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Jalil S, Keskinen T, Juutila J, Sartori Maldonado R, Euro L, Suomalainen A, Lapatto R, Kuuluvainen E, Hietakangas V, Otonkoski T, Hyvönen ME, Wartiovaara K. Genetic and functional correction of argininosuccinate lyase deficiency using CRISPR adenine base editors. Am J Hum Genet 2024; 111:714-728. [PMID: 38579669 PMCID: PMC11023919 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2024.03.004] [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: 08/23/2023] [Revised: 03/06/2024] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Argininosuccinate lyase deficiency (ASLD) is a recessive metabolic disorder caused by variants in ASL. In an essential step in urea synthesis, ASL breaks down argininosuccinate (ASA), a pathognomonic ASLD biomarker. The severe disease forms lead to hyperammonemia, neurological injury, and even early death. The current treatments are unsatisfactory, involving a strict low-protein diet, arginine supplementation, nitrogen scavenging, and in some cases, liver transplantation. An unmet need exists for improved, efficient therapies. Here, we show the potential of a lipid nanoparticle-mediated CRISPR approach using adenine base editors (ABEs) for ASLD treatment. To model ASLD, we first generated human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) from biopsies of individuals homozygous for the Finnish founder variant (c.1153C>T [p.Arg385Cys]) and edited this variant using the ABE. We then differentiated the hiPSCs into hepatocyte-like cells that showed a 1,000-fold decrease in ASA levels compared to those of isogenic non-edited cells. Lastly, we tested three different FDA-approved lipid nanoparticle formulations to deliver the ABE-encoding RNA and the sgRNA targeting the ASL variant. This approach efficiently edited the ASL variant in fibroblasts with no apparent cell toxicity and minimal off-target effects. Further, the treatment resulted in a significant decrease in ASA, to levels of healthy donors, indicating restoration of the urea cycle. Our work describes a highly efficient approach to editing the disease-causing ASL variant and restoring the function of the urea cycle. This method relies on RNA delivered by lipid nanoparticles, which is compatible with clinical applications, improves its safety profile, and allows for scalable production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sami Jalil
- Stem Cells and Metabolism Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Timo Keskinen
- Stem Cells and Metabolism Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Juhana Juutila
- Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Rocio Sartori Maldonado
- Stem Cells and Metabolism Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Liliya Euro
- Stem Cells and Metabolism Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Anu Suomalainen
- Stem Cells and Metabolism Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Risto Lapatto
- Stem Cells and Metabolism Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; New Children's Hospital, Pediatric Research Center, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Emilia Kuuluvainen
- Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Ville Hietakangas
- Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Timo Otonkoski
- Stem Cells and Metabolism Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; New Children's Hospital, Pediatric Research Center, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Mervi E Hyvönen
- Stem Cells and Metabolism Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; New Children's Hospital, Pediatric Research Center, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Kirmo Wartiovaara
- Stem Cells and Metabolism Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; Clinical Genetics, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.
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Duff C, Islam M, Gagliano O, Pramod H, Rashidi H, Kurian MA, Gissen P, Baruteau J. Generation of induced pluripotent stem cells (UCLi024-A) from a patient with argininosuccinate lyase deficiency carrying a homozygous c.437G > A (p.Arg146Gln) mutation. Stem Cell Res 2024; 76:103365. [PMID: 38422816 DOI: 10.1016/j.scr.2024.103365] [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] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Revised: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 02/25/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Argininosuccinic aciduria (ASA) is a rare inherited metabolic disease caused by argininosuccinate lyase (ASL) deficiency. Patients with ASA present with hyperammonaemia due to an impaired urea cycle pathway in the liver, and systemic disease with epileptic encephalopathy, chronic liver disease, and arterial hypertension. A human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) line from the fibroblasts of a patient with ASA with homozygous pathogenic c.437G > A mutation of hASL was generated. Characterization of the cell line demonstrated pluripotency, differentiation potential and normal karyotype. This cell line, called UCLi024-A, can be utilized for in vitro disease modelling of ASA, and design of novel therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Duff
- Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London WC1N 1EH, UK.
