs542458816 in 5' UTR was predicted to put maximum influence on transcription factor binding sites. Gene damage index(GDI) and loss of function (o:e) ratio values for PRKCI suggested that the gene is not tolerant to loss of function variants. Our results highlight the effects of 3' and 5' UTR SNP on miRNA, transcription and translation of PRKCI. These analyses suggest that these SNPs can have substantial functional importance in the PRKCI gene. Future experimental validation could provide further basis for the diagnosis and therapeutics of various diseases.
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Lane JM, Qian J, Mignot E, Redline S, Scheer FAJL, Saxena R. Genetics of circadian rhythms and sleep in human health and disease. Nat Rev Genet 2023; 24:4-20. [PMID: 36028773 PMCID: PMC10947799 DOI: 10.1038/s41576-022-00519-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 56.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Circadian rhythms and sleep are fundamental biological processes integral to human health. Their disruption is associated with detrimental physiological consequences, including cognitive, metabolic, cardiovascular and immunological dysfunctions. Yet many of the molecular underpinnings of sleep regulation in health and disease have remained elusive. Given the moderate heritability of circadian and sleep traits, genetics offers an opportunity that complements insights from model organism studies to advance our fundamental molecular understanding of human circadian and sleep physiology and linked chronic disease biology. Here, we review recent discoveries of the genetics of circadian and sleep physiology and disorders with a focus on those that reveal causal contributions to complex diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline M Lane
- Center for Genomic Medicine and Department of Anaesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders, Brigham and Women's Hospital; and Division of Sleep Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jingyi Qian
- Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders, Brigham and Women's Hospital; and Division of Sleep Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Emmanuel Mignot
- Center for Narcolepsy, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, USA
| | - Susan Redline
- Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders, Brigham and Women's Hospital; and Division of Sleep Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Frank A J L Scheer
- Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders, Brigham and Women's Hospital; and Division of Sleep Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Richa Saxena
- Center for Genomic Medicine and Department of Anaesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders, Brigham and Women's Hospital; and Division of Sleep Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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6
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Silvani A, Ghorayeb I, Manconi M, Li Y, Clemens S. Putative Animal Models of Restless Legs Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Evaluation of Their Face and Construct Validity. Neurotherapeutics 2023; 20:154-178. [PMID: 36536233 PMCID: PMC10119375 DOI: 10.1007/s13311-022-01334-4] [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] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a sensorimotor disorder that severely affects sleep. It is characterized by an urge to move the legs, which is often accompanied by periodic limb movements during sleep. RLS has a high prevalence in the population and is usually a life-long condition. While its origins remain unclear, RLS is initially highly responsive to treatment with dopaminergic agonists that target D2-like receptors, in particular D2 and D3, but the long-term response is often unsatisfactory. Over the years, several putative animal models for RLS have been developed, mainly based on the epidemiological and neurochemical link with iron deficiency, treatment efficacy of D2-like dopaminergic agonists, or genome-wide association studies that identified risk factors in the patient population. Here, we present the first systematic review of putative animal models of RLS, provide information about their face and construct validity, and report their role in deciphering the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms that may cause or contribute to RLS. We propose that identifying the causal links between genetic risk factors, altered organ functions, and changes to molecular pathways in neural circuitry will eventually lead to more effective new treatment options that bypass the side effects of the currently used therapeutics in RLS, especially for long-term therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Silvani
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna, Ravenna Campus, Ravenna, Italy
| | - Imad Ghorayeb
- Département de Neurophysiologie Clinique, Pôle Neurosciences Cliniques, CHU de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
- Institut de Neurosciences Cognitives et Intégratives d'Aquitaine, UMR 5287, Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
- Institut de Neurosciences Cognitives et Intégratives d'Aquitaine, UMR 5287, CNRS, Bordeaux, France
| | - Mauro Manconi
- Sleep Medicine Unit, Neurocenter of Southern Switzerland, EOC, Ospedale Civico, Lugano, Switzerland
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital, Inselspital, Bern, Switzerland
- Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Università della Svizzera Italiana, Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Yuqing Li
- Department of Neurology, College of Medicine, Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Stefan Clemens
- Department of Physiology, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, USA.
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7
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Salminen AV, Clemens S, García-Borreguero D, Ghorayeb I, Li Y, Manconi M, Ondo W, Rye D, Siegel JM, Silvani A, Winkelman JW, Allen RP, Ferré S. Consensus guidelines on the construct validity of rodent models of restless legs syndrome. Dis Model Mech 2022; 15:dmm049615. [PMID: 35946581 PMCID: PMC9393041 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.049615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 07/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Our understanding of the causes and natural course of restless legs syndrome (RLS) is incomplete. The lack of objective diagnostic biomarkers remains a challenge for clinical research and for the development of valid animal models. As a task force of preclinical and clinical scientists, we have previously defined face validity parameters for rodent models of RLS. In this article, we establish new guidelines for the construct validity of RLS rodent models. To do so, we first determined and agreed on the risk, and triggering factors and pathophysiological mechanisms that influence RLS expressivity. We then selected 20 items considered to have sufficient support in the literature, which we grouped by sex and genetic factors, iron-related mechanisms, electrophysiological mechanisms, dopaminergic mechanisms, exposure to medications active in the central nervous system, and others. These factors and biological mechanisms were then translated into rodent bioequivalents deemed to be most appropriate for a rodent model of RLS. We also identified parameters by which to assess and quantify these bioequivalents. Investigating these factors, both individually and in combination, will help to identify their specific roles in the expression of rodent RLS-like phenotypes, which should provide significant translational implications for the diagnosis and treatment of RLS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaro V. Salminen
- Institute of Neurogenomics, Helmholtz Zentrum München GmbH - German Research Center for Environmental Health, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
- Institute of Human Genetics, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, 81675 Munich, Germany
| | - Stefan Clemens
- Department of Physiology, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27834, USA
| | | | - Imad Ghorayeb
- Département de Neurophysiologie Clinique, Pôle Neurosciences Cliniques, CHU de Bordeaux, 33076 Bordeaux, France
- Université de Bordeaux, Institut de Neurosciences Cognitives et Intégratives d'Aquitaine, UMR 5287, 33076 Bordeaux, France
- CNRS, Institut de Neurosciences Cognitives et Intégratives d'Aquitaine, UMR 5287, 33076 Bordeaux, France
| | - Yuqing Li
- Department of Neurology, Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Mauro Manconi
- Sleep Medicine Unit, Regional Hospital of Lugano, Neurocenter of Southern Switzerland, 6900 Lugano, Switzerland
- Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Università della Svizzera Italiana, 6900 Lugano, Switzerland
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Inselspital, 3010 Bern, Switzerland
| | - William Ondo
- Houston Methodist Hospital Neurological Institute, Weill Cornell Medical School, Houston, TX 77070, USA
| | - David Rye
- Department of Neurology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Jerome M. Siegel
- Neuropsychiatric Institute and Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Neurobiology Research, Veterans Administration Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, North Hills, CA 91343, USA
| | - Alessandro Silvani
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences Alma Mater Studiorum, Università di Bologna, 48121 Ravenna Campus, Ravenna, Italy
| | - John W. Winkelman
- Departments of Psychiatry and Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Richard P. Allen
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Sergi Ferré
- Integrative Neurobiology Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
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8
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Baranasic D, Hörtenhuber M, Balwierz PJ, Zehnder T, Mukarram AK, Nepal C, Várnai C, Hadzhiev Y, Jimenez-Gonzalez A, Li N, Wragg J, D'Orazio FM, Relic D, Pachkov M, Díaz N, Hernández-Rodríguez B, Chen Z, Stoiber M, Dong M, Stevens I, Ross SE, Eagle A, Martin R, Obasaju O, Rastegar S, McGarvey AC, Kopp W, Chambers E, Wang D, Kim HR, Acemel RD, Naranjo S, Łapiński M, Chong V, Mathavan S, Peers B, Sauka-Spengler T, Vingron M, Carninci P, Ohler U, Lacadie SA, Burgess SM, Winata C, van Eeden F, Vaquerizas JM, Gómez-Skarmeta JL, Onichtchouk D, Brown BJ, Bogdanovic O, van Nimwegen E, Westerfield M, Wardle FC, Daub CO, Lenhard B, Müller F. Multiomic atlas with functional stratification and developmental dynamics of zebrafish cis-regulatory elements. Nat Genet 2022; 54:1037-1050. [PMID: 35789323 PMCID: PMC9279159 DOI: 10.1038/s41588-022-01089-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 05/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Zebrafish, a popular organism for studying embryonic development and for modeling human diseases, has so far lacked a systematic functional annotation program akin to those in other animal models. To address this, we formed the international DANIO-CODE consortium and created a central repository to store and process zebrafish developmental functional genomic data. Our data coordination center ( https://danio-code.zfin.org ) combines a total of 1,802 sets of unpublished and re-analyzed published genomic data, which we used to improve existing annotations and show its utility in experimental design. We identified over 140,000 cis-regulatory elements throughout development, including classes with distinct features dependent on their activity in time and space. We delineated the distinct distance topology and chromatin features between regulatory elements active during zygotic genome activation and those active during organogenesis. Finally, we matched regulatory elements and epigenomic landscapes between zebrafish and mouse and predicted functional relationships between them beyond sequence similarity, thus extending the utility of zebrafish developmental genomics to mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damir Baranasic
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, London, UK
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, London, UK
| | - Matthias Hörtenhuber
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, NEO, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Piotr J Balwierz
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, London, UK
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, London, UK
- Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, Birmingham Centre for Genome Biology, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Tobias Zehnder
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, London, UK
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, London, UK
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Department of Computational Molecular Biology, Berlin, Germany
| | - Abdul Kadir Mukarram
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, NEO, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Chirag Nepal
- Biotech Research and Innovation Centre (BRIC), Department of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Csilla Várnai
- Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, Birmingham Centre for Genome Biology, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
- Centre for Computational Biology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Yavor Hadzhiev
- Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, Birmingham Centre for Genome Biology, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Ada Jimenez-Gonzalez
- Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, Birmingham Centre for Genome Biology, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Nan Li
- Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, Birmingham Centre for Genome Biology, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Joseph Wragg
- Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, Birmingham Centre for Genome Biology, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Fabio M D'Orazio
- Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, Birmingham Centre for Genome Biology, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Dorde Relic
- Biozentrum, University of Basel and Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Mikhail Pachkov
- Biozentrum, University of Basel and Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Noelia Díaz
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Muenster, Germany
- Institute of Marine Sciences, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Zelin Chen
- Translational and Functional Genomics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory, Guangzhou, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-Resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Marcus Stoiber
- Environmental Genomics & Systems Biology, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Michaël Dong
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, NEO, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Irene Stevens
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, NEO, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Samuel E Ross
- Genomics and Epigenetics Division, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Anne Eagle
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA
| | - Ryan Martin
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA
| | - Oluwapelumi Obasaju
- Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, Birmingham Centre for Genome Biology, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Sepand Rastegar
- Institute of Biological and Chemical Systems - Biological Information Processing (IBCS-BIP), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Alison C McGarvey
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB), Berlin, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Kopp
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB), Berlin, Germany
| | - Emily Chambers
- Sheffield Bioinformatics Core, Sheffield Institute of Translational Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Dennis Wang
- Sheffield Bioinformatics Core, Sheffield Institute of Translational Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Hyejeong R Kim
- Bateson Centre/Biomedical Science, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Rafael D Acemel
- Centro Andaluz de Biología del Desarrollo (CABD), CSIC-Universidad Pablo de Olavide-Junta de Andalucía, Seville, Spain
- Epigenetics and Sex Development Group, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max-Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Silvia Naranjo
- Centro Andaluz de Biología del Desarrollo (CABD), CSIC-Universidad Pablo de Olavide-Junta de Andalucía, Seville, Spain
| | - Maciej Łapiński
- International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology in Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Vanessa Chong
- MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | - Bernard Peers
- Laboratory of Zebrafish Development and Disease Models (ZDDM), GIGA-R, SART TILMAN, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Tatjana Sauka-Spengler
- MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Martin Vingron
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Department of Computational Molecular Biology, Berlin, Germany
| | - Piero Carninci
- Laboratory for Transcriptome Technology, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
- Fondazione Human Technopole, Milano, Italy
| | - Uwe Ohler
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB), Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany
| | - Scott Allen Lacadie
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB), Berlin, Germany
| | - Shawn M Burgess
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory, Guangzhou, China
| | - Cecilia Winata
- International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology in Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Freek van Eeden
- Bateson Centre/Biomedical Science, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Juan M Vaquerizas
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, London, UK
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, London, UK
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Muenster, Germany
| | - José Luis Gómez-Skarmeta
- Centro Andaluz de Biología del Desarrollo (CABD), CSIC-Universidad Pablo de Olavide-Junta de Andalucía, Seville, Spain
| | - Daria Onichtchouk
- Department of Developmental Biology, Signalling Research Centers BIOSS and CIBSS, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Ben James Brown
- Environmental Genomics & Systems Biology, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Ozren Bogdanovic
- Genomics and Epigenetics Division, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Erik van Nimwegen
- Biozentrum, University of Basel and Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Fiona C Wardle
- Randall Centre for Cell & Molecular Biophysics, Guy's Campus, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Carsten O Daub
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, NEO, Huddinge, Sweden.
