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Danescu A, Rens EG, Rehki J, Woo J, Akazawa T, Fu K, Edelstein-Keshet L, Richman JM. Symmetry and fluctuation of cell movements in neural crest-derived facial mesenchyme. Development 2021; 148:dev.193755. [PMID: 33757991 PMCID: PMC8126411 DOI: 10.1242/dev.193755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 03/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
In the face, symmetry is established when bilateral streams of neural crest cells leave the neural tube at the same time, follow identical migration routes and then give rise to the facial prominences. However, developmental instability exists, particularly surrounding the steps of lip fusion. The causes of instability are unknown but inability to cope with developmental fluctuations are a likely cause of congenital malformations, such as non-syndromic orofacial clefts. Here, we tracked cell movements over time in the frontonasal mass, which forms the facial midline and participates in lip fusion, using live-cell imaging of chick embryos. Our mathematical examination of cell velocity vectors uncovered temporal fluctuations in several parameters, including order/disorder, symmetry/asymmetry and divergence/convergence. We found that treatment with a Rho GTPase inhibitor completely disrupted the temporal fluctuations in all measures and blocked morphogenesis. Thus, we discovered that genetic control of symmetry extends to mesenchymal cell movements and that these movements are of the type that could be perturbed in asymmetrical malformations, such as non-syndromic cleft lip. This article has an associated ‘The people behind the papers’ interview. Highlighted Article: Live imaging of the chick embryo face followed by mathematical analysis of mesenchymal cell tracks captures novel fluctuations between states of order/disorder as well as symmetry/asymmetry, revealing developmental instabilities that are part of normal morphogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian Danescu
- Life Sciences Institute, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Elisabeth G Rens
- Department of Mathematics, University of British Columbia, 1986 Mathematics Road, Vancouver, V6T 1Z2, Canada
| | - Jaspreet Rehki
- Life Sciences Institute, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Johnathan Woo
- Life Sciences Institute, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Takashi Akazawa
- Life Sciences Institute, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Katherine Fu
- Life Sciences Institute, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Leah Edelstein-Keshet
- Department of Mathematics, University of British Columbia, 1986 Mathematics Road, Vancouver, V6T 1Z2, Canada
| | - Joy M Richman
- Life Sciences Institute, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, V6T 1Z3, Canada
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Six2 regulates Pax9 expression, palatogenesis and craniofacial bone formation. Dev Biol 2019; 458:246-256. [PMID: 31765609 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2019.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2019] [Revised: 10/30/2019] [Accepted: 11/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
In this study, we investigated the role of the transcription factor Six2 in palate development. Six2 was selected using the SysFACE tool to predict genes from the 2p21 locus, a region associated with clefting in humans by GWAS, that are likely to be involved in palatogenesis. We functionally validated the predicted role of Six2 in palatogenesis by showing that 22% of Six2 null embryos develop cleft palate. Six2 contributes to palatogenesis by promoting mesenchymal cell proliferation and regulating bone formation. The clefting phenotype in Six2-/- embryos is similar to Pax9 null embryos, so we examined the functional relationship of these two genes. Mechanistically, SIX2 binds to a PAX9 5' upstream regulatory element and activates PAX9 expression. In addition, we identified a human SIX2 coding variant (p.Gly264Glu) in a proband with cleft palate. We show this missense mutation affects the stability of the SIX2 protein and leads to decreased PAX9 expression. The low penetrance of clefting in the Six2 null mouse combined with the mutation in one patient with cleft palate underscores the potential combinatorial interactions of other genes in clefting. Our study demonstrates that Six2 interacts with the developmental gene regulatory network in the developing palate.