| | - Madeha Islam
- Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Onelia Gagliano
- Onyel Biotech S.r.l., Padova, PD, Italy; Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Padova, Padova, Italy; Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine, Padova, Italy
| | - Hema Pramod
- Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London WC1N 1EH, UK; National Institute of Health Research, Great Ormond Street Biomedical Research Centre, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Hassan Rashidi
- Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Manju A Kurian
- Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London WC1N 1EH, UK; National Institute of Health Research, Great Ormond Street Biomedical Research Centre, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Paul Gissen
- Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London WC1N 1EH, UK; National Institute of Health Research, Great Ormond Street Biomedical Research Centre, London WC1N 1EH, UK; Metabolic Medicine Department, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London WC1N 3JH, UK
| | - Julien Baruteau
- Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London WC1N 1EH, UK; National Institute of Health Research, Great Ormond Street Biomedical Research Centre, London WC1N 1EH, UK; Metabolic Medicine Department, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London WC1N 3JH, UK
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Heng TYJ, Ow JR, Koh AL, Lim JSC, Ong CBK, Goh JCY, Lim JY, Chiou FK, Jamuar SS. To B(enign) or Not to B: functionalisation of variant in a mild form of argininosuccinate lyase deficiency identified through newborn screening. Clin Dysmorphol 2024; 33:43-49. [PMID: 37865865 DOI: 10.1097/mcd.0000000000000475] [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: 10/23/2023]
Abstract
Argininosuccinate lyase (ASL) deficiency is an autosomal recessive disorder of the urea cycle with a diverse spectrum of clinical presentation that is detectable in newborn screening. We report an 8-year-old girl with ASL deficiency who was detected through newborn screening and was confirmed using biochemical and functional assay. She is compound heterozygous for a likely pathogenic variant NM_000048.4(ASL):c.283C>T (p.Arg95Cys) and a likely benign variant NM_000048.4(ASL): c.1319T>C (p.Leu440Pro). Functional characterisation of the likely benign genetic variant in ASL was performed. Genomic sequencing was performed on the index patient presenting with non-specific symptoms of poor feeding and lethargy and shown to have increased serum and urine argininosuccinic acid. Functional assay using HEK293T cell model was performed. ASL enzymatic activity was reduced for Leu440Pro. This study highlights the role of functional testing of a variant that may appear benign in a patient with a phenotype consistent with ASL deficiency, and reclassifies NM_000048.4(ASL): c.1319T>C (p.Leu440Pro) variant as likely pathogenic.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jin Rong Ow
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)
| | - Ai Ling Koh
- Genetics Service, Department of Paediatrics, KK Women's and Children's Hospital
- SingHealth Duke-NUS Paediatric Academic Clinical Programme, Duke-NUS Medical School
| | - James Soon Chuan Lim
- Biochemical Genetics and National Expanded Newborn Screening, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, KK Women's and Children's Hospital
| | | | - Jasmine Chew Yin Goh
- Division of Nursing - Nursing Clinical Services, KK Women's and Children's Hospital
| | - Jiin Ying Lim
- Genetics Service, Department of Paediatrics, KK Women's and Children's Hospital
| | - Fang Kuan Chiou
- SingHealth Duke-NUS Paediatric Academic Clinical Programme, Duke-NUS Medical School
- Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition Service, Department of Paediatrics, KK Women's and Children's Hospital
| | - Saumya Shekhar Jamuar
- Genetics Service, Department of Paediatrics, KK Women's and Children's Hospital
- SingHealth Duke-NUS Paediatric Academic Clinical Programme, Duke-NUS Medical School
- SingHealth Duke-NUS Institute of Precision Medicine, National Heart Centre Singapore, Republic of Singapore
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Jin Z, Jiang MM, Lee B. Nitric oxide is required for lung alveolarization revealed by deficiency of argininosuccinate lyase. Hum Mol Genet 2023; 33:33-37. [PMID: 37738569 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddad158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Revised: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Inhaled nitric oxide (NO) therapy has been reported to improve lung growth in premature newborns. However, the underlying mechanisms by which NO regulates lung development remain largely unclear. NO is enzymatically produced by three isoforms of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) enzymes. NOS knockout mice are useful tools to investigate NO function in the lung. Each single NOS knockout mouse does not show obvious lung alveolar phenotype, likely due to compensatory mechanisms. While mice lacking all three NOS isoforms display impaired lung alveolarization, implicating NO plays a pivotal role in lung alveolarization. Argininosuccinate lyase (ASL) is the only mammalian enzyme capable of synthesizing L-arginine, the sole precursor for NOS-dependent NO synthesis. ASL is also required for channeling extracellular L-arginine into a NO-synthetic complex. Thus, ASL deficiency (ASLD) is a non-redundant model for cell-autonomous, NOS-dependent NO deficiency. Here, we assessed lung alveolarization in ASL-deficient mice. Hypomorphic deletion of Asl (AslNeo/Neo) results in decreased lung alveolarization, accompanied with reduced level of S-nitrosylation in the lung. Genetic ablation of one copy of Caveolin-1, which is a negative regulator of NO production, restores total S-nitrosylation as well as lung alveolarization in AslNeo/Neo mice. Importantly, NO supplementation could partially rescue lung alveolarization in AslNeo/Neo mice. Furthermore, endothelial-specific knockout mice (VE-Cadherin Cre; Aslflox/flox) exhibit impaired lung alveolarization at 12 weeks old, supporting an essential role of endothelial-derived NO in the enhancement of lung alveolarization. Thus, we propose that ASLD is a model to study NO-mediated lung alveolarization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zixue Jin