- Science for Life Laboratory, Solna, Sweden.
| | - Boris Lenhard
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, London, UK.
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, London, UK.
| | - Ferenc Müller
- Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, Birmingham Centre for Genome Biology, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
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9
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Muhtaseb AW, Duan J. Modeling common and rare genetic risk factors of neuropsychiatric disorders in human induced pluripotent stem cells. Schizophr Res 2022:S0920-9964(22)00156-6. [PMID: 35459617 PMCID: PMC9735430 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2022.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Revised: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Recent genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and whole-exome sequencing of neuropsychiatric disorders, especially schizophrenia, have identified a plethora of common and rare disease risk variants/genes. Translating the mounting human genetic discoveries into novel disease biology and more tailored clinical treatments is tied to our ability to causally connect genetic risk variants to molecular and cellular phenotypes. When combined with the Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated (Cas) nuclease-mediated genome editing system, human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived neural cultures (both 2D and 3D organoids) provide a promising tractable cellular model for bridging the gap between genetic findings and disease biology. In this review, we first conceptualize the advances in understanding the disease polygenicity and convergence from the past decade of iPSC modeling of different types of genetic risk factors of neuropsychiatric disorders. We then discuss the major cell types and cellular phenotypes that are most relevant to neuropsychiatric disorders in iPSC modeling. Finally, we critically review the limitations of iPSC modeling of neuropsychiatric disorders and outline the need for implementing and developing novel methods to scale up the number of iPSC lines and disease risk variants in a systematic manner. Sufficiently scaled-up iPSC modeling and a better functional interpretation of genetic risk variants, in combination with cutting-edge CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing and single-cell multi-omics methods, will enable the field to identify the specific and convergent molecular and cellular phenotypes in precision for neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdurrahman W Muhtaseb
- Center for Psychiatric Genetics, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, IL 60201, United States of America; Department of Human Genetics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, United States of America
| | - Jubao Duan
- Center for Psychiatric Genetics, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, IL 60201, United States of America; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, United States of America.
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10
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Lam DD, Nikolic AA, Zhao C, Mirza-Schreiber N, Krężel W, Oexle K, Winkelmann J. Intronic elements associated with insomnia and restless legs syndrome exhibit cell type-specific epigenetic features contributing to MEIS1 regulation. Hum Mol Genet 2021; 31:1733-1746. [PMID: 34888668 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddab355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2021] [Revised: 11/25/2021] [Accepted: 12/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
A highly evolutionarily conserved MEIS1 intronic region is strongly associated with restless legs syndrome (RLS) and insomnia. To understand its regulatory function, we dissected the region by analyzing chromatin accessibility, enhancer-promoter contacts, DNA methylation, and eQTLs in different human neural cell types and tissues. We observed specific activity with respect to cell type and developmental maturation, indicating a prominent role for distinct highly conserved intronic elements in forebrain inhibitory neuron differentiation. Two elements were hypomethylated in neural cells with higher MEIS1 expression, suggesting a role of enhancer demethylation in gene regulation. MEIS1 eQTLs showed a striking modular chromosomal distribution, with forebrain eQTLs clustering in intron 8/9. CRISPR interference targeting of individual elements in this region attenuated MEIS1 expression, revealing a complex regulatory interplay of distinct elements. In summary, we found that MEIS1 regulation is organized in a modular pattern. Disease-associated intronic regulatory elements control MEIS1 expression with cell type and maturation stage specificity, particularly in the inhibitory neuron lineage. The precise spatiotemporal activity of these elements likely contributes to the pathogenesis of insomnia and RLS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel D Lam
- Institute of Neurogenomics, Helmholtz Center Munich, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany.,Institute of Human Genetics, Klinikum rechts der Isar, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Germany
| | - Ana Antic Nikolic
- Institute of Neurogenomics, Helmholtz Center Munich, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany.,Institute of Human Genetics, Klinikum rechts der Isar, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Germany
| | - Chen Zhao
- Institute of Neurogenomics, Helmholtz Center Munich, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany.,Institute of Human Genetics, Klinikum rechts der Isar, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Germany
| | - Nazanin Mirza-Schreiber
- Institute of Neurogenomics, Helmholtz Center Munich, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Wojciech Krężel
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Illkirch, France.,Institut de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U964, Illkirch, France.,Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR 7104, Illkirch, France.,Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch, France
| | - Konrad Oexle
- Institute of Neurogenomics, Helmholtz Center Munich, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany.,Institute of Human Genetics, Klinikum rechts der Isar, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Germany
| | - Juliane Winkelmann
- Institute of Neurogenomics, Helmholtz Center Munich, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany.,Institute of Human Genetics, Klinikum rechts der Isar, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Germany.,Chair of Neurogenetics, Klinikum rechts der Isar, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Germany.,Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Munich, Germany
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11
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Abstract
Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a common sensorimotor disorder characterized by an urge to move that appears during rest or is exacerbated by rest, that occurs in the evening or night and that disappears during movement or is improved by movement. Symptoms vary considerably in age at onset, frequency and severity, with severe forms affecting sleep, quality of life and mood. Patients with RLS often display periodic leg movements during sleep or resting wakefulness. RLS is considered to be a complex condition in which predisposing genetic factors, environmental factors and comorbidities contribute to the expression of the disorder. RLS occurs alone or with comorbidities, for example, iron deficiency and kidney disease, but also with cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus and neurological, rheumatological and respiratory disorders. The pathophysiology is still unclear, with the involvement of brain iron deficiency, dysfunction in the dopaminergic and nociceptive systems and altered adenosine and glutamatergic pathways as hypotheses being investigated. RLS is poorly recognized by physicians and it is accordingly often incorrectly diagnosed and managed. Treatment guidelines recommend initiation of therapy with low doses of dopamine agonists or α2δ ligands in severe forms. Although dopaminergic treatment is initially highly effective, its long-term use can result in a serious worsening of symptoms known as augmentation. Other treatments include opioids and iron preparations.
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12
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Chen J, Guo JT. Structural and functional analysis of somatic coding and UTR indels in breast and lung cancer genomes. Sci Rep 2021; 11:21178. [PMID: 34707120 PMCID: PMC8551294 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-00583-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Insertions and deletions (Indels) represent one of the major variation types in the human genome and have been implicated in diseases including cancer. To study the features of somatic indels in different cancer genomes, we investigated the indels from two large samples of cancer types: invasive breast carcinoma (BRCA) and lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). Besides mapping somatic indels in both coding and untranslated regions (UTRs) from the cancer whole exome sequences, we investigated the overlap between these indels and transcription factor binding sites (TFBSs), the key elements for regulation of gene expression that have been found in both coding and non-coding sequences. Compared to the germline indels in healthy genomes, somatic indels contain more coding indels with higher than expected frame-shift (FS) indels in cancer genomes. LUAD has a higher ratio of deletions and higher coding and FS indel rates than BRCA. More importantly, these somatic indels in cancer genomes tend to locate in sequences with important functions, which can affect the core secondary structures of proteins and have a bigger overlap with predicted TFBSs in coding regions than the germline indels. The somatic CDS indels are also enriched in highly conserved nucleotides when compared with germline CDS indels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Chen
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genomics, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC, 28223, USA
| | - Jun-Tao Guo
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genomics, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC, 28223, USA.
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13
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Blasi F, Bruckmann C. MEIS1 in Hematopoiesis and Cancer. How MEIS1-PBX Interaction Can Be Used in Therapy. J Dev Biol 2021; 9:jdb9040044. [PMID: 34698191 PMCID: PMC8544432 DOI: 10.3390/jdb9040044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2021] [Revised: 10/04/2021] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Recently MEIS1 emerged as a major determinant of the MLL-r leukemic phenotype. The latest and most efficient drugs effectively decrease the levels of MEIS1 in cancer cells. Together with an overview of the latest drugs developed to target MEIS1 in MLL-r leukemia, we review, in detail, the role of MEIS1 in embryonic and adult hematopoiesis and suggest how a more profound knowledge of MEIS1 biochemistry can be used to design potent and effective drugs against MLL-r leukemia. In addition, we present data showing that the interaction between MEIS1 and PBX1 can be blocked efficiently and might represent a new avenue in anti-MLL-r and anti-leukemic therapy.
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14
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Thomas AL, Marsman J, Antony J, Schierding W, O’Sullivan JM, Horsfield JA. Transcriptional Regulation of RUNX1: An Informatics Analysis. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:1175. [PMID: 34440349 PMCID: PMC8395016 DOI: 10.3390/genes12081175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Revised: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The RUNX1/AML1 gene encodes a developmental transcription factor that is an important regulator of haematopoiesis in vertebrates. Genetic disruptions to the RUNX1 gene are frequently associated with acute myeloid leukaemia. Gene regulatory elements (REs), such as enhancers located in non-coding DNA, are likely to be important for Runx1 transcription. Non-coding elements that modulate Runx1 expression have been investigated over several decades, but how and when these REs function remains poorly understood. Here we used bioinformatic methods and functional data to characterise the regulatory landscape of vertebrate Runx1. We identified REs that are conserved between human and mouse, many of which produce enhancer RNAs in diverse tissues. Genome-wide association studies detected single nucleotide polymorphisms in REs, some of which correlate with gene expression quantitative trait loci in tissues in which the RE is active. Our analyses also suggest that REs can be variant in haematological malignancies. In summary, our analysis identifies features of the RUNX1 regulatory landscape that are likely to be important for the regulation of this gene in normal and malignant haematopoiesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amarni L. Thomas
- Department of Pathology, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand; (A.L.T.); (J.A.)
| | - Judith Marsman
- Department of Cardiology, University Medical Centre Utrecht, 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands;
| | - Jisha Antony
- Department of Pathology, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand; (A.L.T.); (J.A.)
