1
|
Michelini G, Carlisi CO, Eaton NR, Elison JT, Haltigan JD, Kotov R, Krueger RF, Latzman RD, Li JJ, Levin-Aspenson HF, Salum GA, South SC, Stanton K, Waldman ID, Wilson S. Where do neurodevelopmental conditions fit in transdiagnostic psychiatric frameworks? Incorporating a new neurodevelopmental spectrum. World Psychiatry 2024; 23:333-357. [PMID: 39279404 PMCID: PMC11403200 DOI: 10.1002/wps.21225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Features of autism spectrum disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, learning disorders, intellectual disabilities, and communication and motor disorders usually emerge early in life and are associated with atypical neurodevelopment. These "neurodevelopmental conditions" are grouped together in the DSM-5 and ICD-11 to reflect their shared characteristics. Yet, reliance on categorical diagnoses poses significant challenges in both research and clinical settings (e.g., high co-occurrence, arbitrary diagnostic boundaries, high within-disorder heterogeneity). Taking a transdiagnostic dimensional approach provides a useful alternative for addressing these limitations, accounting for shared underpinnings across neurodevelopmental conditions, and characterizing their common co-occurrence and developmental continuity with other psychiatric conditions. Neurodevelopmental features have not been adequately considered in transdiagnostic psychiatric frameworks, although this would have fundamental implications for research and clinical practices. Growing evidence from studies on the structure of neurodevelopmental and other psychiatric conditions indicates that features of neurodevelopmental conditions cluster together, delineating a "neurodevelopmental spectrum" ranging from normative to impairing profiles. Studies on shared genetic underpinnings, overlapping cognitive and neural profiles, and similar developmental course and efficacy of support/treatment strategies indicate the validity of this neurodevelopmental spectrum. Further, characterizing this spectrum alongside other psychiatric dimensions has clinical utility, as it provides a fuller view of an individual's needs and strengths, and greater prognostic utility than diagnostic categories. Based on this compelling body of evidence, we argue that incorporating a new neurodevelopmental spectrum into transdiagnostic frameworks has considerable potential for transforming our understanding, classification, assessment, and clinical practices around neurodevelopmental and other psychiatric conditions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Giorgia Michelini
- Department of Biological and Experimental Psychology, School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Christina O Carlisi
- Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London, UK
| | - Nicholas R Eaton
- Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Jed T Elison
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - John D Haltigan
- Department of Psychiatry, Division of Child and Youth Mental Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Roman Kotov
- Department of Psychiatry, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Robert F Krueger
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | | | - James J Li
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | | | - Giovanni A Salum
- Child Mind Institute, New York, NY, USA
- Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatria do Desenvolvimento para a Infância e Adolescência, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Susan C South
- Department of Psychological Sciences, College of Health and Human Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Kasey Stanton
- Department of Psychology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
| | - Irwin D Waldman
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Sylia Wilson
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
González Rodríguez J, de-la-Rosa Fernández E, Loizate Sarrionandia I, Benítez García E, Herrero Moyano M, Morales Moreno HJ, Suárez Hernández J. 5q14.3 Microdeletion Syndrome With Simultaneous Involvement of MEF2C and RASA1. Clinical Case and Review of the Literature. Pediatr Dermatol 2024. [PMID: 39258307 DOI: 10.1111/pde.15748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2024] [Revised: 08/02/2024] [Accepted: 08/13/2024] [Indexed: 09/12/2024]
Abstract
5q14.3 microdeletion syndrome is a rare condition involving multiple genes such as MEF2C and RASA1 and is potentially classified as a neurocutaneous syndrome. Deletion of the MEF2C gene accounts for the majority of clinical manifestations, including global developmental delay, intellectual disability, seizures, and behavioral disorders. RASA1 deletion is linked to capillary malformations with arteriovenous malformations (CM-AVM). Until now, only 17 cases have been described with deletions of both genes. We present the first case described in Spain with the microdeletion in the 5q14.3 cytoband simultaneously affecting both MEF2C and RASA1, exhibiting the typical manifestations of this entity, and review the published cases to date.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- José González Rodríguez
- Department of Dermatology, Hospital Universitario Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
| | - Eduardo de-la-Rosa Fernández
- Department of Dermatology, Hospital Universitario Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
| | - Irene Loizate Sarrionandia
- Department of Dermatology, Hospital Universitario Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
| | - Elsa Benítez García
- Department of Dermatology, Hospital Universitario Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
| | - Maria Herrero Moyano
- Department of Dermatology, Hospital Universitario Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
| | - Héctor Juan Morales Moreno
- Department of Dermatology, Hospital Universitario Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
| | - José Suárez Hernández
- Department of Dermatology, Hospital Universitario Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Song QH, Zhao KX, Huang S, Chen T, He L. Escape from X-chromosome inactivation and sex differences in Alzheimer's disease. Rev Neurosci 2024; 35:341-354. [PMID: 38157427 DOI: 10.1515/revneuro-2023-0108] [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: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Sex differences exist in the onset and progression of Alzheimer's disease. Globally, women have a higher prevalence, while men with Alzheimer's disease experience earlier mortality and more pronounced cognitive decline than women. The cause of sex differences in Alzheimer's disease remains unclear. Accumulating evidence suggests the potential role of X-linked genetic factors in the sex difference of Alzheimer's disease (AD). During embryogenesis, a remarkable process known as X-chromosome inactivation (XCI) occurs in females, leading to one of the X chromosomes undergoing transcriptional inactivation, which balances the effects of two X chromosomes in females. Nevertheless, certain genes exceptionally escape from XCI, which provides a basis for dual expression dosage of specific genes in females. Based on recent research findings, we explore key escape genes and their potential therapeutic use associated with Alzheimer's disease. Also, we discuss their possible role in driving the sex differences in Alzheimer's disease. This will provide new perspectives for precision medicine and gender-specific treatment of AD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qing-Hua Song
- Department of Pharmacology, China Pharmaceutical University, No. 24 Tong Jia Xiang, Nanjing 210009, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Ke-Xuan Zhao
- Department of Pharmacology, China Pharmaceutical University, No. 24 Tong Jia Xiang, Nanjing 210009, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Shuai Huang
- Department of Pharmacology, China Pharmaceutical University, No. 24 Tong Jia Xiang, Nanjing 210009, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Tong Chen
- Department of Pharmacology, China Pharmaceutical University, No. 24 Tong Jia Xiang, Nanjing 210009, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Ling He
- Department of Pharmacology, China Pharmaceutical University, No. 24 Tong Jia Xiang, Nanjing 210009, Jiangsu Province, China
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Cho JY, Rumschlag JA, Tsvetkov E, Proper DS, Lang H, Berto S, Assali A, Cowan CW. MEF2C Hypofunction in GABAergic Cells Alters Sociability and Prefrontal Cortex Inhibitory Synaptic Transmission in a Sex-Dependent Manner. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY GLOBAL OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 4:100289. [PMID: 38390348 PMCID: PMC10881314 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2024.100289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/28/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Heterozygous mutations or deletions of MEF2C cause a neurodevelopmental disorder termed MEF2C haploinsufficiency syndrome (MCHS), characterized by autism spectrum disorder and neurological symptoms. In mice, global Mef2c heterozygosity has produced multiple MCHS-like phenotypes. MEF2C is highly expressed in multiple cell types of the developing brain, including GABAergic (gamma-aminobutyric acidergic) inhibitory neurons, but the influence of MEF2C hypofunction in GABAergic neurons on MCHS-like phenotypes remains unclear. Methods We employed GABAergic cell type-specific manipulations to study mouse Mef2c heterozygosity in a battery of MCHS-like behaviors. We also performed electroencephalography, single-cell transcriptomics, and patch-clamp electrophysiology and optogenetics to assess the impact of Mef2c haploinsufficiency on gene expression and prefrontal cortex microcircuits. Results Mef2c heterozygosity in developing GABAergic cells produced female-specific deficits in social preference and altered approach-avoidance behavior. In female, but not male, mice, we observed that Mef2c heterozygosity in developing GABAergic cells produced 1) differentially expressed genes in multiple cell types, including parvalbumin-expressing GABAergic neurons, 2) baseline and social-related frontocortical network activity alterations, and 3) reductions in parvalbumin cell intrinsic excitability and inhibitory synaptic transmission onto deep-layer pyramidal neurons. Conclusions MEF2C hypofunction in female, but not male, developing GABAergic cells is important for typical sociability and approach-avoidance behaviors and normal parvalbumin inhibitory neuron function in the prefrontal cortex of mice. While there is no apparent sex bias in autism spectrum disorder symptoms of MCHS, our findings suggest that GABAergic cell-specific dysfunction in females with MCHS may contribute disproportionately to sociability symptoms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Y. Cho
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Jeffrey A. Rumschlag
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Evgeny Tsvetkov
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Divya S. Proper
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Hainan Lang
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Stefano Berto
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Ahlem Assali
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Christopher W. Cowan
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Basu S, Ro EJ, Liu Z, Kim H, Bennett A, Kang S, Suh H. The Mef2c Gene Dose-Dependently Controls Hippocampal Neurogenesis and the Expression of Autism-Like Behaviors. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e1058232023. [PMID: 38123360 PMCID: PMC10860657 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1058-23.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2023] [Revised: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Mutations in the activity-dependent transcription factor MEF2C have been associated with several neuropsychiatric disorders. Among these, autism spectrum disorder (ASD)-related behavioral deficits are manifested. Multiple animal models that harbor mutations in Mef2c have provided compelling evidence that Mef2c is indeed an ASD gene. However, studies in mice with germline or global brain knock-out of Mef2c are limited in their ability to identify the precise neural substrates and cell types that are required for the expression of Mef2c-mediated ASD behaviors. Given the role of hippocampal neurogenesis in cognitive and social behaviors, in this study we aimed to investigate the role of Mef2c in the structure and function of newly generated dentate granule cells (DGCs) in the postnatal hippocampus and to determine whether disrupted Mef2c function is responsible for manifesting ASD behaviors. Overexpression of Mef2c (Mef2cOE ) arrested the transition of neurogenesis at progenitor stages, as indicated by sustained expression of Sox2+ in Mef2cOE DGCs. Conditional knock-out of Mef2c (Mef2ccko ) allowed neuronal commitment of Mef2ccko cells; however, Mef2ccko impaired not only dendritic arborization and spine formation but also synaptic transmission onto Mef2ccko DGCs. Moreover, the abnormal structure and function of Mef2ccko DGCs led to deficits in social interaction and social novelty recognition, which are key characteristics of ASD behaviors. Thus, our study revealed a dose-dependent requirement of Mef2c in the control of distinct steps of neurogenesis, as well as a critical cell-autonomous function of Mef2c in newborn DGCs in the expression of proper social behavior in both sexes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sreetama Basu
- Department of Neurosciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland 44109, Ohio
| | - Eun Jeoung Ro
- Department of Neurosciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland 44109, Ohio
| | - Zhi Liu
- Department of Neurosciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland 44109, Ohio
| | - Hyunjung Kim
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta 30912, Georgia
| | - Aubrey Bennett
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta 30912, Georgia
| | - Seungwoo Kang
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta 30912, Georgia
| | - Hoonkyo Suh
- Department of Neurosciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland 44109, Ohio
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Li WK, Zhang SQ, Peng WL, Shi YH, Yuan B, Yuan YT, Xue ZY, Wang JC, Han WJ, Chen ZF, Shan SF, Xue BQ, Chen JL, Zhang C, Zhu SJ, Tai YL, Cheng TL, Qiu ZL. Whole-brain in vivo base editing reverses behavioral changes in Mef2c-mutant mice. Nat Neurosci 2024; 27:116-128. [PMID: 38012399 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-023-01499-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2022] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Whole-brain genome editing to correct single-base mutations and reduce or reverse behavioral changes in animal models of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has not yet been achieved. We developed an apolipoprotein B messenger RNA-editing enzyme, catalytic polypeptide-embedded cytosine base editor (AeCBE) system for converting C·G to T·A base pairs. We demonstrate its effectiveness by targeting AeCBE to an ASD-associated mutation of the MEF2C gene (c.104T>C, p.L35P) in vivo in mice. We first constructed Mef2cL35P heterozygous mice. Male heterozygous mice exhibited hyperactivity, repetitive behavior and social abnormalities. We then programmed AeCBE to edit the mutated C·G base pairs of Mef2c in the mouse brain through the intravenous injection of blood-brain barrier-crossing adeno-associated virus. This treatment successfully restored Mef2c protein levels in several brain regions and reversed the behavioral abnormalities in Mef2c-mutant mice. Our work presents an in vivo base-editing paradigm that could potentially correct single-base genetic mutations in the brain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wei-Ke Li
- Songjiang Research Institute, Songjiang Hospital & MOE-Shanghai Key Laboratory for Children's Environmental Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Institute of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- Institute of Pediatrics, National Children's Medical Center, Children's Hospital, Institute for Translational Brain Research, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shu-Qian Zhang
- Institute of Pediatrics, National Children's Medical Center, Children's Hospital, Institute for Translational Brain Research, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Department of Pediatrics, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Wan-Ling Peng
- Institute of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Yu-Han Shi
- Institute of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Bo Yuan
- Institute of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Yi-Ting Yuan
- Songjiang Research Institute, Songjiang Hospital & MOE-Shanghai Key Laboratory for Children's Environmental Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhen-Yu Xue
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jin-Cheng Wang
- Institute of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Wen-Jian Han
- Songjiang Research Institute, Songjiang Hospital & MOE-Shanghai Key Laboratory for Children's Environmental Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhi-Fang Chen
- Institute of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Shi-Fang Shan
- Institute of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Bi-Qing Xue
- Institutes of Brain Science, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Ministry of Education Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jin-Long Chen
- Institute of Pediatrics, National Children's Medical Center, Children's Hospital, Institute for Translational Brain Research, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Cheng Zhang
- Institute of Pediatrics, National Children's Medical Center, Children's Hospital, Institute for Translational Brain Research, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shu-Jia Zhu
- Institute of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Yi-Lin Tai
- Institutes of Brain Science, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Ministry of Education Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Tian-Lin Cheng
- Institute of Pediatrics, National Children's Medical Center, Children's Hospital, Institute for Translational Brain Research, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Zi-Long Qiu
- Songjiang Research Institute, Songjiang Hospital & MOE-Shanghai Key Laboratory for Children's Environmental Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
- Institute of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.
