Screening of Litter-Size-Associated SNPs in NOX4, PDE11A and GHR Genes of Sheep

In previous studies, NOX4, PDE11A and GHR genes have been screened as important candidate genes for litter size in sheep by using the GWAS method; however, neither their effects on litter size nor the loci associated with litter size have been identified. In this study, three candidate loci (c.1057-4C > T in NOX4, c.1983C > T in PDE11A and c.1618C > T in GHR) were first screened based on our previous resequencing data of 10 sheep breeds. After the three loci were genotyped using Sequenom MassARRAY technology, we carried out population genetics analysis on the three loci and performed association analysis between the polymorphism of the three loci and the litter size of sheep. The results of population genetics analysis suggested that c.1057-4C > T in NOX4 and c.1983C > T in PDE11A may be subject to natural or artificial selection. The results of association analysis indicated that litter size was significantly associated with c.1057-4C > T in NOX4 and c.1983C > T in PDE11A (p < 0.05) in Small Tail Han sheep, and there was no significant interaction effect between the two loci on the litter size. In summary, c.1057-4C > T in NOX4 and c.1983 C > T in PDE11A can be considered candidate molecular markers for improving litter size in sheep.

The Sleep Quality- and Myopia-Linked PDE11A-Y727C Variant Impacts Neural Physiology by Reducing Catalytic Activity and Altering Subcellular Compartmentalization of the Enzyme

Recently, a Y727C variant in the dual-specific 3',5'-cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase 11A (PDE11A-Y727C) was linked to increased sleep quality and reduced myopia risk in humans. Given the well-established role that the PDE11 substrates cAMP and cGMP play in eye physiology and sleep, we determined if (1) PDE11A protein is expressed in the retina or other eye segments in mice, (2) PDE11A-Y7272C affects catalytic activity and/or subcellular compartmentalization more so than the nearby suicide-associated PDE11A-M878V variant, and (3) Pde11a deletion alters eye growth or sleep quality in male and female mice. Western blots show distinct protein expression of PDE11A4, but not PDE11A1-3, in eyes of Pde11a WT, but not KO mice, that vary by eye segment and age. In HT22 and COS-1 cells, PDE11A4-Y727C reduces PDE11A4 catalytic activity far more than PDE11A4-M878V, with both variants reducing PDE11A4-cAMP more so than PDE11A4-cGMP activity. Despite this, Pde11a deletion does not alter age-related changes in retinal or lens thickness or axial length, nor vitreous or anterior chamber depth. Further, Pde11a deletion only minimally changes refractive error and sleep quality. That said, both variants also dramatically alter the subcellular compartmentalization of human and mouse PDE11A4, an effect occurring independently of dephosphorylating PDE11A4-S117/S124 or phosphorylating PDE11A4-S162. Rather, re-compartmentalization of PDE11A4-Y727C is due to the loss of the tyrosine changing how PDE11A4 is packaged/repackaged via the trans-Golgi network. Therefore, the protective impact of the Y727C variant may reflect a gain-of-function (e.g., PDE11A4 displacing another PDE) that warrants further investigation in the context of reversing/preventing sleep disturbances or myopia.

PDE11A gene polymorphism in testicular cancer: sperm parameters and hormonal profile

PURPOSE

Testicular germ cell tumours (TGCTs) is the most common malignancy among young adult males. The etiology is multifactorial and both environmental and genetic factors play an important role in the origin and development of TGCT. Genetic susceptibility may result from the interaction of multiple common and low-penetrance genetic variants and one of the main candidate genes is PDE11A. Many PDE11A polymorphisms were found responsible for a reduced PDE activity in TGCT patients, who often also display impaired hormone and sperm profile. The aim of this study was to investigate testicular function and PDE11A sequence in testicular cancer cases.

METHODS

Semen analysis was performed in 116 patients with unilateral and bilateral sporadic TGCTs and in 120 cancer-free controls. We also investigated hormone profile and PDE11A polymorphisms using peripheral blood samples.

