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Wan L, He A, Li J, Guo P, Han D. High-Resolution NMR Structures of Intrastrand Hairpins Formed by CTG Trinucleotide Repeats. ACS Chem Neurosci 2024; 15:868-876. [PMID: 38319692 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.3c00769] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
The CAG and CTG trinucleotide repeat expansions cause more than 10 human neurodegenerative diseases. Intrastrand hairpins formed by trinucleotide repeats contribute to repeat expansions, establishing them as potential drug targets. High-resolution structural determination of CAG and CTG hairpins poses as a long-standing goal to aid drug development, yet it has not been realized due to the intrinsic conformational flexibility of repetitive sequences. We herein investigate the solution structures of CTG hairpins using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and found that four CTG repeats with a clamping G-C base pair was able to form a stable hairpin structure. We determine the first solution NMR structure of dG(CTG)4C hairpin and decipher a type I folding geometry of the TGCT tetraloop, wherein the two thymine residues form a T·T loop-closing base pair and the first three loop residues continuously stack. We further reveal that the CTG hairpin can be bound and stabilized by a small-molecule ligand, and the binding interferes with replication of a DNA template containing CTG repeats. Our determined high-resolution structures lay an important foundation for studying molecular interactions between native CTG hairpins and ligands, and benefit drug development for trinucleotide repeat expansion diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liqi Wan
- Institute of Molecular Medicine (IMM), Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200127, China
- Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022, China
| | - Axin He
- Institute of Molecular Medicine (IMM), Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200127, China
- Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022, China
| | - Jinxing Li
- ReviR Therapeutics, Shenzhen Bay Hi-Tech Ecological Park, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518067, China
| | - Pei Guo
- Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022, China
| | - Da Han
- Institute of Molecular Medicine (IMM), Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200127, China
- Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022, China
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Schulz EG. BREACHing new grounds in fragile X syndrome: Trinucleotide expansion linked to genome-wide heterochromatin domains and genome misfolding. Mol Cell 2024; 84:413-414. [PMID: 38307002 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2023.12.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 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: 12/21/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2024]
Abstract
In a recent study in Cell, Malachowski et al.1 show that the trinucleotide expansion in the FMR1 gene underlying fragile X syndrome triggers formation of large heterochromatin domains across the genome, resulting in the repression of synaptic genes housed within these domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edda G Schulz
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
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3
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Shen YI, Cheng KC, Wei YJ, Lee IR. Structural Dynamics Role of AGG Interruptions in Inhibition CGG Repeat Expansion Associated with Fragile X Syndrome. ACS Chem Neurosci 2024; 15:230-235. [PMID: 38133821 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.3c00712] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Abnormal expansion of trinucleotide CGG repeats is responsible for Fragile X syndrome. AGG interruptions in CGG repeat tracts were found in most healthy individuals, suggesting a crucial role in preventing disease-prone repeat expansion. Previous biophysics studies emphasize a difference in the secondary structure affected by AGG interruptions. However, the mechanism of how AGG interruptions impede repeat expansion remains elusive. We utilized single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer spectroscopy to investigate the structural dynamics of CGG repeats and their AGG-interrupted variants. Tandem CGG repeats fold into a stem-loop hairpin structure with the capability to undergo a conformational rearrangement to modulate the length of the overhang. However, this conformational rearrangement is much more retarded when two AGG interruptions are present. Considering the significance of hairpin slippage in repeat expansion, we present a molecular basis suggesting that the internal loop created by two AGG interruptions acts as a barrier, obstructing the hairpin slippage reconfiguration. This impediment potentially plays a crucial role in curbing abnormal expansion, thereby contributing to the genomic stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang-I Shen
- Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei 116, Taiwan
| | - Kai-Chun Cheng
- Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei 116, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Jie Wei
- Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei 116, Taiwan
| | - I-Ren Lee
- Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei 116, Taiwan
- Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan
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Heald A, Cook MJ, Antonio L, Tournoy J, Ghaffari P, Mannan F, Fachim H, Vanderschueren D, Laing I, Hackett G, Casanueva FF, Huhtaniemi IT, Maggi M, Rastrelli G, Slowikowska-Hilczer J, Wu F, O'Neill TW. Number of CAG repeats and mortality in middle aged and older men. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf) 2023; 99:559-565. [PMID: 37718889 DOI: 10.1111/cen.14962] [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] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2023] [Revised: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023]
Abstract
DESIGN The androgen receptor (AR) mediates peripheral effects of testosterone. Previous data suggests an association between the number of CAG repeats in exon-1 of the AR gene and AR transcriptional activity. The aim of this analysis was to determine the association between the number of AR CAG repeats and all-cause mortality in men and the influence of testosterone level on the association. PATIENTS AND MEASUREMENTS Follow-up data to 27 January 2018 were available for men aged 40-79 years recruited across six countries of the European Male Aging Study between 2003 and 2005. Cox proportional hazards modelling was used to determine the association between CAG repeat number/mortality. Results were expressed as hazard ratios (HR)/95% confidence intervals (CI). RESULTS One thousand nine hundred and seventy-seven men were followed up. Mean baseline age was 60 ± 11.1 years. Mean duration of follow-up was 12.2 years. At follow up 25.1% of men had died. CAG repeat length ranged from 6 to 39, with the highest proportion of CAG repeat number at 21 repeats (16.4%). In a multivariable model, compared to men with 22-23 AR CAG repeats: for men with <22 and >23 AR CAG HR, 95% CI for mortality were, <22 CAG repeats 1.17 (0.93-1.49) and >23 CAG repeats 1.14 (0.88-1.47). In a post-hoc analysis, the association was significant for men in the lowest tertile of baseline testosterone (<14.2 nmol/L) with >23 CAG repeats: in the adjusted model for <22 and >23 CAG repeats, respectively, 1.49 (0.97-2.27) and 1.68 (1.06-2.67) versus 22-23 repeats. CONCLUSIONS Our European-wide cohort data overall found no association of androgen receptor CAG repeat number and mortality in men. However, post hoc analysis suggested that an association might be present in men with lower baseline testosterone concentrations, which merits further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian Heald
- Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Salford Royal Hospital, Salford, UK
- The School of Medicine and Manchester Academic Health Sciences Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Michael J Cook
- Centre for Health Informatics, Division of Informatics, Imaging and Data Science, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- National Institute for Health and Care Research Applied Research Collaboration Greater Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Leen Antonio
- Department of Endocrinology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Clinical and Experimental Endocrinology, Department of Chronic Diseases and Metabolism, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jos Tournoy
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Gerontology and Geriatrics Unit, KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Geriatric Medicine, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Parisa Ghaffari
- Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Salford Royal Hospital, Salford, UK
| | - Fahmida Mannan
- The School of Medicine and Manchester Academic Health Sciences Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Helene Fachim
- Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Salford Royal Hospital, Salford, UK
- The School of Medicine and Manchester Academic Health Sciences Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Dirk Vanderschueren
- Department of Endocrinology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Clinical and Experimental Endocrinology, Department of Chronic Diseases and Metabolism, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ian Laing
- Department of Biochemistry, Royal Preston Hospital, Preston, UK
| | | | - Felipe F Casanueva
- Department of Medicine, Santiagode Compostela University, Complejo Hospitalario Universitariode Santiago (CHUS), CIBER de Fisiopatología Obesidady Nutricion (CB06/03), Instituto Salud Carlos III, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Ilpo T Huhtaniemi
- Department of Metabolism, Institute of Reproductive and Developmental, Digestion and Reproduction, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Mario Maggi
- "Mario Serio" Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences, Endocrinology Unit, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Giulia Rastrelli
- "Mario Serio" Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences, Endocrinology Unit, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | | | - Fred Wu
- The School of Medicine and Manchester Academic Health Sciences Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Department of Endocrinology, Manchester Royal Infirmary, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Terence W O'Neill
- Centre for Epidemiology Versus Arthritis, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Salford, UK
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Maity H, Nguyen HT, Hori N, Thirumalai D. Odd-even disparity in the population of slipped hairpins in RNA repeat sequences with implications for phase separation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2301409120. [PMID: 37276412 PMCID: PMC10268303 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2301409120] [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: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Low-complexity nucleotide repeat sequences, which are implicated in several neurological disorders, undergo liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) provided the number of repeat units, n, exceeds a critical value. Here, we establish a link between the folding landscapes of the monomers of trinucleotide repeats and their propensity to self-associate. Simulations using a coarse-grained Self-Organized Polymer (SOP) model for (CAG)n repeats in monovalent salt solutions reproduce experimentally measured melting temperatures, which are available only for small n. By extending the simulations to large n, we show that the free-energy gap, ΔGS, between the ground state (GS) and slipped hairpin (SH) states is a predictor of aggregation propensity. The GS for even n is a perfect hairpin (PH), whereas it is a SH when n is odd. The value of ΔGS (zero for odd n) is larger for even n than for odd n. As a result, the rate of dimer formation is slower in (CAG)30 relative to (CAG)31, thus linking ΔGS to RNA-RNA association. The yield of the dimer decreases dramatically, compared to the wild type, in mutant sequences in which the population of the SH decreases substantially. Association between RNA chains is preceded by a transition to the SH even if the GS is a PH. The finding that the excitation spectrum-which depends on the exact sequence, n, and ionic conditions-is a predictor of self-association should also hold for other RNAs (mRNA for example) that undergo LLPS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiranmay Maity
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Texas at Austin, AustinTX78712
| | - Hung T. Nguyen
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Texas at Austin, AustinTX78712
| | - Naoto Hori
- School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, NG7 2rD, United Kingdom
| | - D. Thirumalai
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Texas at Austin, AustinTX78712
- Department of Physics, The University of Texas at Austin, AustinTX78712
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PerezGrovas-Saltijeral A, Ochoa-Morales A, Jara-Prado A, Velázquez-Cruz R, Rivera-Paredez B, Dávila-OrtizdeMontellano D, Benítez-Alonso EO, Santamaría-Olmedo M, Sevilla-Montoya R, Marfil-Marín E, Valdés-Flores M, Martínez-Ruano L, Camacho-Molina A, Hidalgo-Bravo A. Unraveling the role of relative telomere length and CAG expansion on initial symptoms of juvenile Huntington disease. Eur J Neurol 2023; 30:612-621. [PMID: 36421025 DOI: 10.1111/ene.15644] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Juvenile-onset Huntington disease (JHD) is defined when symptoms initiate before 20 years of age. Mechanisms explaining differences between juvenile and adult onset are not fully understood. Our aim was to analyze the distribution of initial symptoms in a cohort of JHD patients and to explore its relationship with CAG expansion and relative telomere length (RTL). METHODS A total of 84 JHD patients and 54 neurologically healthy age and sex matched individuals were recruited. CAG length was measured by southern blot or triplet repeat primed polymerase chain reaction. RTL was measured using the Cawthon method. RESULTS Psychiatric symptoms were most frequent when considering the entire cohort. When divided into onset before or after 10 years, cognitive symptoms were more frequent in the youngest, whilst in the older group psychiatric symptoms prevailed. Motor symptoms were rare in the youngest and epilepsy was observed only in this group as well as a larger CAG expansion. RTL analysis revealed shorter telomeres in JHD patients compared to controls. This difference is not influenced by age, initial symptoms, time of disease or CAG expansion. CONCLUSIONS To the best of our knowledge this is the largest cohort of JHD patients reported. Psychiatric manifestations deserve special attention when JHD is suspected and epilepsy is especially important in the youngest patients. Initial symptoms seem to be influenced by CAG expansion and therefore age of onset. RTL is significantly reduced in JHD patients which can influence the characteristic neurodegeneration of JHD and contribute to the clinical discrepancy between adult and juvenile forms of Huntington disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Adriana Ochoa-Morales
- Department of Neurogenetics, National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Aurelio Jara-Prado
- Department of Neurogenetics, National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Rafael Velázquez-Cruz
- Genomics of Bone Metabolism Laboratory, National Institute of Genomic Medicine (INMEGEN), Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Berenice Rivera-Paredez
- Research Center in Policies, Population and Health, School of Medicine, National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), Mexico City, Mexico
| | | | - Edmar O Benítez-Alonso
- Department of Neurogenetics, National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Mexico City, Mexico
| | | | - Rosalba Sevilla-Montoya
- Department of Genetics and Human Genomics, National Institute of Perinatology, Mexico City, Mexico
| | | | | | - Leticia Martínez-Ruano
- Department of Neurogenetics, National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Alejandra Camacho-Molina
- Department of Neurogenetics, National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Mexico City, Mexico
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Jih KY, Lai KL, Lin KP, Liao YC, Lee YC. Reduced-penetrance Huntington's disease-causing alleles with 39 CAG trinucleotide repeats could be a genetic factor of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. J Chin Med Assoc 2023; 86:47-51. [PMID: 36599142 DOI: 10.1097/jcma.0000000000000837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Expanded HTT alleles with 40 or more CAG repeats were recently found to be a rare cause of frontotemporal dementia and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) spectrum diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of HTT repeat expansions in a Taiwanese cohort with ALS. METHODS We analyzed the numbers of CAG repeats in exon 1 of HTT in a cohort of 410 Taiwanese patients with ALS and 1514 control individuals by utilizing polymerase chain reaction and amplicon fragment length analysis. RESULTS Only one of the 410 ALS patients carried a reduced-penetrance HD-causing allele with 39 CAG repeats, and none had an expanded HTT CAG repeats ≥40. The patient presented with rapidly progressive bulbar-onset ALS with disease onset at the age of 64 years. He had neither chorea nor cognitive impairment. He had a family history of chorea, but no other family member manifested with ALS. None of the 1514 control individuals carried an HTT expanded allele with CAG repeats larger than 37 repeats. CONCLUSION The HTT allele with 39 CAG repeats could be a genetic factor linked to ALS susceptibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kang-Yang Jih
- Department of Neurology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC
- Department of Physiology, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC
- Department of Neurology, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Kuan-Lin Lai
- Department of Neurology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC
- Department of Neurology, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC
- Brain Research Center, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Kon-Ping Lin
- Department of Neurology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC
- Department of Neurology, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Yi-Chu Liao
- Department of Neurology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC
- Department of Neurology, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC
- Brain Research Center, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Yi-Chung Lee
- Department of Neurology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC
- Department of Neurology, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC
- Brain Research Center, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC
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Abstract