- Clinical Neuroscience Center, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
- National Clinical Research Center for Aging and Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Liu H, Tsai H, Yang M, Li G, Bian Q, Ding G, Wu D, Dai J. Three-dimensional genome structure and function. MedComm (Beijing) 2023; 4:e326. [PMID: 37426677 PMCID: PMC10329473 DOI: 10.1002/mco2.326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Revised: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Linear DNA undergoes a series of compression and folding events, forming various three-dimensional (3D) structural units in mammalian cells, including chromosomal territory, compartment, topologically associating domain, and chromatin loop. These structures play crucial roles in regulating gene expression, cell differentiation, and disease progression. Deciphering the principles underlying 3D genome folding and the molecular mechanisms governing cell fate determination remains a challenge. With advancements in high-throughput sequencing and imaging techniques, the hierarchical organization and functional roles of higher-order chromatin structures have been gradually illuminated. This review systematically discussed the structural hierarchy of the 3D genome, the effects and mechanisms of cis-regulatory elements interaction in the 3D genome for regulating spatiotemporally specific gene expression, the roles and mechanisms of dynamic changes in 3D chromatin conformation during embryonic development, and the pathological mechanisms of diseases such as congenital developmental abnormalities and cancer, which are attributed to alterations in 3D genome organization and aberrations in key structural proteins. Finally, prospects were made for the research about 3D genome structure, function, and genetic intervention, and the roles in disease development, prevention, and treatment, which may offer some clues for precise diagnosis and treatment of related diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hao Liu
- Department of Oral and Cranio‐Maxillofacial SurgeryShanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of MedicineCollege of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong UniversityNational Center for StomatologyNational Clinical Research Center for Oral DiseasesShanghai Key Laboratory of StomatologyShanghaiChina
- School of StomatologyWeifang Medical UniversityWeifangChina
| | - Hsiangyu Tsai
- Department of Oral and Cranio‐Maxillofacial SurgeryShanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of MedicineCollege of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong UniversityNational Center for StomatologyNational Clinical Research Center for Oral DiseasesShanghai Key Laboratory of StomatologyShanghaiChina
| | - Maoquan Yang
- School of Clinical MedicineWeifang Medical UniversityWeifangChina
| | - Guozhi Li
- Department of Oral and Cranio‐Maxillofacial SurgeryShanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of MedicineCollege of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong UniversityNational Center for StomatologyNational Clinical Research Center for Oral DiseasesShanghai Key Laboratory of StomatologyShanghaiChina
| | - Qian Bian
- Shanghai Institute of Precision MedicineShanghaiChina
| | - Gang Ding
- School of StomatologyWeifang Medical UniversityWeifangChina
| | - Dandan Wu
- Department of Oral and Cranio‐Maxillofacial SurgeryShanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of MedicineCollege of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong UniversityNational Center for StomatologyNational Clinical Research Center for Oral DiseasesShanghai Key Laboratory of StomatologyShanghaiChina
| | - Jiewen Dai
- Department of Oral and Cranio‐Maxillofacial SurgeryShanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of MedicineCollege of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong UniversityNational Center for StomatologyNational Clinical Research Center for Oral DiseasesShanghai Key Laboratory of StomatologyShanghaiChina
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Smith KA, Dominado N, Briffa JF. Fins, fur, and wings: the study of Tmem161b across species, and what it tells us about its function in the heart. Mamm Genome 2023; 34:270-275. [PMID: 37222785 PMCID: PMC10290617 DOI: 10.1007/s00335-023-09994-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Transmembrane protein 161b (Tmem161b) was recently identified in multiple high-through-put phenotypic screens, including in fly, zebrafish, and mouse. In zebrafish, Tmem161b was identified as an essential regulator of cardiac rhythm. In mouse, Tmem161b shows conserved function in regulating cardiac rhythm but has also been shown to impact cardiac morphology. Homozygous or heterozygous missense mutations have also recently been reported for TMEM161B in patients with structural brain malformations, although its significance in the human heart remains to be determined. Across the three model organisms studied to date (fly, fish, and mouse), Tmem161b loss of function is implicated in intracellular calcium ion handling, which may explain the diverse phenotypes observed. This review summarises the current knowledge of this conserved and functionally essential protein in the context of cardiac biology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kelly A Smith
- Department of Anatomy & Physiology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia.
| | - Nicole Dominado
- Department of Anatomy & Physiology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Jessica F Briffa
- Department of Anatomy & Physiology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Adrião A, Mariano S, Mariano J, Gavaia PJ, Cancela ML, Vitorino M, Conceição N. mef2ca and mef2cb Double Mutant Zebrafish Show Altered Craniofacial Phenotype and Motor Behaviour. Biomolecules 2023; 13:biom13050805. [PMID: 37238675 DOI: 10.3390/biom13050805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Revised: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The transcription factor MEF2C is crucial in neuronal, cardiac, bone and cartilage molecular processes, as well as for craniofacial development. MEF2C was associated with the human disease MRD20, whose patients show abnormal neuronal and craniofacial development. Zebrafish mef2ca;mef2cb double mutants were analysed for abnormalities in craniofacial and behaviour development through phenotypic analysis. Quantitative PCR was performed to investigate the expression levels of neuronal marker genes in mutant larvae. The motor behaviour was analysed by the swimming activity of 6 dpf larvae. We found that mef2ca;mef2cb double mutants display several abnormal phenotypes during early development, including those already described in zebrafish carrying mutations in each paralog, but also (i) a severe craniofacial phenotype (comprising both cartilaginous and dermal bone structures), (ii) developmental arrest due to the disruption of cardiac oedema and (iii) clear alterations in behaviour. We demonstrate that the defects observed in zebrafish mef2ca;mef2cb double mutants are similar to those previously described in MEF2C-null mice and MRD20 patients, confirming the usefulness of these mutant lines as a model for studies concerning MRD20 disease, the identification of new therapeutic targets and screening for possible rescue strategies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andreia Adrião
- Centre of Marine Sciences (CCMAR), Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
| | - Sara Mariano
- Centre of Marine Sciences (CCMAR), Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
| | - José Mariano
- Faculty of Sciences and Technology, Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
- Center of Physics and Engineering of Advanced Materials (CeFEMA), IST, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1096-001 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Paulo J Gavaia
- Centre of Marine Sciences (CCMAR), Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
- Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
| | - M Leonor Cancela
- Centre of Marine Sciences (CCMAR), Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
- Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
- Algarve Biomedical Center, Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
| | - Marta Vitorino
- Centre of Marine Sciences (CCMAR), Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
- Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
- Algarve Biomedical Center, Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
| | - Natércia Conceição
- Centre of Marine Sciences (CCMAR), Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
- Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
- Algarve Biomedical Center, Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
de Araujo Tavares ME, Cupertino RB, Bandeira CE, da Silva BS, Vitola ES, Salgado CAI, Dos Santos Soares R, Picon FA, Rohde LA, Rovaris DL, Grevet EH, Bau CHD. Refining patterns of MEF2C effects in white matter microstructure and psychiatric features. J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2023; 130:697-706. [PMID: 37002331 DOI: 10.1007/s00702-023-02626-5] [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: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023]
Abstract
Several GWAS reported Myocyte Enhancer Factor 2 C (MEF2C) gene associations with white matter microstructure and psychiatric disorders, and MEF2C involvement in pathways related to neuronal development suggests a common biological factor underlying these phenotypes. We aim to refine the MEF2C effects in the brain relying on an integrated analysis of white matter and psychiatric phenotypes in an extensively characterized sample. This study included 870 Brazilian adults (47% from an attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder outpatient clinic) assessed through standardized psychiatric interviews, 139 of which underwent a magnetic resonance imaging scan. We evaluated variants in the MEF2C region using two approaches: 1) a gene-wide analysis, which uses the sum of polymorphism effects, and 2) SNP analyses, restricted to the independent variants within the gene. The outcomes included psychiatric phenotypes and fractional anisotropy for brain images. Results: The gene-wide analyses pointed to a nominal association between MEF2C and the Temporal Portion of the Superior Longitudinal Fasciculus (SLFTEMP). The SNP analysis identified four independent variants significantly associated with SLFTEMP and one (rs4218438) with Substance Use Disorder. Our findings showing specific associations of MEF2C variants with temporal-frontal circuitry components may help to elucidate how the MEF2C gene underlies a broad range of psychiatric phenotypes since these regions are relevant to executive and cognitive functions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maria Eduarda de Araujo Tavares
- Department of Genetics, Institute of Biosciences, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Avenida Bento Gonçalves, 9500, Porto Alegre, RS, 91501-970, Brazil
- Adulthood ADHD Outpatient Program (ProDAH), Clinical Research Center, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- Laboratory of Developmental Psychiatry, Center of Experimental Research, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | | | - Cibele Edom Bandeira
- Department of Genetics, Institute of Biosciences, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Avenida Bento Gonçalves, 9500, Porto Alegre, RS, 91501-970, Brazil
- Adulthood ADHD Outpatient Program (ProDAH), Clinical Research Center, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- Laboratory of Developmental Psychiatry, Center of Experimental Research, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Bruna Santos da Silva
- Department of Genetics, Institute of Biosciences, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Avenida Bento Gonçalves, 9500, Porto Alegre, RS, 91501-970, Brazil
- Adulthood ADHD Outpatient Program (ProDAH), Clinical Research Center, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- Laboratory of Developmental Psychiatry, Center of Experimental Research, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Eduardo Schneider Vitola
- Adulthood ADHD Outpatient Program (ProDAH), Clinical Research Center, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Carlos Alberto Iglesias Salgado
- Adulthood ADHD Outpatient Program (ProDAH), Clinical Research Center, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Robson Dos Santos Soares
- Department of Genetics, Institute of Biosciences, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Avenida Bento Gonçalves, 9500, Porto Alegre, RS, 91501-970, Brazil
- Adulthood ADHD Outpatient Program (ProDAH), Clinical Research Center, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Felipe Almeida Picon
- Adulthood ADHD Outpatient Program (ProDAH), Clinical Research Center, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Luis Augusto Rohde
- Adulthood ADHD Outpatient Program (ProDAH), Clinical Research Center, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- Laboratory of Developmental Psychiatry, Center of Experimental Research, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- National Institute of Developmental Psychiatry, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Diego Luiz Rovaris
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Instituto de Ciencias Biomedicas Universidade de Sao Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Eugenio Horacio Grevet
- Adulthood ADHD Outpatient Program (ProDAH), Clinical Research Center, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- Laboratory of Developmental Psychiatry, Center of Experimental Research, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Claiton Henrique Dotto Bau
- Department of Genetics, Institute of Biosciences, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Avenida Bento Gonçalves, 9500, Porto Alegre, RS, 91501-970, Brazil.
- Adulthood ADHD Outpatient Program (ProDAH), Clinical Research Center, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
- Laboratory of Developmental Psychiatry, Center of Experimental Research, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
The Role of MEF2 Transcription Factor Family in Neuronal Survival and Degeneration. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24043120. [PMID: 36834528 PMCID: PMC9963821 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24043120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2022] [Revised: 01/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The family of myocyte enhancer factor 2 (MEF2) transcription factors comprises four highly conserved members that play an important role in the nervous system. They appear in precisely defined time frames in the developing brain to turn on and turn off genes affecting growth, pruning and survival of neurons. MEF2s are known to dictate neuronal development, synaptic plasticity and restrict the number of synapses in the hippocampus, thus affecting learning and memory formation. In primary neurons, negative regulation of MEF2 activity by external stimuli or stress conditions is known to induce apoptosis, albeit the pro or antiapoptotic action of MEF2 depends on the neuronal maturation stage. By contrast, enhancement of MEF2 transcriptional activity protects neurons from apoptotic death both in vitro and in preclinical models of neurodegenerative diseases. A growing body of evidence places this transcription factor in the center of many neuropathologies associated with age-dependent neuronal dysfunctions or gradual but irreversible neuron loss. In this work, we discuss how the altered function of MEF2s during development and in adulthood affecting neuronal survival may be linked to neuropsychiatric disorders.
Collapse
|
12
|
Abstract
Recent advances in genomics have revealed a wide spectrum of genetic variants associated with neurodevelopmental disorders at an unprecedented scale. An increasing number of studies have consistently identified mutations-both inherited and de novo-impacting the function of specific brain circuits. This suggests that, during brain development, alterations in distinct neural circuits, cell types, or broad regulatory pathways ultimately shaping synapses might be a dysfunctional process underlying these disorders. Here, we review findings from human studies and animal model research to provide a comprehensive description of synaptic and circuit mechanisms implicated in neurodevelopmental disorders. We discuss how specific synaptic connections might be commonly disrupted in different disorders and the alterations in cognition and behaviors emerging from imbalances in neuronal circuits. Moreover, we review new approaches that have been shown to restore or mitigate dysfunctional processes during specific critical windows of brain development. Considering the heterogeneity of neurodevelopmental disorders, we also highlight the recent progress in developing improved clinical biomarkers and strategies that will help to identify novel therapeutic compounds and opportunities for early intervention.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David Exposito-Alonso
- Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, United Kingdom;
- Current affiliation: Division of Genetics and Genomics, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA;
| | - Beatriz Rico
- Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, United Kingdom;
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Mohajeri K, Yadav R, D'haene E, Boone PM, Erdin S, Gao D, Moyses-Oliveira M, Bhavsar R, Currall BB, O'Keefe K, Burt ND, Lowther C, Lucente D, Salani M, Larson M, Redin C, Dudchenko O, Aiden EL, Menten B, Tai DJC, Gusella JF, Vergult S, Talkowski ME. Transcriptional and functional consequences of alterations to MEF2C and its topological organization in neuronal models. Am J Hum Genet 2022; 109:2049-2067. [PMID: 36283406 PMCID: PMC9674968 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2022.09.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Point mutations and structural variants that directly disrupt the coding sequence of MEF2C have been associated with a spectrum of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs). However, the impact of MEF2C haploinsufficiency on neurodevelopmental pathways and synaptic processes is not well understood, nor are the complex mechanisms that govern its regulation. To explore the functional changes associated with structural variants that alter MEF2C expression and/or regulation, we generated an allelic series of 204 isogenic human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived neural stem cells and glutamatergic induced neurons. These neuronal models harbored CRISPR-engineered mutations that involved direct deletion of MEF2C or deletion of the boundary points for topologically associating domains (TADs) and chromatin loops encompassing MEF2C. Systematic profiling of mutation-specific alterations, contrasted to unedited controls that were exposed to the same guide RNAs for each edit, revealed that deletion of MEF2C caused differential expression of genes associated with neurodevelopmental pathways and synaptic function. We also discovered significant reduction in synaptic activity measured by multielectrode arrays (MEAs) in neuronal cells. By contrast, we observed robust buffering against MEF2C regulatory disruption following deletion of a distal 5q14.3 TAD and loop boundary, whereas homozygous loss of a proximal loop boundary resulted in down-regulation of MEF2C expression and reduced electrophysiological activity on MEA that was comparable to direct gene disruption. Collectively, these studies highlight the considerable functional impact of MEF2C deletion in neuronal cells and systematically characterize the complex interactions that challenge a priori predictions of regulatory consequences from structural variants that disrupt three-dimensional genome organization.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kiana Mohajeri
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Program in Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Rachita Yadav
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Eva D'haene
- Center for Medical Genetics, Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Philip M Boone
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Division of Genetics and Genomics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Serkan Erdin
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Dadi Gao
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Mariana Moyses-Oliveira
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Riya Bhavsar
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Benjamin B Currall
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Kathryn O'Keefe
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Nicholas D Burt
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Chelsea Lowther
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Diane Lucente
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Monica Salani
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Mathew Larson
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Claire Redin
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Olga Dudchenko
- The Center for Genome Architecture, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; Center for Theoretical Biological Physics and Department of Computer Science, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Erez Lieberman Aiden
- The Center for Genome Architecture, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; Center for Theoretical Biological Physics and Department of Computer Science, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA; UWA School of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies, ShanghaiTech, Pudong, China
| | - Björn Menten
- Center for Medical Genetics, Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Derek J C Tai
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - James F Gusella
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Program in Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sarah Vergult
- Center for Medical Genetics, Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Michael E Talkowski
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Program in Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
McChesney N, Barth JL, Rumschlag JA, Tan J, Harrington AJ, Noble KV, McClaskey CM, Elvis P, Vaena SG, Romeo MJ, Harris KC, Cowan CW, Lang H. Peripheral Auditory Nerve Impairment in a Mouse Model of Syndromic Autism. J Neurosci 2022; 42:8002-8018. [PMID: 36180228 PMCID: PMC9617620 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0253-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2022] [Revised: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Dysfunction of the peripheral auditory nerve (AN) contributes to dynamic changes throughout the central auditory system, resulting in abnormal auditory processing, including hypersensitivity. Altered sound sensitivity is frequently observed in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), suggesting that AN deficits and changes in auditory information processing may contribute to ASD-associated symptoms, including social communication deficits and hyperacusis. The MEF2C transcription factor is associated with risk for several neurodevelopmental disorders, and mutations or deletions of MEF2C produce a haploinsufficiency syndrome characterized by ASD, language, and cognitive deficits. A mouse model of this syndromic ASD (Mef2c-Het) recapitulates many of the MEF2C haploinsufficiency syndrome-linked behaviors, including communication deficits. We show here that Mef2c-Het mice of both sexes exhibit functional impairment of the peripheral AN and a modest reduction in hearing sensitivity. We find that MEF2C is expressed during development in multiple AN and cochlear cell types; and in Mef2c-Het mice, we observe multiple cellular and molecular alterations associated with the AN, including abnormal myelination, neuronal degeneration, neuronal mitochondria dysfunction, and increased macrophage activation and cochlear inflammation. These results reveal the importance of MEF2C function in inner ear development and function and the engagement of immune cells and other non-neuronal cells, which suggests that microglia/macrophages and other non-neuronal cells might contribute, directly or indirectly, to AN dysfunction and ASD-related phenotypes. Finally, our study establishes a comprehensive approach for characterizing AN function at the physiological, cellular, and molecular levels in mice, which can be applied to animal models with a wide range of human auditory processing impairments.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT This is the first report of peripheral auditory nerve (AN) impairment in a mouse model of human MEF2C haploinsufficiency syndrome that has well-characterized ASD-related behaviors, including communication deficits, hyperactivity, repetitive behavior, and social deficits. We identify multiple underlying cellular, subcellular, and molecular abnormalities that may contribute to peripheral AN impairment. Our findings also highlight the important roles of immune cells (e.g., cochlear macrophages) and other non-neuronal elements (e.g., glial cells and cells in the stria vascularis) in auditory impairment in ASD. The methodological significance of the study is the establishment of a comprehensive approach for evaluating peripheral AN function and impact of peripheral AN deficits with minimal hearing loss.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nathan McChesney
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina 29425
| | - Jeremy L Barth
- Department of Regenerative Medicine and Cell Biology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina 29425
| | - Jeffrey A Rumschlag