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Green RM, Leach CL, Diewert VM, Aponte JD, Schmidt EJ, Cheverud JM, Roseman CC, Young NM, Marcucio RS, Hallgrimsson B. Nonlinear gene expression-phenotype relationships contribute to variation and clefting in the A/WySn mouse. Dev Dyn 2019; 248:1232-1242. [PMID: 31469941 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2019] [Revised: 08/21/2019] [Accepted: 08/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cleft lip and palate is one of the most common human birth defects, but the underlying etiology is poorly understood. The A/WySn mouse is a spontaneously occurring model of multigenic clefting in which 20% to 30% of individuals develop an orofacial cleft. Recent work has shown altered methylation at a specific retrotransposon insertion downstream of the Wnt9b locus in clefting animals, which results in decreased Wnt9b expression. RESULTS Using a newly developed protocol that allows us to measure morphology, gene expression, and DNA methylation in the same embryo, we relate gene expression in an individual embryo directly to its three-dimensional morphology for the first time. We find that methylation at the retrotransposon relates to Wnt9b expression and morphology. IAP methylation relates to shape of the nasal process in a manner consistent with clefting. Embryos with low IAP methylation exhibit increased among-individual variance in facial shape. CONCLUSIONS Methylation and gene expression relate nonlinearly to nasal process morphology. Individuals at one end of a continuum of phenotypic states display a clinical phenotype and increased phenotypic variation. Variable penetrance and expressivity in this model is likely determined both by among-individual variation in methylation and changes in phenotypic robustness along the underlying liability distribution for orofacial clefting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca M Green
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute and McCaig Institute for Bone and Joint Health, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Courtney L Leach
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute and McCaig Institute for Bone and Joint Health, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Virginia M Diewert
- Faculty of Dentistry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Jose David Aponte
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute and McCaig Institute for Bone and Joint Health, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Eric J Schmidt
- School of PA Medicine, University of Lynchburg, Lynchburg, Virginia
| | - James M Cheverud
- Department of Biology, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Charles C Roseman
- Department of Animal Biology, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, Champaign, Illinois
| | - Nathan M Young
- Department of Orthopedics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | - Ralph S Marcucio
- Department of Orthopedics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | - Benedikt Hallgrimsson
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute and McCaig Institute for Bone and Joint Health, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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Imani MM, Safaei M, Lopez-Jornet P, Sadeghi M. A systematic review and meta-analysis on protective role of forkhead box E1 (FOXE1) polymorphisms in susceptibility to non-syndromic cleft lip/palate. Int Orthod 2019; 17:437-445. [PMID: 31345669 DOI: 10.1016/j.ortho.2019.06.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2019] [Accepted: 06/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Several environmental and genetic factors have a role in the aetiology of non-syndromic cleft lip/palate (NSCL/P). This meta-analysis evaluated the association of rs3758249 and rs4460498 forkhead box E1 (FOXE1) polymorphisms with the NSCL/P risk. MATERIALS AND METHODS The Scopus, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and PubMed databases were searched for articles published until March 2019. The analyses were performed by Review Manager 5.3 using the crude odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for a strong association between FOXE1 polymorphisms and the risk of NSCL/P. RESULTS Out of 161 articles retrieved from the databases, four case-control articles were involved in the meta-analysis. The pooled ORs of rs4460498 polymorphism based on allelic, homozygous, heterozygous, dominant, and recessive models were 0.74 (95% CI: 0.69, 0.80; P<0.00001), 0.43 (95% CI: 0.30, 0.61; P<0.00001), 0.66 (95% CI: 0.55, 0.80; P<0.0001), 0.66 (95% CI: 0.59, 0.73; P<0.00001), and 0.70 (95% CI: 0.60, 0.82; P<0.0001), respectively; whereas, the pooled OR of rs3758249 polymorphism were 0.86 (95% CI: 0.71, 1.04; P=0.12), 0.68 (95% CI: 0.57, 0.82; P<0.0001), 0.79 (95% CI: 0.57, 1.09; P=0.15), 0.79 (95% CI: 0.58, 1.08; P=0.14), and 0.80 (95% CI: 0.68, 0.95; P=0.010) for the afore-mentioned models, respectively. CONCLUSIONS The results showed that the T allele, TT, and CT genotypes of rs4460498 polymorphism were significantly associated with a decreased risk of NSCL/P; whereas, for rs3758249 polymorphism, only the AA genotype had a significant protective role in NSCL/P. Thus, FOXE1 is strongly associated with NSCL/P in the populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Moslem Imani
- Department of Orthodontics, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Mohsen Safaei
- Oral and Dental Sciences Research Laboratory, School of Dentistry, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Pia Lopez-Jornet
- Insitituto Murciano de Investigación Biomédica, Murcia, Campus de Ciencias de la Salud, Carretera Buenavista s/n, 30120 El Palmar, Murcia, Spain
| | - Masoud Sadeghi
- Medical Biology Research Center, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran; Students Research Committee, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran.