INTRODUCTION The androgen receptor (AR) mediates peripheral effects of testosterone. Evidence suggests that the number of CAG repeats in exon-1 of the AR gene negatively correlates with AR transcriptional activity. The aim of this analysis was to determine the association between CAG repeat number and mortality in men. METHODS Men aged 40-79 years were recruited from primary care for participation in the UK arm of the European Male Aging Study between 2003 and 2005. Cox proportional hazards modelling was used to determine the association between CAG repeat number/mortality. Results were expressed as hazard ratios(HR)/95% confidence intervals (CI). RESULTS 312 men were followed up. The mean baseline age was 59.5 years. At follow up, 85/312(27%) men had died. CAG repeat length ranged from 14 to 39, with the highest proportion of CAG repeat number at 21 repeats(16.4%). In a multivariable model, using men with CAG repeat numbers of 22-23 as the reference, men with a lower number of CAG repeats(<22) showed a trend for a higher mortality in the follow-up period (HR 1.46 (0.75, 2.81)) as did men with higher number of repeats (>23) (1.37 (0.65, 2.91)). CONCLUSION Our data suggest that CAG repeat number may partially influence the risk of mortality in men. Further larger studies are required to quantify the effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian Heald
- Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Salford Royal Hospital, Salford, UK
- The School of Medicine and Manchester Academic Health Sciences Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Michael Cook
- Centre for Epidemiology Versus Arthritis, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Leen Antonio
- Department of Endocrinology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Clinical and Experimental Endocrinology, Department of Chronic Diseases and Metabolism, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Dirk Vanderschueren
- Department of Endocrinology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Clinical and Experimental Endocrinology, Department of Chronic Diseases and Metabolism, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ahmed Javed
- The School of Medicine and Manchester Academic Health Sciences Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Helene Fachim
- The School of Medicine and Manchester Academic Health Sciences Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Centre for Epidemiology Versus Arthritis, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | | | - Fred Wu
- Centre for Epidemiology Versus Arthritis, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Department of Endocrinology, Manchester Royal Infirmary, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Terence O'Neill
- Centre for Epidemiology Versus Arthritis, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- NIHR Manchester Biomedical Research Centre, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, UK
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Fakharzadeh A, Zhang J, Roland C, Sagui C. Novel eGZ-motif formed by regularly extruded guanine bases in a left-handed Z-DNA helix as a major motif behind CGG trinucleotide repeats. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:4860-4876. [PMID: 35536254 PMCID: PMC9122592 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [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: 02/03/2022] [Revised: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The expansion of d(CGG) trinucleotide repeats (TRs) lies behind several important neurodegenerative diseases. Atypical DNA secondary structures have been shown to trigger TR expansion: their characterization is important for a molecular understanding of TR disease. CD spectroscopy experiments in the last decade have unequivocally demonstrated that CGG runs adopt a left-handed Z-DNA conformation, whose features remain uncertain because it entails accommodating GG mismatches. In order to find this missing motif, we have carried out molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to explore all the possible Z-DNA helices that potentially form after the transition from B- to Z-DNA. Such helices combine either CpG or GpC Watson-Crick steps in Z-DNA form with GG-mismatch conformations set as either intrahelical or extrahelical; and participating in BZ or ZZ junctions or in alternately extruded conformations. Characterization of the stability and structural features (especially overall left-handedness, higher-temperature and steered MD simulations) identified two novel Z-DNA helices: the most stable one displays alternately extruded Gs, and is followed by a helix with symmetrically extruded ZZ junctions. The G-extrusion favors a seamless stacking of the Watson-Crick base pairs; extruded Gs favor syn conformations and display hydrogen-bonding and stacking interactions. Such conformations could have the potential to hijack the MMR complex, thus triggering further expansion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashkan Fakharzadeh
- Department of Physics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-8202, USA
| | - Jiahui Zhang
- Department of Physics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-8202, USA
| | - Christopher Roland
- Department of Physics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-8202, USA
| | - Celeste Sagui
- Department of Physics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-8202, USA
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Gold MA, Whalen JM, Freon K, Hong Z, Iraqui I, Lambert SAE, Freudenreich CH. Restarted replication forks are error-prone and cause CAG repeat expansions and contractions. PLoS Genet 2021; 17:e1009863. [PMID: 34673780 PMCID: PMC8562783 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [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: 02/15/2021] [Revised: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 10/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Disease-associated trinucleotide repeats form secondary DNA structures that interfere with replication and repair. Replication has been implicated as a mechanism that can cause repeat expansions and contractions. However, because structure-forming repeats are also replication barriers, it has been unclear whether the instability occurs due to slippage during normal replication progression through the repeat, slippage or misalignment at a replication stall caused by the repeat, or during subsequent replication of the repeat by a restarted fork that has altered properties. In this study, we have specifically addressed the fidelity of a restarted fork as it replicates through a CAG/CTG repeat tract and its effect on repeat instability. To do this, we used a well-characterized site-specific replication fork barrier (RFB) system in fission yeast that creates an inducible and highly efficient stall that is known to restart by recombination-dependent replication (RDR), in combination with long CAG repeat tracts inserted at various distances and orientations with respect to the RFB. We find that replication by the restarted fork exhibits low fidelity through repeat sequences placed 2–7 kb from the RFB, exhibiting elevated levels of Rad52- and Rad8ScRad5/HsHLTF-dependent instability. CAG expansions and contractions are not elevated to the same degree when the tract is just in front or behind the barrier, suggesting that the long-traveling Polδ-Polδ restarted fork, rather than fork reversal or initial D-loop synthesis through the repeat during stalling and restart, is the greatest source of repeat instability. The switch in replication direction that occurs due to replication from a converging fork while the stalled fork is held at the barrier is also a significant contributor to the repeat instability profile. Our results shed light on a long-standing question of how fork stalling and RDR contribute to expansions and contractions of structure-forming trinucleotide repeats, and reveal that tolerance to replication stress by fork restart comes at the cost of increased instability of repetitive sequences. Trinucleotide repeat expansions are the cause of several muscular- and neuro-degenerative diseases, and further expansions during intergenerational inheritance often leads to an earlier age-of-onset in the offspring. Some intergenerational expansions appear to occur during germ cell replication, but how those replication-associated expansions arise is incompletely understood. Because there are many replication barriers in genomes, including the structure-forming repeats themselves, we investigated whether a repeat placed after such a barrier had altered instability. We discovered that a restarted replication fork traversing a CAG repeat tract is highly error prone and repeat expansions and contractions are more prevalent in this case compared to normal replication. These results reveal a mechanism for replication-associated repeat instability relevant to disease-associated trinucleotide repeat expansions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michaela A. Gold
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Jenna M. Whalen
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Karine Freon
- Institut Curie, Université PSL, Orsay, France
- Université Paris-Saclay, Orsay, France
| | - Zixin Hong
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Ismail Iraqui
- Institut Curie, Université PSL, Orsay, France
- Université Paris-Saclay, Orsay, France
| | - Sarah A. E. Lambert
- Institut Curie, Université PSL, Orsay, France
- Université Paris-Saclay, Orsay, France
- Equipes Labélisées Ligue Nationale Contre Le Cancer, Orsay, France
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Tan S, Porter T, Bucks RS, Weinborn M, Milicic L, Brown A, Rainey-Smith SR, Taddei K, Ames D, Masters CL, Maruff P, Savage G, Rowe CC, Villemagne VL, Brown B, Sohrabi HR, Laws SM, Martins RN. Androgen receptor CAG repeat length as a moderator of the relationship between free testosterone levels and cognition. Horm Behav 2021; 131:104966. [PMID: 33714752 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2021.104966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Revised: 02/19/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Age-related decrease in testosterone levels is a potential risk factor for cognitive decline in older men. However, observational studies and clinical trials have reported inconsistent results on the effects of testosterone on individual cognitive domains. Null findings may be attributed to factors that studies have yet to consider. In particular, individual variations in polyglutamine (CAG) length in the androgen receptor (AR) gene could alter androgenic activity in brain regions associated with cognitive processes including memory and executive functions. However, the role of AR CAG repeat length as a moderator of the relationship between testosterone levels and cognition has not been investigated. Therefore, we aimed to examine the relationship between baseline calculated free testosterone (cFT) levels, change in cFT levels over 18 months and CAG repeat length on cognitive performance in memory, executive function, language, attention and processing speed domains. These relationships were examined in 304 cognitively normal older male participants of the Australian Imaging, Biomarkers and Lifestyle (AIBL) Study of Ageing. In the attention and processing speed domain, a short CAG repeat length appears to exacerbate the effects of low baseline cFT levels that are also lower than expected at follow-up. These results highlight that individual variations in AR CAG repeat length should be considered in future studies and clinical trials that examine the complex relationship between testosterone and cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sherilyn Tan
- Australian Alzheimer's Research Foundation, Ralph and Patricia Sarich Neuroscience Research Institute, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia; School of Psychological Science, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Tenielle Porter
- Collaborative Genomics and Translation Group, School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Western Australia, Australia; Centre for Precision Health, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Western Australia, Australia; School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Bentley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Romola S Bucks
- School of Psychological Science, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Michael Weinborn
- Australian Alzheimer's Research Foundation, Ralph and Patricia Sarich Neuroscience Research Institute, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia; School of Psychological Science, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Lidija Milicic
- Collaborative Genomics and Translation Group, School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Western Australia, Australia; Centre for Precision Health, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Ailsa Brown
- Collaborative Genomics and Translation Group, School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Stephanie R Rainey-Smith
- Australian Alzheimer's Research Foundation, Ralph and Patricia Sarich Neuroscience Research Institute, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia; School of Psychological Science, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia; Centre of Excellence for Alzheimer's Disease Research and Care, School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Kevin Taddei
- Australian Alzheimer's Research Foundation, Ralph and Patricia Sarich Neuroscience Research Institute, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia; Centre of Excellence for Alzheimer's Disease Research and Care, School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Western Australia, Australia
| | - David Ames
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; University of Melbourne Academic Unit for Psychiatry of Old Age, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; National Ageing Research Institute (NARI), Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Colin L Masters
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; Cooperative Research Centre for Mental Health, Carlton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Paul Maruff
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; CogState Ltd, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Greg Savage
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Christopher C Rowe
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; Department of Nuclear Medicine & Centre for PET, Austin Health, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia
| | - Victor L Villemagne
- Centre for Precision Health, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Western Australia, Australia; Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; Department of Nuclear Medicine & Centre for PET, Austin Health, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia
| | - Belinda Brown
- Australian Alzheimer's Research Foundation, Ralph and Patricia Sarich Neuroscience Research Institute, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia; Centre for Precision Health, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Western Australia, Australia; Centre for Healthy Ageing, College of Science, Health, Engineering and Education (SHEE), Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Hamid R Sohrabi
- Australian Alzheimer's Research Foundation, Ralph and Patricia Sarich Neuroscience Research Institute, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia; Centre of Excellence for Alzheimer's Disease Research and Care, School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Western Australia, Australia; Centre for Healthy Ageing, College of Science, Health, Engineering and Education (SHEE), Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, Australia; Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
| | - Simon M Laws
- Collaborative Genomics and Translation Group, School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Western Australia, Australia; Centre for Precision Health, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Western Australia, Australia; School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Bentley, Western Australia, Australia.
| | - Ralph N Martins
- Australian Alzheimer's Research Foundation, Ralph and Patricia Sarich Neuroscience Research Institute, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia; Centre of Excellence for Alzheimer's Disease Research and Care, School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Western Australia, Australia; Cooperative Research Centre for Mental Health, Carlton, Victoria, Australia; Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
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12
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Katsumata K, Ichikawa Y, Fuse T, Kurumizaka H, Yanagida A, Urano T, Kato H, Shimizu M. Sequence-dependent nucleosome formation in trinucleotide repeats evaluated by in vivo chemical mapping. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2021; 556:179-184. [PMID: 33839413 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2021.03.155] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2021] [Accepted: 03/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Trinucleotide repeat sequences (TRSs), consisting of 10 unique classes of repeats in DNA, are members of microsatellites and abundantly and non-randomly distributed in many eukaryotic genomes. The lengths of TRSs are mutable, and the expansions of several TRSs are implicated in hereditary neurological diseases. However, the underlying causes of the biased distribution and the dynamic properties of TRSs in the genome remain elusive. Here, we examined the effects of TRSs on nucleosome formation in vivo by histone H4-S47C site-directed chemical cleavages, using well-defined yeast minichromosomes in which each of the ten TRS classes resided in the central region of a positioned nucleosome. We showed that (AAT)12 and (ACT)12 act as strong nucleosome-promoting sequences, while (AGG)12 and (CCG)12 act as nucleosome-excluding sequences in vivo. The local histone binding affinity scores support the idea that nucleosome formation in TRSs, except for (AGG)12, is mainly determined by the affinity for the histone octamers. Overall, our study presents a framework for understanding the nucleosome-forming abilities of TRSs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koji Katsumata
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Meisei University, 2-1-1 Hodokubo, Hino, Tokyo, 191-8506, Japan
| | - Yuichi Ichikawa
- Division of Cancer Biology, The Cancer Institute of JFCR, 3-8-31 Ariake, Koto-ku, Tokyo, 135-8550, Japan
| | - Tomohiro Fuse
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Meisei University, 2-1-1 Hodokubo, Hino, Tokyo, 191-8506, Japan
| | - Hitoshi Kurumizaka
- Laboratory of Chromatin Structure and Function, Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0032, Japan
| | - Akio Yanagida
- School of Pharmacy, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, 1432-1 Horinouchi, Hachioji, Tokyo, 192-0392, Japan
| | - Takeshi Urano
- Department of Biochemistry, Shimane University School of Medicine, 89-1 Enya-cho, Izumo, Shimane, 693-8501, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Kato
- Department of Biochemistry, Shimane University School of Medicine, 89-1 Enya-cho, Izumo, Shimane, 693-8501, Japan
| | - Mitsuhiro Shimizu
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Meisei University, 2-1-1 Hodokubo, Hino, Tokyo, 191-8506, Japan.