- Department of Otolaryngology & Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina 29425
| | - Junying Tan
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina 29425
| | - Adam J Harrington
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina 29425
| | - Kenyaria V Noble
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina 29425
| | - Carolyn M McClaskey
- Department of Otolaryngology & Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina 29425
| | - Phillip Elvis
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina 29425
| | - Silvia G Vaena
- Hollings Cancer Institute, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina 29425
| | - Martin J Romeo
- Hollings Cancer Institute, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina 29425
| | - Kelly C Harris
- Department of Otolaryngology & Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina 29425
| | - Christopher W Cowan
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina 29425
| | - Hainan Lang
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina 29425
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Bailon-Zambrano R, Sucharov J, Mumme-Monheit A, Murry M, Stenzel A, Pulvino AT, Mitchell JM, Colborn KL, Nichols JT. Variable paralog expression underlies phenotype variation. eLife 2022; 11:e79247. [PMID: 36134886 PMCID: PMC9555865 DOI: 10.7554/elife.79247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Human faces are variable; we look different from one another. Craniofacial disorders further increase facial variation. To understand craniofacial variation and how it can be buffered, we analyzed the zebrafish mef2ca mutant. When this transcription factor encoding gene is mutated, zebrafish develop dramatically variable craniofacial phenotypes. Years of selective breeding for low and high penetrance of mutant phenotypes produced strains that are either resilient or sensitive to the mef2ca mutation. Here, we compared gene expression between these strains, which revealed that selective breeding enriched for high and low mef2ca paralog expression in the low- and high-penetrance strains, respectively. We found that mef2ca paralog expression is variable in unselected wild-type zebrafish, motivating the hypothesis that heritable variation in paralog expression underlies mutant phenotype severity and variation. In support, mutagenizing the mef2ca paralogs, mef2aa, mef2b, mef2cb, and mef2d demonstrated modular buffering by paralogs. Specifically, some paralogs buffer severity while others buffer variability. We present a novel, mechanistic model for phenotypic variation where variable, vestigial paralog expression buffers development. These studies are a major step forward in understanding the mechanisms of facial variation, including how some genetically resilient individuals can overcome a deleterious mutation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Raisa Bailon-Zambrano
- Department of Craniofacial Biology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical CampusAuroraUnited States
| | - Juliana Sucharov
- Department of Craniofacial Biology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical CampusAuroraUnited States
| | - Abigail Mumme-Monheit
- Department of Craniofacial Biology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical CampusAuroraUnited States
| | - Matthew Murry
- Department of Craniofacial Biology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical CampusAuroraUnited States
| | - Amanda Stenzel
- Department of Craniofacial Biology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical CampusAuroraUnited States
| | - Anthony T Pulvino
- Department of Craniofacial Biology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical CampusAuroraUnited States
| | - Jennyfer M Mitchell
- Department of Craniofacial Biology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical CampusAuroraUnited States
| | - Kathryn L Colborn
- Department of Surgery, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical CampusAuroraUnited States
| | - James T Nichols
- Department of Craniofacial Biology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical CampusAuroraUnited States
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Chen D, Ou Z, Zhu J, Wang H, Ding P, Luo L, Ding X, Sun C, Lan T, Sahu SK, Wu W, Yuan Y, Wu W, Qiu J, Zhu Y, Yue Q, Jia Y, Wei Y, Qin Q, Li R, Zhao W, Lv Z, Pu M, Lv B, Yang S, Chang A, Wei X, Chen F, Yang T, Wei Z, Yang F, Zhang P, Guo G, Li Y, Hua Y, Liu H. Screening of cell-virus, cell-cell, gene-gene crosstalk among animal kingdom at single cell resolution. Clin Transl Med 2022; 12:e886. [PMID: 35917402 PMCID: PMC9345398 DOI: 10.1002/ctm2.886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Revised: 04/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The exact animal origin of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) remains obscure and understanding its host range is vital for preventing interspecies transmission. METHODS Herein, we applied single-cell sequencing to multiple tissues of 20 species (30 data sets) and integrated them with public resources (45 data sets covering 26 species) to expand the virus receptor distribution investigation. While the binding affinity between virus and receptor is essential for viral infectivity, understanding the receptor distribution could predict the permissive organs and tissues when infection occurs. RESULTS Based on the transcriptomic data, the expression profiles of receptor or associated entry factors for viruses capable of causing respiratory, blood, and brain diseases were described in detail. Conserved cellular connectomes and regulomes were also identified, revealing fundamental cell-cell and gene-gene cross-talks from reptiles to humans. CONCLUSIONS Overall, our study provides a resource of the single-cell atlas of the animal kingdom which could help to identify the potential host range and tissue tropism of viruses and reveal the host-virus co-evolution.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dongsheng Chen
- BGI‐ShenzhenShenzhenChina,Suzhou Institute of Systems MedicineSuzhouJiangsuChina
| | - Zhihua Ou
- BGI‐ShenzhenShenzhenChina,Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Unknown Pathogen IdentificationBGI‐ShenzhenShenzhenChina
| | - Jiacheng Zhu
- BGI‐ShenzhenShenzhenChina,College of Life SciencesUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Haoyu Wang
- BGI‐ShenzhenShenzhenChina,College of Life SciencesUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Peiwen Ding
- BGI‐ShenzhenShenzhenChina,College of Life SciencesUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Lihua Luo
- BGI‐ShenzhenShenzhenChina,College of Life SciencesUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Xiangning Ding
- BGI‐ShenzhenShenzhenChina,College of Life SciencesUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Chengcheng Sun
- BGI‐ShenzhenShenzhenChina,College of Life SciencesUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | | | | | - Weiying Wu
- The MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Research and Brain‐Machine IntegrationSchool of Brain Science and Brain MedicineZhejiang UniversityHangzhouChina
| | - Yuting Yuan
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical SciencesBinzhou Medical UniversityYantaiChina
| | - Wendi Wu
- BGI‐ShenzhenShenzhenChina,School of Basic MedicineQingdao UniversityQingdaoChina
| | - Jiaying Qiu
- BGI‐ShenzhenShenzhenChina,College of Life SciencesUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Yixin Zhu
- BGI‐ShenzhenShenzhenChina,College of Life SciencesUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Qizhen Yue
- BGI‐ShenzhenShenzhenChina,School of Basic MedicineQingdao UniversityQingdaoChina
| | - Yi Jia
- BGI‐ShenzhenShenzhenChina
| | - Yanan Wei
- BGI‐ShenzhenShenzhenChina,School of Basic MedicineQingdao UniversityQingdaoChina
| | - Qiuyu Qin
- BGI‐ShenzhenShenzhenChina,School of Basic MedicineQingdao UniversityQingdaoChina
| | - Runchu Li
- BGI‐ShenzhenShenzhenChina,School of Basic MedicineQingdao UniversityQingdaoChina
| | - Wandong Zhao
- BGI‐ShenzhenShenzhenChina,School of Basic MedicineQingdao UniversityQingdaoChina
| | - Zhiyuan Lv
- BGI‐ShenzhenShenzhenChina,School of Basic MedicineQingdao UniversityQingdaoChina
| | - Mingyi Pu
- BGI‐ShenzhenShenzhenChina,School of Basic MedicineQingdao UniversityQingdaoChina
| | | | - Shangchen Yang
- College of Life SciencesZhejiang UniversityHangzhouChina
| | | | | | | | - Tao Yang
- China National GeneBankShenzhenChina
| | | | - Fan Yang
- China National GeneBankShenzhenChina
| | - Peijing Zhang
- Center for Stem Cell and Regenerative MedicineZhejiang University School of MedicineHangzhouChina
| | - Guoji Guo
- Center for Stem Cell and Regenerative MedicineZhejiang University School of MedicineHangzhouChina
| | | | - Yan Hua
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of SilvicultureProtection and UtilizationGuangdong Academy of ForestryGuangzhouChina
| | - Huan Liu
- BGI‐ShenzhenShenzhenChina,College of Life SciencesUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Cooley Coleman JA, Sarasua SM, Moore HW, Boccuto L, Cowan CW, Skinner SA, DeLuca JM. Clinical findings from the landmark MEF2C-related disorders natural history study. Mol Genet Genomic Med 2022; 10:e1919. [PMID: 35416405 PMCID: PMC9184670 DOI: 10.1002/mgg3.1919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Revised: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION MEF2C-related disorders are characterized by developmental and cognitive delay, limited language and walking, hypotonia, and seizures. A recent systematic review identified 117 patients with MEF2C-related disorders across 43 studies. Despite these reports, the disorder is not easily recognized and assessments are hampered by small sample sizes. Our objective was to gather developmental and clinical information on a large number of patients. METHODS We developed a survey based on validated instruments and subject area experts to gather information from parents of children with this condition. No personal identifiers were collected. Surveys and data were collected via REDCap and analyzed using Excel and SAS v9.4. RESULTS Seventy-three parents completed the survey, with 39.7% reporting a MEF2C variant and 54.8% reporting a deletion involving MEF2C. Limited speech (82.1%), seizures (86.3%), bruxism (87.7%), repetitive movements (94.5%), and high pain tolerance (79.5%) were some of the prominent features. Patients with MEF2C variants were similarly affected as those with deletions. Female subjects showed higher verbal abilities. CONCLUSION This is the largest natural history study to date and establishes a comprehensive review of developmental and clinical features for MEF2C-related disorders. This data can help providers diagnose patients and form the basis for longitudinal or genotype-phenotype studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jessica A. Cooley Coleman
- School of NursingClemson UniversityClemsonSouth CarolinaUSA
- Greenwood Genetic CenterGreenwoodSouth CarolinaUSA
| | | | | | - Luigi Boccuto
- School of NursingClemson UniversityClemsonSouth CarolinaUSA
| | - Christopher W. Cowan
- Department of NeuroscienceMedical University of South CarolinaCharlestonSouth CarolinaUSA
| | | | - Jane M. DeLuca
- School of NursingClemson UniversityClemsonSouth CarolinaUSA
- Greenwood Genetic CenterGreenwoodSouth CarolinaUSA
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Fu X, Yao T, Chen X, Li H, Wu J. MEF2C gene variations are associated with ADHD in the Chinese Han population: a case-control study. J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2022; 129:431-439. [PMID: 35357565 DOI: 10.1007/s00702-022-02490-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 03/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Myocyte enhancer factor 2C (MEF2C) is associated with hyperactivity and might be a novel risk gene for susceptibility to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Therefore, this study aimed to explore the association between MEF2C genetic variants and ADHD in the Chinese Han population. A total of 215 patients with ADHD and 233 controls were recruited for this study. The Swanson, Nolan, and Pelham version IV questionnaire was used to evaluate the clinical features of ADHD. In silico analysis was used to annotate the biological functions of the promising single nucleotide polymorphisms. Our findings indicated that MEF2C rs587490 was significantly associated with ADHD in the multiplicative model (OR = 0.640, p = 0.002). Participants with the rs587490 TT allele exhibited less hyperactivity/impulsivity than those with the rs587490 CC allele. Furthermore, the expression quantitative trait loci analysis suggested that rs587490 could regulate the gene expression of MEF2C in the hippocampus, putamen, thalamus, and frontal white matter. Our study concluded that the MEF2C rs587490 T allele is significantly associated with a reduced risk of ADHD in the Chinese Han population, which provides new insight into the genetic etiology of ADHD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xihang Fu
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Environmental Protection, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 13, Hangkong Road, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, People's Republic of China
| | - Ting Yao
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Environmental Protection, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 13, Hangkong Road, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, People's Republic of China
| | - Xinzhen Chen
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Environmental Protection, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 13, Hangkong Road, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, People's Republic of China
| | - Huiru Li
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Environmental Protection, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 13, Hangkong Road, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, People's Republic of China
| | - Jing Wu
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Environmental Protection, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 13, Hangkong Road, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, People's Republic of China.
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Vegas N, Demir Z, Gordon CT, Breton S, Romanelli Tavares V, Moisset H, Zechi-Ceide R, Kokitsu-Nakata NM, Kido Y, Marlin S, Gherbi Halem S, Meerschaut I, Callewaert B, Chung B, Revencu N, Lehalle D, Petit F, Propst EJ, Papsin BC, Phillips JH, Jakobsen L, Le Tanno P, Thévenon J, McGaughran J, Gerkes EH, Leoni C, Kroisel P, Yang Tan T, Henderson A, Terhal P, Basel-Salmon L, Alkindy A, White SM, Passos Bueno MR, Pingault V, De Pontual L, Amiel J. Further delineation of Auriculocondylar syndrome based on 14 novel cases and reassessment of 25 published cases. Hum Mutat 2022; 43:582-594. [PMID: 35170830 DOI: 10.1002/humu.24349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Revised: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Auriculocondylar syndrome (ACS) is a rare craniofacial disorder characterized by mandibular hypoplasia and an auricular defect at the junction between the lobe and helix, known as a "Question Mark Ear" (QME). Several additional features, originating from the first and second branchial arches and other tissues, have also been reported. ACS is genetically heterogeneous with autosomal dominant and recessive modes of inheritance. The mutations identified to date are presumed to dysregulate the endothelin 1 signalling pathway. Here we describe 14 novel cases and reassess 25 published cases of ACS through a questionnaire for systematic data collection. All patients harbour mutation(s) in PLCB4, GNAI3 or EDN1. This series of patients contributes to the characterization of additional features occasionally associated with ACS such as respiratory, costal, neurodevelopmental and genital anomalies, and provides management and monitoring recommendations. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nancy Vegas
- Laboratory of Embryology and Genetics of Malformations, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) UMR 1163, Université de Paris, Institut Imagine, Paris, France
| | - Zeynep Demir
- Laboratory of Embryology and Genetics of Malformations, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) UMR 1163, Université de Paris, Institut Imagine, Paris, France.,Unité d'hépatologie pédiatrie et transplantation, Hôpital Necker-Enfants Malades, AP-HP, Paris, France
| | - Christopher T Gordon
- Laboratory of Embryology and Genetics of Malformations, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) UMR 1163, Université de Paris, Institut Imagine, Paris, France
| | - Sylvain Breton
- Service d'imagerie pédiatrie, Hôpital Necker-Enfants Malades, AP-HP, Paris, France
| | - Vanessa Romanelli Tavares
- Centro de Pesquisas do Genoma Humano e Celulas Tronco, Departamento de Genetica e Biología Evolutiva, Instituto de Biociencias, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Hugo Moisset
- Laboratory of Embryology and Genetics of Malformations, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) UMR 1163, Université de Paris, Institut Imagine, Paris, France
| | - Roseli Zechi-Ceide
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Hospital for Rehabilitation of Craniofacial Anomalies, University of Sao Paulo, Bauru, Brazil
| | - Nancy M Kokitsu-Nakata
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Hospital for Rehabilitation of Craniofacial Anomalies, University of Sao Paulo, Bauru, Brazil
| | - Yasuhiro Kido
- Department of Pediatrics, Dokkyo Medical University Koshigaya Hospital, Saitama, Japan
| | - Sandrine Marlin
- Laboratory of Embryology and Genetics of Malformations, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) UMR 1163, Université de Paris, Institut Imagine, Paris, France.,Reference center for genetic hearing loss, Fédération de Génétique et de Médecine Génomique, Hôpital Necker, APHP.CUP, Paris, France
| | - Souad Gherbi Halem
- Reference center for genetic hearing loss, Fédération de Génétique et de Médecine Génomique, Hôpital Necker, APHP.CUP, Paris, France
| | - Ilse Meerschaut
- Center for Medical Genetics, Ghent University Hospital, and Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Belgium
| | - Bert Callewaert
- Center for Medical Genetics, Ghent University Hospital, and Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Belgium
| | - Brian Chung
- Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Nicole Revencu
- Center for Human Genetics, Cliniques universitaires Saint Luc, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Daphné Lehalle
- Centre de génétique- centre de référence des maladies rares, anomalies du développement et syndrome malformatifs, Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire de Dijon, Bourgogne, France.,UF de Génétique Médicale, Département de Génétique, Groupe Hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, APHP Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Florence Petit
- CHU Lille, clinique de Génétique Guy Fontaine, F-59000, Lille, France
| | - Evan J Propst
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Canada
| | - Blake C Papsin
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Canada
| | - John H Phillips
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Canada
| | - Linda Jakobsen
- Department of Plastic Surgery, Copenhagen University Hospital, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Pauline Le Tanno
- Service de Génétique et Université Grenoble-Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Julien Thévenon
- Service de Génétique et Université Grenoble-Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Julie McGaughran
- Genetic Health Queensland, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Herston and the University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Erica H Gerkes
- Department of Genetics, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Chiara Leoni
- Center for Rare Diseases and Birth Defects, Department of Woman and Child Health and Public Health, Fondazione Policlinico A. Gemelli, IRCCS, Italy
| | - Peter Kroisel
- Institute of Human Genetics, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Tiong Yang Tan
- Victorian Clinical Genetics Services, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, and Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Alex Henderson
- Northern Genetics Service, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
| | - Paulien Terhal
- Department of Medical Genetics, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Lina Basel-Salmon
- Pediatric Genetics, Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel and Raphael Recanati Genetics Institute, Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Campus, Petah Tikva, Israel.,Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.,Felsenstein Medical Research Center, Rabin Medical Center, Petah Tikva, Israel
| | - Adila Alkindy
- Department of Genetics, Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, Oman
| | - Susan M White
- Victorian Clinical Genetics Services, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, and Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Maria Rita Passos Bueno
- Centro de Pesquisas do Genoma Humano e Celulas Tronco, Departamento de Genetica e Biología Evolutiva, Instituto de Biociencias, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Véronique Pingault
- Laboratory of Embryology and Genetics of Malformations, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) UMR 1163, Université de Paris, Institut Imagine, Paris, France.,Fédération de Génétique et de Médecine Génomique, Hôpital Necker, APHP.CUP, Paris, France
| | - Loïc De Pontual
- Laboratory of Embryology and Genetics of Malformations, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) UMR 1163, Université de Paris, Institut Imagine, Paris, France.,Service de pédiatrie, Hôpital Jean Verdier, Bondy, France
| | - Jeanne Amiel
- Laboratory of Embryology and Genetics of Malformations, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) UMR 1163, Université de Paris, Institut Imagine, Paris, France.,Fédération de Génétique et de Médecine Génomique, Hôpital Necker, APHP.CUP, Paris, France
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Zug R. Developmental disorders caused by haploinsufficiency of transcriptional regulators: a perspective based on cell fate determination. Biol Open 2022; 11:bio058896. [PMID: 35089335 PMCID: PMC8801891 DOI: 10.1242/bio.058896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Many human birth defects and neurodevelopmental disorders are caused by loss-of-function mutations in a single copy of transcription factor (TF) and chromatin regulator genes. Although this dosage sensitivity has long been known, how and why haploinsufficiency (HI) of transcriptional regulators leads to developmental disorders (DDs) is unclear. Here I propose the hypothesis that such DDs result from defects in cell fate determination that are based on disrupted bistability in the underlying gene regulatory network (GRN). Bistability, a crucial systems biology concept to model binary choices such as cell fate decisions, requires both positive feedback and ultrasensitivity, the latter often achieved through TF cooperativity. The hypothesis explains why dosage sensitivity of transcriptional regulators is an inherent property of fate decisions, and why disruption of either positive feedback or cooperativity in the underlying GRN is sufficient to cause disease. I present empirical and theoretical evidence in support of this hypothesis and discuss several issues for which it increases our understanding of disease, such as incomplete penetrance. The proposed framework provides a mechanistic, systems-level explanation of HI of transcriptional regulators, thus unifying existing theories, and offers new insights into outstanding issues of human disease. This article has an associated Future Leader to Watch interview with the author of the paper.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Roman Zug
- Department of Biology, Lund University, 22362 Lund, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Zhang Z, Zhao Y. Progress on the roles of MEF2C in neuropsychiatric diseases. Mol Brain 2022; 15:8. [PMID: 34991657 PMCID: PMC8740500 DOI: 10.1186/s13041-021-00892-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2021] [Accepted: 12/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Myocyte Enhancer Factor 2 C (MEF2C), one of the transcription factors of the MADS-BOX family, is involved in embryonic brain development, neuronal formation and differentiation, as well as in the growth and pruning of axons and dendrites. MEF2C is also involved in the development of various neuropsychiatric disorders, such as autism spectrum disorders (ASD), epilepsy, schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Here, we review the relationship between MEF2C and neuropsychiatric disorders, and provide further insights into the mechanism of these diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhikun Zhang
- National Center for International Research of Bio-Targeting Theranostics, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Bio-Targeting Theranostics, Collaborative Innovation Center for Targeting Tumor Diagnosis and Therapy, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, Guangxi, China.,Department of Mental Health, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530007, Guangxi, China
| | - Yongxiang Zhao
- National Center for International Research of Bio-Targeting Theranostics, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Bio-Targeting Theranostics, Collaborative Innovation Center for Targeting Tumor Diagnosis and Therapy, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, Guangxi, China.