RESULTS

Our data revealed that TGCT patients showed lower testosterone levels, higher gonadotropins levels and worse semen quality than controls, although the mean and the medians of sperm parameters are within the reference limits. PDE11A sequencing detected ten polymorphisms not yet associated with TGCTs before. Among these, G223A in homozygosity and A288G in heterozygosity were significantly associated with a lower risk of testicular tumour and they displayed a positive correlation with total sperm number.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings highlight the key role of PDE11A in testis and suggest the presence of an underlying complex and fine molecular mechanism which controls testis-specific gene expression and susceptibility to testicular cancer.

Cyclic Cushing's syndrome caused by neuroendocrine tumor: a case report

Cushing's syndrome (CS) is a clinical syndrome characterized by hypercortisolemia. Cyclic Cushing's syndrome (CCS), which exhibits a periodic or irregular increasing pattern in cortisol, is a rare type of Cushing's syndrome. A 37-year-old man came to our hospital because of repeated dizzy spells, weakness and hypercortisolemia lasting two weeks. Endocrinological examinations indicated CCS with periodic and intermittent increases in cortisol. Enhanced computed tomography (CT) revealed space occupying lesions on the upper lobe of left lung, and biopsy eventually proved that these were pulmonary carcinoid tumors with ectopic ACTH secretion, which was subsequently manifested a Cushing's syndrome. PET-CT, ultrasound and biopsy of the thyroid gland indicated bilateral thyroid papillary carcinoma. CT scan showed bilateral nodular hyperplasia of the adrenal gland. Enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) confirmed that the high signal disappeared on the posterior lobe of the pituitary gland and that the pituitary stalk shifted left, which was suspected to be non-functional pituitary microadenoma. The patient underwent surgery involving resection of the left upper pulmonary lobe and the mediastinal lymph node around the hilus pulmonis, which resulted in complete remission of CCS. The patient then chose elective surgery for the thyroid papillary carcinoma. An analysis of the patient's genomic DNA identified a novel mutation in PDE11A: c.2032 (exon 12) G > A, which is associated with primary pigmented nodular adrenocortical disease (PPNAD). This is a novel mutation which has been no previous public clinical report on this mutation as it relates to this disease.

A Role for Phosphodiesterase 11A (PDE11A) in the Formation of Social Memories and the Stabilization of Mood

The most recently discovered 3',5'-cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase family is the Phosphodiesterase 11 (PDE11) family, which is encoded by a single gene PDE11A. PDE11A is a dual-specific PDE, breaking down both cAMP and cGMP. There are four PDE11A splice variants (PDE11A1-4) with distinct tissue expression profiles and unique N-terminal regulatory regions, suggesting that each isoform could be individually targeted with a small molecule or biologic. PDE11A4 is the PDE11A isoform expressed in brain and is found in the hippocampal formation of humans and rodents. Studies in rodents show that PDE11A4 mRNA expression in brain is, in fact, restricted to the hippocampal formation (CA1, possibly CA2, subiculum, and the adjacently connected amygdalohippocampal area). Within the hippocampal formation of rodents, PDE11A4 protein is expressed in neurons but not astrocytes, with a distribution across nuclear, cytoplasmic, and membrane compartments. This subcellular localization of PDE11A4 is altered in response to social experience in mouse, and in vitro studies show the compartmentalization of PDE11A4 is controlled, at least in part, by homodimerization and N-terminal phosphorylation. PDE11A4 expression dramatically increases in the hippocampus with age in the rodent hippocampus, from early postnatal life to late aging, suggesting PDE11A4 function may evolve across the lifespan. Interestingly, PDE11A4 protein shows a three to tenfold enrichment in the rodent ventral hippocampal formation (VHIPP; a.k.a. anterior in primates) versus dorsal hippocampal formation (DHIPP). Consistent with this enrichment in VHIPP, studies in knockout mice show that PDE11A regulates the formation of social memories and the stabilization of mood and is a critical mechanism by which social experience feeds back to modify the brain and subsequent social behaviors. PDE11A4 likely controls behavior by regulating hippocampal glutamatergic, oxytocin, and cytokine signaling, as well as protein translation. Given its unique tissue distribution and relatively selective effects on behavior, PDE11A may represent a novel therapeutic target for neuropsychiatric, neurodevelopmental, or age-related disorders. Therapeutically targeting PDE11A4 may be a way to selectively restore aberrant cyclic nucleotide signaling in the hippocampal formation while leaving the rest of the brain and periphery untouched, thus, relieving deficits while avoiding unwanted side effects.