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Di Stazio M, Foschi N, Athanasakis E, Gasparini P, d’Adamo AP. Systematic analysis of factors that improve homologous direct repair (HDR) efficiency in CRISPR/Cas9 technique. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0247603. [PMID: 33667229 PMCID: PMC7935300 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0247603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The CRISPR/Cas9 bacterial system has proven to be an powerful tool for genetic manipulation in several organisms, but the efficiency of sequence replacement by homologous direct repair (HDR) is substantially lower than random indel creation. Many studies focused on improving HDR efficiency using double sgRNA, cell synchronization cycle, and the delivery of single-stranded oligo DNA nucleotides (ssODN) with a rational design. In this study, we evaluate these three methods' synergistic effects to improve HDR efficiency. For our tests, we have chosen the TNFα gene (NM_000594) for its crucial role in various biological processes and diseases. For the first time, our results showed how the use of two sgRNA with asymmetric donor design and triple transfection events dramatically increase the HDR efficiency from an undetectable HDR event to 39% of HDR efficiency and provide a new strategy to facilitate CRISPR/Cas9-mediated human genome editing. Besides, we demonstrated that the TNFα locus could be edited with CRISPR/Cas9 methodology, an opportunity to safely correct, in the future, the specific mutations of each patient.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nicola Foschi
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | | | - Paolo Gasparini
- Institute for Maternal and Child Health-IRCCS “Burlo Garofolo”, Trieste, Italy
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Adamo Pio d’Adamo
- Institute for Maternal and Child Health-IRCCS “Burlo Garofolo”, Trieste, Italy
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
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Chen C, Zhao X, Kong X. [Detection and analysis of dynamic variant in a pedigree affected with spinocerebellar ataxia type 3]. Zhonghua Yi Xue Yi Chuan Xue Za Zhi 2020; 37:1364-1367. [PMID: 33306823 DOI: 10.3760/cma.j.cn511374-20191225-00662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To analyze the dynamic variant and clinical subtype of a pedigree affected with spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA) by using fluorescent-labeled primer combined with capillary electrophoresis. METHODS Genomic DNA was extracted from 8 members including 6 patients and 2 healthy individuals from the pedigree. Six pairs of fluorescent-labeled primers were designed to screen pathological variants in association with common subtypes of SCA including SCA1, SCA2, SCA3, SCA6, SCA12 and SCA17.The PCR products were detected by capillary electrophoresis. RESULTS The number of CAG repeats in the SCA3 gene of the proband were determined as 8 and 70, exceeded the normal range(12 to 40), which suggested a diagnosis of SCA3. The other five patients were all detected with abnormal CAG repeats in the SCA3 gene, while the two healthy individuals were determined to be within the normal range. CONCLUSION The abnormal expansion of CAG repeats in the SCA3 gene probably underlay the pathogenesis of the disease in this pedigree. Combined fluorescent-labeled primers PCR and capillary electrophoresis can detect dynamic variants among SCA patients with efficiency and accuracy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Chen
- Genetics and Prenatal Diagnosis Center, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450000, China.
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15
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Polat S, Karaburgu S, Unluhizarci K, Dündar M, Özkul Y, Arslan YK, Karaca Z, Kelestimur F. The role of androgen receptor CAG repeat polymorphism in androgen excess disorder and idiopathic hirsutism. J Endocrinol Invest 2020; 43:1271-1281. [PMID: 32166698 DOI: 10.1007/s40618-020-01215-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2019] [Accepted: 03/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE The study aimed to investigate whether repeat number in the androgen receptor (AR) gene has any contribution to phenotypes of the disease of androgen excess (polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), idiopathic hyperandrogenemia (IHA) and idiopathic hirsutism (IH) in a cohort of Turkish women. METHODS Three hundred and fifty-four voluntary premenopausal women (172 healthy controls and 182 patients with androgen excess disorders and idiopathic hirsutism) 18-45 years of age seen at an outpatient endocrine clinic at Erciyes University Hospital between January 2013 and December 2014 were included. All volunteers have undergone physical examination and biochemical evaluation. The polymorphic (CAG)n repeat of the human AR was determined by fragment analyses. RESULTS Detailed clinical analyses of the patients ended up with 137 PCOS, 24 IHA, and 21 IH. Pairwise comparisons revealed the CAG repeat number differences between the PCOS and controls (p = 0.005) and IH and controls (p = 0.020). Women with CAG repeat length ≤ 17 had a significantly increased twofold risk for PCOS than those women with > 17 CAG repeats OR: 2.0 (95% CI 1.2-3.3, p = 0.005). Women with CAG repeat length ≤ 17 had a significantly increased threefold risk for IH than those women with > 17 CAG repeats OR: 2.9 (95% CI 1.2-7.3, p = 0.020). When correlation analysis was performed, a weak negative correlation was detected between the short allele and FGS score (r = - 0.131, p = 0.013) and a positive relationship between total testosterone and longer allele in the IHA group (r = 0.425, p = 0.039). Median repeat length of the shorter allele between oligomenorrhea and woman with normal menstrual cycle was found to be statistically significant (p = 0.017). CONCLUSION This study indicated that the risk of PCOS and IH is associated with the inheritance of ARs with shorter CAG repeats.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Polat
- Department of Medical Genetics, Medical Faculty, Erzincan University, Basbaglar Mah, 24100, Erzincan, Merkez, Turkey.
| | - S Karaburgu
- Department of Endocrinology, Medical Faculty, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey
| | - K Unluhizarci
- Department of Endocrinology, Medical Faculty, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey
| | - M Dündar
- Department of Medical Genetics, Medical Faculty, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey
| | - Y Özkul
- Department of Medical Genetics, Medical Faculty, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey
| | - Y K Arslan
- Department of Biostatistics, Medical Faculty, Erzincan University, Erzincan, Turkey
| | - Z Karaca
- Department of Endocrinology, Medical Faculty, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey
| | - F Kelestimur
- Department of Endocrinology, Medical Faculty, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey
- Department of Endocrinology, Medical Faculty, Yeditepe University, İstanbul, Turkey
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Tang R, Yu Q. The significance of FMR1 CGG repeats in Chinese women with premature ovarian insufficiency and diminished ovarian reserve. Reprod Biol Endocrinol 2020; 18:82. [PMID: 32787884 PMCID: PMC7422563 DOI: 10.1186/s12958-020-00645-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2020] [Accepted: 08/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous studies have shown that there is an association between FMR1 CGG repeats and ovarian dysfunction. The aim of this study is to assess the association between the number of CGG repeats in FMR1 in Chinese patients with premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) and diminished ovarian reserve (DOR). METHODS This is a cross-sectional, case-control study, which enrolled 124 patients with POI, 57 patients with DOR and 111 normal menopausal controls. The demographic details along with other clinical data were recorded. The FMR1 CGG repeats were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction and microfluidic capillary electrophoresis. RESULTS We could detect two premutation carriers in the POI group (1.6%) and one in the control group (0.9%). No premutation carriers were identified in the DOR group. The frequency of FMR1 premutations was not different between POI or DOR and controls. The most common CGG repeat was 29 and 30, and the repeat length for allele 2 had a secondary peak around 36-39 repeats. The CGG repeats were divided into groups of five consecutive values, and the distribution of allele 1 in the POI group was different from that in the control group (P < 0.001). No statistically significant differences were found for allele 1 between DOR group vs. controls, and for allele 2 between three groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS The study shows that the frequency of FMR1 premutations is relatively low (1.6%) in Chinese women with POI. The distribution of allele 1 CGG repeat in patients with POI showed difference from that in healthy women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruiyi Tang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Science, No 1 Shuaifuyuan, Wangfujing, Beijing, 100730, DongCheng District, China
| | - Qi Yu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Science, No 1 Shuaifuyuan, Wangfujing, Beijing, 100730, DongCheng District, China.
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Mosbach V, Viterbo D, Descorps-Declère S, Poggi L, Vaysse-Zinkhöfer W, Richard GF. Resection and repair of a Cas9 double-strand break at CTG trinucleotide repeats induces local and extensive chromosomal deletions. PLoS Genet 2020; 16:e1008924. [PMID: 32673314 PMCID: PMC7413560 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1008924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2019] [Revised: 08/07/2020] [Accepted: 06/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Microsatellites are short tandem repeats, ubiquitous in all eukaryotes and represent ~2% of the human genome. Among them, trinucleotide repeats are responsible for more than two dozen neurological and developmental disorders. Targeting microsatellites with dedicated DNA endonucleases could become a viable option for patients affected with dramatic neurodegenerative disorders. Here, we used the Streptococcus pyogenes Cas9 to induce a double-strand break within the expanded CTG repeat involved in myotonic dystrophy type 1, integrated in a yeast chromosome. Repair of this double-strand break generated unexpected large chromosomal deletions around the repeat tract. These deletions depended on RAD50, RAD52, DNL4 and SAE2, and both non-homologous end-joining and single-strand annealing pathways were involved. Resection and repair of the double-strand break (DSB) were totally abolished in a rad50Δ strain, whereas they were impaired in a sae2Δ mutant, only on the DSB end containing most of the repeat tract. This observation demonstrates that Sae2 plays significant different roles in resecting a DSB end containing a repeated and structured sequence as compared to a non-repeated DSB end. In addition, we also discovered that gene conversion was less efficient when the DSB could be repaired using a homologous template, suggesting that the trinucleotide repeat may interfere with gene conversion too. Altogether, these data show that SpCas9 may not be the best choice when inducing a double-strand break at or near a microsatellite, especially in mammalian genomes that contain many more dispersed repeated elements than the yeast genome. With the discovery of highly specific DNA endonucleases such as TALEN and CRISPR-Cas systems, gene editing has become an attractive approach to address genetic disorders. Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (Steinert disease) is due to a large expansion of a CTG trinucleotide repeat in the DMPK gene. At the present time, despite numerous therapeutic attempts, this dramatic neurodegenerative disorder still has no cure. In the present work, we tried to use the Cas9 endonuclease to induce a double-strand break within the expanded CTG repeat of the DMPK gene integrated in the yeast genome. Surprisingly, this break induced chromosomal deletions around the repeat tract. These deletions were local and involved non-homologous joining of the two DNA ends, or more extensive involving homologous recombination between repeated elements upstream and downstream the break. Using yeast genetics, we investigated the genetic requirements for these deletions and found that the triplet repeat tract altered the capacity of the repair machinery to faithfully repair the double-strand break. These results have implications for future gene therapy approaches in human patients.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Stéphane Descorps-Declère
- Institut Pasteur, CNRS, UMR3525, Paris, France
- Institut Pasteur, Center of Bioinformatics, Biostatistics and Integrative Biology (C3BI), Paris, France
| | - Lucie Poggi
- Institut Pasteur, CNRS, UMR3525, Paris, France
- Sorbonne Universités, Collège doctoral, Paris, France
| | - Wilhelm Vaysse-Zinkhöfer
- Institut Pasteur, CNRS, UMR3525, Paris, France
- Sorbonne Universités, Collège doctoral, Paris, France
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Li X, Liu X, Wei J, Li Y, Tigabu M, Zhao X. Development and Transferability of EST-SSR Markers for Pinus koraiensis from Cold-Stressed Transcriptome through Illumina Sequencing. Genes (Basel) 2020; 11:genes11050500. [PMID: 32370137 PMCID: PMC7291311 DOI: 10.3390/genes11050500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2020] [Revised: 04/28/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Pinus koraiensis has significant economic and ecological value in Northeast China. However, due to the lack of suitable molecular markers, only a few available microsatellite markers were developed for further population genetics studies. In this study, for the first time we developed expressed sequence tag-simple sequence repeat (EST-SSR) markers from the cold-stressed transcriptome of P. koraiensis using Illumina Sequencing. We identified a total of 7,235 EST-SSRs from 97,376 sequences, and we tested their transferability among seven related Pinus species. The results showed that trinucleotides were the most abundant type of repeat (1287, 18.74%) excluding mononucleotides, followed by dinucleotides (1284, 18.7%) and tetranucleotides (72, 1.05%). The most dominant dinucleotides and trinucleotide repeat motifs were AT/AT (535, 7.79%) and AAT/ATT (103, 1.5%). The observed heterozygosity (Ho) and expected heterozygosity (He) ranged from 0.002 to 0.986 and 0.017 to 0.743, respectively, and the polymorphism information content (PIC) values and number of alleles (Na) varied from 0.029 to 0.794 and 2 to 23, respectively. A total of 8 natural P. koraiensis populations were divided into two main genetic clusters. Furthermore, nine of twenty polymorphic primer pairs were successfully amplified in seven Pinus species, and at least 80% of the successful P. koraiensis EST-SSR primers could be amplified in more than four species (16, 80%). Combined results for the development of EST-SSR markers in P. koraiensis and transferability among related species would contribute to improved studies on the genetic diversity and population structure in P. koraiensis and phylogenetic relationships among Pinus species. They would also provide a significant source for quantitative trait locus analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, School of Forestry, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China; (X.L.); (X.L.); (J.W.); (Y.L.)