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Shaffer JR, LeClair J, Carlson JC, Feingold E, Buxó CJ, Christensen K, Deleyiannis FW, Field LL, Hecht JT, Moreno L, Orioli IM, Padilla C, Vieira AR, Wehby GL, Murray JC, Weinberg SM, Marazita ML, Leslie EJ. Association of low-frequency genetic variants in regulatory regions with nonsyndromic orofacial clefts. Am J Med Genet A 2019; 179:467-474. [PMID: 30582786 PMCID: PMC6374160 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.a.61002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2018] [Revised: 08/06/2018] [Accepted: 11/01/2018] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Genome-wide scans have shown that common risk alleles for orofacial clefts (OFC) tend to be located in noncoding regulatory elements and cumulatively explain only part of the heritability of OFCs. Low-frequency variants may account for some of the "missing" heritability. Therefore, we scanned low-frequency variants located within putative craniofacial enhancers to identify novel OFC risk variants and implicate new regulatory elements in OFC pathogenesis. Analyses were performed in a multiethnic sample of 1,995 cases of cleft lip with or without cleft palate (CL/P), 221 cases with cleft palate (CP) only, and 1,576 unaffected controls. One hundred and nineteen putative craniofacial enhancers identified from ChIP-Seq studies in craniofacial tissues or cell lines contained multiple low-frequency (0.01-1%) variants, which we genotyped in participants using a custom Illumina panel. Two complementary statistical approaches, sequence kernel association test and combined multivariate and collapsing, were used to test association of the aggregated low-frequency variants across each enhancer region with CL/P and CP. We discovered a significant association between CP and a branchial arch enhancer near FOXP1 (mm60; p-value = .0002). Additionally, we observed a suggestive association between CL/P and a forebrain enhancer near FOXE1 (hs1717; p-value = .001). These findings suggest that low-frequency variants in craniofacial enhancer regions contribute to the complex etiology of nonsyndromic OFCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- John R. Shaffer
- Center for Craniofacial and Dental Genetics, Department of Oral Biology, School of Dental Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15219 USA
- Department of Human Genetics, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261 USA
| | - Jessica LeClair
- formerly of Department of Computational and Systems Biology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Boston University, Boston, MA 02118, USA
| | - Jenna C. Carlson
- Center for Craniofacial and Dental Genetics, Department of Oral Biology, School of Dental Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15219 USA
- Department of Human Genetics, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261 USA
- Department of Biostatistics, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Eleanor Feingold
- Department of Human Genetics, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261 USA
- Department of Biostatistics, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Carmen J. Buxó
- Dental and Craniofacial Genomics Core, School of Dental Medicine, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico, 00936, USA
| | - Kaare Christensen
- Department of Epidemiology, Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, DK-5000, Denmark
| | - Frederic W.B. Deleyiannis
- Department of Surgery, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver, CO, 80045, USA
| | - L. Leigh Field
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, V6H 3N1, Canada
| | - Jacqueline T. Hecht
- Department of Pediatrics, McGovern Medical School and School of Dentistry UT Health at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Lina Moreno
- Department of Orthodontics, College of Dentistry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
| | - Ieda M. Orioli
- Department of Genetics, Institute of Biology, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, 21941-617, Brazil
- ECLAMC (Latin American Collaborative Study of Congenital Malformations) at INAGEMP (National Institute of Population Medical Genetics), Rio de Janeiro, 21941-617, Brazil
| | - Carmencita Padilla
- Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine; and Institute of Human Genetics, National Institutes of Health; University of the Philippines Manila, Manila, The Philippines, 1000; and Philippine Genome Center, University of the Philippines System, Manila, The Philippines 1101
| | - Alexandre R. Vieira
- Center for Craniofacial and Dental Genetics, Department of Oral Biology, School of Dental Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15219 USA
- Department of Human Genetics, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261 USA
| | - George L. Wehby
- Department of Health Management and Policy, College of Public Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52246, USA
| | - Jeffrey C. Murray
- Department of Pediatrics, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, 52242, USA
| | - Seth M. Weinberg
- Center for Craniofacial and Dental Genetics, Department of Oral Biology, School of Dental Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15219 USA
- Department of Human Genetics, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261 USA
- Department of Anthropology, Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA
