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Berasain L, Beati P, Trigila AP, Rubinstein M, Franchini LF. Accelerated evolution in the human lineage led to gain and loss of transcriptional enhancers in the RBFOX1 locus. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadl1049. [PMID: 38924416 PMCID: PMC11204294 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adl1049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
A long-standing goal of evolutionary biology is to decode how changes in gene regulatory networks contribute to human-specific traits. Human accelerated regions (HARs) are prime candidates for driving gene regulatory modifications in human development. The RBFOX1 locus is densely populated with HARs, providing a set of potential regulatory elements that could have changed its expression in the human lineage. Here, we examined the role of RBFOX1-HARs using transgenic zebrafish reporter assays and identified 15 transcriptional enhancers that are active in the developing nervous system, 9 of which displayed differential activity between the human and chimpanzee sequences. The engineered loss of two selected RBFOX1-HARs in knockout mouse models modified Rbfox1 expression at specific developmental stages and tissues in the brain, influencing the expression and splicing of a high number of Rbfox1 target genes. Our results provided insight into the spatial and temporal changes in gene expression driven by RBFOX1-HARs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara Berasain
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular (INGEBI) “Dr. Hector N. Torres”, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires C1428, Argentina
| | - Paula Beati
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular (INGEBI) “Dr. Hector N. Torres”, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires C1428, Argentina
| | - Anabella P. Trigila
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular (INGEBI) “Dr. Hector N. Torres”, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires C1428, Argentina
| | - Marcelo Rubinstein
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular (INGEBI) “Dr. Hector N. Torres”, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires C1428, Argentina
- Departamento de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Celular, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires 1428, Argentina
| | - Lucía F. Franchini
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular (INGEBI) “Dr. Hector N. Torres”, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires C1428, Argentina
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Liu D, Yu H, Xue N, Bao H, Gao Q, Tian Y. Alternative splicing patterns of hnrnp genes in gill tissues of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) during salinity changes. Comp Biochem Physiol B Biochem Mol Biol 2024; 271:110948. [PMID: 38281704 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpb.2024.110948] [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: 11/06/2023] [Revised: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
Alternative splicing (AS) plays an important role in various physiological processes in eukaryotes, such as the stress response. However, patterns of AS events remain largely unexplored during salinity acclimation in fishes. In this study, we conducted AS analysis using RNA-seq datasets to explore splicing patterns in the gill tissues of rainbow trout exposed to altered salinity environments, ranging from 0 ‰ (T0) to 30 ‰ (T30). The results revealed 1441, 351, 483, 1051 and 1049 differentially alternatively spliced (DAS) events in 5 pairwise comparisons, including T6 vs. T0, T12 vs. T0, T18 vs. T0, T24 vs. T0, and T30 vs. T0, respectively. These DAS events were derived from 1290, 328, 444, 963 and 948 genes. Enrichment analysis indicated that these DAS genes were related to RNA splicing and processing. Among these, 14 DAS genes were identified as members of the large heterogeneous nuclear RNP (hnRNP) gene family. Alternative 3' splice site (A3SS), exon skipping (SE) and intron retention (RI) events resulted in the fragmentation or even loss of the functional RNA recognition motif (RRM) domains in hnrnpa0, hnrnp1a, hnrnp1b and hnrnpc genes. The incomplete RRM domains would hinder the interactions between hnRNP genes and pre-mRNAs. It would in turn influence the splicing patterns and mRNA stability of downstream target genes in response to salinity changes. The study provides insights into salinity acclimation in gill tissues of rainbow trout and serves as a significant reference on the osmoregulation mechanisms at post-transcription regulation levels in fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dazhi Liu
- Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong Province, China
| | - Han Yu
- Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong Province, China
| | - Na Xue
- Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong Province, China
| | - Hancheng Bao
- Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong Province, China
| | - Qinfeng Gao
- Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong Province, China.
| | - Yuan Tian
- Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong Province, China.