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, United States
| | - Ming-Ming Jiang
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, United States
| | - Brendan Lee
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, United States
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Nagayoshi Y, Nakayama M, Nagano H, Morikawa K, Nishi M, Nishihara T, Sakaino N, Kawano H, Tsujita K, Mitsubuchi H. Coronary Vasospasm in a Patient With Argininosuccinic Aciduria. Am J Cardiol 2023; 192:155-159. [PMID: 36807131 DOI: 10.1016/j.amjcard.2023.01.036] [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] [Received: 11/18/2022] [Revised: 01/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 02/21/2023]
Abstract
A 39-year-old male was referred for treatment of hypertension. He had been treated for argininosuccinic aciduria since 8 months of age. Therapeutic drugs, including l-arginine, sodium phenylbutyrate, and antiepileptic drugs, had been prescribed. A detailed medical history revealed that he complained of chest discomfort under psychologic stress. A 12-lead electrocardiogram showed abnormal q waves in lead III and aVF. Transthoracic echocardiography showed hypokinesia of the left ventricular posterior wall. The patient was diagnosed with myocardial infarction because of coronary vasospastic angina by intracoronary acetylcholine provocation test. Argininosuccinic aciduria is a genetic disorder of the urea cycle caused by a deficiency of argininosuccinate lyase. Reduction of the enzymatic activity leads to a decrease in nitric oxide production, even if arginine is supplemented. Our case report supports the significance of endothelial function in the pathogenesis of coronary vasospasm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasuhiro Nagayoshi
- Department of Cardiology, Amakusa Medical Center, Amakusa City, Japan; Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto City, Japan.
| | | | - Haruka Nagano
- Department of Cardiology, Amakusa Medical Center, Amakusa City, Japan
| | - Kei Morikawa
- Department of Cardiology, Amakusa Medical Center, Amakusa City, Japan
| | - Masato Nishi
- Department of Cardiology, Amakusa Medical Center, Amakusa City, Japan
| | - Taiki Nishihara
- Department of Cardiology, Amakusa Medical Center, Amakusa City, Japan
| | - Naritsugu Sakaino
- Department of Cardiology, Amakusa Medical Center, Amakusa City, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Kawano
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto City, Japan
| | - Kenichi Tsujita
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto City, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Mitsubuchi
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto City, Japan; Division of Neonatology, Kumamoto University Hospital, Kumamoto City, Japan
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Katayama N, Osanai T. Arginine inhibition of the argininosuccinate lyases is conserved among three orders in cyanobacteria. Plant Mol Biol 2022; 110:13-22. [PMID: 35583703 DOI: 10.1007/s11103-022-01280-x] [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] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
This study revealed different catalytic efficiencies of cyanobacterial argininosuccinate lyases in non-nitrogen-fixing and nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria, demonstrating that L-arginine inhibition of L-argininosuccinate lyase is conserved among enzymes of three cyanobacterial orders. Arginine is a nitrogen-rich amino acid that uses a nitrogen reservoir, and its biosynthesis is strictly controlled by feedback inhibition. Argininosuccinate lyase (EC 4.3.2.1) is the final enzyme in arginine biosynthesis that catalyzes the conversion of argininosuccinate to L-arginine and fumarate. Cyanobacteria synthesize intracellular cyanophycin, which is a nitrogen reservoir composed of aspartate and arginine. Arginine is an important source of nitrogen for cyanobacteria. We expressed and purified argininosuccinate lyases, ArgHs, from Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803, Nostoc sp. PCC 7120, and Arthrospira platensis NIES-39. The catalytic efficiency of the Nostoc sp. PCC 7120 ArgH was 2.8-fold higher than those of Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 and Arthrospira platensis NIES-39. All three ArgHs were inhibited in the presence of arginine, and their inhibitory effects were lowered at pH 7.0, compared to those at pH 8.0. These results indicate that arginine inhibition of ArgH is widely conserved among the three cyanobacterial orders. The current results demonstrate the conserved regulation of enzymes in the cyanobacterial aspartase/fumarase superfamily.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noriaki Katayama
- School of Agriculture, Meiji University, 1-1-1, Higashimita, Tama-ku, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, 214-8571, Japan
| | - Takashi Osanai
- School of Agriculture, Meiji University, 1-1-1, Higashimita, Tama-ku, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, 214-8571, Japan.