| | - Mary L. Marazita
- Center for Craniofacial and Dental Genetics, Department of Oral Biology, School of Dental Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15219 USA
- Department of Human Genetics, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261 USA
- Clinical and Translational Science, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | - Elizabeth J. Leslie
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30322
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Boyce JO, Raj S, Sanchez K, Marazita ML, Morgan AT, Kilpatrick N. Speech Phenotyping in Unaffected Family Members of Individuals With Nonsyndromic Cleft Lip With or Without Palate. Cleft Palate Craniofac J 2019; 56:867-876. [PMID: 30696259 DOI: 10.1177/1055665618823936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Subclinical phenotypes of nonsyndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate (CL ± P) may be identified from clinically "unaffected" relatives and could be associated with specific cleft-related gene mutations. It has been hypothesized that velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI) may be a subclinical phenotype of interest in this population, but this has not been explored quantitatively with appropriate control cohorts. The aim of this case-control study was to compare VPI in at-risk clinically unaffected relatives of individuals with nonsyndromic CL ± P with a low-risk matched normative Australian cohort. PARTICIPANTS Clinically unaffected (ie, with no overt cleft) first-degree relatives of a proband with nonsyndromic CL ± P (n = 189) and noncleft controls (n = 207). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) Perceptual measures of VPI encompassing resonance, nasal emission, and articulation were evaluated using the Great Ormond Street Speech Assessment. Quantitative measures of VPI were obtained from the Nasometer II using standardized adult and pediatric speech stimuli. RESULTS Both perceptual and instrumental measures showed no significant difference (P > .01) between the VPI in unaffected relatives and the noncleft comparison group. Mean nasalance scores for both groups were calculated and reported according to speech stimuli, age, and sex. CONCLUSIONS Results suggest that VPI, measured through speech, is not a significant subclinical phenotype of nonsyndromic CL ± P. Therefore, further familial genetic investigations exploring VPI may not yield meaningful results. Exploration across multiple subclinical phenotypes in larger cohorts may enable researchers to better understand the multifaceted nature of this complex and heterogeneous anomaly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica O Boyce
- 1 Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology, The University of Melbourne, Carlton, VIC, Australia.,2 Speech and Language Group, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Supriya Raj
- 3 Musculoskeletal Group, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Katherine Sanchez
- 1 Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology, The University of Melbourne, Carlton, VIC, Australia.,2 Speech and Language Group, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Mary L Marazita
- 4 Center for Craniofacial and Dental Genetics, School of Dental Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.,5 Department of Human Genetics, Graduate School of Public Health, School of Dental Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Angela T Morgan
- 1 Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology, The University of Melbourne, Carlton, VIC, Australia.,2 Speech and Language Group, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, VIC, Australia.,6 Speech Pathology Department, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Nicky Kilpatrick
- 7 Plastic and Maxillofacial Surgery, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, VIC, Australia.,8 Facial Sciences Group, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, VIC, Australia
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7
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Khan MFJ, Little J, Nag TC, Mossey PA, Autelitano L, Meazzini MC, Merajuddin A, Singh A, Rubini M. Ultrastructural analysis of collagen fibril diameter distribution in cleft lip. Oral Dis 2018; 25:206-214. [PMID: 30144227 DOI: 10.1111/odi.12962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2018] [Revised: 07/27/2018] [Accepted: 08/06/2018] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE A preliminary study to determine collagen fibril diameter (CF-ED) distribution on medial and lateral sides of cleft lip (CL). MATERIAL AND METHODS Tissue samples from medial and lateral sides of CL were fixed in 2.5% glutaraldehyde and 1% osmium tetroxide and embedded in Araldite CY212 resin for transmission electron microscopy. The analysis of CF-ED was performed using the ImageJ program. To characterize the packaging of collagen fibrils (CFs) in the two tissues, we estimated the collagen number density (CF-ND) and fibril-area-fraction (FAF). Differences in measurements across the two sides were calculated using Wilcoxon signed-rank test. RESULTS The CF-ED was statistically significantly (p < 0.001) smaller on the medial side (45.69 ± 7.89 nm) than on the lateral side (54.18 ± 7.62 nm). The medial side had a higher CF-ND and a higher percentage of FAF than the lateral side. CONCLUSION Our finding of a smaller CF-ED and higher CF-ND and FAF for the medial side suggests possible differences in size and distribution of CFs between medial and lateral sides of CL. This finding provides knowledge toward underlying tissue biomechanics that may help reconstruction of perioral tissue scaffolds, ultimately resulting in better treatment of patients with oral clefts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Faisal J Khan