- The Maurice Wilkins Centre for Biodiscovery, The University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland 1142, New Zealand;
| | - William Schierding
- Liggins Institute, The University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland 1142, New Zealand;
| | - Justin M. O’Sullivan
- The Maurice Wilkins Centre for Biodiscovery, The University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland 1142, New Zealand;
- Liggins Institute, The University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland 1142, New Zealand;
- MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK
| | - Julia A. Horsfield
- Department of Pathology, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand; (A.L.T.); (J.A.)
- The Maurice Wilkins Centre for Biodiscovery, The University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland 1142, New Zealand;
- Genetics Otago Research Centre, University of Otago, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
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15
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Shan S, Xu F, Brenig B. Genome-Wide Association Studies Reveal Neurological Genes for Dog Herding, Predation, Temperament, and Trainability Traits. Front Vet Sci 2021; 8:693290. [PMID: 34368281 PMCID: PMC8335642 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2021.693290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Genome-wide association study (GWAS) using dog breed standard values as phenotypic measurements is an efficient way to identify genes associated with morphological and behavioral traits. As a result of strong human purposeful selections, several specialized behavioral traits such as herding and hunting have been formed in different modern dog breeds. However, genetic analyses on this topic are rather limited due to the accurate phenotyping difficulty for these complex behavioral traits. Here, 268 dog whole-genome sequences from 130 modern breeds were used to investigate candidate genes underlying dog herding, predation, temperament, and trainability by GWAS. Behavioral phenotypes were obtained from the American Kennel Club based on dog breed standard descriptions or groups (conventional categorization of dog historical roles). The GWAS results of herding behavior (without body size as a covariate) revealed 44 significantly associated sites within five chromosomes. Significantly associated sites on CFA7, 9, 10, and 20 were located either in or near neuropathological or neuronal genes including THOC1, ASIC2, MSRB3, LLPH, RFX8, and CHL1. MSRB3 and CHL1 genes were reported to be associated with dog fear. Since herding is a restricted hunting behavior by removing killing instinct, 36 hounds and 55 herding dogs were used to analyze predation behavior. Three neuronal-related genes (JAK2, MEIS1, and LRRTM4) were revealed as candidates for predation behavior. The significantly associated variant of temperament GWAS was located within ACSS3 gene. The highest associated variant in trainability GWAS is located on CFA22, with no variants detected above the Bonferroni threshold. Since dog behaviors are correlated with body size, we next incorporate body mass as covariates into GWAS; and significant signals around THOC1, MSRB3, LLPH, RFX8, CHL1, LRRTM4, and ACSS3 genes were still detected for dog herding, predation, and temperament behaviors. In humans, these candidate genes are either involved in nervous system development or associated with mental disorders. In conclusion, our results imply that these neuronal or psychiatric genes might be involved in biological processes underlying dog herding, predation, and temperament behavioral traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuwen Shan
- Department of Animal Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Institute of Veterinary Medicine, University of Goettingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Fangzheng Xu
- Department of Animal Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Institute of Veterinary Medicine, University of Goettingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Bertram Brenig
- Department of Animal Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Institute of Veterinary Medicine, University of Goettingen, Göttingen, Germany
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16
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Cathiard L, Fraulob V, Lam DD, Torres M, Winkelmann J, Krężel W. Investigation of dopaminergic signalling in Meis homeobox 1 (Meis1) deficient mice as an animal model of restless legs syndrome. J Sleep Res 2021; 30:e13311. [PMID: 34008292 DOI: 10.1111/jsr.13311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2020] [Revised: 01/28/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a common neurological disorder in which sensorimotor symptoms lead to sleep disturbances with substantial impact on life quality. RLS is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors, and Meis homeobox 1 (MEIS1) was identified as the main genetic risk factor. The efficacy of dopaminergic agonists, including dopamine D2 receptor (DRD2) agonists, for treating RLS led to the hypothesis of dopaminergic impairment. However, it remains unclear whether it is directly involved in the disease aetiology and what the role of MEIS1 is considering its developmental and postnatal expression in the striatum, a critical structure in motor control. We addressed the role of MEIS1 in striatal dopaminergic signalling in Meis1+/- mice, a valid animal model of RLS, and in Meis1Drd2 -/- mice carrying a somatic null mutation of Meis1 in Drd2+ neurones. Motor behaviours, pharmacological exploration of DRD2 signalling, and quantitative analyses of DRD2+ and DRD1+ expressing neurones were investigated. Although Meis1+/- mice displayed an RLS-like phenotype, including motor hyperactivity at the beginning of the rest phase, no reduction of dopaminoceptive neurones was observed in the striatum. Moreover, the null mutation of Meis1 in DRD2+ cells did not lead to RLS-like symptoms and dysfunction of the DRD2 pathway. These data indicate that MEIS1 does not modulate DRD2-dependent signalling in a cell-autonomous manner. Thus, the efficiency of D2 -like agonists may reflect the involvement of other dopaminergic receptors or normalisation of motor circuit abnormalities downstream from defects caused by MEIS1 dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucile Cathiard
- Institute of Genetics and Molecular and Cellular Biology, CNRS UMR7104, INSERM U1258, University of Strasbourg, Illkirch, France
| | - Valerie Fraulob
- Institute of Genetics and Molecular and Cellular Biology, CNRS UMR7104, INSERM U1258, University of Strasbourg, Illkirch, France
| | - Daniel D Lam
- Institute for Human Genetic, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Miguel Torres
- Cardiovascular Development Program, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares, CNIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Juliane Winkelmann
- Institute for Human Genetic, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany.,Chair for Neucgenetic, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München; Institute for Neurogenomics, Helmholtz Zentrum München; Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Munich, Germany
| | - Wojciech Krężel
- Institute of Genetics and Molecular and Cellular Biology, CNRS UMR7104, INSERM U1258, University of Strasbourg, Illkirch, France
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17
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Ferré S, Guitart X, Quiroz C, Rea W, García-Malo C, Garcia-Borreguero D, Allen RP, Earley CJ. Akathisia and Restless Legs Syndrome: Solving the Dopaminergic Paradox. Sleep Med Clin 2021; 16:249-267. [PMID: 33985651 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsmc.2021.02.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Akathisia is an urgent need to move that is associated with treatment with dopamine receptor blocking agents (DRBAs) and with restless legs syndrome (RLS). The pathogenetic mechanism of akathisia has not been resolved. This article proposes that it involves an increased presynaptic dopaminergic transmission in the ventral striatum and concomitant strong activation of postsynaptic dopamine D1 receptors, which form complexes (heteromers) with dopamine D3 and adenosine A1 receptors. It also proposes that in DRBA-induced akathisia, increased dopamine release depends on inactivation of autoreceptors, whereas in RLS it depends on a brain iron deficiency-induced down-regulation of striatal presynaptic A1 receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergi Ferré
- Integrative Neurobiology Section, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Triad Building, 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA.
| | - Xavier Guitart
- Integrative Neurobiology Section, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Triad Building, 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - César Quiroz
- Integrative Neurobiology Section, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Triad Building, 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - William Rea
- Integrative Neurobiology Section, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Triad Building, 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Celia García-Malo
- Sleep Research Institute, Paseo de la Habana 151, Madrid 28036, Spain
| | | | - Richard P Allen
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, 5501 Hopkins Bayview Circle, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Christopher J Earley
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, 5501 Hopkins Bayview Circle, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
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18
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Lyu S, Xing H, Liu Y, Girdhar P, Zhang K, Yokoi F, Xiao R, Li Y. Deficiency of Meis1, a transcriptional regulator, in mice and worms: Neurochemical and behavioral characterizations with implications in the restless legs syndrome. J Neurochem 2020; 155:522-537. [PMID: 32910473 PMCID: PMC7894994 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2020] [Revised: 08/04/2020] [Accepted: 08/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Restless legs syndrome is a sleep-related sensorimotor neurological disease affecting up to 10% of the population. Genetic analyses have identified Myeloid Ecotropic viral Integration Site 1 (MEIS1), a transcriptional regulator, to be associated with not only the restless legs syndrome but also self-reported symptoms of insomnia and sleep. This study is to determine if Meis1 deficiency in mice can lead to restless legs syndrome-like phenotypes, and if it is the case, what the underlying mechanisms are. We used two genetic model systems, Caenorhabditis elegans and mice. Egg retention assay and fluorescent reporters were used with C. elegans. For mice, we performed behavioral tests, serum and brain iron detection, qRT-PCR, western blot, immunohistochemistry, and in vitro brain-slice recording. Our results showed that with C. elegans, the function of dop-3, an orthologue of DRD2, was diminished after the knockdown of unc-62, an ortholog of MEIS1. Additionally, unc-62 knockdown led to enhanced transcription of the orthologue of tyrosine hydroxylase, cat-2. Meis1 knockout mice were hyperactive and had a rest-phase-specific increased probability of waking. Moreover, Meis1 knockout mice had increased serum ferritin and altered striatal dopaminergic and cholinergic systems. Specifically, Meis1 knockout mice showed an increased mRNA level but decreased protein level of tyrosine hydroxylase in the striatum. Furthermore, Meis1 knockout mice had increased striatal dopamine turnover and decreased spontaneous firing regularity of striatal cholinergic interneurons. Our data suggest that Meis1 knockout mice have restless legs syndrome-like motor restlessness and changes in serum ferritin levels. The symptoms may be related to dysfunctional dopaminergic and cholinergic systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shangru Lyu
- Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases, Department of Neurology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Hong Xing
- Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases, Department of Neurology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Yuning Liu
- Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases, Department of Neurology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Pallavi Girdhar
- Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases, Department of Neurology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Keer Zhang
- Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases, Department of Neurology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Fumiaki Yokoi
- Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases, Department of Neurology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Rui Xiao
- Department of Aging and Geriatric Research, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Yuqing Li
- Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases, Department of Neurology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
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19
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Stegmüller J. Restless in the mouse cage-A new genetic model for restless legs syndrome: An Editorial Highlight for "Deficiency of Meis1, a transcriptional regulator, in mice and worms:Neurochemical and behavioral characterizations with implications in the restless legs syndrome" on page 522. J Neurochem 2020; 155:471-474. [PMID: 33011998 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2020] [Accepted: 08/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a movement disorder that is characterized by an uncomfortable sensation in the legs, and the urge to move the legs. Meis1 has previously identified as a risk gene for RLS. This Editorial highlights the study by Lyu and colleagues who developed a novel genetic mouse model heterozygous for Meis1 expression in neurons of the central nervous system. Using behavioral tests, the authors established hyperactivity of the mice, reminiscent of symptoms found in RLS patients. In addition, the authors took a closer look at the iron, dopaminergic, and cholinergic system of these mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judith Stegmüller
- Department of Neurology, RWTH University Hospital, Aachen, Germany.,RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.,Research Training Group 2416 MultiSenses-MultiScales, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
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20
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Acemel RD, Tena JJ, Gomez-Skarmeta JL, Fibla J, Royo JL. Straightforward protocol for allele-specific chromatin conformation capture. Gene 2020; 767:145185. [PMID: 32998049 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2020.145185] [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: 04/29/2020] [Revised: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 09/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
A key advance in our understanding of gene regulation came with the finding that the genome undergoes three-dimensional nuclear folding in a genetically determined process. This 3D conformation directly influences the association between enhancers and their target promoters. This complex interplay has been proven to be essential for gene regulation, and genetic variants affecting this process have been associated to human diseases. The development of new technologies that quantify these DNA interactions represented a revolution in the field. High throughput techniques like HiC provide a general picture of chromatin topology. However, they often lack resolution to evidence subtle effects that single nucleotide polymorphisms exert over the contacts between cis-regulatory regions and target promoters. Here we propose a cost-efficient approach to perform allele-specific chromatin conformation analysis. As a proof of concept, we analyzed the impact of a common deletion mapping between SIRPB1 promoter and one of its downstream enhancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- R D Acemel
- Andalusian Centre for Developmental Biology, University Pablo de Olavide-CSIC-Junta de Andalucia, Sevilla, Spain
| | - J J Tena
- Andalusian Centre for Developmental Biology, University Pablo de Olavide-CSIC-Junta de Andalucia, Sevilla, Spain
| | - J L Gomez-Skarmeta
- Andalusian Centre for Developmental Biology, University Pablo de Olavide-CSIC-Junta de Andalucia, Sevilla, Spain
| | - J Fibla
- Institute of Biomedical Research of Lleida, University of Lleida, Lleida, Spain
| | - J L Royo
- Department of Surgery, Biochemistry, and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Malaga, 29071 Malaga, Spain.
