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Tawil R, Wagner KR, Hamel JI, Leung DG, Statland JM, Wang LH, Genge A, Sacconi S, Lochmüller H, Reyes-Leiva D, Diaz-Manera J, Alonso-Perez J, Muelas N, Vilchez JJ, Pestronk A, Gibson S, Goyal NA, Hayward LJ, Johnson N, LoRusso S, Freimer M, Shieh PB, Subramony SH, van Engelen B, Kools J, Leinhard OD, Widholm P, Morabito C, Moxham CM, Cadavid D, Mellion ML, Odueyungbo A, Tracewell WG, Accorsi A, Ronco L, Gould RJ, Shoskes J, Rojas LA, Jiang JG. Safety and efficacy of losmapimod in facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (ReDUX4): a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 2b trial. Lancet Neurol 2024; 23:477-486. [PMID: 38631764 DOI: 10.1016/s1474-4422(24)00073-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Revised: 02/04/2024] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy is a hereditary progressive myopathy caused by aberrant expression of the transcription factor DUX4 in skeletal muscle. No approved disease-modifying treatments are available for this disorder. We aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of losmapimod (a small molecule that inhibits p38α MAPK, a regulator of DUX4 expression, and p38β MAPK) for the treatment of facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy. METHODS We did a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 2b trial at 17 neurology centres in Canada, France, Spain, and the USA. We included adults aged 18-65 years with type 1 facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (ie, with loss of repression of DUX4 expression, as ascertained by genotyping), a Ricci clinical severity score of 2-4, and at least one skeletal muscle judged using MRI to be suitable for biopsy. Participants were randomly allocated (1:1) to either oral losmapimod (15 mg twice a day) or matching placebo for 48 weeks, via an interactive response technology system. The investigator, study staff, participants, sponsor, primary outcome assessors, and study monitor were masked to the treatment allocation until study closure. The primary endpoint was change from baseline to either week 16 or 36 in DUX4-driven gene expression in skeletal muscle biopsy samples, as measured by quantitative RT-PCR. The primary efficacy analysis was done in all participants who were randomly assigned and who had available data for assessment, according to the modified intention-to-treat principle. Safety and tolerability were assessed as secondary endpoints. This study is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT04003974. The phase 2b trial is complete; an open-label extension is ongoing. FINDINGS Between Aug 27, 2019, and Feb 27, 2020, 80 people were enrolled. 40 were randomly allocated to losmapimod and 40 to placebo. 54 (68%) participants were male and 26 (33%) were female, 70 (88%) were White, and mean age was 45·7 (SD 12·5) years. Least squares mean changes from baseline in DUX4-driven gene expression did not differ significantly between the losmapimod (0·83 [SE 0·61]) and placebo (0·40 [0·65]) groups (difference 0·43 [SE 0·56; 95% CI -1·04 to 1·89]; p=0·56). Losmapimod was well tolerated. 29 treatment-emergent adverse events (nine drug-related) were reported in the losmapimod group compared with 23 (two drug-related) in the placebo group. Two participants in the losmapimod group had serious adverse events that were deemed unrelated to losmapimod by the investigators (alcohol poisoning and suicide attempt; postoperative wound infection) compared with none in the placebo group. No treatment discontinuations due to adverse events occurred and no participants died during the study. INTERPRETATION Although losmapimod did not significantly change DUX4-driven gene expression, it was associated with potential improvements in prespecified structural outcomes (muscle fat infiltration), functional outcomes (reachable workspace, a measure of shoulder girdle function), and patient-reported global impression of change compared with placebo. These findings have informed the design and choice of efficacy endpoints for a phase 3 study of losmapimod in adults with facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy. FUNDING Fulcrum Therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rabi Tawil
- Department of Neurology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Kathryn R Wagner
- Kennedy Krieger Institute, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Johanna I Hamel
- Department of Neurology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Doris G Leung
- Kennedy Krieger Institute, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | - Leo H Wang
- University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Angela Genge
- Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Sabrina Sacconi
- Peripheral Nervous System and Muscle Department, Nice University Hospital and University of Côte d'Azur, Nice, France
| | - Hanns Lochmüller
- Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ON, Canada; Brain and Mind Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - David Reyes-Leiva
- Institut de Recerca IIB Sant Pau, Hospital Universitari Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jordi Diaz-Manera
