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Ho NJ, Chen X, Lei Y, Gu S. Decoding hereditary spastic paraplegia pathogenicity through transcriptomic profiling. Zool Res 2023; 44:650-662. [PMID: 37161652 PMCID: PMC10236304 DOI: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2022.281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP) is a group of genetic motor neuron diseases resulting from length-dependent axonal degeneration of the corticospinal upper motor neurons. Due to the advancement of next-generation sequencing, more than 70 novel HSP disease-causing genes have been identified in the past decade. Despite this, our understanding of HSP physiopathology and the development of efficient management and treatment strategies remain poor. One major challenge in studying HSP pathogenicity is selective neuronal vulnerability, characterized by the manifestation of clinical symptoms that are restricted to specific neuronal populations, despite the presence of germline disease-causing variants in every cell of the patient. Furthermore, disease genes may exhibit ubiquitous expression patterns and involve a myriad of different pathways to cause motor neuron degeneration. In the current review, we explore the correlation between transcriptomic data and clinical manifestations, as well as the importance of interspecies models by comparing tissue-specific transcriptomic profiles of humans and mice, expression patterns of different genes in the brain during development, and single-cell transcriptomic data from related tissues. Furthermore, we discuss the potential of emerging single-cell RNA sequencing technologies to resolve unanswered questions related to HSP pathogenicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas James Ho
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Xiao Chen
- Dr. Li Dak Sum-Yip Yio Chin Center for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine and Department of Orthopedic Surgery of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
- Key Laboratory of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
- Zhejiang University-University of Edinburgh Institute & School of Basic Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
- Department of Sports Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
- China Orthopedic Regenerative Medicine Group (CORMed), Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310058 China
| | - Yong Lei
- School of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen), Shenzhen, Guangdong 518172, China
- The Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Futian Biomedical Innovation R&D Center, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518172, China. E-mail:
| | - Shen Gu
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine, Ministry of Education, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Kunming Institute of Zoology Chinese Academy of Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong Joint Laboratory of Bioresources and Molecular Research of Common Diseases, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Hong Kong Branch of CAS Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China. E-mail:
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Akbari M, Ebrahimi Tapeh Z, Zaersabet M, Rahimi H, Ganji M. Novel pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase 2 (PYCR2) mutation in an Iranian patient with hypomyelinating leukodystrophy: findings of molecular and in silico investigations. EGYPTIAN JOURNAL OF MEDICAL HUMAN GENETICS 2023. [DOI: 10.1186/s43042-023-00393-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Hypomyelinating leukodystrophy (HLD) is a specific group of leukodystrophies and is characterized by progressive postnatal growth delay that represents a type of clinically overlapping but genetically heterogeneous diseases with autosomal recessive inheritance. Loss-of-function mutations in PYCR2 are one of the main causes of HLD type 10 (HLD10), which is identified by cerebral hypomyelination, inadequate growth, brain atrophy, and movement abnormality. This study aimed to investigate the molecular etiology of HLD10 disorder in an Iranian patient from a consanguineous marriage family.
Results
The DNA samples were extracted from the patient, a 9-year-old girl, and her parents. Whole-exome sequencing was conducted for these samples and the results were eventually confirmed and segregated via Sanger sequencing. Our findings demonstrated a novel homozygous frameshift mutation in PYCR2 gene, c.135dup (NM_013328.4). The heterozygous state of this variant was confirmed in parents. Additionally, this mutation was predicted to exhibit damaging effects through protein sequence alteration.
Conclusions
Such findings are of importance for understanding the underlying pathogenicity mechanisms and for improving genetic counseling knowledge of HLD patients for families.
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Panza E, Meyyazhagan A, Orlacchio A. Hereditary spastic paraplegia: Genetic heterogeneity and common pathways. Exp Neurol 2022; 357:114203. [PMID: 35970204 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2022.114203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2022] [Revised: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Hereditary Spastic Paraplegias (HSPs) are a heterogeneous group of disease, mainly characterized by progressive spasticity and weakness of the lower limbs resulting from distal degeneration of corticospinal tract axons. Although HSPs represent rare or ultra-rare conditions, with reported cases of mutated genes found in single families, overall, with 87 forms described, they are an important health and economic problem for society and patients. In fact, they are chronic and life-hindering conditions, still lacking a specific therapy. Notwithstanding the number of forms described, and 73 causative genes identified, overall, the molecular diagnostic rate varies among 29% to 61.8%, based on recent published analysis, suggesting that more genes are involved in HSP and/or that different molecular diagnostic approaches are necessary. The accumulating data in this field highlight several peculiar features of HSPs, such as genetic heterogeneity, the discovery that different mutations in a single gene can be transmitted in dominant and recessive trait in families and allelic heterogeneity, resulting in the involvement of HSP-genes in other conditions. Based on the observation of protein functions, the activity of many different proteins encoded by HSP-related genes converges into some distinct pathophysiological mechanisms. This suggests that common pathways could be a potential target for a therapy, possibly addressing several forms at once. Furthermore, the overlap of HSP genes with other neurological conditions can further expand this concept.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emanuele Panza
- Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche e Chirurgiche, Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Arun Meyyazhagan
- Dipartimento di Medicina e Chirurgia, Università di Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Antonio Orlacchio
- Dipartimento di Medicina e Chirurgia, Università di Perugia, Perugia, Italy; Laboratorio di Neurogenetica, Centro Europeo di Ricerca sul Cervello (CERC), Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy.
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