| | - Xiaoting Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, School of Forestry, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China; (X.L.); (X.L.); (J.W.); (Y.L.)
| | - Jiatong Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, School of Forestry, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China; (X.L.); (X.L.); (J.W.); (Y.L.)
| | - Yan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, School of Forestry, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China; (X.L.); (X.L.); (J.W.); (Y.L.)
| | - Mulualem Tigabu
- Southern Swedish Forest Research Center, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-230 53 Alnarp, Sweden;
| | - Xiyang Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, School of Forestry, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China; (X.L.); (X.L.); (J.W.); (Y.L.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +86-451-8219-2225
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Capiluppi E, Romano L, Rebora P, Nanetti L, Castaldo A, Gellera C, Mariotti C, Macerollo A, Cislaghi MG. Late-onset Huntington's disease with 40-42 CAG expansion. Neurol Sci 2020; 41:869-876. [PMID: 31820322 PMCID: PMC7160095 DOI: 10.1007/s10072-019-04177-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2019] [Accepted: 11/25/2019] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Huntington's disease (HD) is a rare autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder caused by a CAG expansion greater than 35 in the IT-15 gene. There is an inverse correlation between the number of pathological CAG and the age of onset. However, CAG repeats between 40 and 42 showed a wider onset variation. We aimed to investigate potential clinical differences between patients with age at onset ≥ 60 years (late onset-HD) and patients with age at onset between 30 and 59 years (common-onset HD) in a cohort of patients with the same CAG expansions (40-42). METHODS A retrospective analysis of 66 HD patients with 40-41-42 CAG expansion was performed. Patients were investigated with the Unified Huntington's Disease Rating Scale (subitems I-II-III and Total Functional Capacity, Functional Assessment and Stage of Disease). Data were analysed using χ2, Fisher's test, t test and Pearson's correlation coefficient. GENMOD analysis and Kaplan-Meier analysis were used to study the disease progression. RESULTS The age of onset ranged from 39 to 59 years in the CO subgroup, whereas the LO subgroup showed an age of onset from 60 to 73 years. No family history was reported in 31% of the late-onset in comparison with 20% in common-onset HD (p = 0.04). No difference emerged in symptoms of onset, in clinical manifestations and in progression of disease between the two groups. CONCLUSION There were no clinical differences between CO and LO subgroups with 40-42 CAG expansion. There is a need of further studies on environmental as well genetic variables modifying the age at onset.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Luca Romano
- Department of Clinical Sciences "Luigi Sacco"- L. Sacco Hospital, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Paola Rebora
- Medical Statistics School, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Nanetti
- Unit of Medical Genetics and Neurogenetics, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Anna Castaldo
- Unit of Medical Genetics and Neurogenetics, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Cinzia Gellera
- Unit of Medical Genetics and Neurogenetics, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Caterina Mariotti
- Unit of Medical Genetics and Neurogenetics, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Antonella Macerollo
- Department of Neurology, The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool, UK.
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
| | - M Giuliana Cislaghi
- Department of Clinical Sciences "Luigi Sacco"- L. Sacco Hospital, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
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20
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Tomé S, Gourdon G. DM1 Phenotype Variability and Triplet Repeat Instability: Challenges in the Development of New Therapies. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21020457. [PMID: 31936870 PMCID: PMC7014087 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21020457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2019] [Revised: 01/02/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is a complex neuromuscular disease caused by an unstable cytosine thymine guanine (CTG) repeat expansion in the DMPK gene. This disease is characterized by high clinical and genetic variability, leading to some difficulties in the diagnosis and prognosis of DM1. Better understanding the origin of this variability is important for developing new challenging therapies and, in particular, for progressing on the path of personalized treatments. Here, we reviewed CTG triplet repeat instability and its modifiers as an important source of phenotypic variability in patients with DM1.
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21
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Shi H, Yang M, Mo C, Xie W, Liu C, Wu B, Ma X. Complete chloroplast genomes of two Siraitia Merrill species: Comparative analysis, positive selection and novel molecular marker development. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0226865. [PMID: 31860647 PMCID: PMC6924677 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0226865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [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: 06/01/2019] [Accepted: 12/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Siraitia grosvenorii fruit, known as Luo-Han-Guo, has been used as a traditional Chinese medicine for many years, and mogrosides are its primary active ingredients. Unfortunately, Siraitia siamensis, its wild relative, might be misused due to its indistinguishable appearance, not only threatening the reliability of the medication but also partly exacerbating wild resource scarcity. Therefore, high-resolution genetic markers must be developed to discriminate between these species. Here, the complete chloroplast genomes of S. grosvenorii and S. siamensis were assembled and analyzed for the first time; they were 158,757 and 159,190 bp in length, respectively, and possessed conserved quadripartite circular structures. Both contained 134 annotated genes, including 8 rRNA, 37 tRNA and 89 protein-coding genes. Twenty divergences (Pi > 0.03) were found in the intergenic regions. Nine protein-coding genes, accD, atpA, atpE, atpF, clpP, ndhF, psbH, rbcL, and rpoC2, underwent selection within Cucurbitaceae. Phylogenetic relationship analysis indicated that these two species originated from the same ancestor. Finally, four pairs of molecular markers were developed to distinguish the two species. The results of this study will be beneficial for taxonomic research, identification and conservation of Siraitia Merrill wild resources in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongwu Shi
- Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Meng Yang
- Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Changming Mo
- Guangxi Crop Genetic Improvement and Biotechnology Laboratory, Nanning, China
| | | | - Chang Liu
- Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Bin Wu
- Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
- * E-mail: (BW); (XM)
| | - Xiaojun Ma
- Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
- * E-mail: (BW); (XM)
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22
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Popescu C. Monozygotic Twins Discordant for Kennedy Disease: A Case Report. J Clin Neuromuscul Dis 2019; 21:112-116. [PMID: 31743255 DOI: 10.1097/cnd.0000000000000266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 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] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy or Kennedy disease (KD) is an X-linked recessive disorder caused by a pathogenic CAG expansion in the first exon of the androgen receptor. Proximal muscle atrophy, weakness, contraction fasciculations, bulbar involvement, and sensory disturbances are part of the clinical picture of KD. We report the unusual genetic and phenotypic expression in 2 monozygotic twins. Genetic analysis has shown abnormal expansion of CAG repeat in the first exon of the androgen receptor gene on chromosome X different between the twin brothers (44, respectively, 46) but with large phenotypical differences including onset age, evolution, and clinical features. Disease began at age 31 for the first brother, respectively, and at 56 years for the second one and consisted of muscle wasting and progressive impairment of walking. In addition, the second brother did not manifest bulbar involvement 3 years after clinical onset and has more sensory features. Besides classical EMG testing, we evaluate sensory participation in spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy with sudoscan device and confirmed the sensory deficit. We discussed epigenetic factors potentially involved in KD that could play a role in the phenotypical differences. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case describing CAG trinucleotide repeats in monozygotic twins and also the first sudoscan diagnostic of sensory disturbances in Kennedy syndrome.
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23
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Tan JSJ, Ong KC, Ong DBL, Wu YS, Razack A, Kuppusamy S, Lim J, Rhodes A. Polymorphisms in the androgen receptor CAG repeat sequence are related to tumour stage but not to ERG or androgen receptor expression in Malaysian men with prostate cancer. Malays J Pathol 2019; 41:243-251. [PMID: 31901908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Polymorphic expression of a CAG repeat sequence in the androgen receptor (AR) gene may influence the activity of the AR and the occurrence of prostate cancer and the TMPRSS2-ERG fusion event. Furthermore, this polymorphism may be responsible for the ethnic variation observed in prostate cancer occurrence and expression of the ERG oncogene. We investigate the expression of AR and ERG in the biopsies of Malaysian men with prostate cancer and in the same patients relate this to the length of the CAG repeat sequence in their AR gene. MATERIALS AND METHODS From a PSA screening initiative, 161 men were shown to have elevated PSA levels in their blood and underwent prostatic tissue biopsy. DNA was extracted from the blood, and exon 1 of the AR gene amplified by PCR and sequenced. The number of CAG repeat sequences were counted and compared to the immunohistochemical expression of ERG and AR in the matched tumour biopsies. RESULTS Of men with elevated PSA, 89 were diagnosed with prostate cancer, and 72 with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). There was no significant difference in the length of the CAG repeat in men with prostate cancer and BPH. The CAG repeat length was not associated with; age, PSA or tumour grade, though a longer CAG repeat was associated with tumour stage. ERG and AR were expressed in 36% and 86% of the cancers, respectively. There was no significant association between CAG repeat length and ERG or AR expression. However, there was a significant inverse relationship between ERG and AR expression. In addition, a significantly great proportion of Indian men had ERG positive tumours, compared to men of Malay or Chinese descent. CONCLUSIONS CAG repeat length is not associated with prostate cancer or expression of ERG or AR. However, ERG appears to be more common in the prostate cancers of Malaysian Indian men than in the prostate cancers of other Malaysian ethnicities and its expression in this study was inversely related to AR expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- J S J Tan
- University Malaya, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pathology, Lembah Pantai, 59100, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
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24
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McIntosh CS, Aung-Htut MT, Fletcher S, Wilton SD. Removal of the Polyglutamine Repeat of Ataxin-3 by Redirecting pre-mRNA Processing. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20215434. [PMID: 31683630 PMCID: PMC6862616 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20215434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2019] [Revised: 10/28/2019] [Accepted: 10/29/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3) is a devastating neurodegenerative disease for which there is currently no cure, nor effective treatment strategy. One of nine polyglutamine disorders known to date, SCA3 is clinically heterogeneous and the main feature is progressive ataxia, which in turn affects speech, balance and gait of the affected individual. SCA3 is caused by an expanded polyglutamine tract in the ataxin-3 protein, resulting in conformational changes that lead to toxic gain of function. The expanded glutamine tract is located at the 5′ end of the penultimate exon (exon 10) of ATXN3 gene transcript. Other studies reported removal of the expanded glutamine tract using splice switching antisense oligonucleotides. Here, we describe improved efficiency in the removal of the toxic polyglutamine tract of ataxin-3 in vitro using phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomers, when compared to antisense oligonucleotides composed of 2′-O-methyl modified bases on a phosphorothioate backbone. Significant downregulation of both the expanded and non-expanded protein was induced by the morpholino antisense oligomer, with a greater proportion of ataxin-3 protein missing the polyglutamine tract. With growing concerns over toxicity associated with long-term administration of phosphorothioate oligonucleotides, the use of a phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomer may be preferable for clinical application. These results suggest that morpholino oligomers may provide greater therapeutic benefit for the treatment of spinocerebellar ataxia type 3, without toxic effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Craig S McIntosh
- Molecular Therapy Laboratory, Centre for Molecular Medicine and Innovative Therapeutics, Murdoch University, Health Research Building, Discovery Way, Murdoch WA 6150, Australia.
- Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science, Centre for Neuromuscular and Neurological Disorders, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands WA 6009, Australia.
| | - May Thandar Aung-Htut
- Molecular Therapy Laboratory, Centre for Molecular Medicine and Innovative Therapeutics, Murdoch University, Health Research Building, Discovery Way, Murdoch WA 6150, Australia.
- Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science, Centre for Neuromuscular and Neurological Disorders, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands WA 6009, Australia.
| | - Sue Fletcher
- Molecular Therapy Laboratory, Centre for Molecular Medicine and Innovative Therapeutics, Murdoch University, Health Research Building, Discovery Way, Murdoch WA 6150, Australia.
- Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science, Centre for Neuromuscular and Neurological Disorders, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands WA 6009, Australia.
| | - Steve D Wilton
- Molecular Therapy Laboratory, Centre for Molecular Medicine and Innovative Therapeutics, Murdoch University, Health Research Building, Discovery Way, Murdoch WA 6150, Australia.
- Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science, Centre for Neuromuscular and Neurological Disorders, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands WA 6009, Australia.
