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Cappuccio G, Attanasio S, Alagia M, Mutarelli M, Borzone R, Karali M, Genesio R, Mormile A, Nitsch L, Imperati F, Esposito A, Banfi S, Del Giudice E, Brunetti-Pierri N. Microdeletion of pseudogene chr14.232.a affects LRFN5 expression in cells of a patient with autism spectrum disorder. Eur J Hum Genet 2019; 27:1475-1480. [PMID: 31152157 DOI: 10.1038/s41431-019-0430-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2018] [Revised: 04/17/2019] [Accepted: 04/30/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
We identified a 14q21.2 microdeletion in a 16-year-old boy with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), IQ in the lower part of normal range but high-functioning memory skills. The deletion affects a gene desert, and the non-deleted gene closest to the microdeletion boundaries is LRFN5, which encodes a protein involved in synaptic plasticity and implicated in neuro-psychiatric disorders. LRFN5 expression was significantly decreased in the proband's skin fibroblasts. The deleted region includes the pseudogene chr14.232.a, which is transcribed into a long non-coding RNA (lncLRFN5-10), whose levels were also significantly reduced in the proband's fibroblasts compared to controls. Transfection of the patient's fibroblasts with a plasmid expressing chr14.232.a significantly increased LRFN5 expression, while siRNA targeting chr14.232.a-derived lncLRFN5-10 reduced LRFN5 levels. In summary, we report on an individual with ASD carrying a microdeletion encompassing the pseudogene chr14.232.a encoding for lncLRFN5-10, which was found to affect the expression levels of the nearby, non-deleted LRFN5. This case illustrates the potential role of long non-coding RNAs in regulating expression of neighbouring genes with a functional role in ASD pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerarda Cappuccio
- Department of Translational Medicine, Section of Paediatrics, Federico II University, Naples, Italy.,Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine, Pozzuoli, Naples, Italy
| | - Sergio Attanasio
- Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine, Pozzuoli, Naples, Italy
| | - Marianna Alagia
- Department of Translational Medicine, Section of Paediatrics, Federico II University, Naples, Italy
| | | | - Roberta Borzone
- Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine, Pozzuoli, Naples, Italy
| | - Marianthi Karali
- Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine, Pozzuoli, Naples, Italy.,Department of Precision Medicine, University of Campania "L. Vanvitelli", Caserta, CE, Italy
| | - Rita Genesio
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, Federico II University, Naples, Italy
| | - Angela Mormile
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, Federico II University, Naples, Italy
| | - Lucio Nitsch
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, Federico II University, Naples, Italy
| | - Floriana Imperati
- Department of Translational Medicine, Section of Paediatrics, Federico II University, Naples, Italy
| | - Annalisa Esposito
- Department of Translational Medicine, Section of Paediatrics, Federico II University, Naples, Italy
| | - Sandro Banfi
- Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine, Pozzuoli, Naples, Italy.,Department of Precision Medicine, University of Campania "L. Vanvitelli", Caserta, CE, Italy
| | - Ennio Del Giudice
- Department of Translational Medicine, Section of Paediatrics, Federico II University, Naples, Italy
| | - Nicola Brunetti-Pierri
- Department of Translational Medicine, Section of Paediatrics, Federico II University, Naples, Italy. .,Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine, Pozzuoli, Naples, Italy.