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Baruteau J, Diez-Fernandez C, Lerner S, Ranucci G, Gissen P, Dionisi-Vici C, Nagamani S, Erez A, Häberle J. Argininosuccinic aciduria: Recent pathophysiological insights and therapeutic prospects. J Inherit Metab Dis 2019; 42:1147-1161. [PMID: 30723942 DOI: 10.1002/jimd.12047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2018] [Accepted: 12/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The first patients affected by argininosuccinic aciduria (ASA) were reported 60 years ago. The clinical presentation was initially described as similar to other urea cycle defects, but increasing evidence has shown overtime an atypical systemic phenotype with a paradoxical observation, that is, a higher rate of neurological complications contrasting with a lower rate of hyperammonaemic episodes. The disappointing long-term clinical outcomes of many of the patients have challenged the current standard of care and therapeutic strategy, which aims to normalize plasma ammonia and arginine levels. Interrogations have raised about the benefit of newborn screening or liver transplantation on the neurological phenotype. Over the last decade, novel discoveries enabled by the generation of new transgenic argininosuccinate lyase (ASL)-deficient mouse models have been achieved, such as, a better understanding of ASL and its close interaction with nitric oxide metabolism, ASL physiological role outside the liver, and the pathophysiological role of oxidative/nitrosative stress or excessive arginine treatment. Here, we present a collaborative review, which highlights these recent discoveries and novel emerging concepts about ASL role in human physiology, ASA clinical phenotype and geographic prevalence, limits of current standard of care and newborn screening, pathophysiology of the disease, and emerging novel therapies. We propose recommendations for monitoring of ASA patients. Ongoing research aims to better understand the underlying pathogenic mechanisms of the systemic disease to design novel therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julien Baruteau
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, NIHR Great Ormond Street Hospital Biomedical Research Centre, London, UK
- Metabolic Department, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Carmen Diez-Fernandez
- Division of Metabolism and Children Research Centre (CRC), University Children's Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Shaul Lerner
- Department of Biological Regulation, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israël
| | - Giusy Ranucci
- Division of Metabolism, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Paul Gissen
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, NIHR Great Ormond Street Hospital Biomedical Research Centre, London, UK
- Metabolic Department, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Carlo Dionisi-Vici
- Division of Metabolism, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Sandesh Nagamani
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Ayelet Erez
- Department of Biological Regulation, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israël
| | - Johannes Häberle
- Division of Metabolism and Children Research Centre (CRC), University Children's Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland
- Zurich Center for Integrative Human Physiology (ZIHP) and Neuroscience Center Zurich (ZNZ), Zurich, Switzerland
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Li W, Li H. [Genetic diagnosis of a Chinese pedigree affected with neonatal argininosuccinic aciduria]. Zhonghua Yi Xue Yi Chuan Xue Za Zhi 2019; 36:926-929. [PMID: 31515792 DOI: 10.3760/cma.j.issn.1003-9406.2019.09.018] [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
OBJECTIVE To explore the genetic basis of a neonate with argininosuccinic aciduria (ASA). METHODS A neonate with lethargy and food refusal was admitted. The patient had myoclonus, myasthenia, uroschesis, irregular breathing and paroxysmal ventricular tachycardia, and died at 75 hours after birth. Laboratory test showed marked increase in blood ammonia (1249.8 μmol/L). Peripheral blood samples of the patient, her parents and sister were collected and subjected to trio whole-exome sequencing. RESULTS Whole-exome sequencing revealed that the patient has carried compound heterozygous mutations of the argininosuccinate lyase (ASL) gene, namely c.425(exon5)_c.426(exon5) insAGCTCCCAGCT (p.Thr142Thrfs*37) and c.626(exon8)delT (p.Leu209Argfs*42). The patient was diagnosed as ASA caused by ASL gene mutations. Her parents and her elder sister were heterozygous carriers of the above mutations and had a normal phenotype. CONCLUSION ASA is a severe congenital genetic metabolic disease and can manifest as onset of hyperammonemia in neonates. The clinical diagnosis is difficult and ASL gene testing may be helpful.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Li
- Department of Pediatrics, Nanjing BenQ Hospital Co., Ltd., The Affiliated BenQ Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210019,
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Gauttam R, Seibold GM, Mueller P, Weil T, Weiß T, Handrick R, Eikmanns BJ. A simple dual-inducible CRISPR interference system for multiple gene targeting in Corynebacterium glutamicum. Plasmid 2019; 103:25-35. [PMID: 30954454 DOI: 10.1016/j.plasmid.2019.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [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: 01/11/2019] [Revised: 04/03/2019] [Accepted: 04/03/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