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21
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Carullo NVN, Phillips III RA, Simon RC, Soto SA, Hinds JE, Salisbury AJ, Revanna JS, Bunner KD, Ianov L, Sultan FA, Savell KE, Gersbach CA, Day JJ. Enhancer RNAs predict enhancer-gene regulatory links and are critical for enhancer function in neuronal systems. Nucleic Acids Res 2020; 48:9550-9570. [PMID: 32810208 PMCID: PMC7515708 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkaa671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2020] [Revised: 07/20/2020] [Accepted: 07/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Genomic enhancer elements regulate gene expression programs important for neuronal fate and function and are implicated in brain disease states. Enhancers undergo bidirectional transcription to generate non-coding enhancer RNAs (eRNAs). However, eRNA function remains controversial. Here, we combined Assay for Transposase-Accessible Chromatin using Sequencing (ATAC-Seq) and RNA-Seq datasets from three distinct neuronal culture systems in two activity states, enabling genome-wide enhancer identification and prediction of putative enhancer-gene pairs based on correlation of transcriptional output. Notably, stimulus-dependent enhancer transcription preceded mRNA induction, and CRISPR-based activation of eRNA synthesis increased mRNA at paired genes, functionally validating enhancer-gene predictions. Focusing on enhancers surrounding the Fos gene, we report that targeted eRNA manipulation bidirectionally modulates Fos mRNA, and that Fos eRNAs directly interact with the histone acetyltransferase domain of the enhancer-linked transcriptional co-activator CREB-binding protein (CBP). Together, these results highlight the unique role of eRNAs in neuronal gene regulation and demonstrate that eRNAs can be used to identify putative target genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nancy V N Carullo
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Robert A Phillips III
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Rhiana C Simon
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Salomon A Roman Soto
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Jenna E Hinds
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Aaron J Salisbury
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Jasmin S Revanna
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Kendra D Bunner
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Lara Ianov
- Civitan International Research Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Faraz A Sultan
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Katherine E Savell
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Charles A Gersbach
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Jeremy J Day
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
- Civitan International Research Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
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22
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Van Someren EJW. Brain mechanisms of insomnia: new perspectives on causes and consequences. Physiol Rev 2020; 101:995-1046. [PMID: 32790576 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00046.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 163] [Impact Index Per Article: 40.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
While insomnia is the second most common mental disorder, progress in our understanding of underlying neurobiological mechanisms has been limited. The present review addresses the definition and prevalence of insomnia and explores its subjective and objective characteristics across the 24-hour day. Subsequently, the review extensively addresses how the vulnerability to develop insomnia is affected by genetic variants, early life stress, major life events, and brain structure and function. Further supported by the clear mental health risks conveyed by insomnia, the integrated findings suggest that the vulnerability to develop insomnia could rather be found in brain circuits regulating emotion and arousal than in circuits involved in circadian and homeostatic sleep regulation. Finally, a testable model is presented. The model proposes that in people with a vulnerability to develop insomnia, the locus coeruleus is more sensitive to-or receives more input from-the salience network and related circuits, even during rapid eye movement sleep, when it should normally be sound asleep. This vulnerability may ignite a downward spiral of insufficient overnight adaptation to distress, resulting in accumulating hyperarousal, which, in turn, impedes restful sleep and moreover increases the risk of other mental health adversity. Sensitized brain circuits are likely to be subjectively experienced as "sleeping with one eye open". The proposed model opens up the possibility for novel intervention studies and animal studies, thus accelerating the ignition of a neuroscience of insomnia, which is direly needed for better treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eus J W Van Someren
- Department of Sleep and Cognition, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; and Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit, Psychiatry, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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23
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SKOR1 has a transcriptional regulatory role on genes involved in pathways related to restless legs syndrome. Eur J Hum Genet 2020; 28:1520-1528. [PMID: 32572201 DOI: 10.1038/s41431-020-0670-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2020] [Revised: 05/05/2020] [Accepted: 06/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a common sleep-related sensory-motor disorder. It is characterized by uncomfortable sensations in the legs during the evening or at night. The symptoms can be partially relieved by movement, so typically affected individual needs to walk during rest time; this interferes with sleep. GWAS have identified 19 RLS-associated loci. Among the first to be reported and most significant and robustly replicated reports are variants in the SKOR1 noncoding regions. SKOR1 is highly expressed in the CNS of humans and mice. Skor1 acts as a corepressor of Lbx1 transcription factor in mice and these two genes act together to regulate the cell fate of interneurons in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord. Based on this data we investigated the regulatory role of SKOR1 using a global RNA-sequencing approach in human cell lines where SKOR1 was either overexpressed or silenced. For this work we generated and validated a new poly-clonal anti-SKOR1. Pathway and gene set enrichment analyses of the differentially expressed genes showed, among others, enrichment of genes involved in neurodevelopment and iron metabolism, two RLS relevant pathways that were previously found to be enriched in the latest RLS GWAS meta-analysis. Analysis of our different datasets further supports and highlights the regulatory role of SKOR1, which when dysregulated might represent a key pathogenic element of RLS. A better understanding of SKOR1 and its activity could open new avenues of investigation for the development of a much-needed therapy.
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24
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Nash AJ, Lenhard B. A novel measure of non-coding genome conservation identifies genomic regulatory blocks within primates. Bioinformatics 2020; 35:2354-2361. [PMID: 30535005 PMCID: PMC6612856 DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/bty1014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2018] [Revised: 11/26/2018] [Accepted: 12/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
MOTIVATION Clusters of extremely conserved non-coding elements (CNEs) mark genomic regions devoted to cis-regulation of key developmental genes in Metazoa. We have recently shown that their span coincides with that of topologically associating domains (TADs), making them useful for estimating conserved TAD boundaries in the absence of Hi-C data. The standard approach-detecting CNEs in genome alignments and then establishing the boundaries of their clusters-requires tuning of several parameters and breaks down when comparing closely related genomes. RESULTS We present a novel, kurtosis-based measure of pairwise non-coding conservation that requires no pre-set thresholds for conservation level and length of CNEs. We show that it performs robustly across a large span of evolutionary distances, including across the closely related genomes of primates for which standard approaches fail. The method is straightforward to implement and enables detection and comparison of clusters of CNEs and estimation of underlying TADs across a vastly increased range of Metazoan genomes. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION The data generated for this study, and the scripts used to generate the data, can be found at https://github.com/alexander-nash/kurtosis_conservation. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander J Nash
- Computational Regulatory Genomics Group, MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences.,Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Campus, London, UK
| | - Boris Lenhard
- Computational Regulatory Genomics Group, MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences.,Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Campus, London, UK.,Sars International Centre for Marine Molecular Biology, University of Bergen, N Bergen, Norway
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25
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Lyu S, DeAndrade MP, Unger EL, Mueller S, Oksche A, Walters AS, Li Y. Mu opioid receptor knockout mouse: Phenotypes with implications on restless legs syndrome. J Neurosci Res 2020; 98:1532-1548. [PMID: 32424971 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.24637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2019] [Revised: 04/12/2020] [Accepted: 04/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is characterized by an irresistible need to move the legs while sitting or lying at night with insomnia as a frequent consequence. Human RLS has been associated with abnormalities in the endogenous opioid system, the dopaminergic system, the iron regulatory system, anemia, and inflammatory and auto-immune disorders. Our previous work indicates that mice lacking all three subtypes of opioid receptors have a phenotype similar to that of human RLS. To study the roles of each opioid receptor subtype in RLS, we first used mu opioid receptor knockout (MOR KO) mice based on our earlier studies using postmortem brain and cell culture. The KO mice showed decreased hemoglobin, hematocrit, and red blood cells (RBCs), with an appearance of microcytic RBCs indicating anemia. Together with decreased serum iron and transferrin, but increased ferritin levels, the anemia is similar to that seen with chronic inflammation in humans. A decreased serum iron level was also observed in the wildtype mice treated with an MOR antagonist. Iron was increased in the liver and spleen of the KO mice. Normal circadian variations in the dopaminergic and serotoninergic systems were absent in the KO mice. The KO mice showed hyperactivity and increased thermal sensitivity in wakefulness primarily during what would normally be the sleep phase similar to that seen in human RLS. Deficits in endogenous opioid system transmission could predispose to anemia of inflammation and loss of circadian variations in dopaminergic or serotonergic systems, thereby contributing to an RLS-like phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shangru Lyu
- Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases, Department of Neurology, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Mark P DeAndrade
- Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases, Department of Neurology, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Erica L Unger
- Department of Biology, Lebanon Valley College, Annville, PA, USA
| | | | - Alexander Oksche
- Mundipharma Research Limited, Cambridge, UK.,Rudolf-Buchheim-Institut für Pharmakologie, University of Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Arthur S Walters
- Division of Sleep Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Yuqing Li
- Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases, Department of Neurology, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
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26
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Abstract
Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a neurological disorder characterized by an urge to move and uncomfortable sensations. Genetic studies have identified polymorphisms in up to 19 risk loci, including MEIS1 and BTBD9. Rodents deficient in either homolog show RLS-like phenotypes. However, whether MEIS1 and BTBD9 interact in vivo is unclear. Here, with C. elegans, we observed that the hyperactive egg-laying behavior caused by loss of BTBD9 homolog was counteracted by knockdown of MEIS1 homolog. This was further investigated in mutant mice with Btbd9, Meis1, or both knocked out. The double knockout mice showed an earlier onset of the motor deficit in the wheel running test but did not have increased sensitivity to the heat stimuli as observed in single KOs. Meis1 protein level was not influenced by Btbd9 deficiency, and Btbd9 transcription was not affected by Meis1 haploinsufficiency. Our results demonstrate that MEIS1 and BTBD9 do not regulate each other.