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Veneruso I, Ranieri A, Falcone N, Tripodi L, Scarano C, La Monica I, Pastore L, Lombardo B, D’Argenio V. The Potential Usefulness of the Expanded Carrier Screening to Identify Hereditary Genetic Diseases: A Case Report from Real-World Data. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:1651. [PMID: 37628702 PMCID: PMC10454493 DOI: 10.3390/genes14081651] [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: 07/08/2023] [Revised: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Expanded carrier screening (ECS) means a comprehensive genetic analysis to evaluate an individual's carrier status. ECS is becoming more frequently used, thanks to the availability of techniques such as next generation sequencing (NGS) and array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH), allowing for extensive genome-scale analyses. Here, we report the case of a couple who underwent ECS for a case of autism spectrum disorder in the male partner family. aCGH and whole-exome sequencing (WES) were performed in the couple. aCGH analysis identified in the female partner two deletions involving genes associated to behavioral and neurodevelopment disorders. No clinically relevant alterations were identified in the husband. Interestingly, WES analysis identified in the male partner a pathogenic variant in the LPL gene that is emerging as a novel candidate gene for autism. This case shows that ECS may be useful in clinical contexts, especially when both the partners are analyzed before conception, thus allowing the estimation of their risk to transmit an inherited condition. On the other side, there are several concerns related to possible incidental findings and difficult-to-interpret results. Once these limits are defined by the establishment of specific guidelines, ECS may have a greater diffusion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iolanda Veneruso
- CEINGE-Biotecnologie Avanzate Franco Salvatore, via G. Salvatore 486, 80145 Naples, Italy
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnologies, Federico II University, via Sergio Pansini 5, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Annaluisa Ranieri
- CEINGE-Biotecnologie Avanzate Franco Salvatore, via G. Salvatore 486, 80145 Naples, Italy
| | - Noemi Falcone
- CEINGE-Biotecnologie Avanzate Franco Salvatore, via G. Salvatore 486, 80145 Naples, Italy
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnologies, Federico II University, via Sergio Pansini 5, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Lorella Tripodi
- CEINGE-Biotecnologie Avanzate Franco Salvatore, via G. Salvatore 486, 80145 Naples, Italy
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnologies, Federico II University, via Sergio Pansini 5, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Carmela Scarano
- CEINGE-Biotecnologie Avanzate Franco Salvatore, via G. Salvatore 486, 80145 Naples, Italy
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnologies, Federico II University, via Sergio Pansini 5, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Ilaria La Monica
- CEINGE-Biotecnologie Avanzate Franco Salvatore, via G. Salvatore 486, 80145 Naples, Italy
| | - Lucio Pastore
- CEINGE-Biotecnologie Avanzate Franco Salvatore, via G. Salvatore 486, 80145 Naples, Italy
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnologies, Federico II University, via Sergio Pansini 5, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Barbara Lombardo
- CEINGE-Biotecnologie Avanzate Franco Salvatore, via G. Salvatore 486, 80145 Naples, Italy
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnologies, Federico II University, via Sergio Pansini 5, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Valeria D’Argenio
- CEINGE-Biotecnologie Avanzate Franco Salvatore, via G. Salvatore 486, 80145 Naples, Italy
- Department of Human Sciences and Quality of Life Promotion, San Raffaele Open University, via di Val Cannuta 247, 00166 Rome, Italy
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Zhang M, Bouland GA, Holstege H, Reinders MJT. Identifying Aging and Alzheimer Disease-Associated Somatic Variations in Excitatory Neurons From the Human Frontal Cortex. Neurol Genet 2023; 9:e200066. [PMID: 37123987 PMCID: PMC10136684 DOI: 10.1212/nxg.0000000000200066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Background and Objectives With age, somatic mutations accumulated in human brain cells can lead to various neurologic disorders and brain tumors. Because the incidence rate of Alzheimer disease (AD) increases exponentially with age, investigating the association between AD and the accumulation of somatic mutation can help understand the etiology of AD. Methods We designed a somatic mutation detection workflow by contrasting genotypes derived from whole-genome sequencing (WGS) data with genotypes derived from scRNA-seq data and applied this workflow to 76 participants from the Religious Order Study and the Rush Memory and Aging Project (ROSMAP) cohort. We focused only on excitatory neurons, the dominant cell type in the scRNA-seq data. Results We identified 196 sites that harbored at least 1 individual with an excitatory neuron-specific somatic mutation (ENSM), and these 196 sites were mapped to 127 genes. The single base substitution (SBS) pattern of the putative ENSMs was best explained by signature SBS5 from the Catalogue of Somatic Mutations in Cancer (COSMIC) mutational signatures, a clock-like pattern correlating with the age of the individual. The count of ENSMs per individual also showed an increasing trend with age. Among the mutated sites, we found 2 sites tend to have more mutations in older individuals (16:6899517 [RBFOX1], p = 0.04; 4:21788463 [KCNIP4], p < 0.05). In addition, 2 sites were found to have a higher odds ratio to detect a somatic mutation in AD samples (6:73374221 [KCNQ5], p = 0.01 and 13:36667102 [DCLK1], p = 0.02). Thirty-two genes that harbor somatic mutations unique to AD and the KCNQ5 and DCLK1 genes were used for gene ontology (GO)-term enrichment analysis. We found the AD-specific ENSMs enriched in the GO-term "vocalization behavior" and "intraspecies interaction between organisms." Of interest we observed both age-specific and AD-specific ENSMs enriched in the K+ channel-associated genes. Discussion Our results show that combining scRNA-seq and WGS data can successfully detect putative somatic mutations. The putative somatic mutations detected from ROSMAP data set have provided new insights into the association of AD and aging with brain somatic mutagenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng Zhang
- Delft Bioinformatics Lab (M.Z., G.A.B., H.H., M.J.T.R.), Delft University of Technology; Department of Human Genetics (M.Z., H.H.), Amsterdam Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC; and Department of Human Genetics (G.A.B., M.J.T.R.), Leiden University Medical Center, the Netherlands
| | - Gerard A Bouland