The development of CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) technology has dramatically increased the pace and the precision of target identification during platform strain development. In order to develop a simple, reliable, and dual-inducible CRISPRi system for the industrially relevant Corynebacterium glutamicum, we combined two different inducible repressor systems in a single plasmid to separately regulate the expression of dCas9 (anhydro-tetracycline-inducible) and a given single guide RNA (IPTG-inducible). The functionality of the resulting vector was demonstrated by targeting the l-arginine biosynthesis pathway in C. glutamicum. By co-expressing dCas9 and a specific single guide RNA targeting the 5'-region of the argininosuccinate lyase gene argH, the specific activity of the target enzyme was down-regulated and in a l-arginine production strain, l-arginine formation was shifted towards citrulline formation. The system was also employed for down-regulation of multiple genes by concatenating sgRNA sequences encoded on one plasmid. Simultaneous down-regulated expression of both argH and the phosphoglucose isomerase gene pgi proved the potential of the system for multiplex targeting. The system can be a promising tool for further pathway engineering in C. glutamicum. Cumulative effects on targeted genes can be rapidly evaluated avoiding tedious and time-consuming traditional gene knockout approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rahul Gauttam
- Institute of Microbiology and Biotechnology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Gerd M Seibold
- Institute of Microbiology and Biotechnology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Phillipp Mueller
- Institute of Applied Biotechnology, Biberach University of Applied Sciences, Biberach, Germany
| | - Tatjana Weil
- Institute of Microbiology and Biotechnology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Tamara Weiß
- Institute of Microbiology and Biotechnology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - René Handrick
- Institute of Applied Biotechnology, Biberach University of Applied Sciences, Biberach, Germany
| | - Bernhard J Eikmanns
- Institute of Microbiology and Biotechnology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany.
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Ashley SN, Nordin JML, Buza EL, Greig JA, Wilson JM. Adeno-associated viral gene therapy corrects a mouse model of argininosuccinic aciduria. Mol Genet Metab 2018; 125:241-250. [PMID: 30253962 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymgme.2018.08.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [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: 04/09/2018] [Revised: 08/26/2018] [Accepted: 08/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Argininosuccinic aciduria (ASA) is the second most common genetic disorder affecting the urea cycle. The disease is caused by deleterious mutations in the gene encoding argininosuccinate lyase (ASL); total loss of ASL activity results in severe neonatal onset of the disease, which is characterized by hyperammonemia within a few days of birth that can rapidly progress to coma and death. The long-term complications of ASA, such as hypertension and neurocognitive deficits, appear to be resistant to the current treatment options of dietary restriction, arginine supplementation, and nitrogen scavenging drugs. Treatment-resistant disease is currently being managed by orthotopic liver transplant, which shows variable improvement and requires lifetime immunosuppression. Here, we developed a gene therapy strategy for ASA aimed at alleviating the symptoms associated with urea cycle disruption by providing stable expression of ASL protein in the liver. We designed a codon-optimized human ASL gene packaged within adeno-associated virus serotype 8 (AAV8) as a vector for targeted delivery to the liver. To evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of this approach, we utilized a murine hypomorphic model of ASA. Neonatal administration of AAV8 via the temporal facial vein extended survival in ASA hypomorphic mice, although not to wild-type levels. Intravenous injection into adolescent hypomorphic mice led to increased survival and body weight and correction of metabolites associated with the disease. Our results demonstrate that AAV8 gene therapy is a viable approach for the treatment of ASA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott N Ashley
- Gene Therapy Program, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jayme M L Nordin
- Gene Therapy Program, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Elizabeth L Buza
- Gene Therapy Program, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jenny A Greig
- Gene Therapy Program, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - James M Wilson
- Gene Therapy Program, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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11