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27
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Paul S, Zhang X, He JQ. Homeobox gene Meis1 modulates cardiovascular regeneration. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2019; 100:52-61. [PMID: 31623926 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2019.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2019] [Revised: 09/30/2019] [Accepted: 10/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Regeneration of cardiomyocytes, endothelial cells and vascular smooth muscle cells (three major lineages of cardiac tissues) following myocardial infarction is the critical step to recover the function of the damaged heart. Myeloid ecotropic viral integration site 1 (Meis1) was first discovered in leukemic mice in 1995 and its biological function has been extensively studied in leukemia, hematopoiesis, the embryonic pattering of body axis, eye development and various genetic diseases, such as restless leg syndrome. It was found that Meis1 is highly associated with Hox genes and their cofactors to exert its regulatory effects on multiple intracellular signaling pathways. Recently with the advent of bioinformatics, biochemical methods and advanced genetic engineering tools, new function of Meis1 has been found to be involved in the cell cycle regulation of cardiomyocytes and endothelial cells. For example, inhibition of Meis1 expression increases the proliferative capacity of neonatal mouse cardiomyocytes, whereas overexpression of Meis1 results in the reduction in the length of cardiomyocyte proliferative window. Interestingly, downregulation of one of the circular RNAs, which acts downstream of Meis1 in the cardiomyocytes, promotes angiogenesis and restores the myocardial blood supply, thus reinforcing better regeneration of the damaged heart. It appears that Meis1 may play double roles in modulating proliferation and regeneration of cardiomyocytes and endothelial cells post-myocardial infarction. In this review, we propose to summarize the major findings of Meis1 in modulating fetal development and adult abnormalities, especially focusing on the recent discoveries of Meis1 in controlling the fate of cardiomyocytes and endothelial cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Swagatika Paul
- Department of Biomedical Sciences & Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Xiaonan Zhang
- Beijing Yulong Shengshi Biotechnology, Haidian District, Beijing, 100085, China
| | - Jia-Qiang He
- Department of Biomedical Sciences & Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA.
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28
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The Role of BTBD9 in Striatum and Restless Legs Syndrome. eNeuro 2019; 6:ENEURO.0277-19.2019. [PMID: 31444227 PMCID: PMC6787346 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0277-19.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2019] [Revised: 07/22/2019] [Accepted: 08/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a sensory-motor neurological disorder characterized by uncomfortable sensations in the extremities, generally at night, which is often relieved by movements. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified mutations in BTBD9 conferring a higher risk of RLS. Knockout of the BTBD9 homolog in mice (Btbd9) and fly results in motor restlessness and sleep disruption. Clinical studies have found RLS patients have structural and functional abnormalities in the striatum; however, whether and how striatal pathology contributes to the pathogenesis of RLS is not known. Here, we used fMRI to map regions of altered synaptic activity in basal ganglia of systematic Btbd9 knock-out (KO) mice. We further dissected striatal circuits using patch-clamp electrophysiological recordings in brain slices. Two different mouse models were generated to test the effect of specific knockout of Btbd9 in either striatal medium spiny neurons (MSNs) or cholinergic interneurons (ChIs) using the electrophysiological recording, motor and sensory behavioral tests. We found that Btbd9 KO mice showed enhanced neural activity in the striatum, increased postsynaptic currents in the MSNs, and decreased excitability of the striatal ChIs. Knocking out Btbd9 specifically in the striatal MSNs, but not the ChIs, led to rest-phase specific motor restlessness, sleep disturbance, and increased thermal sensation in mice, which are consistent with results obtained from the Btbd9 KO mice. Our data establish the role of Btbd9 in regulating the activity of striatal neurons. Increased activity of the striatal MSNs, possibly through modulation by the striatal ChIs, contributes to the pathogenesis of RLS.
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29
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El Gewely M, Welman M, Xiong L, Yin S, Catoire H, Rouleau G, Montplaisir JY, Desautels A, Warby SC. Reassessing GWAS findings for the shared genetic basis of insomnia and restless legs syndrome. Sleep 2019; 41:5095658. [PMID: 30215811 DOI: 10.1093/sleep/zsy164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Two genome-wide association studies (GWAS) suggest that insomnia and restless legs syndrome (RLS) share a common genetic basis. While the identified genetic variation in the MEIS1 gene was previously associated with RLS, the two GWAS suggest a novel and independent association with insomnia symptoms. To test the potential pleiotropic effect of MEIS1, we genotyped three MEIS1 variants in 646 chronic insomnia disorder (CID) patients with and without RLS. To confirm our results, we compared the allelic and genotypic distributions of the CID cohort with ethnically matched controls and RLS cases in the French Canadian cohort. The CID cohort was diagnosed by sleep medicine specialists and 26% of the sample received the combined diagnosis of CID+RLS. We find significant differences in allele and genotype distributions between CID-only and CID+RLS groups, suggesting that MEIS1 is only associated with RLS. Genotype distributions and minor allele frequencies of the three MEIS1 SNPs of the CID-only and control groups were similar (rs113851554: 5.3% vs. 5.6%; rs2300478: 25.3% vs. 26.5%; rs12469063: 23.6% vs. 24.4%; all p > 0.05). Likewise, there were no differences between CID+RLS and RLS-only groups (all p > 0.05). In conclusion, our data confirms that MEIS1 is a genetic risk factor for the development of RLS, but it does not support the pleiotropic effect of MEIS1 in CID. While a lack of power precluded us from refuting small pleiotropic effects, our findings emphasize the critical importance of isolating CID from other disorders that can cause sleep difficulties, particularly RLS, for future genetic studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryam El Gewely
- Department of Psychiatry, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada.,Centre d'études avancées en médecine du sommeil, Montréal, Canada
| | - Mélanie Welman
- Centre d'études avancées en médecine du sommeil, Montréal, Canada
| | - Lan Xiong
- Department of Psychiatry, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada.,Centre de recherche, Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Montréal, Montréal, Canada.,Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Sophie Yin
- Centre d'études avancées en médecine du sommeil, Montréal, Canada
| | - Hélène Catoire
- Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Guy Rouleau
- Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Jacques Y Montplaisir
- Department of Psychiatry, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada.,Centre d'études avancées en médecine du sommeil, Montréal, Canada
| | - Alex Desautels
- Centre d'études avancées en médecine du sommeil, Montréal, Canada.,Department of Neurosciences, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada
| | - Simon C Warby
- Department of Psychiatry, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada.,Centre d'études avancées en médecine du sommeil, Montréal, Canada
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30
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Gnanakkumaar P, Murugesan R, Ahmed SSSJ. Gene Regulatory Networks in Peripheral Mononuclear Cells Reveals Critical Regulatory Modules and Regulators of Multiple Sclerosis. Sci Rep 2019; 9:12732. [PMID: 31484947 PMCID: PMC6726613 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-49124-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2019] [Accepted: 08/20/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a complex, demyelinating disease with the involvement of autoimmunity and neurodegeneration. Increasing efforts have been made towards identifying the diagnostic markers to differentiate the classes of MS from other similar neurological conditions. Using a systems biology approach, we constructed four types of gene regulatory networks (GRNs) involved in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). The regulatory strength of each GRN across primary progressive MS (PPMS), relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS), secondary progressive MS (SPMS), and control were evaluated by an integrity algorithm. Among the constructed GRNs (referred as TF_gene_miRNA), POU3F2_CDK6_hsa-miR-590-3p, MEIS1_CASC3_hsa-miR-1261, STAT3_OGG1_hsa-miR-298, and TCF4_FMR1_hsa-miR-301b were top-ranked and differentially regulated in all classes of MS compared to control. These GRNs showed potential involvement in regulating various molecular pathways such as interleukin, integrin, glypican, sphingosine phosphate, androgen, and Wnt signaling pathways. For validation, the qPCR analysis of the GRN components (TFs, gene, and miRNAs) in PBMCs of healthy controls (n = 30), RRMS (n = 14), PPMS (n = 13) and SPMS (n = 12) were carried out. Real-time expression analysis of GRNs showed a similar regulatory pattern as derived from our systems biology approach. Also, our study provided several novel GRNs that regulate unique and common molecular mechanisms between MS conditions. Hence, these regulatory components of GRNs will help to understand the disease mechanism across MS classes and further insight may though light towards diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Perumal Gnanakkumaar
- Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Chettinad Academy of Research and Education (CARE), Kelambakkam, 603103, India
| | - Ram Murugesan
- Drug Discovery Lab, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Chettinad Hospital & Research Institute (CHRI), Chettinad Academy of Research and Education (CARE), Kelambakkam, 603103, India
| | - Shiek S S J Ahmed
- Drug Discovery Lab, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Chettinad Hospital & Research Institute (CHRI), Chettinad Academy of Research and Education (CARE), Kelambakkam, 603103, India.
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31
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Sarayloo F, Dion PA, Rouleau GA. MEIS1 and Restless Legs Syndrome: A Comprehensive Review. Front Neurol 2019; 10:935. [PMID: 31551905 PMCID: PMC6736557 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2019.00935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2019] [Accepted: 08/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a common sleep-related disorder for which the underlying biological pathways and genetic determinants are not well understood. The genetic factors so far identified explain less than 10% of the disease heritability. The first successful genome-wide association study (GWAS) of RLS was reported in 2007. This study identified multiple RLS associated risk variants including some within the non-coding regions of MEIS1. The MEIS1 GWAS signals are some of the strongest genetic associations reported for any common disease. MEIS1 belongs to the homeobox containing transcriptional regulatory network (HOX). Work in C. elegans showed a link between the MEIS1 ortholog and iron homeostasis, which is in line with the fact that central nervous system (CNS) iron insufficiency is thought to be a cause of RLS. Zebrafish and mice have been used to study the MEIS1 gene identifying an RLS-associated-SNP dependent enhancer activity from the highly conserved non-coding regions (HCNR) of MEIS1. Furthermore, this gene shows a lower expression of mRNA and protein in blood and thalamus of individuals with the MEIS1 RLS risk haplotype. Simulating this reduced MEIS1 expression in mouse models resulted in circadian hyperactivity, a phenotype compatible with RLS. While MEIS1 shows a strong association with RLS, the protein's function that is directly linked to an RLS biological pathway remains to be discovered. The links to iron and the enhancer activity of the HCNRs of MEIS1 suggest promising links to RLS pathways, however more in-depth studies on this gene's function are required. One important aspect of MEIS1's role in RLS is the fact that it encodes a homeobox containing transcription factor, which is essential during development. Future studies with more focus on the transcriptional regulatory role of MEIS1 may open novel venues for RLS research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faezeh Sarayloo
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Patrick A Dion
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Guy A Rouleau
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
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32
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Schulte D, Geerts D. MEIS transcription factors in development and disease. Development 2019; 146:146/16/dev174706. [PMID: 31416930 DOI: 10.1242/dev.174706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2018] [Accepted: 06/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
MEIS transcription factors are key regulators of embryonic development and cancer. Research on MEIS genes in the embryo and in stem cell systems has revealed novel and surprising mechanisms by which these proteins control gene expression. This Primer summarizes recent findings about MEIS protein activity and regulation in development, and discusses new insights into the role of MEIS genes in disease, focusing on the pathogenesis of solid cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorothea Schulte
- Institute of Neurology (Edinger Institute), University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, 60528 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Dirk Geerts
- Department of Medical Biology L2-109, Amsterdam University Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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33