- Delft Bioinformatics Lab (M.Z., G.A.B., H.H., M.J.T.R.), Delft University of Technology; Department of Human Genetics (M.Z., H.H.), Amsterdam Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC; and Department of Human Genetics (G.A.B., M.J.T.R.), Leiden University Medical Center, the Netherlands
| | - Henne Holstege
- Delft Bioinformatics Lab (M.Z., G.A.B., H.H., M.J.T.R.), Delft University of Technology; Department of Human Genetics (M.Z., H.H.), Amsterdam Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC; and Department of Human Genetics (G.A.B., M.J.T.R.), Leiden University Medical Center, the Netherlands
| | - Marcel J T Reinders
- Delft Bioinformatics Lab (M.Z., G.A.B., H.H., M.J.T.R.), Delft University of Technology; Department of Human Genetics (M.Z., H.H.), Amsterdam Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC; and Department of Human Genetics (G.A.B., M.J.T.R.), Leiden University Medical Center, the Netherlands
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Fisher E, Feng J. RNA splicing regulators play critical roles in neurogenesis. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. RNA 2022; 13:e1728. [PMID: 35388651 DOI: 10.1002/wrna.1728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Revised: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Alternative RNA splicing increases transcript diversity in different cell types and under varying conditions. It is executed with the help of RNA splicing regulators (RSRs), which are operationally defined as RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) that regulate alternative splicing, but not directly catalyzing the chemical reactions of splicing. By systematically searching for RBPs and manually identifying those that regulate splicing, we curated 305 RSRs in the human genome. Surprisingly, most of the RSRs are involved in neurogenesis. Among these RSRs, we focus on nine families (PTBP, NOVA, RBFOX, ELAVL, CELF, DBHS, MSI, PCBP, and MBNL) that play essential roles in the neurogenic pathway. A better understanding of their functions will provide novel insights into the role of splicing in brain development, health, and disease. This comprehensive review serves as a stepping-stone to explore the diverse and complex set of RSRs as fundamental regulators of neural development. This article is categorized under: RNA-Based Catalysis > RNA Catalysis in Splicing and Translation RNA Interactions with Proteins and Other Molecules > Protein-RNA Interactions: Functional Implications RNA Processing > Splicing Regulation/Alternative Splicing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Fisher
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA
- Veterans Affairs Western New York Healthcare System, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Jian Feng
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA
- Veterans Affairs Western New York Healthcare System, Buffalo, New York, USA
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Emerging Roles of RNA-Binding Proteins in Neurodevelopment. J Dev Biol 2022; 10:jdb10020023. [PMID: 35735914 PMCID: PMC9224834 DOI: 10.3390/jdb10020023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Revised: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Diverse cell types in the central nervous system (CNS) are generated by a relatively small pool of neural stem cells during early development. Spatial and temporal regulation of stem cell behavior relies on precise coordination of gene expression. Well-studied mechanisms include hormone signaling, transcription factor activity, and chromatin remodeling processes. Much less is known about downstream RNA-dependent mechanisms including posttranscriptional regulation, nuclear export, alternative splicing, and transcript stability. These important functions are carried out by RNA-binding proteins (RBPs). Recent work has begun to explore how RBPs contribute to stem cell function and homeostasis, including their role in metabolism, transport, epigenetic regulation, and turnover of target transcripts. Additional layers of complexity are provided by the different target recognition mechanisms of each RBP as well as the posttranslational modifications of the RBPs themselves that alter function. Altogether, these functions allow RBPs to influence various aspects of RNA metabolism to regulate numerous cellular processes. Here we compile advances in RNA biology that have added to our still limited understanding of the role of RBPs in neurodevelopment.
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Zhang S, Lachance BB, Mattson MP, Jia X. Glucose metabolic crosstalk and regulation in brain function and diseases. Prog Neurobiol 2021; 204:102089. [PMID: 34118354 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2021.102089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2020] [Revised: 04/08/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Brain glucose metabolism, including glycolysis, the pentose phosphate pathway, and glycogen turnover, produces ATP for energetic support and provides the precursors for the synthesis of biological macromolecules. Although glucose metabolism in neurons and astrocytes has been extensively studied, the glucose metabolism of microglia and oligodendrocytes, and their interactions with neurons and astrocytes, remain critical to understand brain function. Brain regions with heterogeneous cell composition and cell-type-specific profiles of glucose metabolism suggest that metabolic networks within the brain are complex. Signal transduction proteins including those in the Wnt, GSK-3β, PI3K-AKT, and AMPK pathways are involved in regulating these networks. Additionally, glycolytic enzymes and metabolites, such as hexokinase 2, acetyl-CoA, and enolase 2, are implicated in the modulation of cellular function, microglial activation, glycation, and acetylation of biomolecules. Given these extensive networks, glucose metabolism dysfunction in the whole brain or specific cell types is strongly associated with neurologic pathology including ischemic brain injury and neurodegenerative disorders. This review characterizes the glucose metabolism networks of the brain based on molecular signaling and cellular and regional interactions, and elucidates glucose metabolism-based mechanisms of neurological diseases and therapeutic approaches that may ameliorate metabolic abnormalities in those diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuai Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, United States
| | - Brittany Bolduc Lachance
- Program in Trauma, Department of Neurology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, United States
| | - Mark P Mattson
- Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, United States
| | - Xiaofeng Jia
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, United States; Department of Orthopedics, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, United States; Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, United States; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, United States; Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, United States.
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