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25
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Hafford-Tear NJ, Tsai YC, Sadan AN, Sanchez-Pintado B, Zarouchlioti C, Maher GJ, Liskova P, Tuft SJ, Hardcastle AJ, Clark TA, Davidson AE. CRISPR/Cas9-targeted enrichment and long-read sequencing of the Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy-associated TCF4 triplet repeat. Genet Med 2019; 21:2092-2102. [PMID: 30733599 PMCID: PMC6752322 DOI: 10.1038/s41436-019-0453-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2018] [Accepted: 01/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE To demonstrate the utility of an amplification-free long-read sequencing method to characterize the Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy (FECD)-associated intronic TCF4 triplet repeat (CTG18.1). METHODS We applied an amplification-free method, utilizing the CRISPR/Cas9 system, in combination with PacBio single-molecule real-time (SMRT) long-read sequencing, to study CTG18.1. FECD patient samples displaying a diverse range of CTG18.1 allele lengths and zygosity status (n = 11) were analyzed. A robust data analysis pipeline was developed to effectively filter, align, and interrogate CTG18.1-specific reads. All results were compared with conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based fragment analysis. RESULTS CRISPR-guided SMRT sequencing of CTG18.1 provided accurate genotyping information for all samples and phasing was possible for 18/22 alleles sequenced. Repeat length instability was observed for all expanded (≥50 repeats) phased CTG18.1 alleles analyzed. Furthermore, higher levels of repeat instability were associated with increased CTG18.1 allele length (mode length ≥91 repeats) indicating that expanded alleles behave dynamically. CONCLUSION CRISPR-guided SMRT sequencing of CTG18.1 has revealed novel insights into CTG18.1 length instability. Furthermore, this study provides a framework to improve the molecular diagnostic accuracy for CTG18.1-mediated FECD, which we anticipate will become increasingly important as gene-directed therapies are developed for this common age-related and sight threatening disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Geoffrey J Maher
- Clinical Genetics Group, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - Petra Liskova
- UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, London, UK
- Department of Ophthalmology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Stephen J Tuft
- UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, London, UK
- Moorfields Eye Hospital, London, UK
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Abstract
Trinucleotide repeat (TNR) sequences, which are responsible for several neurodegenerative genetic diseases, fold into hairpins that interfere with the protein machinery in replication or repair, thus leading to dynamic mutation -abnormal expansions of the genome. Despite their high thermodynamic stability, these hairpins can undergo configurational rearrangements, which may be crucial for continuous dynamic mutation. Here, we used CTG repeats as a model system to study their structural dynamics at the single-molecule level. A unique dynamic two-state configuration interchange was discovered over a wide range of odd-numbered CTG repeat sequences. Employing repeat-number-dependent kinetic analysis, we proposed a bulge translocation model, which is driven by the local instability and can be extended reasonably to longer (pathologically relevant) hairpins, implying the potential role in error accumulation in repeat expansion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng-Wei Ni
- Department of Chemistry , National Taiwan Normal University , Taipei 11677 , Taiwan
| | - Yu-Jie Wei
- Department of Chemistry , National Taiwan Normal University , Taipei 11677 , Taiwan
| | - Yang-I Shen
- Department of Chemistry , National Taiwan Normal University , Taipei 11677 , Taiwan
| | - I-Ren Lee
- Department of Chemistry , National Taiwan Normal University , Taipei 11677 , Taiwan
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27
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Shoulson I, Eberly S, Oakes D, Kayson E, Young AB. Phenotype-genotype discrepancies in the prospective Huntington at-risk observational study. Ann Clin Transl Neurol 2019; 6:1046-1052. [PMID: 31211168 PMCID: PMC6562068 DOI: 10.1002/acn3.781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [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: 01/02/2019] [Revised: 02/28/2019] [Accepted: 03/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To examine phenotype-genotype discrepancies (PGDs) wherein genotype-concealed and prospective judgments of the motor onset of Huntington disease (HD) occurred among at-risk adults who had nonexpanded (<37) cytosine-adenine-guanine (CAG) trinucleotide DNA repeats. METHODS We examined the prospective clinical assessments of investigators who were kept unaware of individual CAG lengths in the Prospective Huntington At-Risk Observational Study (PHAROS) who enrolled and followed undiagnosed adults at risk for HD who chose not to learn their gene status. Subjects (n = 1001) at 43 Huntington Study Group research sites in the US and Canada were evaluated prospectively and systematically between 1999 and 2009. At each site, an investigator was designated to perform comprehensive clinic assessments and another investigator to rate only the motor examination. Phenoconversion from a "premanifest" status to a confidently "manifest" status was based on investigator judgment (diagnostic confidence level) of the extrapyramidal motor features of HD. RESULTS There were 20 PGDs that over time had less severe motor scores than the 101 phenoconversions with CAG ≥37, but more severe motor scores than nonconversions. Following conversion, subjects with CAG ≥37 expansions worsened more motorically and cognitively than PGD subjects in the < 37 group. PGDs were concentrated among three sites and a few investigators, especially raters who only assessed the motor examination. INTERPRETATION The ability to detect the clinical onset of HD in a timely and reliable fashion remains the key for developing experimental treatments aimed at postponing the clinical onset of HD. Comprehensive clinical evaluation is a more accurate and reliable basis for determining HD clinical onset than sole reliance on judging the extrapyramidal features of HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ira Shoulson
- University of Rochester Medical CenterRochesterNew York
| | | | - David Oakes
- University of Rochester Medical CenterRochesterNew York
| | - Elise Kayson
- University of Rochester Medical CenterRochesterNew York
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28
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Clark E, Strawser C, Schadt K, Lynch DR. Identification of a novel missense mutation in Friedreich's ataxia -FXN W 168R. Ann Clin Transl Neurol 2019; 6:812-816. [PMID: 31020006 PMCID: PMC6469249 DOI: 10.1002/acn3.728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2018] [Revised: 12/29/2018] [Accepted: 01/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Friedreich's ataxia, characterized by decreased expression of frataxin protein, is caused by GAA trinucleotide repeats within intron 1 in 98% of patients. Two percent of patients carry GAA repeats in conjunction with a point mutation. In this work, we find that frataxinW168R, a novel disease-causing missense mutation, is expressed predominantly as the intermediate frataxin42-210 form, with very little expression of mature frataxin81-210 form. Its localization to mitochondria is not impaired. Additionally, increasing frataxinW168R precursor levels do not lead to an increase in mature frataxin levels, suggesting these patients will require alternative approaches to repair frataxin processing in order to treat the disorder in a disease-modifying manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisia Clark
- University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPennsylvania
- Division of NeurologyChildren's Hospital of PhiladelphiaPhiladelphiaPennsylvania
| | - Cassandra Strawser
- Division of NeurologyChildren's Hospital of PhiladelphiaPhiladelphiaPennsylvania
| | - Kimberly Schadt
- Division of NeurologyChildren's Hospital of PhiladelphiaPhiladelphiaPennsylvania
| | - David R. Lynch
- University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPennsylvania
- Division of NeurologyChildren's Hospital of PhiladelphiaPhiladelphiaPennsylvania
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29
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Škrlec I, Barišić K, Wagner J. Validation of a Screening Method for Dynamic Mutations in the FMR1 Gene. Ann Clin Lab Sci 2018; 48:810-813. [PMID: 30610057 DOI: pmid/30610057] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The objectives of this study were to validate the direct triplet-primed PCR method (dTP-PCR) for determination of dynamic mutations in the FMR1 gene, and to compare the results of the dTP-PCR method and Southern blot analysis. The number of CGG repeats in the FMR1 gene was determined by the direct triplet-primed PCR method and by melting curve analysis. The cut-off temperature between normal and permutations of the CGG repeats was determined using control samples with a known number of CGG repeats. All patients are classified into four categories based on the DNA melting curve. The clinical performance of the assay was established by 40 previously analyzed samples, yielding results of 100% sensitivity and 90.48% specificity in detection expansions of CGG (>30) repeats in the FMR1 gene. This method is appropriate for the quick determination of allelic changes in the FMR1 gene, screening a population, and identifying mutations or premutation carriers in a population with intellectual disabilities of an unknown cause.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivana Škrlec
- Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health, J. J. Strossmayer University of Osijek, Croatia
- Department of Medical Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, J. J. Strossmayer University of Osijek, Croatia
| | - Karmela Barišić
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Haematology, Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, University of Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Jasenka Wagner
- Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health, J. J. Strossmayer University of Osijek, Croatia
- Department of Medical Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, J. J. Strossmayer University of Osijek, Croatia
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30
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Glineburg MR, Todd PK, Charlet-Berguerand N, Sellier C. Repeat-associated non-AUG (RAN) translation and other molecular mechanisms in Fragile X Tremor Ataxia Syndrome. Brain Res 2018; 1693:43-54. [PMID: 29453961 PMCID: PMC6010627 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2018.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2017] [Revised: 01/31/2018] [Accepted: 02/02/2018] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS) is a late-onset inherited neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive intention tremor, gait ataxia and dementia associated with mild brain atrophy. The cause of FXTAS is a premutation expansion, of 55 to 200 CGG repeats localized within the 5'UTR of FMR1. These repeats are transcribed in the sense and antisense directions into mutants RNAs, which have increased expression in FXTAS. Furthermore, CGG sense and CCG antisense expanded repeats are translated into novel proteins despite their localization in putatively non-coding regions of the transcript. Here we focus on two proposed disease mechanisms for FXTAS: 1) RNA gain-of-function, whereby the mutant RNAs bind specific proteins and preclude their normal functions, and 2) repeat-associated non-AUG (RAN) translation, whereby translation through the CGG or CCG repeats leads to the production of toxic homopolypeptides, which in turn interfere with a variety of cellular functions. Here, we analyze the data generated to date on both of these potential molecular mechanisms and lay out a path forward for determining which factors drive FXTAS pathogenicity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Peter K Todd
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Veteran's Affairs Medical Center, Ann Arbor, MI 48105, USA
| | - Nicolas Charlet-Berguerand
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), INSERM U964, CNRS UMR7104, University of Strasbourg, 67400 Illkirch, France
| | - Chantal Sellier
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), INSERM U964, CNRS UMR7104, University of Strasbourg, 67400 Illkirch, France.
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31
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Zhang Z, Marro SG, Zhang Y, Arendt KL, Patzke C, Zhou B, Fair T, Yang N, Südhof TC, Wernig M, Chen L. The fragile X mutation impairs homeostatic plasticity in human neurons by blocking synaptic retinoic acid signaling. Sci Transl Med 2018; 10:eaar4338. [PMID: 30068571 PMCID: PMC6317709 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aar4338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2017] [Accepted: 07/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is an X chromosome-linked disease leading to severe intellectual disabilities. FXS is caused by inactivation of the fragile X mental retardation 1 (FMR1) gene, but how FMR1 inactivation induces FXS remains unclear. Using human neurons generated from control and FXS patient-derived induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells or from embryonic stem cells carrying conditional FMR1 mutations, we show here that loss of FMR1 function specifically abolished homeostatic synaptic plasticity without affecting basal synaptic transmission. We demonstrated that, in human neurons, homeostatic plasticity induced by synaptic silencing was mediated by retinoic acid, which regulated both excitatory and inhibitory synaptic strength. FMR1 inactivation impaired homeostatic plasticity by blocking retinoic acid-mediated regulation of synaptic strength. Repairing the genetic mutation in the FMR1 gene in an FXS patient cell line restored fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP) expression and fully rescued synaptic retinoic acid signaling. Thus, our study reveals a robust functional impairment caused by FMR1 mutations that might contribute to neuronal dysfunction in FXS. In addition, our results suggest that FXS patient iPS cell-derived neurons might be useful for studying the mechanisms mediating functional abnormalities in FXS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenjie Zhang
- Departments of Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, 265 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305-5453, USA
| | - Samuele G Marro
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305-5453, USA
- Institute of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305-5453, USA
| | - Yingsha Zhang
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305-5453, USA
| | - Kristin L Arendt
- Departments of Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, 265 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305-5453, USA
| | - Christopher Patzke
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305-5453, USA
| | - Bo Zhou
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305-5453, USA
| | - Tyler Fair
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305-5453, USA
- Institute of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305-5453, USA
| | - Nan Yang
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305-5453, USA
- Institute of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305-5453, USA
| | - Thomas C Südhof
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305-5453, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305-5453, USA
| | - Marius Wernig
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305-5453, USA.
- Institute of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305-5453, USA
| | - Lu Chen
- Departments of Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, 265 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305-5453, USA.
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32
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Podvin S, Reardon HT, Yin K, Mosier C, Hook V. Multiple clinical features of Huntington's disease correlate with mutant HTT gene CAG repeat lengths and neurodegeneration. J Neurol 2018; 266:551-564. [PMID: 29956026 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-018-8940-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2018] [Revised: 06/06/2018] [Accepted: 06/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease caused by mutant HTT gene expansions of CAG triplet repeat numbers that are inherited in an autosomal dominant manner. HD patients display multiple clinical features that are correlated with HTT CAG repeat numbers that include age of disease onset, motor dysfunction, cognitive deficits, compromised daily living capacity, and brain neurodegeneration. It is important to understand the significant relationships of the multiple HD clinical deficits correlated with the number of mutant HTT CAG expansions that are the genetic basis for HD disabilities. Therefore, this review highlights the significant correlations of the HD clinical features of age of onset, motor and cognitive disabilities, decline in living capabilities, weight loss, risk of death, and brain neurodegeneration with respect to their associations with CAG repeat lengths of the HTT gene. Quantitative HTT gene expression patterns analyzed in normal adult human brain regions demonstrated its distribution in areas known to undergo neurodegeneration in HD, as well as in other brain regions. Future investigation of the relationships of the spectrum of clinical HD features with mutant HTT molecular mechanisms will be important to gain understanding of how mutant CAG expansions of the HTT gene result in the devastating disabilities of HD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonia Podvin
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, 9500 Gilman Drive, MC0719, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, 92093-0719, USA
| | - Holly T Reardon
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, 9500 Gilman Drive, MC0719, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, 92093-0719, USA
| | - Katrina Yin
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, 9500 Gilman Drive, MC0719, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, 92093-0719, USA
| | - Charles Mosier
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, 9500 Gilman Drive, MC0719, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, 92093-0719, USA
| | - Vivian Hook
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, 9500 Gilman Drive, MC0719, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, 92093-0719, USA.