- Institut de Recerca IIB Sant Pau, Hospital Universitari Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain; John Walton Muscular Dystrophy Research Center, Newcastle University, Newcastle, UK
| | - Jorge Alonso-Perez
- Neuromuscular Diseases Unit, Neurology Department, Hospital Universitario Nuestra Señora de Candelaria, Fundación Canaria Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Canarias, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Tenerife, Spain; Neuromuscular Diseases Unit, Neurology Department, Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Nuria Muelas
- Neuromuscular Diseases Unit, Neurology Department, Hospital Universitari i Politecnic La Fe and Neuromuscular Reference Centre, Valencia, Spain; Neuromuscular and Ataxias Research Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria La Fe, Valencia, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Medicine, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Juan J Vilchez
- Neuromuscular and Ataxias Research Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria La Fe, Valencia, Spain
| | - Alan Pestronk
- Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Miriam Freimer
- Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Perry B Shieh
- University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - S H Subramony
- University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Baziel van Engelen
- Department of Neurology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Joost Kools
- Department of Neurology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Olof Dahlqvist Leinhard
- AMRA Medical, Linköping, Sweden; Division of Diagnostics and Specialist Medicine, Department of Health, Medicine and Caring Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden; Center for Medical Image Science and Visualization, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Per Widholm
- AMRA Medical, Linköping, Sweden; Division of Diagnostics and Specialist Medicine, Department of Health, Medicine and Caring Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden; Center for Medical Image Science and Visualization, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden; Department of Radiology, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
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Malachowski T, Chandradoss KR, Boya R, Zhou L, Cook AL, Su C, Pham K, Haws SA, Kim JH, Ryu HS, Ge C, Luppino JM, Nguyen SC, Titus KR, Gong W, Wallace O, Joyce EF, Wu H, Rojas LA, Phillips-Cremins JE. Spatially coordinated heterochromatinization of long synaptic genes in fragile X syndrome. Cell 2023; 186:5840-5858.e36. [PMID: 38134876 PMCID: PMC10794044 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.11.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2022] [Revised: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023]
Abstract
Short tandem repeat (STR) instability causes transcriptional silencing in several repeat expansion disorders. In fragile X syndrome (FXS), mutation-length expansion of a CGG STR represses FMR1 via local DNA methylation. Here, we find megabase-scale H3K9me3 domains on autosomes and encompassing FMR1 on the X chromosome in FXS patient-derived iPSCs, iPSC-derived neural progenitors, EBV-transformed lymphoblasts, and brain tissue with mutation-length CGG expansion. H3K9me3 domains connect via inter-chromosomal interactions and demarcate severe misfolding of TADs and loops. They harbor long synaptic genes replicating at the end of S phase, replication-stress-induced double-strand breaks, and STRs prone to stepwise somatic instability. CRISPR engineering of the mutation-length CGG to premutation length reverses H3K9me3 on the X chromosome and multiple autosomes, refolds TADs, and restores gene expression. H3K9me3 domains can also arise in normal-length iPSCs created with perturbations linked to genome instability, suggesting their relevance beyond FXS. Our results reveal Mb-scale heterochromatinization and trans interactions among loci susceptible to instability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Malachowski
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Epigenetics Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Genetics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Keerthivasan Raanin Chandradoss
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Epigenetics Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Genetics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Ravi Boya
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Epigenetics Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Genetics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Linda Zhou
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Epigenetics Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Genetics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Ashley L Cook
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Epigenetics Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Genetics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Chuanbin Su
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Epigenetics Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Genetics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Kenneth Pham