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Lyu S, DeAndrade MP, Mueller S, Oksche A, Walters AS, Li Y. Hyperactivity, dopaminergic abnormalities, iron deficiency and anemia in an in vivo opioid receptors knockout mouse: Implications for the restless legs syndrome. Behav Brain Res 2019; 374:112123. [PMID: 31376441 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2019.112123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2019] [Revised: 07/24/2019] [Accepted: 07/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Previous studies have uncovered a potential role of the opioid system in iron hemostasis and dopamine metabolism. Abnormalities in both of these systems have been noted in human RLS. Autopsy studies of human RLS have shown an endogenous opioid deficiency in the thalamus. Opioids, particularly prolonged-release oxycodone/naloxone, have been approved in Europe to be a second-line therapy for severe restless legs syndrome (RLS). To study the role of opioid receptors in the pathogenesis of RLS, we used a triple knockout (KO) mouse strain that lack mu, delta, and kappa opioid receptors and explored the behavioral and biochemical parameters relevant to RLS. The triple KO mice showed hyperactivity and a trend of increased probability of waking during the rest period (day) akin to that in human RLS (night). Surprisingly, triple KO mice also exhibit decreased serum iron concentration, evidence of anemia, a significant dysfunction in dopamine metabolism akin to that noted in human RLS, as well as an increased latency in response to thermal stimuli. To our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate that the endogenous opioid system may play a role in iron metabolism and subsequently in the pathogenesis of anemia. It is also the first study showing that opioid receptors are involved in the production of motor restlessness with a circadian predominance. Our findings support the role of endogenous opioids in the pathogenesis of RLS, and the triple KO mice can be used to understand the relationship between iron deficiency, anemia, dopaminergic dysfunction, and RLS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shangru Lyu
- Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases, Department of Neurology, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Mark P DeAndrade
- Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases, Department of Neurology, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Stefan Mueller
- Mundipharma Research GmbH & Co. KG, Höhenstraße 10, Limburg, Germany
| | - Alexander Oksche
- Mundipharma Research Limited, Cambridge, UK; Rudolf-Buchheim-Institut für Pharmakologie, University of Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Arthur S Walters
- Division of Sleep Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Yuqing Li
- Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases, Department of Neurology, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
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Madelaine R, Notwell JH, Skariah G, Halluin C, Chen CC, Bejerano G, Mourrain P. A screen for deeply conserved non-coding GWAS SNPs uncovers a MIR-9-2 functional mutation associated to retinal vasculature defects in human. Nucleic Acids Res 2019. [PMID: 29518216 PMCID: PMC5909433 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gky166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Thousands of human disease-associated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) lie in the non-coding genome, but only a handful have been demonstrated to affect gene expression and human biology. We computationally identified risk-associated SNPs in deeply conserved non-exonic elements (CNEs) potentially contributing to 45 human diseases. We further demonstrated that human CNE1/rs17421627 associated with retinal vasculature defects showed transcriptional activity in the zebrafish retina, while introducing the risk-associated allele completely abolished CNE1 enhancer activity. Furthermore, deletion of CNE1 led to retinal vasculature defects and to a specific downregulation of microRNA-9, rather than MEF2C as predicted by the original genome-wide association studies. Consistent with these results, miR-9 depletion affects retinal vasculature formation, demonstrating MIR-9-2 as a critical gene underpinning the associated trait. Importantly, we validated that other CNEs act as transcriptional enhancers that can be disrupted by conserved non-coding SNPs. This study uncovers disease-associated non-coding mutations that are deeply conserved, providing a path for in vivo testing to reveal their cis-regulated genes and biological roles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romain Madelaine
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford Center for Sleep Sciences and Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | | | - Gemini Skariah
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford Center for Sleep Sciences and Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Caroline Halluin
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford Center for Sleep Sciences and Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | | | - Gill Bejerano
- Department of Computer Science, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.,Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.,Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Philippe Mourrain
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford Center for Sleep Sciences and Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.,INSERM 1024, Ecole Normale Supérieure Paris, 75005, France
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Sánchez-Aragón M, Cantisán-Gómez J, Luque CM, Brás-Pereira C, Lopes CS, Lemos MC, Casares F. A Toggle-Switch and a Feed-Forward Loop Engage in the Control of the Drosophila Retinal Determination Gene Network. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
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Role of MEIS1 in restless legs syndrome: From GWAS to functional studies in mice. ADVANCES IN PHARMACOLOGY (SAN DIEGO, CALIF.) 2019; 84:175-184. [PMID: 31229170 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apha.2019.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
MEIS1 is a transcription factor playing an important role in the development of several organs, including central and peripheral nervous systems. A genetic locus spanning the MEIS1 coding region has been associated with the risk of RLS in genome-wide association studies, with increasing evidence that MEIS1 is the causal RLS gene. The RLS-linked genetic signal has been mapped to an intronic regulatory element within MEIS1. This element plays a role in the ganglionic eminences of the developing forebrain, with the RLS risk allele related to a reduced activation of the enhancer. This suggests that the ganglionic eminences play an important role in the development of genetic susceptibility to RLS. In addition, rare variants within MEIS1 have been shown to contribute to the disease risk. These variants were identified first in RLS families and later found in further RLS cases by targeted sequencing. Some of these variants alone are sufficient to suppress MEIS1 function in neural development, providing further evidence of the importance of neurodevelopmental processes in the pathological mechanism of MEIS1 in RLS. Heterozygous Meis1 inactivation in mice causes hyperactivity at the onset of the inactive period, consistent with human RLS. In addition, these mice revealed an effect of MEIS1 on the dopaminergic system at both the spinal and supraspinal level. More studies are needed in human genetics to determine the exact role of MEIS1 variants in the risk of RLS, as well as in functional genetics and animal studies to further elucidate the pathological mechanism of MEIS1 in RLS.
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Evolutionary Loss of Genomic Proximity to Conserved Noncoding Elements Impacted the Gene Expression Dynamics During Mammalian Brain Development. Genetics 2019; 211:1239-1254. [PMID: 30796012 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.119.301973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2018] [Accepted: 02/14/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Conserved noncoding elements (CNEs) have a significant regulatory influence on their neighboring genes. Loss of proximity to CNEs through genomic rearrangements can, therefore, impact the transcriptional states of the cognate genes. Yet, the evolutionary implications of such chromosomal alterations have not been studied. Through genome-wide analysis of CNEs and the cognate genes of representative species from five different mammalian orders, we observed a significant loss of genes' linear proximity to CNEs in the rat lineage. The CNEs and the genes losing proximity had a significant association with fetal, but not postnatal, brain development as assessed through ontology terms, developmental gene expression, chromatin marks, and genetic mutations. The loss of proximity to CNEs correlated with the independent evolutionary loss of fetus-specific upregulation of nearby genes in the rat brain. DNA breakpoints implicated in brain abnormalities of germline origin had significant representation between a CNE and the gene that exhibited loss of proximity, signifying the underlying developmental tolerance of genomic rearrangements that allowed the evolutionary splits of CNEs and the cognate genes in the rodent lineage. Our observations highlighted a nontrivial impact of chromosomal rearrangements in shaping the evolutionary dynamics of mammalian brain development and might explain the loss of brain traits, like cerebral folding of the cortex, in the rodent lineage.
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Carullo NVN, Day JJ. Genomic Enhancers in Brain Health and Disease. Genes (Basel) 2019; 10:E43. [PMID: 30646598 PMCID: PMC6357130 DOI: 10.3390/genes10010043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2018] [Revised: 01/08/2019] [Accepted: 01/08/2019] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Enhancers are non-coding DNA elements that function in cis to regulate transcription from nearby genes. Through direct interactions with gene promoters, enhancers give rise to spatially and temporally precise gene expression profiles in distinct cell or tissue types. In the brain, the accurate regulation of these intricate expression programs across different neuronal classes gives rise to an incredible cellular and functional diversity. Newly developed technologies have recently allowed more accurate enhancer mapping and more sophisticated enhancer manipulation, producing rapid progress in our understanding of enhancer biology. Furthermore, identification of disease-linked genetic variation in enhancer regions has highlighted the potential influence of enhancers in brain health and disease. This review outlines the key role of enhancers as transcriptional regulators, reviews the current understanding of enhancer regulation in neuronal development, function and dysfunction and provides our thoughts on how enhancers can be targeted for technological and therapeutic goals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nancy V N Carullo
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA.
| | - Jeremy J Day
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA.
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39
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Wade QW, Chiou B, Connor JR. Iron uptake at the blood-brain barrier is influenced by sex and genotype. PHARMACOLOGY OF RESTLESS LEGS SYNDROME (RLS) 2019; 84:123-145. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.apha.2019.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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40
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Restless Legs Syndrome and Other Movement Disorders of Sleep-Treatment Update. Curr Treat Options Neurol 2018; 20:55. [PMID: 30411165 DOI: 10.1007/s11940-018-0540-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW The purpose of this review article is to summarize and discuss the recent advances in the treatment of restless legs syndrome (RLS), as well as REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD), and periodic leg movement disorder (PLMD). RECENT FINDINGS Traditionally, dopaminergic therapy has been considered the sole option for first-line treatment of RLS due to their impressive acute efficacy. Dopamine agonists such as oral pramipexole and ropinirole, as well as transdermal rotigotine are all effective treatment options. However, augmentation of the RLS symptoms is a major limitation of oral dopaminergic therapy. Recently, gabapentinoid agents such as gabapentin enacarbil and pregabalin have shown comparable short-term efficacy to dopaminergics with lower risk of augmentation of the RLS symptoms. Recent evidence on the efficacy of oxycodone-naloxone in treatment-resistant RLS provides an additional therapeutic avenue. The increasing understanding of the role of iron in RLS pathophysiology has led to new options in iron supplementation therapy in RLS, including treatment with ferric carboxymaltose. With emerging evidence of augmentation being a side effect specific to dopaminergic treatment, gabapentinoids are considered a safer option as initial treatment. In severe refractory RLS, oxycodone-naloxone can be used. If iron stores are low, IV iron formulations should be the initial treatment choice. New treatment options are needed to address issues with current therapies.
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Comorbidities, treatment, and pathophysiology in restless legs syndrome. Lancet Neurol 2018; 17:994-1005. [PMID: 30244828 DOI: 10.1016/s1474-4422(18)30311-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 142] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2018] [Revised: 07/05/2018] [Accepted: 08/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Restless legs syndrome, also known as Willis-Ekbom disease, is a common neurological condition whose manifestation is affected by complex environmental and genetic interactions. Restless legs syndrome can occur on its own, mostly at a young age, or with comorbidities such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and arterial hypertension, making it a difficult condition to properly diagnose. However, the concept of restless legs syndrome as being two entities, primary or secondary to another condition, has been challenged with genetic data providing further insight into the pathophysiology of the condition. Although dopaminergic treatment was formerly the first-line therapy, prolonged use can result in a serious worsening of symptoms known as augmentation. Clinical studies on pregabalin, gabapentin enacarbil, oxycodone-naloxone, and iron preparations have provided new treatment options, but most patients still report inadequate long-term management of symptoms. Studies of the hypoxic pathway activation and iron deficiency have provided valuable information about the pathophysiology of restless legs syndrome that should now be translated into new, more effective treatments for restless legs syndrome.