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, 9500 Gilman Drive, MC0719, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, 92093-0719, USA.
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California, 9500 Gilman Drive, MC0719, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, 92093-0719, USA.
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Gustin SLF, Wang G, Baker VM, Latham G, Sebastiano V. Use of human-derived stem cells to create a novel, in vitro model designed to explore FMR1 CGG repeat instability amongst female premutation carriers. J Assist Reprod Genet 2018; 35:1443-1455. [PMID: 29926373 DOI: 10.1007/s10815-018-1237-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [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: 12/13/2017] [Accepted: 06/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Create a model, using reprogrammed cells, to provide a platform to identify the mechanisms of CGG repeat instability amongst female fragile X mental retardation 1 gene (FMR1) premutation (PM) carriers. METHODS Female PM carriers (with and without POI) and healthy controls were enrolled from June 2013 to April 2014. Patient-derived fibroblasts (FB) were reprogrammed to induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) using viral vectors, encoding KLF4, OCT4, SOX2, and MYC. FMR1 CGG repeat-primed PCR was used to assess the triplet repeat structure of the FMR1 gene. FMR1 promoter methylation (%) was determined using FMR1 methylation PCR (mPCR). Quantification of FMR1 transcripts by RT-qPCR was used to evaluate the effect of reprogramming on gene transcription, as well as to correlate patient phenotype with FMR1 expression. Production of FMR1 protein (FMRP) was determined using a liquid bead array-based immunoassay. RESULTS Upon induction to pluripotency, all control clones exhibited maintenance of progenitor cell CGG repeat number, whereas 10 of 12 clones derived from PM carriers maintained their input CGG repeat number, one of which expanded and one contracted. As compared to parent FB, iPSC clones exhibited a skewed methylation pattern; however, downstream transcription and translation appeared unaffected. Further, the PM carriers, regardless of phenotype, exhibited similar FMR1 transcription and translation to the controls. CONCLUSIONS This is the first study to establish a stem cell model aimed to understand FMR1 CGG repeat instability amongst female PM carriers. Our preliminary data indicate that CGG repeat number, transcription, and translation are conserved upon induction to pluripotency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie L F Gustin
- Department Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
| | - Guangwen Wang
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Valerie M Baker
- Department Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Gary Latham
- Research and Technology Development, Asuragen, Inc., Austin, TX, 78744, USA
| | - Vittorio Sebastiano
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology &Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
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Singh HN, Scheiber-Mojdehkar B, Rajeswari MR. DNA trinucleotide (GAA) repeats in human genome: hint for disease pathogenesis? J Biomol Struct Dyn 2018; 36:1958-1965. [PMID: 28605995 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2017.1341336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2017] [Accepted: 05/30/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Himanshu Narayan Singh
- a Department of Biochemistry , All India Institute of Medical Sciences , New Delhi 110029 , India
| | - Barbara Scheiber-Mojdehkar
- b Department of Medical Chemistry and Pathobiochemistry , Medical University of Vienna , Vienna , Austria
| | - Moganty R Rajeswari
- a Department of Biochemistry , All India Institute of Medical Sciences , New Delhi 110029 , India
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Zhang Q, Chen ZS, An Y, Liu H, Hou Y, Li W, Lau KF, Koon AC, Ngo JCK, Chan HYE. A peptidylic inhibitor for neutralizing expanded CAG RNA-induced nucleolar stress in polyglutamine diseases. RNA 2018; 24:486-498. [PMID: 29295891 PMCID: PMC5855950 DOI: 10.1261/rna.062703.117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2017] [Accepted: 12/27/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Polyglutamine (polyQ) diseases are a class of progressive neurodegenerative disorders characterized by the expression of both expanded CAG RNA and misfolded polyQ protein. We previously reported that the direct interaction between expanded CAG RNA and nucleolar protein nucleolin (NCL) impedes preribosomal RNA (pre-rRNA) transcription, and eventually triggers nucleolar stress-induced apoptosis in polyQ diseases. Here, we report that a 21-amino acid peptide, named "beta-structured inhibitor for neurodegenerative diseases" (BIND), effectively suppresses toxicity induced by expanded CAG RNA. When administered to a cell model, BIND potently inhibited cell death induced by expanded CAG RNA with an IC50 value of ∼0.7 µM. We showed that the function of BIND is dependent on Glu2, Lys13, Gly14, Ile18, Glu19, and Phe20. BIND treatment restored the subcellular localization of nucleolar marker protein and the expression level of pre-45s rRNA Through isothermal titration calorimetry analysis, we demonstrated that BIND suppresses nucleolar stress via a direct interaction with CAG RNA in a length-dependent manner. The mean binding constants (KD) of BIND to SCA2CAG22 , SCA2CAG42 , SCA2CAG55 , and SCA2CAG72 RNA are 17.28, 5.60, 4.83, and 0.66 µM, respectively. In vivo, BIND ameliorates retinal degeneration and climbing defects, and extends the lifespan of Drosophila expressing expanded CAG RNA. These effects suggested that BIND can suppress neurodegeneration in diverse polyQ disease models in vivo and in vitro without exerting observable cytotoxic effect. Our results collectively demonstrated that BIND is an effective inhibitor of expanded CAG RNA-induced toxicity in polyQ diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Zhang
- Laboratory of Drosophila Research, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China
- School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Zhefan Stephen Chen
- Laboratory of Drosophila Research, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China
- School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Ying An
- Laboratory of Drosophila Research, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China
- School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Haizhen Liu
- School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Yonghui Hou
- Laboratory of Drosophila Research, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China
- School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Wen Li
- School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Kwok-Fai Lau
- School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Alex Chun Koon
- Laboratory of Drosophila Research, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China
- School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Jacky Chi Ki Ngo
- School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Ho Yin Edwin Chan
- Laboratory of Drosophila Research, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China
- School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China
- Gerald Choa Neuroscience Centre, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China
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Weintrob N, Eyal O, Slakman M, Segev Becker A, Israeli G, Kalter-Leibovici O, Ben-Shachar S. The effect of CAG repeats length on differences in hirsutism among healthy Israeli women of different ethnicities. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0195046. [PMID: 29584789 PMCID: PMC5871002 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0195046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [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: 01/11/2018] [Accepted: 03/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Variations in the degree of hirsutism among women of different ethnic backgrounds may stem from multiple etiologies. Shorter length of the polymorphic CAG repeats of the androgen receptor (AR) gene may be associated with increased activity of the receptor leading to hirsutism. We hypothesized that there are ethnic differences in the degree of hirsutism that is unrelated to androgen levels among Israeli women, and that the CAG repeats length may contribute to these differences. Anti-androgenic therapies, such as spironolactone, could be suggested if a shorter CAG repeats length is found to affect the difference in the degree of hirsutism between the ethnic groups. METHODS Healthy Israeli Jewish women aged 18-45 years of Ashkenazi and non-Ashkenazi origin were invited to participate. Hirsutism was assessed using the simplified Ferriman-Gallwey (sFG) score, and serum total testosterone levels were measured as well. The CAG repeats length was determined by PCR. Methylation-sensitive methods were used to detect the fractional activity of each allele, and the weighted mean was calculated for the CAG repeats length. RESULTS One-hundred and eight women were recruited (49 Ashkenazi and 59 non-Ashkenazi). The Ashkenazi women had a significantly lower degree of hirsutism (P<0.01), lower mean BMI (P = 0.003), total testosterone levels (P = 0.017), and longer weighted bi-allelic CAG repeats mean (P = 0.015) compared to non-Ashkenazi women. For the group as a whole, there was a significant negative correlation between the number of CAG repeats in the AR gene and the sFG score, while the number of repeats was not related to testosterone levels. Stepwise logistic regression revealed that ethnic origin and the CAG repeats length were the strongest factors affecting hirsutism (P<0.001, P = 0.03, respectively). CONCLUSIONS There is a significant difference in the degree of hirsutism between Ashkenazi and non-Ashkenazi women in Israel that is partially explained by CAG repeats length.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naomi Weintrob
- Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes Unit, Dana-Dwek Children's Hospital, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Ori Eyal
- Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes Unit, Dana-Dwek Children's Hospital, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- * E-mail:
| | - Meital Slakman
- Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Anat Segev Becker
- Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes Unit, Dana-Dwek Children's Hospital, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Galit Israeli
- Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes Unit, Dana-Dwek Children's Hospital, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Ofra Kalter-Leibovici
- Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- The Gertner Institute for Epidemiology & Health Policy Research, Tel-Hashomer, Israel
| | - Shay Ben-Shachar
- Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Genetic Institute, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel
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Dantham S, Srivastava AK, Gulati S, Rajeswari MR. Differentially Regulated Cell-Free MicroRNAs in the Plasma of Friedreich's Ataxia Patients and Their Association with Disease Pathology. Neuropediatrics 2018; 49:35-43. [PMID: 29179232 DOI: 10.1055/s-0037-1607279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Friedreich's ataxia (FRDA) is a multisystem disease affecting the predominately nervous system, followed by muscle, heart, and pancreas. Current research focused on therapeutic interventions aimed at molecular amelioration, but there are no reliable noninvasive signatures available to understand disease pathogenesis. The present study investigates the alterations of plasma cell-free microRNAs (miRNAs) in FRDA patients and attempts to find the significance in relevance with the pathogenesis. Total RNA from the plasma of patients and healthy controls were subjected to miRNA microarray analysis using Agilent Technologies microarray platform. Differentially regulated miRNAs were validated by SYBR-green real-time polymerase chain reaction (Thermo Fisher Scientific). The study identified 20 deregulated miRNAs (false discovery rate < 0.01, fold change ≥ 2.0 ≤) in comparison with healthy controls; out of which 17 miRNAs were upregulated, and 3 miRNAs were downregulated. Target and pathway analysis of these miRNAs have shown association with neurodegenerative and other clinical features in FRDA. Further validation (n = 21) identified a set of significant (p < 0.05) deregulated miRNAs; hsa-miR-15a-5p, hsa-miR-26a-5p, hsa-miR-29a-3p, hsa-miR-223-3p, hsa-24-3p, and hsa-miR-21-5p in comparison with healthy controls. These miRNAs were reported to influence various pathological features associated with FRDA. The present study is expected to aid in the understanding of disease pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Subrahamanyam Dantham
- Department of Biochemistry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Achal K Srivastava
- Department of Neurology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Sheffali Gulati
- Department of Paediatrics Neurology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Moganty R Rajeswari
- Department of Biochemistry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
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Cao JK, Detloff PJ, Gardner RG, Stella N. Sex-dependent behavioral impairments in the HdhQ350/+ mouse line. Behav Brain Res 2018; 337:34-45. [PMID: 28927719 PMCID: PMC5659761 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2017.09.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [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: 04/24/2017] [Revised: 08/08/2017] [Accepted: 09/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Huntington's Disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disease characterized by gradual deterioration of motor and cognitive functions and development of psychiatric deficits. Animal models provide powerful means to study the pathological processes, molecular dysfunctions and symptoms associated with HD. We performed a longitudinal behavioral study of the newly developed HdhQ350/+ mouse line, a knock-in model that expresses a repeat of 350 glutamines. We found remarkable sex-dependent differences on symptom onset and severity. While both sexes lose weight and grip strength, only HdhQ350/+ males have impaired motor coordination as measured by the rotarod and alterations in gait as measured by the catwalk assay. While HdhQ350/+ females do not exhibit impairment in motor coordination, we found a reduction in dark phase locomotor activity. Male and female HdhQ350/+ mice do not show anxiety as measured by the elevated plus maze or changes in exploration as measured by the open field test. To investigate these sex-dependent differences, we performed western blot analyses of striatal tissue. We measured equal mutant huntingtin protein expression in both sexes and found evidence of aggregation. We found the expected decrease of DARPP-32 expression only in female HdhQ350/+ mice. Remarkably, we found no evidence of reduction in synaptophysin or CB1 receptors in HdhQ350/+ tissue of either sex. Our study indicates that male and female HdhQ350/+ mice differentially recapitulate select behavioral impairments commonly measured in other HD mouse models with limited sex-dependent changes in recognized histopathological markers. We conclude that expanded polyglutamine repeats influence HD pathogenesis in a sex-dependent manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica K Cao
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, United States
| | - Peter J Detloff
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, 35294, United States
| | - Richard G Gardner
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, United States
| | - Nephi Stella
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, United States; Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, United States.