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Genetics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Spencer A Haws
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Epigenetics Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Genetics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Ji Hun Kim
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Han-Seul Ryu
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Genetics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Chunmin Ge
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jennifer M Luppino
- Epigenetics Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Genetics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Son C Nguyen
- Epigenetics Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Genetics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Katelyn R Titus
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Epigenetics Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Genetics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Wanfeng Gong
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Epigenetics Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Genetics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Owen Wallace
- Fulcrum Therapeutics Incorporated, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Eric F Joyce
- Epigenetics Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Genetics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Hao Wu
- Fulcrum Therapeutics Incorporated, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Jennifer E Phillips-Cremins
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Epigenetics Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Genetics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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Mueller AL, O'Neill A, Jones TI, Llach A, Rojas LA, Sakellariou P, Stadler G, Wright WE, Eyerman D, Jones PL, Bloch RJ. Muscle xenografts reproduce key molecular features of facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy. Exp Neurol 2019; 320:113011. [PMID: 31306642 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2019.113011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2019] [Revised: 06/17/2019] [Accepted: 07/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/07/2022]
Abstract
Aberrant expression of DUX4, a gene unique to humans and primates, causes Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy-1 (FSHD), yet the pathogenic mechanism is unknown. As transgenic overexpression models have largely failed to replicate the genetic changes seen in FSHD, many studies of endogenously expressed DUX4 have been limited to patient biopsies and myogenic cell cultures, which never fully differentiate into mature muscle fibers. We have developed a method to xenograft immortalized human muscle precursor cells from patients with FSHD and first-degree relative controls into the tibialis anterior muscle compartment of immunodeficient mice, generating human muscle xenografts. We report that FSHD cells mature into organized and innervated human muscle fibers with minimal contamination of murine myonuclei. They also reconstitute the satellite cell niche within the xenografts. FSHD xenografts express DUX4 and DUX4 downstream targets, retain the 4q35 epigenetic signature of their original donors, and express a novel protein biomarker of FSHD, SLC34A2. Ours is the first scalable, mature in vivo human model of FSHD. It should be useful for studies of the pathogenic mechanism of the disease as well as for testing therapeutic strategies targeting DUX4 expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amber L Mueller
- Department of Physiology, University of Maryland, Baltimore, 655 W, Baltimore St., Baltimore, MD 21201, United States of America
| | - Andrea O'Neill
- Department of Physiology, University of Maryland, Baltimore, 655 W, Baltimore St., Baltimore, MD 21201, United States of America
| | - Takako I Jones
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, 1664 North Virginia Street, Reno, NV 89557, United States of America
| | - Anna Llach
- Department of Physiology, University of Maryland, Baltimore, 655 W, Baltimore St., Baltimore, MD 21201, United States of America
| | - Luis Alejandro Rojas
- Fulcrum Therapeutics, 26 Landsdowne St., Cambridge, MA 02139, United States of America
| | - Paraskevi Sakellariou
- Department of Physiology, University of Maryland, Baltimore, 655 W, Baltimore St., Baltimore, MD 21201, United States of America; FAME Laboratory Department of Exercise Science, University of Thessaly, Karies, Trikala 42100, Greece
| | - Guido Stadler
- Department of Cell Biology, UT Southwestern Medical Center Dallas, TX 75390, United States of America
| | - Woodring E Wright
- Department of Cell Biology, UT Southwestern Medical Center Dallas, TX 75390, United States of America
| | - David Eyerman
- Fulcrum Therapeutics, 26 Landsdowne St., Cambridge, MA 02139, United States of America
| | - Peter L Jones
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, 1664 North Virginia Street, Reno, NV 89557, United States of America
| | - Robert J Bloch
- Department of Physiology, University of Maryland, Baltimore, 655 W, Baltimore St., Baltimore, MD 21201, United States of America.