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Meneely S, Dinkins ML, Kassai M, Lyu S, Liu Y, Lin CT, Brewer K, Li Y, Clemens S. Differential Dopamine D1 and D3 Receptor Modulation and Expression in the Spinal Cord of Two Mouse Models of Restless Legs Syndrome. Front Behav Neurosci 2018; 12:199. [PMID: 30233336 PMCID: PMC6131574 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2017] [Accepted: 08/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) is often and successfully treated with dopamine receptor agonists that target the inhibitory D3 receptor subtype, however there is no clinical evidence of a D3 receptor dysfunction in RLS patients. In contrast, genome-wide association studies in RLS patients have established that a mutation of the MEIS1 gene is associated with an increased risk in developing RLS, but the effect of MEIS1 dysfunction on sensorimotor function remain unknown. Mouse models for a dysfunctional D3 receptor (D3KO) and Meis1 (Meis1KO) were developed independently, and each animal expresses some features associated with RLS in the clinic, but they have not been compared in their responsiveness to treatment options used in the clinic. We here confirm that D3KO and Meis1KO animals show increased locomotor activities, but that only D3KO show an increased sensory excitability to thermal stimuli. Next we compared the effects of dopaminergics and opioids in both animal models, and we assessed D1 and D3 dopamine receptor expression in the spinal cord, the gateway for sensorimotor processing. We found that Meis1KO share most of the tested behavioral properties with their wild type (WT) controls, including the modulation of the thermal pain withdrawal reflex by morphine, L-DOPA and D3 receptor (D3R) agonists and antagonists. However, Meis1KO and D3KO were behaviorally more similar to each other than to WT when tested with D1 receptor (D1R) agonists and antagonists. Subsequent Western blot analyses of D1R and D3R protein expression in the spinal cord revealed a significant increase in D1R but not D3R expression in Meis1KO and D3KO over WT controls. As the D3R is mostly present in the dorsal spinal cord where it has been shown to modulate sensory pathways, while activation of the D1Rs can activate motoneurons in the ventral spinal cord, we speculate that D3KO and Meis1KO represent two complementary animal models for RLS, in which the mechanisms of sensory (D3R-mediated) and motor (D1R-mediated) dysfunctions can be differentially explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha Meneely
- Department of Physiology, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, United States
| | - Mai-Lynne Dinkins
- Department of Physiology, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, United States
| | - Miki Kassai
- Department of Physiology, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, United States
| | - Shangru Lyu
- Department of Neurology, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Yuning Liu
- Department of Neurology, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Chien-Te Lin
- Department of Physiology, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, United States
- East Carolina Diabetes and Obesity Institute, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, United States
| | - Kori Brewer
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, United States
| | - Yuqing Li
- Department of Neurology, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
- Wuxi Medical School, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
| | - Stefan Clemens
- Department of Physiology, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, United States
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43
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Ferré S, García-Borreguero D, Allen RP, Earley CJ. New Insights into the Neurobiology of Restless Legs Syndrome. Neuroscientist 2018; 25:113-125. [PMID: 30047288 DOI: 10.1177/1073858418791763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a common sensorimotor disorder, whose basic components include a sensory experience, akathisia, and a sleep-related motor sign, periodic leg movements during sleep (PLMS), both associated with an enhancement of the individual's arousal state. The present review attempts to integrate the major clinical and experimental neurobiological findings into a heuristic pathogenetic model. The model also integrates the recent findings on RLS genetics indicating that RLS has aspects of a genetically moderated neurodevelopmental disorder involving mainly the cortico-striatal-thalamic-cortical circuits. Brain iron deficiency (BID) remains the key initial pathobiological factor and relates to alterations of iron acquisition by the brain, also moderated by genetic factors. Experimental evidence indicates that BID leads to a hyperdopaminergic and hyperglutamatergic states that determine the dysfunction of cortico-striatal-thalamic-cortical circuits in genetically vulnerable individuals. However, the enhanced arousal mechanisms critical to RLS are better explained by functional changes of the ascending arousal systems. Recent experimental and clinical studies suggest that a BID-induced hypoadenosinergic state provides the link for a putative unified pathophysiological mechanism for sensorimotor signs of RLS and the enhanced arousal state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergi Ferré
- 1 National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | - Richard P Allen
- 3 Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
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44
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Jiménez-Jiménez FJ, Alonso-Navarro H, García-Martín E, Agúndez JA. Genetics of restless legs syndrome: An update. Sleep Med Rev 2018; 39:108-121. [DOI: 10.1016/j.smrv.2017.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2016] [Revised: 08/08/2017] [Accepted: 08/09/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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45
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Hermesdorf M, Sundermann B, Rawal R, Szentkirályi A, Dannlowski U, Berger K. Lack of Association Between Shape and Volume of Subcortical Brain Structures and Restless Legs Syndrome. Front Neurol 2018; 9:355. [PMID: 29867753 PMCID: PMC5968110 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2018.00355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2017] [Accepted: 05/01/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective Previous studies on patients with restless legs syndrome (RLS) yielded inconclusive results in the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based analyses of alterations of subcortical structures in the brain. The aim of this study was to compare volumes as well as shapes of subcortical structures and the hippocampus between RLS cases and controls. Additionally, the associations between the genetic risks for RLS and subcortical volumes were investigated. Methods We compared volumetric as well as shape differences assessed by 3 T MRI in the caudate nucleus, hippocampus, globus pallidus, putamen, and thalamus in 39 RLS cases versus 117 controls, nested within a population-based sample. In a subsample, we explored associations between known genetic risk markers for RLS and the volumes of the subcortical structures and the hippocampus. Results No significant differences between RLS cases and controls in subcortical and hippocampal shapes and volumes were observed. Furthermore, the genetic risk for RLS was unrelated to any alterations of subcortical and hippocampal gray matter volume. Interpretation We conclude that neither RLS nor the genetic risk for the disease give rise to changes in hippocampal and subcortical shapes and gray matter volumes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Hermesdorf
- Institute of Epidemiology and Social Medicine, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Benedikt Sundermann
- Department of Clinical Radiology, University Hospital Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Rajesh Rawal
- Institute of Epidemiology and Social Medicine, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - András Szentkirályi
- Institute of Epidemiology and Social Medicine, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Udo Dannlowski
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Klaus Berger
- Institute of Epidemiology and Social Medicine, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
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46
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Wanke KA, Devanna P, Vernes SC. Understanding Neurodevelopmental Disorders: The Promise of Regulatory Variation in the 3'UTRome. Biol Psychiatry 2018; 83:548-557. [PMID: 29289333 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2017.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2017] [Revised: 11/02/2017] [Accepted: 11/02/2017] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Neurodevelopmental disorders have a strong genetic component, but despite widespread efforts, the specific genetic factors underlying these disorders remain undefined for a large proportion of affected individuals. Given the accessibility of exome sequencing, this problem has thus far been addressed from a protein-centric standpoint; however, protein-coding regions only make up ∼1% to 2% of the human genome. With the advent of whole genome sequencing we are in the midst of a paradigm shift as it is now possible to interrogate the entire sequence of the human genome (coding and noncoding) to fill in the missing heritability of complex disorders. These new technologies bring new challenges, as the number of noncoding variants identified per individual can be overwhelming, making it prudent to focus on noncoding regions of known function, for which the effects of variation can be predicted and directly tested to assess pathogenicity. The 3'UTRome is a region of the noncoding genome that perfectly fulfills these criteria and is of high interest when searching for pathogenic variation related to complex neurodevelopmental disorders. Herein, we review the regulatory roles of the 3'UTRome as binding sites for microRNAs or RNA binding proteins, or during alternative polyadenylation. We detail existing evidence that these regions contribute to neurodevelopmental disorders and outline strategies for identification and validation of novel putatively pathogenic variation in these regions. This evidence suggests that studying the 3'UTRome will lead to the identification of new risk factors, new candidate disease genes, and a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms contributing to neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai A Wanke
- Neurogenetics of Vocal Communication Group, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Language and Genetics Department, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Paolo Devanna
- Neurogenetics of Vocal Communication Group, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Sonja C Vernes
- Neurogenetics of Vocal Communication Group, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
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47
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Polychronopoulos D, King JWD, Nash AJ, Tan G, Lenhard B. Conserved non-coding elements: developmental gene regulation meets genome organization. Nucleic Acids Res 2018; 45:12611-12624. [PMID: 29121339 PMCID: PMC5728398 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkx1074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2017] [Accepted: 10/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Comparative genomics has revealed a class of non-protein-coding genomic sequences that display an extraordinary degree of conservation between two or more organisms, regularly exceeding that found within protein-coding exons. These elements, collectively referred to as conserved non-coding elements (CNEs), are non-randomly distributed across chromosomes and tend to cluster in the vicinity of genes with regulatory roles in multicellular development and differentiation. CNEs are organized into functional ensembles called genomic regulatory blocks–dense clusters of elements that collectively coordinate the expression of shared target genes, and whose span in many cases coincides with topologically associated domains. CNEs display sequence properties that set them apart from other sequences under constraint, and have recently been proposed as useful markers for the reconstruction of the evolutionary history of organisms. Disruption of several of these elements is known to contribute to diseases linked with development, and cancer. The emergence, evolutionary dynamics and functions of CNEs still remain poorly understood, and new approaches are required to enable comprehensive CNE identification and characterization. Here, we review current knowledge and identify challenges that need to be tackled to resolve the impasse in understanding extreme non-coding conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dimitris Polychronopoulos
- Computational Regulatory Genomics Group, MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, UK.,Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Campus, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, UK
| | - James W D King
- Computational Regulatory Genomics Group, MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, UK.,Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Campus, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, UK
| | - Alexander J Nash
- Computational Regulatory Genomics Group, MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, UK.,Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Campus, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, UK
| | - Ge Tan
- Computational Regulatory Genomics Group, MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, UK.,Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Campus, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, UK
| | - Boris Lenhard
- Computational Regulatory Genomics Group, MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, UK.,Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Campus, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, UK.,Sars International Centre for Marine Molecular Biology, University of Bergen, Thormøhlensgate 55, N-5008 Bergen, Norway
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48
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Schormair B, Zhao C, Bell S, Tilch E, Salminen AV, Pütz B, Dauvilliers Y, Stefani A, Högl B, Poewe W, Kemlink D, Sonka K, Bachmann CG, Paulus W, Trenkwalder C, Oertel WH, Hornyak M, Teder-Laving M, Metspalu A, Hadjigeorgiou GM, Polo O, Fietze I, Ross OA, Wszolek Z, Butterworth AS, Soranzo N, Ouwehand WH, Roberts DJ, Danesh J, Allen RP, Earley CJ, Ondo WG, Xiong L, Montplaisir J, Gan-Or Z, Perola M, Vodicka P, Dina C, Franke A, Tittmann L, Stewart AFR, Shah SH, Gieger C, Peters A, Rouleau GA, Berger K, Oexle K, Di Angelantonio E, Hinds DA, Müller-Myhsok B, Winkelmann J. Identification of novel risk loci for restless legs syndrome in genome-wide association studies in individuals of European ancestry: a meta-analysis. Lancet Neurol 2017; 16:898-907. [PMID: 29029846 PMCID: PMC5755468 DOI: 10.1016/s1474-4422(17)30327-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 152] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2017] [Revised: 08/10/2017] [Accepted: 08/17/2017] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Restless legs syndrome is a prevalent chronic neurological disorder with potentially severe mental and physical health consequences. Clearer understanding of the underlying pathophysiology is needed to improve treatment options. We did a meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies (GWASs) to identify potential molecular targets. METHODS In the discovery stage, we combined three GWAS datasets (EU-RLS GENE, INTERVAL, and 23andMe) with diagnosis data collected from 2003 to 2017, in face-to-face interviews or via questionnaires, and involving 15 126 cases and 95 725 controls of European ancestry. We identified common variants by fixed-effect inverse-variance meta-analysis. Significant genome-wide signals (p≤5 × 10-8) were tested for replication in an independent GWAS of 30 770 cases and 286 913 controls, followed by a joint analysis of the discovery and replication stages. We did gene annotation, pathway, and gene-set-enrichment analyses and studied the genetic correlations between restless legs syndrome and traits of interest. FINDINGS We identified and replicated 13 new risk loci for restless legs syndrome and confirmed the previously identified six risk loci. MEIS1 was confirmed as the strongest genetic risk factor for restless legs syndrome (odds ratio 1·92, 95% CI 1·85-1·99). Gene prioritisation, enrichment, and genetic correlation analyses showed that identified pathways were related to neurodevelopment and highlighted genes linked to axon guidance (associated with SEMA6D), synapse formation (NTNG1), and neuronal specification (HOXB cluster family and MYT1). INTERPRETATION Identification of new candidate genes and associated pathways will inform future functional research. Advances in understanding of the molecular mechanisms that underlie restless legs syndrome could lead to new treatment options. We focused on common variants; thus, additional studies are needed to dissect the roles of rare and structural variations. FUNDING Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Helmholtz Zentrum München-Deutsches Forschungszentrum für Gesundheit und Umwelt, National Research Institutions, NHS Blood and Transplant, National Institute for Health Research, British Heart Foundation, European Commission, European Research Council, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NIH Research Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, and UK Medical Research Council.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Schormair