- Department of Biomedical and Specialty Surgical Sciences, Section of Medical Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Genetics, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Julian Little
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Tapas Chandra Nag
- Department of Anatomy, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.,Sophisticated Analytical Instrumentation Facility (SAIF), Department of Anatomy, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Peter Anthony Mossey
- Craniofacial Development at the World Health Organization-Collaborating Centre for Oral and Craniofacial Research, Dental Hospital and School, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - Luca Autelitano
- Smile House, Regional Centre for Orofacial Clefts and Craniofacial Anomalies, Department of Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery, San Paolo Hospital, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Maria Costanza Meazzini
- Smile House, Regional Centre for Orofacial Clefts and Craniofacial Anomalies, Department of Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery, San Paolo Hospital, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Ahmed Merajuddin
- Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Anuraag Singh
- Sophisticated Analytical Instrumentation Facility (SAIF), Department of Anatomy, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Michele Rubini
- Department of Biomedical and Specialty Surgical Sciences, Section of Medical Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Genetics, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
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8
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Roosenboom J, Indencleef K, Hens G, Peeters H, Christensen K, Marazita ML, Claes P, Leslie EJ, Weinberg SM. Testing the face shape hypothesis in twins discordant for nonsyndromic orofacial clefting. Am J Med Genet A 2017; 173:2886-2892. [PMID: 28884971 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.a.38471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2017] [Revised: 07/28/2017] [Accepted: 08/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Nonsyndromic orofacial clefts (OFCs) are complex traits characterized by multifactorial inheritance and wide phenotypic variability. Numerous studies have shown subtle differences in the faces of unaffected relatives from cleft families compared to controls, the implication being that such outward differences are an incomplete expression reflecting an underlying genetic predisposition. Twins discordant for OFCs provide a unique opportunity to further test this idea, as the unaffected co-twin shares on average 50% (for dizygotic twins) and 100% (for monozygotic twins) of the genetic risk factors as the affected twin. We used 3D surface imaging and spatially-dense morphometry to compare facial shape in a sample of 44 unaffected co-twins and age- and sex-matched unaffected controls (n = 241). Unaffected co-twins showed statistically significant differences in the midface, lateral upper face, and forehead regions, compared to controls. Furthermore, co-twins were characterized by a distinct pattern of midfacial retrusion, broader upper faces, and greater protrusion of the mandible and brow ridges. This same general facial pattern was shown in both unaffected monozygotic and dizygotic co-twin subsets. These results provide additional support that altered facial shape is a phenotypic marker for OFC susceptibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasmien Roosenboom
- Center for Craniofacial and Dental Genetics, Department of Oral Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Karlijne Indencleef
- Department of Electrical Engineering, ESAT/PSI, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Medical Imaging Research Center, MIRC, UZ Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Greet Hens
- Multidisciplinary Cleft Lip and Palate Team Leuven, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Hilde Peeters
- Department of Human Genetics, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Kaare Christensen
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.,Department of Clinical Genetics and Department of Clinical Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
| | - Mary L Marazita
- Center for Craniofacial and Dental Genetics, Department of Oral Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Peter Claes
- Department of Electrical Engineering, ESAT/PSI, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Medical Imaging Research Center, MIRC, UZ Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Victoria, Australia
| | - Elizabeth J Leslie
- Center for Craniofacial and Dental Genetics, Department of Oral Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Seth M Weinberg
- Center for Craniofacial and Dental Genetics, Department of Oral Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
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