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Rojas LA, Moreno R, Calderón H, Alemany R. Adenovirus coxsackie adenovirus receptor-mediated binding to human erythrocytes does not preclude systemic transduction. Cancer Gene Ther 2016; 23:411-414. [DOI: 10.1038/cgt.2016.50] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2016] [Revised: 09/22/2016] [Accepted: 09/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Rodríguez-García A, Svensson E, Gil-Hoyos R, Fajardo CA, Rojas LA, Arias-Badia M, Loskog ASI, Alemany R. Insertion of exogenous epitopes in the E3-19K of oncolytic adenoviruses to enhance TAP-independent presentation and immunogenicity. Gene Ther 2015; 22:596-601. [PMID: 25994521 DOI: 10.1038/gt.2015.41] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2014] [Revised: 03/18/2015] [Accepted: 04/14/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Oncolytic adenoviruses can promote immune responses against tumors by expressing and/or displaying tumor-associated antigens. However, the strong immunodominance of viral antigens mask responses against tumor epitopes. In addition, defects in major histocompatibility complex class I antigen presentation pathway such as the downregulation of the transporter-associated with antigen processing (TAP) are frequently associated with immune evasion of tumor cells. To promote the immunogenicity of exogenous epitopes in the context of an oncolytic adenovirus, we have taken advantage of the ER localization of the viral protein E3-19K. We have inserted tumor-associated epitopes after the N-terminal signal sequence for membrane insertion of this protein and flanked them with linkers cleavable by the protease furin to facilitate their TAP-independent presentation. This strategy allowed an enhanced presentation of the exogenous epitopes in TAP-deficient tumor cells in vitro and the generation of higher specific immune responses in vivo that were able to significantly control tumor growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Rodríguez-García
- Translational Research Laboratory, IDIBELL-Institut Català d'Oncologia, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - E Svensson
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Science for Life Laboratories, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - R Gil-Hoyos
- Translational Research Laboratory, IDIBELL-Institut Català d'Oncologia, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - C A Fajardo
- Translational Research Laboratory, IDIBELL-Institut Català d'Oncologia, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - L A Rojas
- Translational Research Laboratory, IDIBELL-Institut Català d'Oncologia, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - M Arias-Badia
- Translational Research Laboratory, IDIBELL-Institut Català d'Oncologia, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - A S I Loskog
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Science for Life Laboratories, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - R Alemany
- Translational Research Laboratory, IDIBELL-Institut Català d'Oncologia, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
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Eslava H, Rojas LA, Pereira R. Implementation of Machine-to-Machine Solutions Using MQTT Protocol in Internet of Things (IoT) Environment to Improve Automation Process for Electrical Distribution Substations in Colombia. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015. [DOI: 10.4236/jpee.2015.34014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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7
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Uribe S, Rojas LA, Rosas CF. Accuracy of imaging methods for detection of bone tissue invasion in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma. Dentomaxillofac Radiol 2013; 42:20120346. [PMID: 23420854 DOI: 10.1259/dmfr.20120346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The objective of this review is to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of imaging methods for detection of mandibular bone tissue invasion by squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). A systematic review was carried out of studies in MEDLINE, SciELO and Science Direct, published between 1960 and 2012, in English, Spanish or German, which compared detection of mandibular bone tissue invasion via different imaging tests against a histopathology reference standard. Sensitivity and specificity data were extracted from each study. The outcome measure was diagnostic accuracy. We found 338 articles, of which 5 fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Tests included were: CT (four articles), MRI (four articles), panoramic radiography (one article), positron emission tomography (PET)/CT (one article) and cone beam CT (CBCT) (one article). The quality of articles was low to moderate and the evidence showed that all tests have a high diagnostic accuracy for detection of mandibular bone tissue invasion by SCC, with sensitivity values of 94% (MRI), 91% (CBCT), 83% (CT) and 55% (panoramic radiography), and specificity values of 100% (CT, MRI, CBCT), 97% (PET/CT) and 91.7% (panoramic radiography). Available evidence is scarce and of only low to moderate quality. However, it is consistently shown that current imaging methods give a moderate to high diagnostic accuracy for the detection of mandibular bone tissue invasion by SCC. Recommendations are given for improving the quality of future reports, in particular provision of a detailed description of the patients' conditions, the imaging instrument and both imaging and histopathological invasion criteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Uribe
- Faculty of Medicine, School of Dentistry, Universidad Austral de Chile, Luis Rudloff 1640, Valdivia 5111710, Chile.