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Baruteau J, Perocheau DP, Hanley J, Lorvellec M, Rocha-Ferreira E, Karda R, Ng J, Suff N, Diaz JA, Rahim AA, Hughes MP, Banushi B, Prunty H, Hristova M, Ridout DA, Virasami A, Heales S, Howe SJ, Buckley SMK, Mills PB, Gissen P, Waddington SN. Argininosuccinic aciduria fosters neuronal nitrosative stress reversed by Asl gene transfer. Nat Commun 2018; 9:3505. [PMID: 30158522 PMCID: PMC6115417 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-05972-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [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: 05/19/2017] [Accepted: 08/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Argininosuccinate lyase (ASL) belongs to the hepatic urea cycle detoxifying ammonia, and the citrulline-nitric oxide (NO) cycle producing NO. ASL-deficient patients present argininosuccinic aciduria characterised by hyperammonaemia, multiorgan disease and neurocognitive impairment despite treatment aiming to normalise ammonaemia without considering NO imbalance. Here we show that cerebral disease in argininosuccinic aciduria involves neuronal oxidative/nitrosative stress independent of hyperammonaemia. Intravenous injection of AAV8 vector into adult or neonatal ASL-deficient mice demonstrates long-term correction of the hepatic urea cycle and the cerebral citrulline-NO cycle, respectively. Cerebral disease persists if ammonaemia only is normalised but is dramatically reduced after correction of both ammonaemia and neuronal ASL activity. This correlates with behavioural improvement and reduced cortical cell death. Thus, neuronal oxidative/nitrosative stress is a distinct pathophysiological mechanism from hyperammonaemia. Disease amelioration by simultaneous brain and liver gene transfer with one vector, to treat both metabolic pathways, provides new hope for hepatocerebral metabolic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julien Baruteau
- Gene Transfer Technology Group, Institute for Women's Health, University College London, 86-96 Chenies Mews, London, WC1E 6HX, UK
- Metabolic Medicine Department, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, WC1N 3JH, UK
- Genetics and Genomic Medicine Programme, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, 30 Guilford Street, London, WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Dany P Perocheau
- Gene Transfer Technology Group, Institute for Women's Health, University College London, 86-96 Chenies Mews, London, WC1E 6HX, UK
| | - Joanna Hanley
- Genetics and Genomic Medicine Programme, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, 30 Guilford Street, London, WC1N 1EH, UK
- MRC Laboratory for Molecular Cell Biology, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Maëlle Lorvellec
- Genetics and Genomic Medicine Programme, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, 30 Guilford Street, London, WC1N 1EH, UK
- MRC Laboratory for Molecular Cell Biology, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Eridan Rocha-Ferreira
- Perinatal Brain Repair Group, Institute for Women's Health, University College London, 86-96 Chenies Mews, London, WC1E 6HX, UK
| | - Rajvinder Karda
- Gene Transfer Technology Group, Institute for Women's Health, University College London, 86-96 Chenies Mews, London, WC1E 6HX, UK
| | - Joanne Ng
- Gene Transfer Technology Group, Institute for Women's Health, University College London, 86-96 Chenies Mews, London, WC1E 6HX, UK
- Neurology Department, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, WC1N 3JH, UK
| | - Natalie Suff
- Gene Transfer Technology Group, Institute for Women's Health, University College London, 86-96 Chenies Mews, London, WC1E 6HX, UK
| | - Juan Antinao Diaz
- Gene Transfer Technology Group, Institute for Women's Health, University College London, 86-96 Chenies Mews, London, WC1E 6HX, UK
| | - Ahad A Rahim
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, University College London, 29-39 Brunswick Square, London, WC1N 1AX, UK
| | - Michael P Hughes
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, University College London, 29-39 Brunswick Square, London, WC1N 1AX, UK
| | - Blerida Banushi
- MRC Laboratory for Molecular Cell Biology, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Helen Prunty
- Department of Paediatric Laboratory Medicine, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, WC1N 3JH, UK
| | - Mariya Hristova
- Perinatal Brain Repair Group, Institute for Women's Health, University College London, 86-96 Chenies Mews, London, WC1E 6HX, UK
| | - Deborah A Ridout
- Population, Policy and Practice Programme, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, 30 Guilford Street, London, WC1N 1E, UK
| | - Alex Virasami
- Histopathology Department, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, WC1N 3JH, UK
| | - Simon Heales
- Genetics and Genomic Medicine Programme, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, 30 Guilford Street, London, WC1N 1EH, UK
- Department of Paediatric Laboratory Medicine, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, WC1N 3JH, UK
| | - Stewen J Howe
- Gene Transfer Technology Group, Institute for Women's Health, University College London, 86-96 Chenies Mews, London, WC1E 6HX, UK
| | - Suzanne M K Buckley
- Gene Transfer Technology Group, Institute for Women's Health, University College London, 86-96 Chenies Mews, London, WC1E 6HX, UK
| | - Philippa B Mills
- Genetics and Genomic Medicine Programme, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, 30 Guilford Street, London, WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Paul Gissen
- Metabolic Medicine Department, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, WC1N 3JH, UK
- Genetics and Genomic Medicine Programme, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, 30 Guilford Street, London, WC1N 1EH, UK
- MRC Laboratory for Molecular Cell Biology, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Simon N Waddington
- Gene Transfer Technology Group, Institute for Women's Health, University College London, 86-96 Chenies Mews, London, WC1E 6HX, UK.