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Morisada N, Ishida Y, Tokumoto S, Maruyama A, Iijima K. Severe neurodevelopmental disorder caused by an MEF2C nonsense mutation. Pediatr Int 2021; 63:1536-1538. [PMID: 34449120 DOI: 10.1111/ped.14647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2020] [Revised: 01/25/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Naoya Morisada
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Hyogo Prefectural Kobe Children's Hospital, Kobe, Japan.,Department of Pediatrics, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan
| | - Yusuke Ishida
- Department of General Pediatrics, Hyogo Prefectural Kobe Children's Hospital, Kobe, Japan.,Department of Neurology, Hyogo Prefectural Kobe Children's Hospital, Kobe, Japan
| | - Shoichi Tokumoto
- Department of Pediatrics, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan
| | - Azusa Maruyama
- Department of Neurology, Hyogo Prefectural Kobe Children's Hospital, Kobe, Japan
| | - Kazumoto Iijima
- Department of Pediatrics, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Faust TE, Gunner G, Schafer DP. Mechanisms governing activity-dependent synaptic pruning in the developing mammalian CNS. Nat Rev Neurosci 2021; 22:657-673. [PMID: 34545240 PMCID: PMC8541743 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-021-00507-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 147] [Impact Index Per Article: 49.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Almost 60 years have passed since the initial discovery by Hubel and Wiesel that changes in neuronal activity can elicit developmental rewiring of the central nervous system (CNS). Over this period, we have gained a more comprehensive picture of how both spontaneous neural activity and sensory experience-induced changes in neuronal activity guide CNS circuit development. Here we review activity-dependent synaptic pruning in the mammalian CNS, which we define as the removal of a subset of synapses, while others are maintained, in response to changes in neural activity in the developing nervous system. We discuss the mounting evidence that immune and cell-death molecules are important mechanistic links by which changes in neural activity guide the pruning of specific synapses, emphasizing the role of glial cells in this process. Finally, we discuss how these developmental pruning programmes may go awry in neurodevelopmental disorders of the human CNS, focusing on autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia. Together, our aim is to give an overview of how the field of activity-dependent pruning research has evolved, led to exciting new questions and guided the identification of new, therapeutically relevant mechanisms that result in aberrant circuit development in neurodevelopmental disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Travis E Faust
- Department of Neurobiology, Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Georgia Gunner
- Department of Neurobiology, Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Dorothy P Schafer
- Department of Neurobiology, Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Servetti M, Pisciotta L, Tassano E, Cerminara M, Nobili L, Boeri S, Rosti G, Lerone M, Divizia MT, Ronchetto P, Puliti A. Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Patients With Complex Phenotypes and Potential Complex Genetic Basis Involving Non-Coding Genes, and Double CNVs. Front Genet 2021; 12:732002. [PMID: 34621295 PMCID: PMC8490884 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.732002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) are a heterogeneous class of brain diseases, with a complex genetic basis estimated to account for up to 50% of cases. Nevertheless, genetic diagnostic yield is about 20%. Array-comparative genomic hybridization (array-CGH) is an established first-level diagnostic test able to detect pathogenic copy number variants (CNVs), however, most identified variants remain of uncertain significance (VUS). Failure of interpretation of VUSs may depend on various factors, including complexity of clinical phenotypes and inconsistency of genotype-phenotype correlations. Indeed, although most NDD-associated CNVs are de novo, transmission from unaffected parents to affected children of CNVs with high risk for NDDs has been observed. Moreover, variability of genetic components overlapped by CNVs, such as long non-coding genes, genomic regions with long-range effects, and additive effects of multiple CNVs can make CNV interpretation challenging. We report on 12 patients with complex phenotypes possibly explained by complex genetic mechanisms, including involvement of antisense genes and boundaries of topologically associating domains. Eight among the 12 patients carried two CNVs, either de novo or inherited, respectively, by each of their healthy parents, that could additively contribute to the patients’ phenotype. CNVs overlapped either known NDD-associated or novel candidate genes (PTPRD, BUD13, GLRA3, MIR4465, ABHD4, and WSCD2). Bioinformatic enrichment analyses showed that genes overlapped by the co-occurring CNVs have synergistic roles in biological processes fundamental in neurodevelopment. Double CNVs could concur in producing deleterious effects, according to a two-hit model, thus explaining the patients’ phenotypes and the incomplete penetrance, and variable expressivity, associated with the single variants. Overall, our findings could contribute to the knowledge on clinical and genetic diagnosis of complex forms of NDD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Martina Servetti
- Department of Neurosciences, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DiNOGMI), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.,Medical Genetics Unit, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genoa, Italy
| | - Livia Pisciotta
- Department of Neurosciences, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DiNOGMI), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.,Child Neuropsychiatry Unit, ASST Fatebenefratelli Sacco, Milano, Italy
| | - Elisa Tassano
- Human Genetics Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genoa, Italy
| | - Maria Cerminara
- Department of Neurosciences, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DiNOGMI), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Lino Nobili
- Department of Neurosciences, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DiNOGMI), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.,Child Neuropsychiatry Unit, Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genoa, Italy
| | - Silvia Boeri
- Department of Neurosciences, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DiNOGMI), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.,Child Neuropsychiatry Unit, Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genoa, Italy
| | - Giulia Rosti
- Department of Neurosciences, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DiNOGMI), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Margherita Lerone
- Medical Genetics Unit, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genoa, Italy
| | | | - Patrizia Ronchetto
- Human Genetics Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genoa, Italy
| | - Aldamaria Puliti
- Department of Neurosciences, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DiNOGMI), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.,Medical Genetics Unit, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genoa, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
The zebrafish grime mutant uncovers an evolutionarily conserved role for Tmem161b in the control of cardiac rhythm. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2018220118. [PMID: 33597309 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2018220118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The establishment of cardiac function in the developing embryo is essential to ensure blood flow and, therefore, growth and survival of the animal. The molecular mechanisms controlling normal cardiac rhythm remain to be fully elucidated. From a forward genetic screen, we identified a unique mutant, grime, that displayed a specific cardiac arrhythmia phenotype. We show that loss-of-function mutations in tmem161b are responsible for the phenotype, identifying Tmem161b as a regulator of cardiac rhythm in zebrafish. To examine the evolutionary conservation of this function, we generated knockout mice for Tmem161b. Tmem161b knockout mice are neonatal lethal and cardiomyocytes exhibit arrhythmic calcium oscillations. Mechanistically, we find that Tmem161b is expressed at the cell membrane of excitable cells and live imaging shows it is required for action potential repolarization in the developing heart. Electrophysiology on isolated cardiomyocytes demonstrates that Tmem161b is essential to inhibit Ca2+ and K+ currents in cardiomyocytes. Importantly, Tmem161b haploinsufficiency leads to cardiac rhythm phenotypes, implicating it as a candidate gene in heritable cardiac arrhythmia. Overall, these data describe Tmem161b as a highly conserved regulator of cardiac rhythm that functions to modulate ion channel activity in zebrafish and mice.
Collapse
|
26
|
Sunderaraman P, Cosentino S, Schupf N, Manly J, Gu Y, Barral S. MEF2C Common Genetic Variation Is Associated With Different Aspects of Cognition in Non-Hispanic White and Caribbean Hispanic Non-demented Older Adults. Front Genet 2021; 12:642327. [PMID: 34386032 PMCID: PMC8353395 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.642327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Myocyte Enhancer Factor 2C (MEF2C) is identified as a candidate gene contributing to the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. However, little is known about whether MEF2C plays a role in specific aspects of cognition among older adults. The current study investigated the association of common variants in the MEF2C gene with four cognitive domains including memory, visuospatial functioning, processing speed and language among non-demented individuals. METHOD Participants from two ethnic groups, Non-Hispanic White (NHW; n = 537) and Caribbean Hispanic (CH; n = 1,197) from the Washington Heights-Inwood Community Aging Project (WHICAP) study, were included. Genetic association analyses using WHICAP imputed genome-wide data (GWAS) were conducted for the various cognition domains. RESULTS Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) variants in the MEF2C gene showed nominally significant associations in all cognitive domains but for different SNPs across both the ethnic groups. In NHW participants, the strongest associations were present for memory (rs302484), language (rs619584), processing speed (rs13159808), and visuospatial functioning (several SNPs). In CH, strongest associations were observed for memory (rs34822815), processing speed (rs304141), visuospatial functioning (rs10066711 and rs10038371), and language (rs304153). DISCUSSION MEF2C variant-cognitive associations shed light on an apparent role for MEF2C in both memory and non-memory aspects of cognition in individuals from NHW and CH ancestries. However, the little overlap in the specific SNP-cognition associations in CH versus NHW highlights the differences in genetic architectural variations among those from different ancestries that should be considered while studying the MEF2C gene.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Preeti Sunderaraman
- Cognitive Neuroscience Division of the Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain, G.H. Sergievsky Center, and the Department of Neurology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
27
|
Cooley Coleman JA, Sarasua SM, Boccuto L, Moore HW, Skinner SA, DeLuca JM. Comprehensive investigation of the phenotype of MEF2C-related disorders in human patients: A systematic review. Am J Med Genet A 2021; 185:3884-3894. [PMID: 34184825 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.a.62412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2021] [Revised: 06/14/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
MEF2C-related disorders (aka MEF2C-haploinsufficiency) are caused by variations in or involving the MEF2C gene and are characterized by intellectual disability, developmental delay, lack of speech, limited walking, and seizures. Despite these findings, the disorder is not easily recognized clinically. We performed a systematic review following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines to assemble the most comprehensive list of patients and their phenotypes. Through searching PubMed, Web of Science, and MEDLINE, 43 articles met the inclusion criteria and were fully reviewed. One hundred and seventeen patients were identified from these publications with most having a phenotype of intellectual disability, developmental delay, seizures, hypotonia, absent speech, inability to walk, stereotypic movements, and MRI abnormalities. Nonclassical findings included one patient with a question mark ear, two patients with a jugular pit, one patient with a unique neuroendocrine finding, and nine patients that did not have MEF2C deletions or disruptions but may be affected due to a positional effect on MEF2C. This systematic review characterizes the phenotype of MEF2C-related disorders, documents the severity of this condition, and will help providers to better diagnose and care for patients and their families. Additionally, this compiled information provides a comprehensive resource for investigators interested in pursuing specific genotype-phenotype correlations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jessica A Cooley Coleman
- School of Nursing, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, USA.,Greenwood Genetic Center, Greenwood, South Carolina, USA
| | - Sara M Sarasua
- School of Nursing, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, USA
| | - Luigi Boccuto
- School of Nursing, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, USA
| | | | | | - Jane M DeLuca
- School of Nursing, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, USA.,Greenwood Genetic Center, Greenwood, South Carolina, USA
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Wright CF, Quaife NM, Ramos-Hernández L, Danecek P, Ferla MP, Samocha KE, Kaplanis J, Gardner EJ, Eberhardt RY, Chao KR, Karczewski KJ, Morales J, Gallone G, Balasubramanian M, Banka S, Gompertz L, Kerr B, Kirby A, Lynch SA, Morton JEV, Pinz H, Sansbury FH, Stewart H, Zuccarelli BD, Cook SA, Taylor JC, Juusola J, Retterer K, Firth HV, Hurles ME, Lara-Pezzi E, Barton PJR, Whiffin N. Non-coding region variants upstream of MEF2C cause severe developmental disorder through three distinct loss-of-function mechanisms. Am J Hum Genet 2021; 108:1083-1094. [PMID: 34022131 PMCID: PMC8206381 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2021.04.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Clinical genetic testing of protein-coding regions identifies a likely causative variant in only around half of developmental disorder (DD) cases. The contribution of regulatory variation in non-coding regions to rare disease, including DD, remains very poorly understood. We screened 9,858 probands from the Deciphering Developmental Disorders (DDD) study for de novo mutations in the 5' untranslated regions (5' UTRs) of genes within which variants have previously been shown to cause DD through a dominant haploinsufficient mechanism. We identified four single-nucleotide variants and two copy-number variants upstream of MEF2C in a total of ten individual probands. We developed multiple bespoke and orthogonal experimental approaches to demonstrate that these variants cause DD through three distinct loss-of-function mechanisms, disrupting transcription, translation, and/or protein function. These non-coding region variants represent 23% of likely diagnoses identified in MEF2C in the DDD cohort, but these would all be missed in standard clinical genetics approaches. Nonetheless, these variants are readily detectable in exome sequence data, with 30.7% of 5' UTR bases across all genes well covered in the DDD dataset. Our analyses show that non-coding variants upstream of genes within which coding variants are known to cause DD are an important cause of severe disease and demonstrate that analyzing 5' UTRs can increase diagnostic yield. We also show how non-coding variants can help inform both the disease-causing mechanism underlying protein-coding variants and dosage tolerance of the gene.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Caroline F Wright
- Institute of Biomedical and Clinical Science, University of Exeter Medical School, Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital, Exeter EX2 5DW, UK
| | - Nicholas M Quaife
- National Heart & Lung Institute and MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Imperial College London, London W12 0NN, UK; Cardiovascular Research Centre, Royal Brompton & Harefield Hospitals NHS Trust, London SW3 6NP, UK
| | - Laura Ramos-Hernández
- Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares Carlos III (CNIC), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Petr Danecek
- Human Genetics Programme, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton CB10 1RQ, UK
| | - Matteo P Ferla
- National Institute for Health Research Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Kaitlin E Samocha
- Human Genetics Programme, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton CB10 1RQ, UK
| | - Joanna Kaplanis
- Human Genetics Programme, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton CB10 1RQ, UK
| | - Eugene J Gardner
- Human Genetics Programme, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton CB10 1RQ, UK
| | - Ruth Y Eberhardt
- Human Genetics Programme, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton CB10 1RQ, UK
| | - Katherine R Chao
- Analytic and Translational Genetics Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Konrad J Karczewski
- Analytic and Translational Genetics Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Joannella Morales
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), Cambridge CB10 1SD, UK
| | - Giuseppe Gallone
- Human Genetics Programme, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton CB10 1RQ, UK
| | - Meena Balasubramanian
- Sheffield Clinical Genetics Service, Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust, Sheffield S10 2TH, UK; Academic Unit of Child Health, Department of Oncology & Metabolism, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TH, UK
| | - Siddharth Banka
- Manchester Centre for Genomic Medicine, St Mary's Hospital, Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Health Innovation Manchester, Manchester M13 9WL, UK; Division of Evolution and Genomic Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Lianne Gompertz
- Manchester Centre for Genomic Medicine, St Mary's Hospital, Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Health Innovation Manchester, Manchester M13 9WL, UK
| | - Bronwyn Kerr
- Division of Evolution and Genomic Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Amelia Kirby
- Department of Pediatrics, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27101, USA
| | - Sally A Lynch
- UCD Academic Centre on Rare Diseases, School of Medicine and Medical Sciences, University College Dublin, and Clinical Genetics, Temple Street Children's University Hospital, Dublin D01 XD99, Ireland
| | - Jenny E V Morton
- West Midlands Regional Clinical Genetics Service and Birmingham Health Partners, Birmingham Women's and Children's Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham B4 6NH, UK
| | - Hailey Pinz
- Department of Pediatrics, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63104, USA
| | - Francis H Sansbury
- All Wales Medical Genomics Service, NHS Wales Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, Institute of Medical Genetics, University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff CF14 4AY, UK
| | - Helen Stewart