- Institute of Neurogenomics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Centre for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Chen Zhao
- Institute of Neurogenomics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Centre for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Steven Bell
- National Institute for Health Research Blood and Transplant Unit in Donor Health and Genomics at the University of Cambridge, Strangeways Research Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK; MRC/BHF Cardiovascular Epidemiology Unit, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Strangeways Research Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK; National Institute for Health Research Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, Cambridge, UK
| | - Erik Tilch
- Institute of Neurogenomics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Centre for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Aaro V Salminen
- Institute of Neurogenomics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Centre for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Benno Pütz
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Yves Dauvilliers
- Sleep-Wake Disorders Centre, Department of Neurology, Hôpital Gui-de-Chauliac, INSERM U1061, CHU Montpellier, France
| | - Ambra Stefani
- Department of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Birgit Högl
- Department of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Werner Poewe
- Department of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - David Kemlink
- Department of Neurology and Centre of Clinical Neuroscience, First Faculty of Medicine and General University Hospital in Prague, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Karel Sonka
- Department of Neurology and Centre of Clinical Neuroscience, First Faculty of Medicine and General University Hospital in Prague, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | | | - Walter Paulus
- Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, University Medical Centre, Georg August University Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Claudia Trenkwalder
- Clinic for Neurosurgery, University Medical Centre, Georg August University Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany; Paracelsus-Elena Hospital, Centre of Parkinsonism and Movement Disorders, Kassel, Germany
| | - Wolfgang H Oertel
- Institute of Neurogenomics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Centre for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany; Department of Neurology, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Magdolna Hornyak
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany; Neuropsychiatry Centre Erding/München, Erding, Germany
| | - Maris Teder-Laving
- Estonian Genome Centre, University of Tartu and Estonian Biocentre, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Andres Metspalu
- Estonian Genome Centre, University of Tartu and Estonian Biocentre, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Georgios M Hadjigeorgiou
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Thessaly, University Hospital of Larissa, Biopolis, Larissa, Greece
| | - Olli Polo
- Unesta Research Centre, Tampere, Finland; Department of Pulmonary Diseases, Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland
| | - Ingo Fietze
- Department of Cardiology and Angiology, Centre of Sleep Medicine, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Owen A Ross
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | | | - Adam S Butterworth
- National Institute for Health Research Blood and Transplant Unit in Donor Health and Genomics at the University of Cambridge, Strangeways Research Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK; MRC/BHF Cardiovascular Epidemiology Unit, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Strangeways Research Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK; National Institute for Health Research Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, Cambridge, UK; British Heart Foundation Centre of Excellence, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, UK
| | - Nicole Soranzo
- National Institute for Health Research Blood and Transplant Unit in Donor Health and Genomics at the University of Cambridge, Strangeways Research Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK; Department of Haematology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, UK; Department of Human Genetics, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, UK
| | - Willem H Ouwehand
- National Institute for Health Research Blood and Transplant Unit in Donor Health and Genomics at the University of Cambridge, Strangeways Research Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK; Department of Haematology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, UK; NHS Blood and Transplant, Cambridge, UK; British Heart Foundation Centre of Excellence, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, UK; Department of Human Genetics, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, UK
| | - David J Roberts
- NHS Blood and Transplant, Oxford, UK; Radcliffe Department of Medicine, BRC Haematology Theme and NHS Blood and Transplant, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, Oxford, UK; Department of Haematology and BRC Haematology Theme, Churchill Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - John Danesh
- National Institute for Health Research Blood and Transplant Unit in Donor Health and Genomics at the University of Cambridge, Strangeways Research Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK; MRC/BHF Cardiovascular Epidemiology Unit, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Strangeways Research Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK; National Institute for Health Research Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, Cambridge, UK; British Heart Foundation Centre of Excellence, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, UK; Department of Human Genetics, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, UK
| | - Richard P Allen
- Center for Restless Legs Study, Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Christopher J Earley
- Center for Restless Legs Study, Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - William G Ondo
- Department of Neurology, Methodist Neurological Institute, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Lan Xiong
- Laboratoire de Neurogénétique, Centre de Recherche, Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada; Département de Psychiatrie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada; Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Jacques Montplaisir
- Département de Psychiatrie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada; Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montréal, 67120, Center for Advanced Research in Sleep Medicine, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Ziv Gan-Or
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada; Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Markus Perola
- Department of Health, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland; Institute of Molecular Medicine FIMM, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Pavel Vodicka
- Department of Molecular Biology of Cancer, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Academy of Science of Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic; Biomedical Centre, Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University in Prague, Pilsen, Czech Republic
| | - Christian Dina
- Inserm UMR1087, CNRS UMR 6291, Institut du Thorax, Nantes, France; Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) Nantes, Université de Nantes, France
| | - Andre Franke
- Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Lukas Tittmann
- PopGen Biobank and Institute of Epidemiology, Christian Albrechts University Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Alexandre F R Stewart
- John and Jennifer Ruddy Canadian Cardiovascular Genetics Centre, University of Ottawa Heart Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Svati H Shah
- Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA; Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Christian Gieger
- Institute of Epidemiology II, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Centre for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany; Research Unit of Molecular Epidemiology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Centre for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany; German Centre for Diabetes Research (DZD), Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Annette Peters
- Institute of Epidemiology II, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Centre for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany; German Centre for Diabetes Research (DZD), Neuherberg, Germany; German Centre for Cardiovascular Disease Research (DZHK), Berlin, Germany
| | - Guy A Rouleau
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada; Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada; Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Klaus Berger
- Institute of Epidemiology and Social Medicine, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Konrad Oexle
- Institute of Neurogenomics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Centre for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Emanuele Di Angelantonio
- National Institute for Health Research Blood and Transplant Unit in Donor Health and Genomics at the University of Cambridge, Strangeways Research Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK; MRC/BHF Cardiovascular Epidemiology Unit, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Strangeways Research Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK; NHS Blood and Transplant, Cambridge, UK; National Institute for Health Research Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, Cambridge, UK; British Heart Foundation Centre of Excellence, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Bertram Müller-Myhsok
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany; Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Munich, Germany; Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Juliane Winkelmann
- Institute of Neurogenomics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Centre for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany; Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Munich, Germany; Institute of Human Genetics, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany; Neurologische Klinik und Poliklinik, Klinikum rechts der Isar der Technischen Universität München, Munich, Germany.
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49
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Szatmari S, Bereczki D, Fornadi K, Kalantar-Zadeh K, Kovesdy CP, Molnar MZ. Association of Restless Legs Syndrome With Incident Parkinson's Disease. Sleep 2017; 40:2667757. [PMID: 28364505 DOI: 10.1093/sleep/zsw065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Study Objectives The association between restless legs syndrome (RLS) and Parkinson's disease (PD) has been extensively studied with inconclusive results; therefore, we prospectively examined the associations of the presence of RLS with development of incident PD. Methods From a nationally representative prospective cohort of almost 3.5 million US veterans (age: 60 ± 14 years, 93% male, median follow-up time of 7.8 years [interquartile range: 6.4-8.4 years]), we created a propensity-matched cohort of 100882 PD-free patients and examined the association between prevalent RLS and incident PD. This association was also assessed in the entire cohort. Associations were examined using Cox models. Results There were 68 incident PD events (0.13%, incidence rate 1.87 [1.48-2.37]/10000 patient-years) in the RLS-negative group, and 185 incident PD events (0.37%, incidence rate 4.72 [4.09-5.45]/10000 patient-years) in the RLS-positive group in the propensity-matched cohort. Prevalent RLS was associated with more than twofold higher risk of incident PD (hazard ratio [HR]: 2.57, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.95-3.39) compared to RLS-negative patients. Qualitatively similar results were found when we examined the entire 3.5 million cohort: Prevalent RLS was associated with more than twofold higher risk of incident PD (multivariable adjusted HR: 2.81, 95%CI: 2.41-3.27). Conclusion RLS and PD share common risk factors. In this large cohort of US veterans, we found that prevalent RLS is associated with higher risk of incident PD during 8 years of follow-up, suggesting that RLS could be an early clinical feature of incident PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Szabolcs Szatmari
- Department of Neurology, Sibiu County Emergency Hospital, Sibiu, Romania.,2nd Department of Neurology, Targu Mures Emergency Clinical County Hospital, Targu Mures, Romania.,Szentágothai Doctoral School, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Daniel Bereczki
- Szentágothai Doctoral School, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary.,Department of Neurology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Katalin Fornadi
- Department of Neurology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | | | - Csaba P Kovesdy
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN.,Nephrology Section, Memphis Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Memphis, TN
| | - Miklos Z Molnar
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN.,Department of Transplantation and Surgery, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
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50
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Harmston N, Ing-Simmons E, Tan G, Perry M, Merkenschlager M, Lenhard B. Topologically associating domains are ancient features that coincide with Metazoan clusters of extreme noncoding conservation. Nat Commun 2017; 8:441. [PMID: 28874668 PMCID: PMC5585340 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-00524-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 123] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2016] [Accepted: 07/05/2017] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Developmental genes in metazoan genomes are surrounded by dense clusters of conserved noncoding elements (CNEs). CNEs exhibit unexplained extreme levels of sequence conservation, with many acting as developmental long-range enhancers. Clusters of CNEs define the span of regulatory inputs for many important developmental regulators and have been described previously as genomic regulatory blocks (GRBs). Their function and distribution around important regulatory genes raises the question of how they relate to 3D conformation of these loci. Here, we show that clusters of CNEs strongly coincide with topological organisation, predicting the boundaries of hundreds of topologically associating domains (TADs) in human and Drosophila. The set of TADs that are associated with high levels of noncoding conservation exhibit distinct properties compared to TADs devoid of extreme noncoding conservation. The close correspondence between extreme noncoding conservation and TADs suggests that these TADs are ancient, revealing a regulatory architecture conserved over hundreds of millions of years. Metazoan genomes contain many clusters of conserved noncoding elements. Here, the authors provide evidence that these clusters coincide with distinct topologically associating domains in humans and Drosophila, revealing a conserved regulatory genomic architecture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan Harmston
- Computational Regulatory Genomics, MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, London, W12 0NN, UK. .,Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, W12 0NN, UK. .,Program in Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disease, Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School, 8 College Road, Singapore, 169857, Singapore.
| | - Elizabeth Ing-Simmons
- Computational Regulatory Genomics, MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, London, W12 0NN, UK.,Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, W12 0NN, UK.,Lymphocyte Development, MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, London, W12 0NN, UK
| | - Ge Tan
- Computational Regulatory Genomics, MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, London, W12 0NN, UK.,Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, W12 0NN, UK
| | - Malcolm Perry
- Computational Regulatory Genomics, MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, London, W12 0NN, UK.,Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, W12 0NN, UK
| | - Matthias Merkenschlager
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, W12 0NN, UK.,Lymphocyte Development, MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, London, W12 0NN, UK
| | - Boris Lenhard
- Computational Regulatory Genomics, MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, London, W12 0NN, UK. .,Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, W12 0NN, UK. .,Sars International Centre for Marine Molecular Biology, University of Bergen, N-5008, Bergen, Norway.
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