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Shekari Khaniani M, Aob P, Ranjouri M, Mansoori Derakhsan S. Molecular analysis and prevalence of Huntington disease in northwestern Iran. Turk J Med Sci 2017; 47:1880-1884. [PMID: 29306253 DOI: 10.3906/sag-1510-25] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Background/aim: Huntington disease (HD) is a progressive adult-onset neurodegenerative disorder presenting an autosomal dominant inheritance. Since there is no information on the prevalence of HD in northwestern Iran, the aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of HD and the number of CAG trinucleotide repeats in the population of northwestern Iran.Materials and methods: Genomic DNA was extracted from whole blood by the salting-out method. DNA samples were analyzed to determine the number of CAG trinucleotide repeats of the HD gene. An abnormally large number of CAG repeats, which is a diagnostic factor for the disease, was detected by polymerase chain reaction and agarose gel electrophoresis.Results: Out of 40 cases, we identified 14 nonkindred individuals with one expanded CAG allele at the IT15 gene. The frequency of the HD mutation in our group of patients was 35%. Expanded alleles varied from 36 to 70 CAG repeats, and normal alleles in HD patients varied from 20 to 26 CAG units. Conclusion: We found a significant correlation between age at onset of the disease and length of the expanded CAG tract: the lower the age, the longer the trinucleotide repeats length.
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Yang D, Tian J, Zhang X, Yu J, Li S, Wang Z, Ma Y, Liu L, Huang Q, Ma R, Wang J, Li X, Jiang M. The polymorphic CAG repeat in exon 1 of androgen receptor is associated with level of HDL cholesterol and hypertension in Chinese middle-aged and elderly men. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf) 2017; 87:29-34. [PMID: 28295444 DOI: 10.1111/cen.13326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2016] [Revised: 02/15/2017] [Accepted: 03/05/2017] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The length of the CAG repeats in exon 1 of the androgen receptor (AR) gene has been shown to be inversely correlated with AR transcriptional activity. This study aimed to investigate the correlations between the length of CAG repeat in AR and serum lipids and hypertension in Chinese men. DESIGN AND PATIENTS The relationship between length of the CAG repeat in exon 1 of AR with prevalence of hypertension and the levels of serum lipids among Chinese men (aged ≥40 years). MEASUREMENTS The physical condition of the subjects was examined and recorded. The concentrations of blood lipids and sex hormones were measured, and the CAG repeat lengths of the AR gene were determined. RESULTS The length of the AR CAG repeats was associated with HDL cholesterol (HDL-C) concentration, and the stepwise multiple regression model showed that this association was independent of body mass index (BMI), triglycerides (TG) and total cholesterol (TC), although these factors influence HDL-C concentration. Furthermore, men with <22 vs men with ≥22 CAG repeats showed higher blood pressure and higher prevalence of hypertension. Shorter CAG repeat numbers were associated with the increased risk of hypertension in a multivariate logistic regression analysis (odds ratio = 0·715; 95% confidence interval, 0·517-0·989; P = 0·043). No significant correlation of AR CAG repeat polymorphism with sex hormone levels, TG, LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) or TC was found. CONCLUSIONS This study provides evidence that men carrying shorter (<22) AR CAG repeats have lower HDL-C level and increased risk of hypertension. The androgenic activity may differ due to the polymorphic length of CAG repeats of the AR gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deyu Yang
- Graduate School of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Jinhai Tian
- National Engineering Research Center for Beijing Biochip Technology, Sub-center in Ningxia, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Xu Zhang
- National Engineering Research Center for Beijing Biochip Technology, Sub-center in Ningxia, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Jingjing Yu
- National Engineering Research Center for Beijing Biochip Technology, Sub-center in Ningxia, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Shuya Li
- Graduate School of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Zhizhong Wang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Yuying Ma
- Health Examination Center, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Lan Liu
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Qi Huang
- National Engineering Research Center for Beijing Biochip Technology, Sub-center in Ningxia, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Rong Ma
- National Engineering Research Center for Beijing Biochip Technology, Sub-center in Ningxia, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Jia Wang
- National Engineering Research Center for Beijing Biochip Technology, Sub-center in Ningxia, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Xin Li
- Graduate School of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Min Jiang
- National Engineering Research Center for Beijing Biochip Technology, Sub-center in Ningxia, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
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Quaid KA, Eberly SW, Kayson-Rubin E, Oakes D, Shoulson I. Factors related to genetic testing in adults at risk for Huntington disease: the prospective Huntington at-risk observational study (PHAROS). Clin Genet 2017; 91:824-831. [PMID: 27740685 PMCID: PMC5392180 DOI: 10.1111/cge.12893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [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: 06/23/2016] [Revised: 10/07/2016] [Accepted: 10/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Huntington disease (HD) is a late onset ultimately fatal neurodegenerative disorder caused by a cytosine-adenine-guanine ( CAG) triplet repeat expansion in the Huntingtin gene which was discovered in 1993. The PHAROS study is a unique observational study of 1001 individuals at risk for HD who had not been previously tested for HD and who had no plans to do so. In this cohort, 104 (10%) individuals changed their minds and chose to be tested during the course of the study but outside of the study protocol. Baseline behavioral scores, especially apathy, were more strongly associated with later genetic testing than motor and chorea scores, particularly among subjects with expanded CAG repeat length. In the CAG expanded group, those choosing to be tested were older and had more chorea and higher scores on the behavioral section of the unified Huntington's disease rating scale at baseline than those not choosing to be tested. Following genetic testing, 56% of subjects with CAG < 37 had less depression when compared to prior to testing, but depression generally stayed the same or increased for 64% of subjects in the expanded group. This finding suggests that approaches to testing must continue to be cautious, with appropriate medical, psychological and social support.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly A. Quaid
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN
| | - Shirley W. Eberly
- Department of Biostatistics and Computational Biology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY
| | - Elise Kayson-Rubin
- Department of Neurology and CHET, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY
| | - David Oakes
- Department of Biostatistics and Computational Biology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY
| | - Ira Shoulson
- Department of Neurology and Program for Regulatory Science & Medicine (PRSM), Georgetown University, Washington, DC
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Song X, Cao X. Context and Complexity: Analyzing Methylation in Trinucleotide Sequences. Trends Plant Sci 2017; 22:351-353. [PMID: 28392157 DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2017.03.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2017] [Revised: 03/23/2017] [Accepted: 03/27/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Cytosine methylation in plants occurs in the mCG, mCHG, and mCHH (where H = A, T, or C) sequence contexts and specific pathways maintain methylation in each one. A recent publication revealed that substantial heterogeneity of methylated cytosine levels exists in the CHG/CHH trinucleotide contexts, which is associated with chromomethyltranferase functions in the maintenance of methylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianwei Song
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics and National Center for Plant Gene Research, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Xiaofeng Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics and National Center for Plant Gene Research, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
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Ambrose KK, Ishak T, Lian LH, Goh KJ, Wong KT, Ahmad-Annuar A, Thong MK. Analysis of CTG repeat length variation in the DMPK gene in the general population and the molecular diagnosis of myotonic dystrophy type 1 in Malaysia. BMJ Open 2017; 7:e010711. [PMID: 28363916 PMCID: PMC5387946 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2015-010711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The lack of epidemiological data and molecular diagnostic services in Malaysia has hampered the setting-up of a comprehensive management plan for patients with myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1), leading to delayed diagnosis, treatment and support for patients and families. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of DM1 in the 3 major ethnic groups in Malaysia and evaluate the feasibility of a single tube triplet-primed PCR (TP-PCR) method for diagnosis of DM1 in Malaysia. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS We used PCR to determine the size of CTG repeats in 377 individuals not known to be affected by DM and 11 DM1 suspected patients, recruited from a tertiary hospital in Kuala Lumpur. TP-PCR was performed on selected samples, followed by Southern blot hybridisation of PCR amplified fragments to confirm and estimate the size of CTG expansion. OUTCOME MEASURES The number of individuals not known to be affected by DM with (CTG)>18 was determined according to ethnic group and as a whole population. The χ2 test was performed to compare the distribution of (CTG)>18 with 12 other populations. Additionally, the accuracy of TP-PCR in detecting CTG expansion in 11 patients with DM1 was determined by comparing the results with that from Southern blot hybridisation. RESULTS Of the 754 chromosomes studied, (CTG)>18 frequency of 3.60%, 1.57% and 4.00% in the Malay, Chinese and Indian subpopulations, respectively, was detected, showing similarities to data from Thai, Taiwanese and Kuwaiti populations. We also successfully detected CTG expansions in 9 patients using the TP-PCR method followed by the estimation of CTG expansion size via Southern blot hybridisation. CONCLUSIONS The results show a low DM1 prevalence in Malaysia with the possibility of underdiagnosis and demonstrates the feasibility of using a clinical and TP-PCR-based approach for rapid and cost-effective DM1 diagnosis in developing countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathlin K Ambrose
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Taufik Ishak
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Lay-Hoong Lian
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Khean-Jin Goh
- Department of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Kum-Thong Wong
- Department of Pathology, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Azlina Ahmad-Annuar
- Department of Biomedical Science, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Meow-Keong Thong
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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Sproviero W, Shatunov A, Stahl D, Shoai M, van Rheenen W, Jones AR, Al-Sarraj S, Andersen PM, Bonini NM, Conforti FL, Van Damme P, Daoud H, Del Mar Amador M, Fogh I, Forzan M, Gaastra B, Gellera C, Gitler AD, Hardy J, Fratta P, La Bella V, Le Ber I, Van Langenhove T, Lattante S, Lee YC, Malaspina A, Meininger V, Millecamps S, Orrell R, Rademakers R, Robberecht W, Rouleau G, Ross OA, Salachas F, Sidle K, Smith BN, Soong BW, Sorarù G, Stevanin G, Kabashi E, Troakes C, van Broeckhoven C, Veldink JH, van den Berg LH, Shaw CE, Powell JF, Al-Chalabi A. ATXN2 trinucleotide repeat length correlates with risk of ALS. Neurobiol Aging 2017; 51:178.e1-178.e9. [PMID: 28017481 PMCID: PMC5302215 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2016.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2016] [Revised: 11/14/2016] [Accepted: 11/16/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
We investigated a CAG trinucleotide repeat expansion in the ATXN2 gene in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Two new case-control studies, a British dataset of 1474 ALS cases and 567 controls, and a Dutch dataset of 1328 ALS cases and 691 controls were analyzed. In addition, to increase power, we systematically searched PubMed for case-control studies published after 1 August 2010 that investigated the association between ATXN2 intermediate repeats and ALS. We conducted a meta-analysis of the new and existing studies for the relative risks of ATXN2 intermediate repeat alleles of between 24 and 34 CAG trinucleotide repeats and ALS. There was an overall increased risk of ALS for those carrying intermediate sized trinucleotide repeat alleles (odds ratio 3.06 [95% confidence interval 2.37-3.94]; p = 6 × 10-18), with an exponential relationship between repeat length and ALS risk for alleles of 29-32 repeats (R2 = 0.91, p = 0.0002). No relationship was seen for repeat length and age of onset or survival. In contrast to trinucleotide repeat diseases, intermediate ATXN2 trinucleotide repeat expansion in ALS does not predict age of onset but does predict disease risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- William Sproviero
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, King's College London, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, London, UK
| | - Aleksey Shatunov
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, King's College London, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, London, UK
| | - Daniel Stahl
- Department of Biostatistics, King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, UK
| | - Maryam Shoai
- Department of Molecular Neuroscience, University College London (UCL) Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Wouter van Rheenen
- Department of Neurology, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Ashley R Jones
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, King's College London, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, London, UK
| | - Safa Al-Sarraj
- Department of Clinical Neuropathology, King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Peter M Andersen
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Neuroscience, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Nancy M Bonini
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | - Philip Van Damme
- Neurology Department, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Vesalius Research Center, VIB, Leuven, Belgium; Disease (LIND), KU Leuven - University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Hussein Daoud
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Maria Del Mar Amador
- Department of Nervous System Diseases, ALS Paris ALS Center for Rare Diseases, Groupe Hospitalier Pitié Salpêtrière, APHP, Paris, France
| | - Isabella Fogh
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, King's College London, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, London, UK
| | - Monica Forzan
- Clinical Genetics Unit, Department of Woman and Child Health, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Ben Gaastra
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, King's College London, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, London, UK
| | - Cinzia Gellera
- Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Aaron D Gitler
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - John Hardy
- Department of Molecular Neuroscience, University College London (UCL) Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Pietro Fratta
- Sobell Department of Motor Neuroscience and Movement Disorders, University College London (UCL) Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Vincenzo La Bella
- ALS Clinical Research Center, Bio. Ne. C., University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Isabelle Le Ber
- Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière (ICM), Inserm U1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06 UMRS1127, Paris, France; AP-HP, Hôpitaux Universitaires La Pitié Salpêtrière-Charles Foix, Centre de Référence des Démences Rares, Departement de Neurologie, Paris, France
| | - Tim Van Langenhove
- Neurodegenerative Brain Diseases Group, Department of Molecular Genetics, VIB, Antwerp, Belgium; Laboratory of Neurogenetics, Insititute Born-Bunge, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium; Department of Neurology, Antwerp University Hospital, Edegem, Belgium
| | - Serena Lattante
- Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière (ICM), Inserm U1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06 UMRS1127, Paris, France
| | - Yi-Chung Lee
- Department of Neurology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Neurology, National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan; Brain Research Center, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Andrea Malaspina
- North-East London and Essex MND Care Centre - Neuroscience and Trauma Centre, Blizard, Institute of Cell and Molecular Medicine, Barts & the London School of Medicine & Dentistry, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK
| | - Vincent Meininger
- Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, institut de recherche translationnelle en neurosciences (A-ICM), Paris, France; Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, réseau SLA IdF, Paris, France
| | - Stéphanie Millecamps
- Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière (ICM), Inserm U1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06 UMRS1127, Paris, France
| | - Richard Orrell
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, University College London (UCL) Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Rosa Rademakers
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - Wim Robberecht
- Vesalius Research Center, VIB, Leuven, Belgium; Disease (LIND), KU Leuven - University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Guy Rouleau
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Owen A Ross
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - Francois Salachas
- Department of Nervous System Diseases, ALS Paris ALS Center for Rare Diseases, Groupe Hospitalier Pitié Salpêtrière, APHP, Paris, France; Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière (ICM), Inserm U1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06 UMRS1127, Paris, France
| | - Katie Sidle
- Department of Molecular Neuroscience, University College London (UCL) Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Bradley N Smith
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, King's College London, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, London, UK
| | - Bing-Wen Soong
- Department of Neurology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Neurology, National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan; Brain Research Center, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Gianni Sorarù
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Giovanni Stevanin
- Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière (ICM), Inserm U1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06 UMRS1127, Paris, France; Neurogenetics team, Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes, Paris, France
| | - Edor Kabashi
- Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière (ICM), Inserm U1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06 UMRS1127, Paris, France
| | - Claire Troakes
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, King's College London, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, London, UK
| | - Christine van Broeckhoven
- Neurodegenerative Brain Diseases Group, Department of Molecular Genetics, VIB, Antwerp, Belgium; Laboratory of Neurogenetics, Insititute Born-Bunge, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Jan H Veldink
- Department of Neurology, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Leonard H van den Berg
- Department of Neurology, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Christopher E Shaw
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, King's College London, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, London, UK
| | - John F Powell
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, King's College London, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, London, UK
| | - Ammar Al-Chalabi
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, King's College London, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, London, UK.