- Oxford Centre for Genomic Medicine, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford OX3 7LE, UK
| | - Britton D Zuccarelli
- Department of Neurology, University of Kansas School of Medicine-Salina Campus, Salina, KS 67401, USA
| | - Stuart A Cook
- National Heart & Lung Institute and MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Imperial College London, London W12 0NN, UK
| | - Jenny C Taylor
- National Institute for Health Research Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7BN, UK
| | | | | | - Helen V Firth
- Human Genetics Programme, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton CB10 1RQ, UK; East Anglian Medical Genetics Service, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, UK
| | - Matthew E Hurles
- Human Genetics Programme, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton CB10 1RQ, UK
| | - Enrique Lara-Pezzi
- Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares Carlos III (CNIC), 28029 Madrid, Spain; CIBER de enfermedades CardioVasculares (CIBERCV), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Paul J R Barton
- National Heart & Lung Institute and MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Imperial College London, London W12 0NN, UK; Cardiovascular Research Centre, Royal Brompton & Harefield Hospitals NHS Trust, London SW3 6NP, UK
| | - Nicola Whiffin
- Human Genetics Programme, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton CB10 1RQ, UK; Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7BN, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
García-Pérez R, Esteller-Cucala P, Mas G, Lobón I, Di Carlo V, Riera M, Kuhlwilm M, Navarro A, Blancher A, Di Croce L, Gómez-Skarmeta JL, Juan D, Marquès-Bonet T. Epigenomic profiling of primate lymphoblastoid cell lines reveals the evolutionary patterns of epigenetic activities in gene regulatory architectures. Nat Commun 2021; 12:3116. [PMID: 34035253 PMCID: PMC8149829 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-23397-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Changes in the epigenetic regulation of gene expression have a central role in evolution. Here, we extensively profiled a panel of human, chimpanzee, gorilla, orangutan, and macaque lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs), using ChIP-seq for five histone marks, ATAC-seq and RNA-seq, further complemented with whole genome sequencing (WGS) and whole genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS). We annotated regulatory elements (RE) and integrated chromatin contact maps to define gene regulatory architectures, creating the largest catalog of RE in primates to date. We report that epigenetic conservation and its correlation with sequence conservation in primates depends on the activity state of the regulatory element. Our gene regulatory architectures reveal the coordination of different types of components and highlight the role of promoters and intragenic enhancers (gE) in the regulation of gene expression. We observe that most regulatory changes occur in weakly active gE. Remarkably, novel human-specific gE with weak activities are enriched in human-specific nucleotide changes. These elements appear in genes with signals of positive selection and human acceleration, tissue-specific expression, and particular functional enrichments, suggesting that the regulatory evolution of these genes may have contributed to human adaptation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Glòria Mas
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Irene Lobón
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (UPF-CSIC), PRBB, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Valerio Di Carlo
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Meritxell Riera
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (UPF-CSIC), PRBB, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Martin Kuhlwilm
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (UPF-CSIC), PRBB, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Arcadi Navarro
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (UPF-CSIC), PRBB, Barcelona, Spain
- National Institute for Bioinformatics (INB), PRBB, Barcelona, Spain
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Antoine Blancher
- Laboratoire d'immunologie, CHU de Toulouse, Institut Fédératif de Biologie, hôpital Purpan, Toulouse, France
- Centre de Physiopathologie Toulouse-Purpan (CPTP), Université de Toulouse, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (Inserm), Université Paul Sabatier (UPS), Toulouse, France
| | - Luciano Di Croce
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain
| | - José Luis Gómez-Skarmeta
- Centro Andaluz de Biología del Desarrollo (CABD), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universidad Pablo de Olavide-Junta de Andalucía, Seville, Spain
| | - David Juan
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (UPF-CSIC), PRBB, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Tomàs Marquès-Bonet
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (UPF-CSIC), PRBB, Barcelona, Spain.
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain.
- CNAG-CRG, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain.
- Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain.
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Chaudhary R, Agarwal V, Kaushik AS, Rehman M. Involvement of myocyte enhancer factor 2c in the pathogenesis of autism spectrum disorder. Heliyon 2021; 7:e06854. [PMID: 33981903 PMCID: PMC8082549 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e06854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Revised: 12/09/2020] [Accepted: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Myocyte enhancer factor 2 (MEF2), a family of transcription factor of MADS (minichromosome maintenance 1, agamous, deficiens and serum response factor)-box family needed in the growth and differentiation of a variety of human cells, such as neural, immune, endothelial, and muscles. As per existing literature, MEF2 transcription factors have also been associated with synaptic plasticity, the developmental mechanisms governing memory and learning, and several neurologic conditions, like autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Recent genomic findings have ascertained a link between MEF2 defects, particularly in the MEF2C isoform and the ASD. In this review, we summarized a concise overview of the general regulation, structure and functional roles of the MEF2C transcription factor. We further outlined the potential role of MEF2C as a risk factor for various neurodevelopmental disorders, such as ASD, MEF2C Haploinsufficiency Syndrome and Fragile X syndrome.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rishabh Chaudhary
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Biosciences and Biotechnology, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow, India
| | - Vipul Agarwal
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Biosciences and Biotechnology, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow, India
| | - Arjun Singh Kaushik
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Biosciences and Biotechnology, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow, India
| | - Mujeeba Rehman
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Biosciences and Biotechnology, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow, India
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Raviglione F, Douzgou S, Scala M, Mingarelli A, D'Arrigo S, Freri E, Darra F, Giglio S, Bonaglia MC, Pantaleoni C, Mastrangelo M, Epifanio R, Elia M, Saletti V, Morlino S, Vari MS, De Liso P, Pavaine J, Spaccini L, Cattaneo E, Gardella E, Møller RS, Marchese F, Colonna C, Gandioli C, Gobbi G, Ram D, Palumbo O, Carella M, Germano M, Tonduti D, De Angelis D, Caputo D, Bergonzini P, Novara F, Zuffardi O, Verrotti A, Orsini A, Bonuccelli A, De Muto MC, Trivisano M, Vigevano F, Granata T, Bernardina BD, Tranchina A, Striano P. Electroclinical features of MEF2C haploinsufficiency-related epilepsy: A multicenter European study. Seizure 2021; 88:60-72. [PMID: 33831796 DOI: 10.1016/j.seizure.2021.03.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2020] [Revised: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Epilepsy is a main manifestation in the autosomal dominant mental retardation syndrome caused by heterozygous variants in MEF2C. We aimed to delineate the electro-clinical features and refine the genotype-phenotype correlations in patients with MEF2C haploinsufficiency. METHODS We thoroughly investigated 25 patients with genetically confirmed MEF2C-syndrome across 12 different European Genetics and Epilepsy Centers, focusing on the epileptic phenotype. Clinical features (seizure types, onset, evolution, and response to therapy), EEG recordings during waking/sleep, and neuroimaging findings were analyzed. We also performed a detailed literature review using the terms "MEF2C", "seizures", and "epilepsy". RESULTS Epilepsy was diagnosed in 19 out of 25 (~80%) subjects, with age at onset <30 months. Ten individuals (40%) presented with febrile seizures and myoclonic seizures occurred in ~50% of patients. Epileptiform abnormalities were observed in 20/25 patients (80%) and hypoplasia/partial agenesis of the corpus callosum was detected in 12/25 patients (~50%). Nine patients harbored a 5q14.3 deletion encompassing MEF2C and at least one other gene. In 7 out of 10 patients with myoclonic seizures, MIR9-2 and LINC00461 were also deleted, whereas ADGRV1 was involved in 3/4 patients with spasms. CONCLUSION The epileptic phenotype of MEF2C-syndrome is variable. Febrile and myoclonic seizures are the most frequent, usually associated with a slowing of the background activity and irregular diffuse discharges of frontally dominant, symmetric or asymmetric, slow theta waves with interposed spike-and-waves complexes. The haploinsufficiency of ADGRV1, MIR9-2, and LINC00461 likely contributes to myoclonic seizures and spasms in patients with MEF2C syndrome.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Sofia Douzgou
- Division of Evolution and Genomic Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicines and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK; Manchester Centre for Genomic Medicine, Saint Mary's Hospital, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK; Member of ERN-ITHACA
| | - Marcello Scala
- Department of Neurosciences, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy; Pediatric Neurology and Muscular Diseases Unit, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genoa, Italy
| | | | - Stefano D'Arrigo
- Department of Pediatric Neuroscience, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Elena Freri
- Department of Pediatric Neuroscience, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy; Member of ERN EpiCARE
| | - Francesca Darra
- Child Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Life and Reproduction Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Sabrina Giglio
- Department of Biomedical Experimental and Clinical Sciences "Mario Serio", University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Maria C Bonaglia
- Cytogenetics Laboratory, Scientific Institute, IRCCS Eugenio Medea, Bosisio Parini, Lecco, Italy
| | - Chiara Pantaleoni
- Department of Pediatric Neuroscience, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Massimo Mastrangelo
- Paediatric Neurology Unit, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital Vittore Buzzi, Milan, Italy
| | - Roberta Epifanio
- Clinical Neurophysiology Unit, IRCCS, E Medea Scientific Institute, Bosisio Parini, Lecco, Italy
| | | | - Veronica Saletti
- Department of Pediatric Neuroscience, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Silvia Morlino
- Division of Medical Genetics, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, Poliambulatorio "Giovanni Paolo II", Viale Padre Pio, snc, San Giovanni Rotondo 71013, Italy
| | - Maria Stella Vari
- Department of Neurosciences, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy; Pediatric Neurology and Muscular Diseases Unit, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genoa, Italy
| | - Paola De Liso
- Department of Neuroscience, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRRCS, Rome, Italy; Member of ERN EpiCARE
| | - Julija Pavaine
- Academic Unit of Paediatric Radiology, Royal Manchester Children's Hospital, Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Luigina Spaccini
- Clinical Genetics Service, Department of Pediatrics, Vittore Buzzi Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Elisa Cattaneo
- Clinical Genetics Service, Department of Pediatrics, Vittore Buzzi Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Elena Gardella
- The Danish Epilepsy Centre Filadelfia, Dianalund, Denmark; Institute for Regional Health Services, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark; Member of ERN EpiCARE
| | - Rikke S Møller
- The Danish Epilepsy Centre Filadelfia, Dianalund, Denmark; Institute for Regional Health Services, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark; Member of ERN EpiCARE
| | - Francesca Marchese
- Department of Neurosciences, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy; Pediatric Neurology and Muscular Diseases Unit, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genoa, Italy
| | - Clara Colonna
- Hospital Neuropsychiatry Service, ASST Rhodense, Rho, Milan, Italy
| | - Claudia Gandioli
- Hospital Neuropsychiatry Service, ASST Rhodense, Rho, Milan, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Gobbi
- Child Neurology Unit, IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche, Bologna, Italy
| | - Dipak Ram
- Department of Paediatric Neurology, Royal Manchester Children's Hospital, Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK
| | - Orazio Palumbo
- Division of Medical Genetics, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, Poliambulatorio "Giovanni Paolo II", Viale Padre Pio, snc, San Giovanni Rotondo 71013, Italy
| | - Massimo Carella
- Division of Medical Genetics, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, Poliambulatorio "Giovanni Paolo II", Viale Padre Pio, snc, San Giovanni Rotondo 71013, Italy
| | - Michele Germano
- Maternal and Pediatric Department, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, Poliambulatorio "Giovanni Paolo II", Viale Padre Pio, snc, San Giovanni Rotondo (FG) 71013, Italy
| | - Davide Tonduti
- Paediatric Neurology Unit, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital Vittore Buzzi, Milan, Italy
| | - Diego De Angelis
- Pediatric Department, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome 00185, Italy
| | - Davide Caputo
- Department of Health Sciences, Child Neuropsychiatry Unit - Epilepsy Center, San Paolo Hospital, University of Medicine, Milan, Italy; Member of ERN EpiCARE
| | | | - Francesca Novara
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Orsetta Zuffardi
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Alberto Verrotti
- Department of Pediatrics, San Salvatore Hospital, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Alessandro Orsini
- Pediatric Neurology Santa Chiara Hospital, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Alice Bonuccelli
- Pediatric Neurology Santa Chiara Hospital, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | | | - Marina Trivisano
- Department of Neuroscience, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRRCS, Rome, Italy; Member of ERN EpiCARE
| | - Federico Vigevano
- Department of Neuroscience, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRRCS, Rome, Italy; Member of ERN EpiCARE
| | - Tiziana Granata
- Department of Pediatric Neuroscience, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy; Member of ERN EpiCARE
| | - Bernardo Dalla Bernardina
- Child Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Life and Reproduction Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Antonia Tranchina
- Department of Pediatric Neuroscience, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Pasquale Striano
- Department of Neurosciences, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy; Pediatric Neurology and Muscular Diseases Unit, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genoa, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
He G, Ding J, Zhang Y, Cai M, Yang J, Cho WC, Zheng Y. microRNA-21: a key modulator in oncogenic viral infections. RNA Biol 2021; 18:809-817. [PMID: 33499700 DOI: 10.1080/15476286.2021.1880756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Oncogenic viruses are associated with approximately 15% of human cancers. In viral infections, microRNAs play an important role in host-pathogen interactions. miR-21 is a highly conserved non-coding RNA that not only regulates the development of oncogenic viral diseases, but also responds to the regulation of intracellular signal pathways. Oncogenic viruses, including HBV, HCV, HPV, and EBV, co-evolve with their hosts and cause persistent infections. The upregulation of host miR-21 manipulates key cellular pathways to evade host immune responses and then promote viral replication. Thus, a better understanding of the role of miR-21 in viral infections may help us to develop effective genetically-engineered oncolytic virus-based therapies against cancer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Guitian He
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology' and 'Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, CAAS, Lanzhou, China
| | - Juntao Ding
- College of Life Science and Technology, College of Life Science and Technology, Xinjiang University, Urumqi, China
| | - Yong'e Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology' and 'Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, CAAS, Lanzhou, China
| | - Mengting Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology' and 'Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, CAAS, Lanzhou, China
| | - Jing Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology' and 'Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, CAAS, Lanzhou, China
| | - William C Cho
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Yadong Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology' and 'Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, CAAS, Lanzhou, China.,Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou China
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Activity-dependent regulome of human GABAergic neurons reveals new patterns of gene regulation and neurological disease heritability. Nat Neurosci 2021; 24:437-448. [PMID: 33542524 PMCID: PMC7933108 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-020-00786-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2019] [Accepted: 12/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Neuronal activity-dependent gene expression is essential for brain development. Although transcriptional and epigenetic effects of neuronal activity have been explored in mice, such an investigation is lacking in humans. Because alterations in GABAergic neuronal circuits are implicated in neurological disorders, we conducted a comprehensive activity-dependent transcriptional and epigenetic profiling of human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived GABAergic neurons similar to those of the early developing striatum. We identified genes whose expression is inducible after membrane depolarization, some of which have specifically evolved in primates and/or are associated with neurological diseases, including schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We define the genome-wide profile of human neuronal activity-dependent enhancers, promoters and the transcription factors CREB and CRTC1. We found significant heritability enrichment for ASD in the inducible promoters. Our results suggest that sequence variation within activity-inducible promoters of developing human forebrain GABAergic neurons contributes to ASD risk.