Rare inactivating PDE11A variants associated with testicular germ cell tumors

Germline inactivating mutations of isoform 4 of phosphodiesterase (PDE) 11A (coded by the PDE11A gene) have been associated with familial adrenocortical tumors and familial testicular cancer. Testicular tissue is unique in expressing all four isoforms of PDE11A. In a prior candidate gene study of 94 familial testicular germ cell tumor (TGCT) subjects, we identified a significant association between the presence of functionally abnormal variants in PDE11A and familial TGCT risk. To validate this novel observation, we sequenced the PDE11A coding region in 259 additional TGCT patients (both familial and sporadic) and 363 controls. We identified 55 PDE11A variants: 20 missense, four splice-site, two nonsense, seven synonymous, and 22 intronic. Ten missense variants were novel; nine occurred in transcript variant 4 and one in transcript variant 3. Five rare mutations (p.F258Y, p.G291R, p.V820M, p.R545X, and p.K568R) were present only in cases and were significantly more common in cases vs controls (P=0.0037). The latter two novel variants were functionally characterized and shown to be functionally inactivating, resulting in reduced PDE activity and increased cAMP levels. In further analysis of this cohort, we focused on white participants only to minimize confounding due to population stratification. This study builds upon our prior reports implicating PDE11A variants in familial TGCT, provides the first independent validation of those findings, extends that work to sporadic testicular cancer, demonstrates that these variants are uncommonly but reproducibly associated with TGCT, and refines our understanding regarding which specific inactivating PDE11A variants are most likely to be associated with TGCT risk.

Novel Mutation in PRKAR1A in Carney Complex

A case of Carney complex in a Korean patient is presented. The patient had the characteristics of Carney complex including skin lesions, positive family history, and multiple myxomas including a superficial angiomyxoma in the perianal area. An extensive genetic analysis revealed a novel mutation in the protein kinase A type I-a regulatory subunit (PRKAR1A) gene, but not in the phosphodiesterase type 11A (PDE11A) gene. This is the first case wherein extensive genetic studies were performed in a patient with Carney complex in Korea.

Association of PDE11A global haplotype with major depression and antidepressant drug response

Cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases (PDEs) hydrolyze the intracellular second messengers cAMP and cGMP to their corresponding monophosphates. PDEs play an important role in signal transduction by regulating the intracellular concentration of cyclic nucleotides. We have previously shown that the individual haplotype GAACC in the PDE11A gene was associated with major depressive disorder (MDD) based on block-by-block analysis. There are two PDE genes, PDE11A and PDE1A, located in chromosome 2q31-q32. In this study, we have further explored whether the whole region 2q31-q32 contribute to MDD or antidepressant response 278 depressed Mexican-American participants and 321 matched healthy controls. Although there is no significant interaction between the two genes, the remission rate of individual carrying the combination genotype at rs1880916 (AG/AA) and rs1549870 (GG) is significantly increased. We analyzed the global haplotype by examining 16 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in PDE11A and six SNPs in PDE1A. None of the haplotypes consisting of six SNPs in the PDE1A have a significant difference between depressed and control groups. Among haplotypes consisting of 16 SNPs across 440 kb in the PDE11A gene, 18 common haplotypes (with frequency higher than 0.8%) have been found in the studied population. Six haplotypes showed significantly different frequencies between the MDD group and the control group. The phylogenetic network result for the 16 SNPs showed that several historic recombination events have happened in the PDE11A gene. The frequency of one haplotype is significantly lower in the remitter group than in the nonremitter group for the depressed participants treated with either desipramine or fluoxetine. Thus, our data suggest that the PDE11A global haplotype is associated with both MDD and antidepressant drug response.