- Wits/SAMRC Antiviral Gene Therapy Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witswatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
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12
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Jiang WZ, Dumm S, Knuth ME, Sanders SL, Weeks DP. Precise oligonucleotide-directed mutagenesis of the Chlamydomonas reinhardtii genome. Plant Cell Rep 2017; 36:1001-1004. [PMID: 28378041 DOI: 10.1007/s00299-017-2138-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2017] [Accepted: 03/27/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Zhi Jiang
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE, 68588-0664, USA
- Department of Molecular Biology, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA, 02114, USA
| | - Sarah Dumm
- Cibus US LLC, 6455 Nancy Ridge Drive, San Diego, CA, 92121, USA
- Illumina, Inc., 5200 Illumina Way, San Diego, CA, 92122, USA
| | - Mark E Knuth
- Nucelis LLC, 6465 Nancy Ridge Drive, San Diego, CA, 92121, USA
| | | | - Donald P Weeks
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE, 68588-0664, USA.
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13
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Yuan SY, Li GQ, Wan PJ, Fu Q, Lai FX, Mu LL. Knockdown of a putative argininosuccinate lyase gene reduces arginine content and impairs nymphal development in Nilaparvata lugens. Arch Insect Biochem Physiol 2017; 95:e21385. [PMID: 28251694 DOI: 10.1002/arch.21385] [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
Nilaparvata lugens is a typical phloem feeder. Rice phloem is high in simple sugars and very low in essential amino acids. Nilaparvata lugens harbors an ascomycete Entomomyces delphacidicola that hypothetically biosynthesizes several amino acids to meet the nutrition requirement of the planthopper. Among these amino acids, here, we focused on arginine biosynthesis. A complete cDNA of an E. delphacidicola gene, arginine-succinate lyase, EdArg4, the last step in arginine biosynthesis, was obtained. RNAi-mediated suppression of EdArg4 reduced arginine content in the hemolymph, and decreased the expression of several arginine biosynthesis genes. Silencing of EdArg4 delayed nymphal development and led to nymphal lethality. About 20% of the EdArg4 RNAi surviving adults were deformed. The most obvious defect was wider and larger abdomen. The EdArg4 RNAi-treated planthoppers had thickened wings and enlarged antennae, legs, and anal tubes and a few adults did not normally emerge. Arginine deficiency in the EdArg4 RNAi planthoppers repressed nitric oxide signaling, determined at the transcriptional level. We infer that E. delphacidicola biosynthesizes essential arginine to compensate for nutrition deficiency in N. lugens.
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Affiliation(s)
- San-Yue Yuan
- Education Ministry Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Crop Diseases and Pests, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, China National Rice Research Institute, Hangzhou, China
| | - Guo-Qing Li
- Education Ministry Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Crop Diseases and Pests, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Pin-Jun Wan
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, China National Rice Research Institute, Hangzhou, China
| | - Qiang Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, China National Rice Research Institute, Hangzhou, China
| | - Feng-Xiang Lai
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, China National Rice Research Institute, Hangzhou, China
| | - Li-Li Mu
- Education Ministry Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Crop Diseases and Pests, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
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14
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Hu L, Pandey AV, Balmer C, Eggimann S, Rüfenacht V, Nuoffer JM, Häberle J. Unstable argininosuccinate lyase in variant forms of the urea cycle disorder argininosuccinic aciduria. J Inherit Metab Dis 2015; 38:815-27. [PMID: 25778938 DOI: 10.1007/s10545-014-9807-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [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] [Received: 07/08/2014] [Revised: 12/11/2014] [Accepted: 12/19/2014] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Loss of function of the urea cycle enzyme argininosuccinate lyase (ASL) is caused by mutations in the ASL gene leading to ASL deficiency (ASLD). ASLD has a broad clinical spectrum ranging from life-threatening severe neonatal to asymptomatic forms. Different levels of residual ASL activity probably contribute to the phenotypic variability but reliable expression systems allowing clinically useful conclusions are not yet available. In order to define the molecular characteristics underlying the phenotypic variability, we investigated all ASL mutations that were hitherto identified in patients with late onset or mild clinical and biochemical courses by ASL expression in human embryonic kidney 293 T cells. We found residual activities >3% of ASL wild type (WT) in nine of 11 ASL mutations. Six ASL mutations (p.Arg95Cys, p.Ile100Thr, p.Val178Met, p.Glu189Gly, p.Val335Leu, and p.Arg379Cys) with residual activities ≥16% of ASL