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Kang MJ, Lee JS, Kim HY, Jung HW, Lee YA, Lee SH, Seo JY, Kim JH, Chung HR, Kim SY, Shin CH, Yang SW. Contributions of CAG repeat length in the androgen receptor gene and androgen profiles to premature pubarche in Korean girls. Endocr J 2017; 64:91-102. [PMID: 27725361 DOI: 10.1507/endocrj.ej16-0300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The CAG repeat length of the androgen receptor (AR) gene, which exhibits an inverse relationship to AR sensitivity, might influence the development of the pubarche along with hyperandrogenemia. There are ethnic differences in the AR CAG repeat length, however, no Asian studies on premature pubarche (PP) have been reported, including Korea. Our objectives were to examine the hormone levels and AR CAG repeat length, and to assess their contributions to PP in Korean girls. Subjects with PP (n=16) and normal pubarche (NP, n=16), and normal controls (NC, n=16) were enrolled. The levels of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate (DHEAS), 17-hydroxyprogesterone (17-OHP), and free testosterone (FT) were checked. The methylation-weighted (MW) average CAG repeat lengths were analyzed. The median ages at pubarche were 7.4 and 8.9 years in the PP and NP groups, respectively, and the levels of 17-OHP, DHEAS, and FT were similar in both groups. The PP group exhibited a higher DHEAS:DHEA ratio than the NP group (P=0.014). The medians of the MW average CAG repeat length of the AR gene were 22.4 for all subjects and did not differ among the PP (22.3), NP (22.4), and NC (22.2) groups. The AR CAG repeat lengths in the PP and NP groups did not correlate with DHEAS or FT levels. These results suggest that the AR CAG repeat length was not involved in the development of PP in Korean girls. However, excessive adrenal androgen levels, particularly those caused by increased sulfotransferase activity, might be important in the pathogenesis of PP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Jae Kang
- Department of Pediatrics, Hallym Sacred Heart Hospital, Anyang 14068, Korea
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Martindale JE. Diagnosis of Spinocerebellar Ataxias Caused by Trinucleotide Repeat Expansions. Curr Protoc Hum Genet 2017; 92:9.30.1-9.30.22. [PMID: 28075481 DOI: 10.1002/cphg.30] [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] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs) are a group of disorders that are both clinically and genetically heterogeneous. They usually demonstrate onset in adulthood, but some forms may have juvenile or infantile onset. There are many different types of SCA, demonstrating different modes of inheritance and types of mutation. The most common forms are due to dominantly inherited expansions in trinucleotide repeat sequences located within the coding region of the relevant genes, and these are readily identifiable by molecular genetic testing. In general, it is possible to test for these disorders using PCR-based assays, amplifying across the trinucleotide repeat regions and sizing the PCR products to determine the number of repeats. Larger expansions are generally associated with a more severe presentation of the disorder, and alternative methods may be necessary to detect these alleles. This protocol describes methods for detecting normal and expanded triplet repeat alleles in the most common SCA genes. © 2017 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanne E Martindale
- Sheffield Diagnostic Genetics Service, Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust, Sheffield, United Kingdom
- Wellington Regional Genetics Laboratory, Wellington Hospital, Newtown, Wellington, New Zealand
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47
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Peyser A, Singer T, Mullin C, Hershlag A. Reduction in the number of CGG repeats on the FMR1 gene in carriers of genetic disorders versus noncarriers. JBRA Assist Reprod 2017; 21:327-329. [PMID: 28967713 PMCID: PMC5714600 DOI: 10.5935/1518-0557.20170054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective CGG repeat expansion on the fragile X mental retardation 1 (FMR1) gene is
used to diagnose fragile X syndrome. Previous studies have discussed the
correlation between the number of CGG repeats and its associated phenotypic
components. The objective of this study is to determine whether the number
of CGG repeats differ between carriers of genetic disorders versus
noncarriers. Methods We performed a retrospective chart review of 2867 patients who received
genetic screening at our fertility clinic between June 2013 and July 2015.
The number of CGG repeats on allele 1 and allele 2 on the FMR1 gene was
collected and it was specified whether the patient was a carrier or a
noncarrier of a specific mutation. Patients with CGG repeats greater than or
equal to 45 were excluded from the study. Results Carriers (n=759) had a reduced number of repeats compared to noncarriers
(n=2024) on allele 1 (p=.03), allele 2
(p=.02) and the average of both alleles
(p=.01). Additionally, the number of CGG repeats from the
ten most carried diseases from the cohort were used and tested individually
for clinical significance against the number of repeats in the noncarriers.
A reduction in repeats was shown in several mutations and a few were
outliers. Conclusion Our results demonstrate that there is a significant reduction in the number
of CGG repeats in carriers of genetic mutations. A larger scale study of
disease carrying patients would be beneficial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Peyser
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Northwell Health,
Division of Reproductive Endocrinology, Hofstra-Northwell School of Medicine,
New York, USA
- Corresponding Author: Alexandra Peyser, Department of
Obstetrics and Gynecology, Northwell Health, Division of Reproductive
Endocrinology, Hofstra-Northwell School of Medicine, Manhasset, New York, USA,
E-mail:
| | - Tomer Singer
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Northwell Health,
Division of Reproductive Endocrinology, Hofstra-Northwell School of Medicine,
New York, USA
| | - Christine Mullin
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Northwell Health,
Division of Reproductive Endocrinology, Hofstra-Northwell School of Medicine,
New York, USA
| | - Avner Hershlag
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Northwell Health,
Division of Reproductive Endocrinology, Hofstra-Northwell School of Medicine,
New York, USA
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48
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Gettler LT, Ryan CP, Eisenberg DTA, Rzhetskaya M, Hayes MG, Feranil AB, Bechayda SA, Kuzawa CW. The role of testosterone in coordinating male life history strategies: The moderating effects of the androgen receptor CAG repeat polymorphism. Horm Behav 2017; 87:164-175. [PMID: 27794482 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2016.10.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2016] [Revised: 10/20/2016] [Accepted: 10/23/2016] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Partnered fathers often have lower testosterone than single non-parents, which is theorized to relate to elevated testosterone (T) facilitating competitive behaviors and lower T contributing to nurturing. Cultural- and individual-factors moderate the expression of such psychobiological profiles. Less is known about genetic variation's role in individual psychobiological responses to partnering and fathering, particularly as related to T. We examined the exon 1 CAG (polyglutamine) repeat (CAGn) within the androgen receptor (AR) gene. AR CAGn shapes T's effects after it binds to AR by affecting AR transcriptional activity. Thus, this polymorphism is a strong candidate to influence individual-level profiles of "androgenicity." While males with a highly androgenic profile are expected to engage in a more competitive-oriented life history strategy, low androgenic men are at increased risk of depression, which could lead to similar outcomes for certain familial dynamics, such as marriage stability and parenting. Here, in a large longitudinal study of Filipino men (n=683), we found that men who had high androgenicity (elevated T and shorter CAGn) or low androgenicity (lower T and longer CAGn) showed elevated likelihood of relationship instability over the 4.5-year study period and were also more likely be relatively uninvolved with childcare as fathers. We did not find that CAGn moderated men's T responses to the fatherhood transition. In total, our results provide evidence for invested fathering and relationship stability at intermediate levels of androgenicity and help inform our understanding of variation in male reproductive strategies and the individual hormonal and genetic differences that underlie it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lee T Gettler
- Department of Anthropology, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, United States; The Eck Institute for Global Health, University of Notre Dame, United States.
| | - Calen P Ryan
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, United States
| | - Dan T A Eisenberg
- Department of Anthropology, University of Washington, Seattle, United States; Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology, University of Washington, Seattle, United States
| | - Margarita Rzhetskaya
- Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Molecular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
| | - M Geoffrey Hayes
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, United States; Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Molecular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, United States; Center for Genetic Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
| | - Alan B Feranil
- USC Office of Population Studies Foundation and Department of Anthropology, Sociology, and History, College of Arts and Sciences, University of San Carlos, Talamban Cebu City, Philippines
| | - Sonny Agustin Bechayda
- USC Office of Population Studies Foundation and Department of Anthropology, Sociology, and History, College of Arts and Sciences, University of San Carlos, Talamban Cebu City, Philippines
| | - Christopher W Kuzawa
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, United States; Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, United States
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McMackin MZ, Henderson CK, Cortopassi GA. Neurobehavioral deficits in the KIKO mouse model of Friedreich's ataxia. Behav Brain Res 2017; 316:183-188. [PMID: 27575947 PMCID: PMC5051948 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2016.08.053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [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: 06/08/2016] [Revised: 08/24/2016] [Accepted: 08/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Friedreich's Ataxia (FA) is a pediatric neurodegenerative disease whose clinical presentation includes ataxia, muscle weakness, and peripheral sensory neuropathy. The KIKO mouse is an animal model of FA with frataxin deficiency first described in 2002, but neurobehavioral deficits have never been described in this model. The identification of robust neurobehavioral deficits in KIKO mice could support the testing of drugs for FA, which currently has no approved therapy. We tested 13 neurobehavioral tasks to identify a robust KIKO phenotype: Open Field, Grip Strength Test(s), Cylinder, Skilled Forelimb Grasp Task(s), Treadmill Endurance, Locotronic Motor Coordination, Inverted Screen, Treadscan, and Von Frey. Of these, Inverted Screen, Treadscan and Von Frey produced significant neurobehavioral deficits at >8 months of age, and relate to the clinically relevant endpoints of muscle strength and endurance, gait ataxia, and peripheral insensitivity. Thus we identify robust phenotypic measures related to Friedreich's ataxia clinical endpoints which could be used to test effectiveness of potential drug therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marissa Z McMackin
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Chelsea K Henderson
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Gino A Cortopassi
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
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50
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Skillings EA, Morton AJ. Delayed Onset and Reduced Cognitive Deficits through Pre-Conditioning with 3-Nitropropionic Acid is Dependent on Sex and CAG Repeat Length in the R6/2 Mouse Model of Huntington's Disease. J Huntingtons Dis 2016; 5:19-32. [PMID: 27031731 DOI: 10.3233/jhd-160189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Impairments in energy metabolism are implicated in Huntington's disease (HD) pathogenesis. Reduced levels of the mitochondrial enzyme succinate dehydrogenase (SDH), the main element of complex II, are observed post mortem in the brains of HD patients, and energy metabolism defects have been identified in both presymptomatic and symptomatic HD patients. OBJECTIVE Chemical preconditioning with 3-nitropropionic acid (3-NP), an irreversible inhibitor of SDH, has been shown to increase tolerance against experimental hypoxia in both heart and brain. Here we studied the effect of chronic preconditioning in the R6/2 mouse model of HD using mice carrying CAG repeat lengths of either 250 or 400 repeats. Both are transgenic fragment models, with 250CAG mice having a more rapid disease progression than 400CAG mice. METHODS Low doses of 3-NP (24 mg/kg) were administered via the drinking water and the effect on phenotype progression and cognition function assessed. RESULTS After 3-NP treatment there were significant improvements in all aspects of the behavioural phenotype, apart from body weight, with timing and magnitude of improvements dependent on both CAG repeat length and sex. Specifically, a delay in the deterioration of general health (as shown by delayed onset of glycosuria and increased survival) was seen in both male and female 400CAG mice and in female 250CAG mice and was consistent with improved appearance of 3-NP treated R6/2 mice. Male 250CAG mice showed improvements but these were short term, and 3-NP treatment eventually had deleterious effects on their survival rate. When cognitive performance of 250CAG mice was assessed using a two-choice discrimination touchscreen task, we found that female mice showed significant improvements. DISCUSSION Together, our results support the idea that energy metabolism contributes to the pathogenesis of HD, and suggest that improving energy deficits might be a therapeutically useful target.
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