Collapse
|
34
|
Bermúdez-Guzmán L, Veitia RA. Insights into the pathogenicity of missense variants in the forkhead domain of FOX proteins underlying Mendelian disorders. Hum Genet 2021; 140:999-1010. [PMID: 33638707 DOI: 10.1007/s00439-021-02267-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2020] [Accepted: 02/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Forkhead box (FOX) proteins are members of a conserved family of transcription factors. Pathogenic variants in FOX genes have been shown to be responsible for several human genetic diseases. Here, we have studied the molecular and structural features of germline pathogenic variants in seven FOX proteins involved in Mendelian disorders and compared them with those of variants present in the general population (gnomAD). Our study shows that the DNA-binding domain of FOX proteins is particularly sensitive to damaging variation, although some family members show greater mutational tolerance than others. Next, we set to demonstrate that this tolerance depends on the inheritance mode of FOX-linked disorders. Accordingly, genes whose variants underlie recessive conditions are supposed to have a greater tolerance to variation. This is what we found. As expected, variants responsible for disorders with a dominant inheritance pattern show a higher degree of pathogenicity compared to those segregating in the general population. Moreover, we show that pathogenic and likely pathogenic variants tend to affect mutually exclusive sites with respect to those reported in gnomAD. The former also tend to affect sites with lower solvent exposure and a higher degree of conservation. Our results show the value of using publicly available databases and bioinformatics to gain insights into the molecular and structural bases of disease-causing genetic variation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Luis Bermúdez-Guzmán
- Section of Genetics and Biotechnology, School of Biology, University of Costa Rica, San Pedro Montes de Oca, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Reiner A Veitia
- Université de Paris, 75006, Paris, France. .,CNRS, Institut Jacques Monod, Université de Paris, 75006, Paris, France. .,Institut de Biologie F. Jacob, Commissariat À L'Energie Atomique, Université Paris-Saclay, Fontenay aux Roses, France.
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Dhindsa RS, Zoghbi AW, Krizay DK, Vasavda C, Goldstein DB. A Transcriptome-Based Drug Discovery Paradigm for Neurodevelopmental Disorders. Ann Neurol 2021; 89:199-211. [PMID: 33159466 PMCID: PMC8122510 DOI: 10.1002/ana.25950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2020] [Revised: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Advances in genetic discoveries have created substantial opportunities for precision medicine in neurodevelopmental disorders. Many of the genes implicated in these diseases encode proteins that regulate gene expression, such as chromatin-associated proteins, transcription factors, and RNA-binding proteins. The identification of targeted therapeutics for individuals carrying mutations in these genes remains a challenge, as the encoded proteins can theoretically regulate thousands of downstream targets in a considerable number of cell types. Here, we propose the application of a drug discovery approach originally developed for cancer called "transcriptome reversal" for these neurodevelopmental disorders. This approach attempts to identify compounds that reverse gene-expression signatures associated with disease states. ANN NEUROL 2021;89:199-211.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ryan S. Dhindsa
- Institute for Genomic Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, USA
- Integrated Program in Cellular, Molecular, and Biomedical Studies, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Anthony W. Zoghbi
- Institute for Genomic Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, USA; New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, USA
| | - Daniel K. Krizay
- Institute for Genomic Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, USA
- Department of Genetics & Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, USA
| | - Chirag Vasavda
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - David B. Goldstein
- Institute for Genomic Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, USA
- Department of Genetics & Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, USA
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Wan L, Liu X, Hu L, Chen H, Sun Y, Li Z, Wang Z, Lin Z, Zou L, Yang G. Genotypes and Phenotypes of MEF2C Haploinsufficiency Syndrome: New Cases and Novel Point Mutations. Front Pediatr 2021; 9:664449. [PMID: 34055696 PMCID: PMC8155578 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2021.664449] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2021] [Accepted: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Aim: MEF2C haploinsufficiency syndrome (MCHS) is a severe neurodevelopmental disorder. We describe the clinical phenotypes and genotypes of seven patients with MCHS to enhance the understanding of clinical manifestations and genetic alterations associated with MCHS. Method: Seven patients (6 females and 1 male, aged between 2 years 5 months and 6 years) who had MEF2C mutations, and their parents underwent trio-based whole-exome sequencing; subsequently, their clinical features were assessed. A literature review of patients with MCHS was performed by searching the PubMed and Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man databases. Results: Seven mutations were identified, of which six were unreported in the past; of the reported cases, five patients had de novo mutations but two had an undefined inheritance pattern. All patients presented delays in developmental milestones, severe intellectual disabilities and lack of speech. Six patients exhibited infantile hypotonia, five patients experienced stereotypic movements and were unable to walk, four patients exhibited poor eye contact indicative of autism and two showed poor performance. While six patients experienced seizure, five among them became seizure free after receiving anti-seizure medicine. Three patients showed a regression in their development, whereas the mothers of two patients exhibited mosaicism but were healthy without any abovementioned symptoms. Interpretation: Regression was not a common phenomenon but occurred in MCHS. The prognosis of MCHS patients with epilepsy was good, but most patients can achieve a seizure-free status. Healthy people may have low-level mosaicism and carry a pathogenic MEF2C mutation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lin Wan
- Medical School of Chinese People's Liberation Army, Beijing, China.,Department of Pediatrics, The First Medical Center, Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Xinting Liu
- Medical School of Chinese People's Liberation Army, Beijing, China.,Department of Pediatrics, The First Medical Center, Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Linyan Hu
- Department of Pediatrics, The First Medical Center, Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Huimin Chen
- Department of Pediatrics, The First Medical Center, Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Yulin Sun
- Medical School of Chinese People's Liberation Army, Beijing, China.,Department of Pediatrics, The First Medical Center, Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Zhichao Li
- Medical School of Chinese People's Liberation Army, Beijing, China.,Department of Pediatrics, The First Medical Center, Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Zhenfang Wang
- Department of Rehabilitation, Children Hospital of Shanxi, Taiyuan, China
| | - Zhi Lin
- Department of Pediatrics, Fujian Provincial Hospital, Fuzhou, China
| | - Liping Zou
- Medical School of Chinese People's Liberation Army, Beijing, China.,Department of Pediatrics, The First Medical Center, Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing, China.,The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Guang Yang
- Medical School of Chinese People's Liberation Army, Beijing, China.,Department of Pediatrics, The First Medical Center, Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing, China.,The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Ehrhart F, Coort SL, Eijssen L, Cirillo E, Smeets EE, Bahram Sangani N, Evelo CT, Curfs LMG. Integrated analysis of human transcriptome data for Rett syndrome finds a network of involved genes. World J Biol Psychiatry 2020; 21:712-725. [PMID: 30907210 DOI: 10.1080/15622975.2019.1593501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Rett syndrome (RTT) is a rare disorder causing severe intellectual and physical disability. The cause is a mutation in the gene coding for the methyl-CpG binding protein 2 (MECP2), a multifunctional regulator protein. Purpose of the study was integration and investigation of multiple gene expression profiles in human cells with impaired MECP2 gene to obtain a robust, data-driven insight in molecular disease mechanisms. METHODS Information about changed gene expression was extracted from five previously published studies, integrated and the resulting differentially expressed genes were analysed using overrepresentation analysis of biological pathways and gene ontology, and network analysis. RESULTS We identified a set of genes, which are significantly changed not in all but several transcriptomics datasets and were not mentioned in the context of RTT before. We found that these genes are involved in several processes and molecular pathways known to be affected in RTT. Integrating transcription factors we identified a possible link how MECP2 regulates cytoskeleton organisation via MEF2C and CAPG. CONCLUSIONS Integrative analysis of omics data and prior knowledge databases is a powerful approach to identify links between mutation and phenotype especially in rare disease research where little data is available.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Friederike Ehrhart
- GCK - Rett Expertise Centre, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands.,Department of Bioinformatics - BiGCaT, NUTRIM School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Susan L Coort
- Department of Bioinformatics - BiGCaT, NUTRIM School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Lars Eijssen
- Department of Bioinformatics - BiGCaT, NUTRIM School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Elisa Cirillo
- Department of Bioinformatics - BiGCaT, NUTRIM School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Eric E Smeets
- GCK - Rett Expertise Centre, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands.,Department of Pediatrics, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Nasim Bahram Sangani
- GCK - Rett Expertise Centre, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands.,Department of Bioinformatics - BiGCaT, NUTRIM School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Chris T Evelo
- GCK - Rett Expertise Centre, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands.,Department of Bioinformatics - BiGCaT, NUTRIM School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Leopold M G Curfs
- GCK - Rett Expertise Centre, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
An Etiological Foxp2 Mutation Impairs Neuronal Gain in Layer VI Cortico-Thalamic Cells through Increased GABA B/GIRK Signaling. J Neurosci 2020; 40:8543-8555. [PMID: 33020214 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2615-19.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2019] [Revised: 09/15/2020] [Accepted: 09/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
A rare mutation affecting the Forkhead-box protein P2 (FOXP2) transcription factor causes a severe monogenic speech and language disorder. Mice carrying an identical point mutation to that observed in affected patients (Foxp2+/R552H mice) display motor deficits and impaired synaptic plasticity in the striatum. However, the consequences of the mutation on neuronal function, in particular in the cerebral cortex, remain little studied. Foxp2 is expressed in a subset of Layer VI cortical neurons. Here, we used Ntsr1-EGFP mice to identify Foxp2+ neurons in the mouse auditory cortex ex vivo. We studied the functional impact of the R552H mutation on the morphologic and functional properties of Layer VI cortical neurons from Ntsr1-EGFP; Foxp2+/R552H male and female mice. The complexity of apical, but not basal dendrites was significantly lower in Foxp2+/R552H cortico-thalamic neurons than in control Foxp2+/+ neurons. Excitatory synaptic inputs, but not inhibitory synaptic inputs, were decreased in Foxp2+/R552H mice. In response, homeostatic mechanisms would be expected to increase neuronal gain, i.e., the conversion of a synaptic input into a firing output. However, the intrinsic excitability of Foxp2+ cortical neurons was lower in Foxp2+/R552H neurons. A-type and delayed-rectifier (DR) potassium currents, two putative transcriptional targets of Foxp2, were not affected by the mutation. In contrast, GABAB/GIRK signaling, another presumed target of Foxp2, was increased in mutant neurons. Blocking GIRK channels strongly attenuated the difference in intrinsic excitability between wild-type (WT) and Foxp2+/R552H neurons. Our results reveal a novel role for Foxp2 in the control of neuronal input/output homeostasis.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Mutations of the Forkhead-box protein 2 (FOXP2) gene in humans are the first known monogenic cause of a speech and language disorder. The Foxp2 mutation may directly affect neuronal development and function in neocortex, where Foxp2 is expressed. Brain imaging studies in patients with a heterozygous mutation in FOXP2 showed abnormalities in cortical language-related regions relative to the unaffected members of the same family. However, the role of Foxp2 in neocortical neurons is poorly understood. Using mice with a Foxp2 mutation equivalent to that found in patients, we studied functional modifications in auditory cortex neurons ex vivo We found that mutant neurons exhibit alterations of synaptic input and GABAB/GIRK signaling, reflecting a loss of neuronal homeostasis.