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Liu K, Guo Y, Liu H, Bian C, Lam R, Liu Y, Mackenzie F, Rojas LA, Reinberg D, Bedford MT, Xu RM, Min J. Crystal structure of TDRD3 and methyl-arginine binding characterization of TDRD3, SMN and SPF30. PLoS One 2012; 7:e30375. [PMID: 22363433 PMCID: PMC3281842 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0030375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2011] [Accepted: 12/15/2011] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
SMN (Survival motor neuron protein) was characterized as a dimethyl-arginine binding protein over ten years ago. TDRD3 (Tudor domain-containing protein 3) and SPF30 (Splicing factor 30 kDa) were found to bind to various methyl-arginine proteins including Sm proteins as well later on. Recently, TDRD3 was shown to be a transcriptional coactivator, and its transcriptional activity is dependent on its ability to bind arginine-methylated histone marks. In this study, we systematically characterized the binding specificity and affinity of the Tudor domains of these three proteins quantitatively. Our results show that TDRD3 preferentially recognizes asymmetrical dimethylated arginine mark, and SMN is a very promiscuous effector molecule, which recognizes different arginine containing sequence motifs and preferentially binds symmetrical dimethylated arginine. SPF30 is the weakest methyl-arginine binder, which only binds the GAR motif sequences in our library. In addition, we also reported high-resolution crystal structures of the Tudor domain of TDRD3 in complex with two small molecules, which occupy the aromatic cage of TDRD3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke Liu
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, College of Life Science, Huazhong Normal University, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
- Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Yahong Guo
- Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Haiping Liu
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Chuanbing Bian
- Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Robert Lam
- Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Yongsong Liu
- Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Farrell Mackenzie
- Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Luis Alejandro Rojas
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biochemistry, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Danny Reinberg
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biochemistry, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Mark T. Bedford
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Science Park-Research Division, Smithville, Texas, United States of America
| | - Rui-Ming Xu
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
- * E-mail: (R-MX); (JM)
| | - Jinrong Min
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, College of Life Science, Huazhong Normal University, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
- Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- * E-mail: (R-MX); (JM)
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Sims RJ, Rojas LA, Beck DB, Bonasio R, Schüller R, Drury WJ, Eick D, Reinberg D. The C-terminal domain of RNA polymerase II is modified by site-specific methylation. Science 2011; 332:99-103. [PMID: 21454787 DOI: 10.1126/science.1202663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 161] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
The carboxy-terminal domain (CTD) of RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) in mammals undergoes extensive posttranslational modification, which is essential for transcriptional initiation and elongation. Here, we show that the CTD of RNAPII is methylated at a single arginine (R1810) by the coactivator-associated arginine methyltransferase 1 (CARM1). Although methylation at R1810 is present on the hyperphosphorylated form of RNAPII in vivo, Ser2 or Ser5 phosphorylation inhibits CARM1 activity toward this site in vitro, suggesting that methylation occurs before transcription initiation. Mutation of R1810 results in the misexpression of a variety of small nuclear RNAs and small nucleolar RNAs, an effect that is also observed in Carm1(-/-) mouse embryo fibroblasts. These results demonstrate that CTD methylation facilitates the expression of select RNAs, perhaps serving to discriminate the RNAPII-associated machinery recruited to distinct gene types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert J Sims
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), Department of Biochemistry, New York University School of Medicine, 522 First Avenue, Smilow 211, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Luis Alejandro Rojas