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Khoja S, Nitzahn M, Hermann K, Truong B, Borzone R, Willis B, Rudd M, Palmer DJ, Ng P, Brunetti-Pierri N, Lipshutz GS. Conditional disruption of hepatic carbamoyl phosphate synthetase 1 in mice results in hyperammonemia without orotic aciduria and can be corrected by liver-directed gene therapy. Mol Genet Metab 2018; 124:243-253. [PMID: 29801986 PMCID: PMC6076338 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymgme.2018.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2018] [Revised: 04/02/2018] [Accepted: 04/02/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Carbamoyl phosphate synthetase 1 (CPS1) is a urea cycle enzyme that forms carbamoyl phosphate from bicarbonate, ammonia and ATP. Bi-allelic mutations of the CPS1 gene result in a urea cycle disorder presenting with hyperammonemia, often with reduced citrulline, and without orotic aciduria. CPS1 deficiency is particularly challenging to treat and lack of early recognition typically results in early neonatal death. Therapeutic interventions have limited efficacy and most patients develop long-term neurologic sequelae. Using transgenic techniques, we generated a conditional Cps1 knockout mouse. By loxP/Cre recombinase technology, deletion of the Cps1 locus was achieved in adult transgenic animals using a Cre recombinase-expressing adeno-associated viral vector. Within four weeks from vector injection, all animals developed hyperammonemia without orotic aciduria and died. Minimal CPS1 protein was detectable in livers. To investigate the efficacy of gene therapy for CPS deficiency following knock-down of hepatic endogenous CPS1 expression, we injected these mice with a helper-dependent adenoviral vector (HDAd) expressing the large murine CPS1 cDNA under control of the phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase promoter. Liver-directed HDAd-mediated gene therapy resulted in survival, normalization of plasma ammonia and glutamine, and 13% of normal Cps1 expression. A gender difference in survival suggests that female mice may require higher hepatic CPS1 expression. We conclude that this conditional murine model recapitulates the clinical and biochemical phenotype detected in human patients with CPS1 deficiency and will be useful to investigate ammonia-mediated neurotoxicity and for the development of cell- and gene-based therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suhail Khoja
- Departments of Surgery, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States
| | - Matt Nitzahn
- Departments of Surgery, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States; Molecular Biology Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States
| | - Kip Hermann
- Departments of Surgery, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States; Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States
| | - Brian Truong
- Departments of Surgery, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States; Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States
| | | | - Brandon Willis
- Mouse Biology Program (MBP), University of California, Davis, United States
| | - Mitchell Rudd
- Departments of Surgery, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States
| | - Donna J Palmer
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Philip Ng
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Nicola Brunetti-Pierri
- Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine, Naples, Italy; Department of Translational Medicine, Federico II University of Naples, Naples, Italy
| | - Gerald S Lipshutz
- Departments of Surgery, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States; Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States; Molecular Biology Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States; Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States; Urology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States; Psychiatry, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States; Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center at UCLA, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States; Semel Institute for Neuroscience, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States.
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Pagliarini R, Castello R, Napolitano F, Borzone R, Annunziata P, Mandrile G, De Marchi M, Brunetti-Pierri N, di Bernardo D. In Silico Modeling of Liver Metabolism in a Human Disease Reveals a Key Enzyme for Histidine and Histamine Homeostasis. Cell Rep 2016; 15:2292-2300. [PMID: 27239044 PMCID: PMC4906368 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2016.05.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2015] [Revised: 03/29/2016] [Accepted: 04/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Primary hyperoxaluria type I (PH1) is an autosomal-recessive inborn error of liver metabolism caused by alanine:glyoxylate aminotransferase (AGT) deficiency. In silico modeling of liver metabolism in PH1 recapitulated accumulation of known biomarkers as well as alteration of histidine and histamine levels, which we confirmed in vitro, in vivo, and in PH1 patients. AGT-deficient mice showed decreased vascular permeability, a readout of in vivo histamine activity. Histamine reduction is most likely caused by increased catabolism of the histamine precursor histidine, triggered by rerouting of alanine flux from AGT to the glutamic-pyruvate transaminase (GPT, also known as the alanine-transaminase ALT). Alanine administration reduces histamine levels in wild-type mice, while overexpression of GPT in PH1 mice increases plasma histidine, normalizes histamine levels, restores vascular permeability, and decreases urinary oxalate levels. Our work demonstrates that genome-scale metabolic models are clinically relevant and can link genotype to phenotype in metabolic disorders. In silico model of liver metabolism reveals global metabolic alterations in PH1 Changes in amino acid metabolism in PH1 result in a reduction of histidine and histamine GPT overexpression normalizes histamine levels and reduces oxalate in PH1 mice
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Roberta Borzone
- Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine, 80078 Pozzuoli, Italy
| | | | - Giorgia Mandrile
- Medical Genetics, San Luigi University Hospital, 10043 Orbassano, Italy; Department of Clinical & Biological Sciences, University of Turin, 10043 Orbassano, Italy
| | - Mario De Marchi
- Medical Genetics, San Luigi University Hospital, 10043 Orbassano, Italy; Department of Clinical & Biological Sciences, University of Turin, 10043 Orbassano, Italy
| | - Nicola Brunetti-Pierri
- Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine, 80078 Pozzuoli, Italy; Department of Translational Medicine, Federico II University, 80131 Naples, Italy.
| | - Diego di Bernardo
- Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine, 80078 Pozzuoli, Italy; Department of Chemical, Materials and Industrial Engineering, Federico II University, 80125 Naples, Italy.
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Castello R, Borzone R, Annunziata P, Piccolo P, Brunetti-Pierri N. 703. Liver-Directed Gene Therapy for Primary Hyperoxaluria Type 1. Mol Ther 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/s1525-0016(16)34312-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
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Sanchez Sañudo LL, Carreño OC, Borzone R, Levati HA, Bragoni P. [Urinary diversion]. Rev Argent Urol Nefrol 1969; 38:121-2. [PMID: 5372432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
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