Collapse
|
39
|
Cosgrove D, Whitton L, Fahey L, Ó Broin P, Donohoe G, Morris DW. Genes influenced by MEF2C contribute to neurodevelopmental disease via gene expression changes that affect multiple types of cortical excitatory neurons. Hum Mol Genet 2020; 30:961-970. [PMID: 32975584 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddaa213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2020] [Revised: 07/31/2020] [Accepted: 07/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Myocyte enhancer factor 2 C (MEF2C) is an important transcription factor during neurodevelopment. Mutation or deletion of MEF2C causes intellectual disability (ID), and common variants within MEF2C are associated with cognitive function and schizophrenia risk. We investigated if genes influenced by MEF2C during neurodevelopment are enriched for genes associated with neurodevelopmental phenotypes and if this can be leveraged to identify biological mechanisms and individual brain cell types affected. We used a set of 1055 genes that were differentially expressed in the adult mouse brain following early embryonic deletion of Mef2c in excitatory cortical neurons. Using genome-wide association studies data, we found these differentially expressed genes (DEGs) to be enriched for genes associated with schizophrenia, intelligence and educational attainment but not autism spectrum disorder (ASD). For this gene set, genes that overlap with target genes of the Fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP) are a major driver of these enrichments. Using trios data, we found these DEGs to be enriched for genes containing de novo mutations reported in ASD and ID, but not schizophrenia. Using single-cell RNA sequencing data, we identified that a number of different excitatory glutamatergic neurons in the cortex were enriched for these DEGs including deep layer pyramidal cells and cells in the retrosplenial cortex, entorhinal cortex and subiculum, and these cell types are also enriched for FMRP target genes. The involvement of MEF2C and FMRP in synapse elimination suggests that disruption of this process in these cell types during neurodevelopment contributes to cognitive function and risk of neurodevelopmental disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Donna Cosgrove
- Cognitive Genetics and Cognitive Therapy Group, Centre for Neuroimaging, Cognition and Genomics, School of Psychology and Discipline of Biochemistry, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway H91CF50, Ireland
| | - Laura Whitton
- Cognitive Genetics and Cognitive Therapy Group, Centre for Neuroimaging, Cognition and Genomics, School of Psychology and Discipline of Biochemistry, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway H91CF50, Ireland
| | - Laura Fahey
- Cognitive Genetics and Cognitive Therapy Group, Centre for Neuroimaging, Cognition and Genomics, School of Psychology and Discipline of Biochemistry, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway H91CF50, Ireland.,School of Mathematics, Statistics and Applied Mathematics, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway H91CF50, Ireland
| | - Pilib Ó Broin
- School of Mathematics, Statistics and Applied Mathematics, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway H91CF50, Ireland
| | - Gary Donohoe
- Cognitive Genetics and Cognitive Therapy Group, Centre for Neuroimaging, Cognition and Genomics, School of Psychology and Discipline of Biochemistry, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway H91CF50, Ireland
| | - Derek W Morris
- Cognitive Genetics and Cognitive Therapy Group, Centre for Neuroimaging, Cognition and Genomics, School of Psychology and Discipline of Biochemistry, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway H91CF50, Ireland
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Harrington AJ, Bridges CM, Berto S, Blankenship K, Cho JY, Assali A, Siemsen BM, Moore HW, Tsvetkov E, Thielking A, Konopka G, Everman DB, Scofield MD, Skinner SA, Cowan CW. MEF2C Hypofunction in Neuronal and Neuroimmune Populations Produces MEF2C Haploinsufficiency Syndrome-like Behaviors in Mice. Biol Psychiatry 2020; 88:488-499. [PMID: 32418612 PMCID: PMC7483399 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2020.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2019] [Revised: 03/02/2020] [Accepted: 03/20/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Microdeletions of the MEF2C gene are linked to a syndromic form of autism termed MEF2C haploinsufficiency syndrome (MCHS). MEF2C hypofunction in neurons is presumed to underlie most of the symptoms of MCHS. However, it is unclear in which cell populations MEF2C functions to regulate neurotypical development. METHODS Multiple biochemical, molecular, electrophysiological, behavioral, and transgenic mouse approaches were used to characterize MCHS-relevant synaptic, behavioral, and gene expression changes in mouse models of MCHS. RESULTS We showed that MCHS-associated missense mutations cluster in the conserved DNA binding domain and disrupt MEF2C DNA binding. DNA binding-deficient global Mef2c heterozygous mice (Mef2c-Het) displayed numerous MCHS-related behaviors, including autism-related behaviors, changes in cortical gene expression, and deficits in cortical excitatory synaptic transmission. We detected hundreds of dysregulated genes in Mef2c-Het cortex, including significant enrichments of autism risk and excitatory neuron genes. In addition, we observed an enrichment of upregulated microglial genes, but this was not due to neuroinflammation in the Mef2c-Het cortex. Importantly, conditional Mef2c heterozygosity in forebrain excitatory neurons reproduced a subset of the Mef2c-Het phenotypes, while conditional Mef2c heterozygosity in microglia reproduced social deficits and repetitive behavior. CONCLUSIONS Taken together, our findings show that mutations found in individuals with MCHS disrupt the DNA-binding function of MEF2C, and DNA binding-deficient Mef2c global heterozygous mice display numerous MCHS-related phenotypes, including excitatory neuron and microglia gene expression changes. Our findings suggest that MEF2C regulates typical brain development and function through multiple cell types, including excitatory neuronal and neuroimmune populations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Adam J. Harrington
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
| | - Catherine M. Bridges
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC;,Medical Scientist Training Program, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
| | - Stefano Berto
- Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX
| | - Kayla Blankenship
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
| | - Jennifer Y. Cho
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC;,Medical Scientist Training Program, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
| | - Ahlem Assali
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
| | - Benjamin M. Siemsen
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC;,Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
| | | | - Evgeny Tsvetkov
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
| | - Acadia Thielking
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
| | - Genevieve Konopka
- Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX
| | | | - Michael D. Scofield
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC;,Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
| | | | - Christopher W. Cowan
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC;,Correspondence:
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Sun X, Wang T, Wang Y, Ai K, Pan G, Li Y, Zhou C, He S, Cong H. Downregulation of lncRNA-11496 in the Brain Contributes to Microglia Apoptosis via Regulation of Mef2c in Chronic T. gondii Infection Mice. Front Mol Neurosci 2020; 13:77. [PMID: 32499679 PMCID: PMC7243434 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2020.00077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2020] [Accepted: 04/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Though it is well known that chronic infections of Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) can induce mental and behavioral disorders in the host, little is known about the role of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in this pathological process. In this study, we employed an advanced lncRNAs and mRNAs integration chip (Affymetrix HTA 2.0) to detect the expression of both lncRNAs and mRNAs in T. gondii Chinese 1 strain infected mouse brain. As a result, for the first time, the downregulation of lncRNA-11496 (NONMMUGO11496) was identified as the responsible factor for this pathological process. We showed that dysregulation of lncRNA-11496 affected proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis of mouse microglia. Furthermore, we proved that Mef2c (Myocyte-specific enhancer factor 2C), a member of the MEF2 subfamily, is the target gene of lncRNA-11496. In a more detailed study, we confirmed that lncRNA-11496 positively regulated the expression of Mef2c by binding to histone deacetylase 2 (HDAC2). Importantly, Mef2c itself could coordinate neuronal differentiation, survival, as well as synapse formation. Thus, our current study provides the first evidence in terms of the modulatory action of lncRNAs in chronic toxoplasmosis in T. gondii infected mouse brain, providing a solid scientific basis for using lncRNA-11496 as a therapeutic target to treat T. gondii induced neurological disorder.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiahui Sun
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Ting Wang
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Yongliang Wang
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China.,College of Animal Science and Technology, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, China
| | - Kang Ai
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Ge Pan
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Yan Li
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Chunxue Zhou
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Shenyi He
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Hua Cong
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Keller-Baruch J, Forgetta V, Manousaki D, Zhou S, Richards JB. Genetically Decreased Circulating Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor and Osteoporosis Outcomes: A Mendelian Randomization Study. J Bone Miner Res 2020; 35:649-656. [PMID: 31821593 DOI: 10.1002/jbmr.3937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2019] [Revised: 11/11/2019] [Accepted: 12/01/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is important for bone formation and has been associated with osteoporosis in humans. Therefore, we conducted a two-sample Mendelian randomization study to test whether genetically decreased circulating VEGF was associated with decreased bone mineral density (BMD) and increased risk of fracture. Summary statistics from a genomewide association study (GWAS) meta-analysis of circulating VEGF level (n = 16,112) were used to identify 10 genetic variants explaining up to 52% of the variance in circulating VEGF levels. GWAS meta-analyses on dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA)-derived BMD of forearm, lumbar spine, and femoral neck (n = up to 32,735) and BMD estimated from heel calcaneus ultrasound (eBMD) (n = 426,824) were used to assess the effect of genetically lowered circulating VEGF levels on BMD. A GWAS meta-analysis including a total of 76,549 cases and 470,164 controls was used to assess the effect of genetically lowered circulating VEGF levels on risk of fracture. A natural log-transformed pg/mL decrease in circulating VEGF levels was not associated with a decrease in forearm BMD (0.02 standard deviation [SD], 95% confidence interval [CI] -0.024 to 0.064, p = 0.38), lumbar spine BMD (-0.005 SD, 95% CI -0.03 to 0.019, p = 0.67), femoral neck BMD (0.004 SD, 95% CI -0.017 to 0.026, p = 0.68), eBMD (-0.006 SD, 95% CI -0.012 to -0.001, p = 0.031) or risk of fracture (odds ratio = 0.99, 95% CI 0.98 to 1.0, p = 0.37) in inverse-variance-weighted Mendelian randomization analyses. Sensitivity analyses did not provide evidence that our results were influenced by pleiotropy. Genetically lowered circulating VEGF was not associated with a decrease in BMD or increased risk of fracture, suggesting that efforts to influence circulating VEGF level are unlikely to have beneficial effects on osteoporosis outcomes and that previous observational associations of circulating VEGF with BMD were influenced by confounding or reverse causation. © 2019 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Julyan Keller-Baruch
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.,Centre for Clinical Epidemiology, Lady Davis Institute at the Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Canada
| | - Vincenzo Forgetta
- Centre for Clinical Epidemiology, Lady Davis Institute at the Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Canada
| | - Despoina Manousaki
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.,Centre for Clinical Epidemiology, Lady Davis Institute at the Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Canada
| | - Sirui Zhou
- Centre for Clinical Epidemiology, Lady Davis Institute at the Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Canada.,Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - J Brent Richards
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.,Centre for Clinical Epidemiology, Lady Davis Institute at the Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Canada.,Department of Twin Research, King's College London, London, UK
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
D'haene E, Bar-Yaacov R, Bariah I, Vantomme L, Van Loo S, Cobos FA, Verboom K, Eshel R, Alatawna R, Menten B, Birnbaum RY, Vergult S. A neuronal enhancer network upstream of MEF2C is compromised in patients with Rett-like characteristics. Hum Mol Genet 2020; 28:818-827. [PMID: 30445463 PMCID: PMC6381311 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddy393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2018] [Revised: 11/01/2018] [Accepted: 11/08/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Mutations in myocyte enhancer factor 2C (MEF2C), an important transcription factor in neurodevelopment, are associated with a Rett-like syndrome. Structural variants (SVs) upstream of MEF2C, which do not disrupt the gene itself, have also been found in patients with a similar phenotype, suggesting that disruption of MEF2C regulatory elements can also cause a Rett-like phenotype. To characterize those elements that regulate MEF2C during neural development and that are affected by these SVs, we used genomic tools coupled with both in vitro and in vivo functional assays. Through circularized chromosome conformation capture sequencing
(4C-seq) and the assay for transposase-accessible chromatin using sequencing
(ATAC-seq), we revealed a complex interaction network in which the MEF2C promoter physically contacts several distal enhancers that are deleted or translocated by disease-associated SVs. A total of 16 selected candidate regulatory sequences were tested for enhancer activity in vitro, with 14 found to be functional enhancers. Further analyses of their in vivo activity in zebrafish showed that each of these enhancers has a distinct activity pattern during development, with eight enhancers displaying neuronal activity. In summary, our results disentangle a complex regulatory network governing neuronal MEF2C expression that involves multiple distal enhancers. In addition, the characterized neuronal enhancers pose as novel candidates to screen for mutations in neurodevelopmental disorders, such as Rett-like syndrome.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eva D'haene
- Center for Medical Genetics, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Reut Bar-Yaacov
- Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, The Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheba, Israel.,Center of Evolutionary Genomics and Medicine, The Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheba, Israel
| | - Inbar Bariah
- Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, The Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheba, Israel.,Center of Evolutionary Genomics and Medicine, The Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheba, Israel
| | - Lies Vantomme
- Center for Medical Genetics, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Sien Van Loo
- Center for Medical Genetics, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Francisco Avila Cobos
- Center for Medical Genetics, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.,Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), 9000 Ghent, Belgium.,Bioinformatics Institute Ghent from Nucleotides to Networks (BIG N2N), Ghent, Belgium
| | - Karen Verboom
- Center for Medical Genetics, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.,Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Reut Eshel
- Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, The Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheba, Israel.,Center of Evolutionary Genomics and Medicine, The Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheba, Israel
| | - Rawan Alatawna
- Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, The Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheba, Israel.,Center of Evolutionary Genomics and Medicine, The Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheba, Israel
| | - Björn Menten
- Center for Medical Genetics, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Ramon Y Birnbaum
- Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, The Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheba, Israel.,Center of Evolutionary Genomics and Medicine, The Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheba, Israel
| | - Sarah Vergult
- Center for Medical Genetics, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Abstract
Despite decades of research on Alzheimer disease, understanding the complexity of the genetic and molecular interactions involved in its pathogenesis remains far from our grasp. Methyl-CpG Binding Protein 2 (MeCP2) is an important epigenetic regulator enriched in the brain, and recent findings have implicated MeCP2 as a crucial player in Alzheimer disease. Here, we provide comprehensive insights into the pathophysiological roles of MeCP2 in Alzheimer disease. In particular, we focus on how the alteration of MeCP2 expression can impact Alzheimer disease through risk genes, amyloid-β and tau pathology, cell death and neurodegeneration, and cellular senescence. We suggest that Alzheimer disease can be adversely affected by upregulated MeCP2-dependent repression of risk genes (MEF2C, ADAM10, and PM20D1), increased tau accumulation, and neurodegeneration through neuronal cell death (excitotoxicity and apoptosis). In addition, we propose that the progression of Alzheimer disease could be caused by reduced MeCP2-mediated enhancement of astrocytic and microglial senescence and consequent glial SASP (senescence-associated secretory phenotype)-dependent neuroinflammation. We surmise that any imbalance in MeCP2 function would accelerate or cause Alzheimer disease pathogenesis, implying that MeCP2 may be a potential drug target for the treatment and prevention of Alzheimer disease.
Collapse
|
45
|
Yauy K, Schneider A, Ng BL, Gaillard JB, Sati S, Coubes C, Wells C, Tournaire M, Guignard T, Bouret P, Geneviève D, Puechberty J, Pellestor F, Gatinois V. Disruption of chromatin organisation causes MEF2C gene overexpression in intellectual disability: a case report. BMC Med Genomics 2019; 12:116. [PMID: 31375103 PMCID: PMC6679470 DOI: 10.1186/s12920-019-0558-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2019] [Accepted: 07/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Balanced structural variants are mostly described in disease with gene disruption or subtle rearrangement at breakpoints. CASE PRESENTATION Here we report a patient with mild intellectual deficiency who carries a de novo balanced translocation t(3;5). Breakpoints were fully explored by microarray, Array Painting and Sanger sequencing. No gene disruption was found but the chromosome 5 breakpoint was localized 228-kb upstream of the MEF2C gene. The predicted Topologically Associated Domains analysis shows that it contains only the MEF2C gene and a long non-coding RNA LINC01226. RNA studies looking for MEF2C gene expression revealed an overexpression of MEF2C in the lymphoblastoid cell line of the patient. CONCLUSIONS Pathogenicity of MEF2C overexpression is still unclear as only four patients with mild intellectual deficiency carrying 5q14.3 microduplications containing MEF2C are described in the literature. The microduplications in these individuals also contain other genes expressed in the brain. The patient presented the same phenotype as 5q14.3 microduplication patients. We report the first case of a balanced translocation leading to an overexpression of MEF2C similar to a functional duplication.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Yauy
- Unité de Génétique Chromosomique, Département de Génétique Médicale, Maladies Rares et Médecine Personnalisée, Hôpital Arnaud de Villeneuve, CHU de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Anouck Schneider
- Unité de Génétique Chromosomique, Département de Génétique Médicale, Maladies Rares et Médecine Personnalisée, Hôpital Arnaud de Villeneuve, CHU de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Bee Ling Ng
- Cytometry Core Facility, The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK
| | - Jean-Baptiste Gaillard
- Unité de Génétique Chromosomique, Département de Génétique Médicale, Maladies Rares et Médecine Personnalisée, Hôpital Arnaud de Villeneuve, CHU de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Satish Sati
- Chromatin and Cell Biology Group, CNRS-Institute of Human Genetics, Montpellier, France
| | - Christine Coubes
- Service de Génétique Clinique, Département de Génétique Médicale, Maladies Rares et Médecine Personnalisée, Centre de Référence Anomalies du Développement et Syndromes Malformatifs, Hôpital Arnaud de Villeneuve, CHU de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Constance Wells
- Service de Génétique Clinique, Département de Génétique Médicale, Maladies Rares et Médecine Personnalisée, Centre de Référence Anomalies du Développement et Syndromes Malformatifs, Hôpital Arnaud de Villeneuve, CHU de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Magali Tournaire
- Unité de Génétique Chromosomique, Département de Génétique Médicale, Maladies Rares et Médecine Personnalisée, Hôpital Arnaud de Villeneuve, CHU de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Thomas Guignard
- Unité de Génétique Chromosomique, Département de Génétique Médicale, Maladies Rares et Médecine Personnalisée, Hôpital Arnaud de Villeneuve, CHU de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Pauline Bouret
- Unité de Génétique Chromosomique, Département de Génétique Médicale, Maladies Rares et Médecine Personnalisée, Hôpital Arnaud de Villeneuve, CHU de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - David Geneviève
- Service de Génétique Clinique, Département de Génétique Médicale, Maladies Rares et Médecine Personnalisée, Centre de Référence Anomalies du Développement et Syndromes Malformatifs, Hôpital Arnaud de Villeneuve, CHU de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Jacques Puechberty
- Service de Génétique Clinique, Département de Génétique Médicale, Maladies Rares et Médecine Personnalisée, Centre de Référence Anomalies du Développement et Syndromes Malformatifs, Hôpital Arnaud de Villeneuve, CHU de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Franck Pellestor
- Unité de Génétique Chromosomique, Département de Génétique Médicale, Maladies Rares et Médecine Personnalisée, Hôpital Arnaud de Villeneuve, CHU de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Vincent Gatinois
- Unité de Génétique Chromosomique, Département de Génétique Médicale, Maladies Rares et Médecine Personnalisée, Hôpital Arnaud de Villeneuve, CHU de Montpellier, Montpellier, France.