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), Department of Biochemistry, New York University School of Medicine, 522 First Avenue, Smilow 211, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - David B Beck
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), Department of Biochemistry, New York University School of Medicine, 522 First Avenue, Smilow 211, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Roberto Bonasio
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), Department of Biochemistry, New York University School of Medicine, 522 First Avenue, Smilow 211, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Roland Schüller
- Department of Molecular Epigenetics, Helmholtz Center Munich, Center of Integrated Protein Science Munich (CIPSM), Marchioninistrasse 25, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - William J Drury
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), Department of Biochemistry, New York University School of Medicine, 522 First Avenue, Smilow 211, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Dirk Eick
- Department of Molecular Epigenetics, Helmholtz Center Munich, Center of Integrated Protein Science Munich (CIPSM), Marchioninistrasse 25, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Danny Reinberg
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), Department of Biochemistry, New York University School of Medicine, 522 First Avenue, Smilow 211, New York, NY 10016, USA
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Gutiérrez M, Rojas LA, Mancilla-Villalobos R, Seelenfreund D, Vicuña R, Lobos S. Analysis of manganese-regulated gene expression in the ligninolytic basidiomycete Ceriporiopsis subvermispora. Curr Genet 2008; 54:163-73. [PMID: 18726100 DOI: 10.1007/s00294-008-0209-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2008] [Revised: 08/01/2008] [Accepted: 08/05/2008] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
In this work, we explore the use of the unbiased cDNA-AFLP strategy to identify genes involved in Mn(2+) homeostasis in Ceriporiopsis subvermispora. In this ligninolytic white-rot fungus, whose genome has not yet been sequenced, three Mn peroxidase genes responding to Mn(2+) have been characterized. Using cDNA-AFLP to identify transcript-derived fragments (TDFs), a total of 37 differentially expressed cDNA fragments were identified by comparing band intensities among cDNA-AFLP patterns obtained from mycelia from cultures supplemented with different concentrations of Mn(2+). Of 21 differentially expressed TDFs, nine were classified as upregulated, five as downregulated and seven as unregulated. Of these, six upregulated and two downregulated TDFs were selected for further characterization. The expected TDFs for the known Mn peroxidases were not isolated, but several genes encoding proteins related to protein sorting, storage and excretion of excess Mn(2+) were identified. Transcripts induced under Mn(2+) supplementation exhibited homologies to the elongation factor eEF3, a HDEL sequence binding protein and the ARD1 subunit of the N-acetyltransferase complex, among others. Overall, the results obtained in this study suggest a complex picture of Mn(2+) homeostasis and provide the possibility to search for common regulatory elements in the promoters of the novel putatively identified genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matías Gutiérrez
- Laboratorio de Bioquímica, Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad de Chile, Vicuña Mackenna 20, Providencia, Santiago, Chile
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Abstract
During 1990 to 1991, through a national surveillance program for poliomyelitis, the Paraguayan Ministry of Health received reports of 50 children with incident acute flaccid paralysis (< 15 years old). On the basis of established criteria, 37 were diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome. The average annual incidence rate for 1990 to 1991 was 1.1/100,000 children. The clinical course was more benign than reported in other pediatric series. There were low rates of hospitalization (57%), respiratory compromise (8%), and intubation (5%). The overall severity, however, was similar to that described in previous reports, with a 3% case-fatality rate and an 81% total recovery rate at 12 months. Seventy-six percent of patients had symptom onset during January to April, the warmest months of the year. Thirty percent of patients had definite or possible exposure to organophosphate pesticides, and the peak use coincides with the peak incidence of Guillain-Barré syndrome. There was no correlation between occurrence of Guillain-Barré syndrome and prior immunization.
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Affiliation(s)
- D E Hart
- Neuroepidemiology Branch, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
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