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Hamada N, Ogaya S, Nakashima M, Nishijo T, Sugawara Y, Iwamoto I, Ito H, Maki Y, Shirai K, Baba S, Maruyama K, Saitsu H, Kato M, Matsumoto N, Momiyama T, Nagata KI. De novo PHACTR1 mutations in West syndrome and their pathophysiological effects. Brain 2019; 141:3098-3114. [PMID: 30256902 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awy246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2018] [Accepted: 08/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Trio-based whole exome sequencing identified two de novo heterozygous missense mutations [c.1449T > C/p.(Leu500Pro) and c.1436A > T/p.(Asn479Ile)] in PHACTR1, encoding a molecule critical for the regulation of protein phosphatase 1 (PP1) and the actin cytoskeleton, in unrelated Japanese individuals with West syndrome (infantile spasms with intellectual disability). We then examined the role of Phactr1 in the development of mouse cerebral cortex and the pathophysiological significance of these two mutations and others [c.1561C > T/p.(Arg521Cys) and c.1553T > A/p.(Ile518Asn)], which had been reported in undiagnosed patients with intellectual disability. Immunoprecipitation analyses revealed that actin-binding activity of PHACTR1 was impaired by the p.Leu500Pro, p.Asn479Ile and p.Ile518Asn mutations while the p.Arg521Cys mutation exhibited impaired binding to PP1. Acute knockdown of mouse Phactr1 using in utero electroporation caused defects in cortical neuron migration during corticogenesis, which were rescued by an RNAi-resistant PHACTR1 but not by the four mutants. Experiments using knockdown combined with expression mutants, aimed to mimic the effects of the heterozygous mutations under conditions of haploinsufficiency, suggested a dominant negative effect of the mutant allele. As for dendritic development in vivo, only the p.Arg521Cys mutant was determined to have dominant negative effects, because the three other mutants appeared to be degraded with these experimental conditions. Electrophysiological analyses revealed abnormal synaptic properties in Phactr1-deficient excitatory cortical neurons. Our data show that the PHACTR1 mutations may cause morphological and functional defects in cortical neurons during brain development, which is likely to be related to the pathophysiology of West syndrome and other neurodevelopmental disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nanako Hamada
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Institute for Developmental Research, Aichi Human Service Center, 713-8 Kamiya, Kasugai, Aichi, Japan.,Research Fellow of Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Japan
| | - Shunsuke Ogaya
- Department of Pediatric Neurology, Central Hospital, Aichi Human Service Center, 713-8 Kamiya, Kasugai, Aichi, Japan
| | - Mitsuko Nakashima
- Department of Human Genetics, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-9 Fukuura, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Takuma Nishijo
- Department of Pharmacology, Jikei University School of Medicine, 3-19-18 Nishishimbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yuji Sugawara
- Department of Pediatrics, Soka Municipal Hospital, 2-21-1 Soka, Soka, Saitama, Japan
| | - Ikuko Iwamoto
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Institute for Developmental Research, Aichi Human Service Center, 713-8 Kamiya, Kasugai, Aichi, Japan
| | - Hidenori Ito
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Institute for Developmental Research, Aichi Human Service Center, 713-8 Kamiya, Kasugai, Aichi, Japan
| | - Yuki Maki
- Department of Pediatric Neurology, Central Hospital, Aichi Human Service Center, 713-8 Kamiya, Kasugai, Aichi, Japan
| | - Kentaro Shirai
- Department of Pediatrics, Tsuchiura Kyodo Hospital, 4-1-1 Ootsuno, Tsuchiura, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Shimpei Baba
- Department of Child Neurology, Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, Seirei-Hamamatsu General Hospital, 2-12-12 Sumiyoshi, Naka-ku, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Koichi Maruyama
- Department of Pediatric Neurology, Central Hospital, Aichi Human Service Center, 713-8 Kamiya, Kasugai, Aichi, Japan
| | - Hirotomo Saitsu
- Department of Biochemistry, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-20-1 Handayama, Higashi-ku, Hamamatsu, Japan
| | - Mitsuhiro Kato
- Department of Pediatrics, Showa University School of Medicine, 1-5-8 Hatanodai, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Naomichi Matsumoto
- Department of Human Genetics, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-9 Fukuura, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Toshihiko Momiyama
- Department of Pharmacology, Jikei University School of Medicine, 3-19-18 Nishishimbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Koh-Ichi Nagata
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Institute for Developmental Research, Aichi Human Service Center, 713-8 Kamiya, Kasugai, Aichi, Japan.,Department of Neurochemistry, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Vereczkei A, Abdul-Rahman O, Halmai Z, Nagy G, Szekely A, Somogyi A, Faludi G, Nemoda Z. Association of purinergic receptor P2RX7 gene polymorphisms with depression symptoms. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2019; 92:207-216. [PMID: 30664971 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2019.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2018] [Revised: 01/08/2019] [Accepted: 01/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The activation of the ATP-gated P2RX7 (purinergic receptor P2X, ligand-gated ion channel, 7) produces microglial activation, a process which has been demonstrated in depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. Emerging data over the last years highlighted the importance of P2X7 cation channel as a potential drug target for these central nervous system disorders. The Gln460Arg (rs2230912) polymorphism of the P2RX7 gene has been widely studied in mood disorders, however the results are still controversial. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the C-terminal region of this gene in major depressive and bipolar disorders (MDD and BD) by studying possibly functional, non-synonymous polymorphisms within a 7 kb long region around the Gln460Arg, including Ala348Thr (rs1718119), Thr357Ser (rs2230911), and Glu496Ala (rs3751143) variants. Since Gln460Arg is located at the 3' end of the P2RX7 gene, we included additional, potentially functional single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from the 3' untranslated region (UTR), which can be in linkage with Gln460Arg. Based on in silico search, we chose two SNPs in putative microRNA target sites which are located in consecutive positions: rs1653625 and rs1718106. METHODS P2RX7 SNPs from the C-terminal region were selected based on previous functional assays, 3' UTR variants were chosen using PolymiRTS and Patrocles databases. The genotyping of the non-synonymous SNPs was carried out by pre-designed TaqMan® kits, while the 3' UTR variants were analyzed by PCR-RFLP method. Case-control analyses were carried out between 315 inpatients with acute major depressive episode (195 MDD, 120 BD) and 406 healthy control subjects. The two subscales of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) self-report questionnaire were used for quantitative analyses, including an additional, "at-risk" population of 218 patients with diabetes mellitus. The in vitro reporter gene assays were carried out on HEK and SK-N-FI cells transiently transfected with pMIR vector constructs containing the P2RX7 3' UTR downstream of the luciferase gene. RESULTS Haplotype analysis indicated a relatively high linkage between the analyzed P2RX7 SNPs. Our case-control study did not yield any association between P2RX7 gene variants and depression. However, dimensional analyses showed significant associations of the HADS depression severity scores with Gln460Arg (rs2230912) and Ala348Thr (rs1718119) in the depressed and diabetic patient groups. In the in vitro experiments, the P2RX7 3' UTR constructs with the lowest predicted binding efficiency to their miRNAs showed the highest expression of the gene. The combination of the depression-associated P2RX7 C-terminal and 3' UTR SNPs contributed to the highest depression severity score in the haplotype analysis. CONCLUSION Based on our findings, we propose that a P2RX7 haplotype combination of the Gln460Arg and neighboring SNPs contribute to the observed genetic association with depressive symptoms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Vereczkei
- Department of Medical Chemistry, Molecular Biology and Pathobiochemistry, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Omar Abdul-Rahman
- Department of Medical Chemistry, Molecular Biology and Pathobiochemistry, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Zsuzsa Halmai
- Department of Psychiatry, Kútvölgyi Clinical Centre, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary; Bhaktivedanta College, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Geza Nagy
- 2nd Department of Internal Medicine, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Anna Szekely
- Institute of Psychology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Aniko Somogyi
- 2nd Department of Internal Medicine, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Gabor Faludi
- Department of Psychiatry, Kútvölgyi Clinical Centre, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Zsofia Nemoda
- Department of Medical Chemistry, Molecular Biology and Pathobiochemistry, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary.
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Emerging roles for MEF2 in brain development and mental disorders. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2019; 59:49-58. [PMID: 31129473 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2019.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2019] [Accepted: 04/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The MEF2 family of transcription factors regulate large programs of gene expression important for the development and maintenance of many tissues, including the brain. MEF2 proteins are regulated by neuronal synaptic activity, and they recruit several epigenetic enzymes to influence chromatin structure and gene expression during development and throughout adulthood. Here, we provide a brief review of the recent literature reporting important roles for MEF2 during early brain development and function, and we highlight emerging roles for MEF2 as a risk factor for multiple neurodevelopmental disorders and mental illnesses, such as autism, intellectual disability, and schizophrenia.
Collapse
|
49
|
Alby C, Boutaud L, Bessières B, Serre V, Rio M, Cormier-Daire V, de Oliveira J, Ichkou A, Mouthon L, Gordon CT, Bonnière M, Mechler C, Nitschke P, Bole C, Lyonnet S, Bahi-Buisson N, Boddaert N, Colleaux L, Roth P, Ville Y, Vekemans M, Encha-Razavi F, Attié-Bitach T, Thomas S. Novel de novo ZBTB20 mutations in three cases with Primrose syndrome and constant corpus callosum anomalies. Am J Med Genet A 2019; 176:1091-1098. [PMID: 29681083 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.a.38684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2017] [Revised: 02/16/2018] [Accepted: 02/25/2018] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Corpus callosum (CC) is the major brain commissure connecting homologous areas of cerebral hemispheres. CC anomalies (CCAs) are the most frequent brain anomalies leading to variable neurodevelopmental outcomes making genetic counseling difficult in the absence of a known etiology that might inform the prognosis. Here, we used whole exome sequencing, and a targeted capture panel of syndromic CCA known causal and candidate genes to screen a cohort of 64 fetuses with CCA observed upon autopsy, and 34 children with CCA and intellectual disability. In one fetus and two patients, we identified three novel de novo mutations in ZBTB20, which was previously shown to be causal in Primrose syndrome. In addition to CCA, all cases presented with additional features of Primrose syndrome including facial dysmorphism and macrocephaly or megalencephaly. All three variations occurred within two out of the five zinc finger domains of the transcriptional repressor ZBTB20. Through homology modeling, these variants are predicted to result in local destabilization of each zinc finger domain suggesting subsequent abnormal repression of ZBTB20 target genes. Neurohistopathological analysis of the fetal case showed abnormal regionalization of the hippocampal formation as well as a reduced density of cortical upper layers where originate most callosal projections. Here, we report novel de novo ZBTB20 mutations in three independent cases with characteristic features of Primrose syndrome including constant CCA. Neurohistopathological findings in fetal case corroborate the observed key role of ZBTB20 during hippocampal and neocortical development. Finally, this study highlights the crucial role of ZBTB20 in CC development in human.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Alby
- Laboratory of Embryology and Genetics of Congenital Malformations, INSERM UMR1163 Institut Imagine, Paris, France.,Paris Descartes Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France.,Department of genetics, Hospital Necker-Enfants Malades Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Paris, France
| | - Lucile Boutaud
- Laboratory of Embryology and Genetics of Congenital Malformations, INSERM UMR1163 Institut Imagine, Paris, France.,Paris Descartes Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France.,Department of genetics, Hospital Necker-Enfants Malades Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Paris, France
| | - Bettina Bessières
- Department of genetics, Hospital Necker-Enfants Malades Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Paris, France
| | - Valérie Serre
- UMR7592 CNRS Jacques Monod Institute Paris Diderot University, Paris, France
| | - Marlene Rio
- Department of genetics, Hospital Necker-Enfants Malades Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Paris, France
| | - Valerie Cormier-Daire
- Paris Descartes Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France.,Department of genetics, Hospital Necker-Enfants Malades Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Paris, France.,Laboratory of Molecular and Physiopathological Bases of Osteochondrodysplasia, INSERM UMR1163 Institut Imagine, Paris, France
| | - Judith de Oliveira
- Laboratory of Embryology and Genetics of Congenital Malformations, INSERM UMR1163 Institut Imagine, Paris, France.,Department of genetics, Hospital Necker-Enfants Malades Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Paris, France
| | - Amale Ichkou
- Department of genetics, Hospital Necker-Enfants Malades Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Paris, France
| | - Linda Mouthon
- Department of genetics, Hospital Necker-Enfants Malades Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Paris, France
| | - Christopher T Gordon
- Laboratory of Embryology and Genetics of Congenital Malformations, INSERM UMR1163 Institut Imagine, Paris, France.,Paris Descartes Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France.,Department of genetics, Hospital Necker-Enfants Malades Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Paris, France
| | - Maryse Bonnière
- Department of genetics, Hospital Necker-Enfants Malades Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Paris, France
| | - Charlotte Mechler
- Department of genetics, Hospital Necker-Enfants Malades Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Paris, France
| | - Patrick Nitschke
- Paris Descartes Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France.,Bioinformatics Core Facility Paris-Descartes Sorbonne Paris Cité University Institut Imagine, Paris, France
| | - Christine Bole
- Paris Descartes Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France.,Genomics Core Facility, Paris Descartes-Sorbonne Paris Cité University Institut Imagine, Paris, France
| | - Stanislas Lyonnet
- Laboratory of Embryology and Genetics of Congenital Malformations, INSERM UMR1163 Institut Imagine, Paris, France.,Paris Descartes Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France.,Department of genetics, Hospital Necker-Enfants Malades Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Paris, France
| | - Nadia Bahi-Buisson
- Laboratory of Embryology and Genetics of Congenital Malformations, INSERM UMR1163 Institut Imagine, Paris, France.,Paris Descartes Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France.,Department of genetics, Hospital Necker-Enfants Malades Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Paris, France
| | - Nathalie Boddaert
- Paris Descartes Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France.,Department of genetics, Hospital Necker-Enfants Malades Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Paris, France.,Department of Pediatric Radiology, Hospital Necker-Enfants Malades AP-HP, Paris, France
| | - Laurence Colleaux
- Paris Descartes Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France.,Laboratory of Molecular and Pathophysiological Bases of Cognitive Disorders, INSERM UMR1163 Institut Imagine, Paris, France
| | - Philippe Roth
- Department of Obstetrics and Fetal Medicine, Hospital Necker-Enfants-Malade APHP, Paris, France
| | - Yves Ville
- Department of Obstetrics and Fetal Medicine, Hospital Necker-Enfants-Malade APHP, Paris, France
| | - Michel Vekemans
- Laboratory of Embryology and Genetics of Congenital Malformations, INSERM UMR1163 Institut Imagine, Paris, France.,Paris Descartes Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France.,Department of genetics, Hospital Necker-Enfants Malades Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Paris, France
| | - Féréchté Encha-Razavi
- Laboratory of Embryology and Genetics of Congenital Malformations, INSERM UMR1163 Institut Imagine, Paris, France.,Paris Descartes Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France.,Department of genetics, Hospital Necker-Enfants Malades Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Paris, France
| | - Tania Attié-Bitach
- Laboratory of Embryology and Genetics of Congenital Malformations, INSERM UMR1163 Institut Imagine, Paris, France.,Paris Descartes Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France.,Department of genetics, Hospital Necker-Enfants Malades Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Paris, France
| | - Sophie Thomas
- Laboratory of Embryology and Genetics of Congenital Malformations, INSERM UMR1163 Institut Imagine, Paris, France.,Paris Descartes Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Zhou WZ, Zhang J, Li Z, Lin X, Li J, Wang S, Yang C, Wu Q, Ye AY, Wang M, Wang D, Pu TZ, Wu YY, Wei L. Targeted resequencing of 358 candidate genes for autism spectrum disorder in a Chinese cohort reveals diagnostic potential and genotype-phenotype correlations. Hum Mutat 2019; 40:801-815. [PMID: 30763456 PMCID: PMC6593842 DOI: 10.1002/humu.23724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2018] [Revised: 02/11/2019] [Accepted: 02/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a childhood neuropsychiatric disorder with a complex genetic architecture. The diagnostic potential of a targeted panel of ASD genes has only been evaluated in small cohorts to date and is especially understudied in the Chinese population. Here, we designed a capture panel with 358 genes (111 syndromic and 247 nonsyndromic) for ASD and sequenced a Chinese cohort of 539 cases evaluated with the Autism Diagnostic Interview‐Revised (ADI‐R) and the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) as well as 512 controls. ASD cases were found to carry significantly more ultra‐rare functional variants than controls. A subset of 78 syndromic and 54 nonsyndromic genes was the most significantly associated and should be given high priority in the future screening of ASD patients. Pathogenic and likely pathogenic variants were detected in 9.5% of cases. Variants in SHANK3 and SHANK2 were the most frequent, especially in females, and occurred in 1.2% of cases. Duplications of 15q11–13 were detected in 0.8% of cases. Variants in CNTNAP2 and MEF2C were correlated with epilepsy/tics in cases. Our findings reveal the diagnostic potential of ASD genetic panel testing and new insights regarding the variant spectrum. Genotype–phenotype correlations may facilitate the diagnosis and management of ASD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wei-Zhen Zhou
- Center for Bioinformatics, State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China.,State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, Beijing Key Laboratory for Molecular Diagnostics of Cardiovascular Diseases, Diagnostic Laboratory Service, Fuwai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Jie Zhang
- Center for Bioinformatics, State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Ziyi Li
- Center for Bioinformatics, State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaojing Lin
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jiarui Li
- Center for Bioinformatics, State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Sheng Wang
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, China.,College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Changhong Yang
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, China.,College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Qixi Wu
- School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Adam Yongxin Ye
- Center for Bioinformatics, State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China.,Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, China.,Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Meng Wang
- Center for Bioinformatics, State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Dandan Wang
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, China
| | | | - Yu-Yu Wu
- Yuning Psychiatry Clinic, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Liping Wei
- Center for Bioinformatics, State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| |
Collapse
|