WT showed no significant or less than twofold reduced Km values, but displayed thermal instability. Computational structural analysis supported the biochemical findings by revealing multiple effects including protein instability, disruption of ionic interactions and hydrogen bonds between residues in the monomeric form of the protein, and disruption of contacts between adjacent monomeric units in the ASL tetramer. These findings suggest that the clinical and biochemical course in variant forms of ASLD is associated with relevant residual levels of ASL activity as well as instability of mutant ASL proteins. Since about 30% of known ASLD genotypes are affected by mutations studied here, ASLD should be considered as a candidate for chaperone treatment to improve mutant protein stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liyan Hu
- Division of Metabolism, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Zurich, 8032, Switzerland
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15
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Huang Z, Wang TS, Zhao YC, Zuo RJ, Deng WB, Chi YJ, Yang ZM. Cyclic adenosine monophosphate-induced argininosuccinate synthase 1 expression is essential during mouse decidualization. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2014; 388:20-31. [PMID: 24556046 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2014.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [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: 10/10/2013] [Revised: 01/23/2014] [Accepted: 02/11/2014] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
L-Arginine (L-Arg), a conditional essential amino acid in adults, has been shown to enhance pregnancy outcome. Argininosuccinate synthase (Ass1) and argininosuccinate lyase (Asl) are the key enzyme for L-Arginine (L-Arg) biosynthesis. Based our microarray analysis, Ass1 expression is upregulated significantly at implantation site on day 5 of pregnancy compared to that at inter-implantation site. However, the expression, regulation and function of Ass1 during early pregnancy remain unknown. Here we found that Ass1 is highly expressed in mouse decidua and uterine stromal cells undergoing decidualization, and Asl is weakly expressed in mouse decidua and uterine stromal cells undergoing decidualization. α-Methyl-DL-aspartic acid (MDLA), a specific inhibitor for Ass1, can significantly increase the rate of embryonic reabsorption. Under in vitro induced decidualization, MDLA clearly inhibits the expression of decidual/trophoblast prolactin-related protein (Dtprp), a marker for decidualization in mice. Only Ass1 expression is induced by cAMP through PKA/p-Creb signaling pathway. Results from our cell culture models further indicates that the high level of L-Arg enhances stromal proliferation, while enzymatic activity or Ass1 expression level is essential to determine the magnitude of both mouse and human decidualization. Interestingly, L-Arg at high concentration down-regulates Ass1 and Asl expression by negative feedback to maintain L-Arg homeostasis. These findings highlight that cAMP-induced Ass1 expression is important in controlling the magnitude of decidualization through regulating L-Arg level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhu Huang
- School of Life Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China; College of Life Science, Anqing Normal University, Anqing 246011, China
| | - Tong-Song Wang
- School of Science, Shantou University, Shantou 515000, China
| | - Yue-Chao Zhao
- School of Life Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Ru-Juan Zuo
- School of Life Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Wen-Bo Deng
- School of Life Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Yu-Jing Chi
- School of Life Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Zeng-Ming Yang
- School of Science, Shantou University, Shantou 515000, China; College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China.
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16
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Xia J, Yamaji N, Che J, Shen RF, Ma JF. Normal root elongation requires arginine produced by argininosuccinate lyase in rice. Plant J 2014; 78:215-226. [PMID: 24528386 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.12476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2013] [Accepted: 01/24/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Plant roots play an important role in the uptake of water and nutrients, structural support and environmental sensing, but the molecular mechanisms involved in root development are poorly understood in rice (Oryza sativa), which is characterized by a dense fibrous root system. Here we report a rice mutant (red1 for root elongation defect 1) with short roots. Morphological and physiological analyses showed that the mutant had a shorter length from the quiescent center (QC) to the starting point of the elongation zone but a similar cell size and number of lateral and crown roots compared with the wild type. Furthermore, the mutant had similar radial structure and nutrient uptake patterns to the wild type. Map-based cloning revealed that the mutant phenotype was caused by a point mutation of a gene encoding an argininosuccinate lyase (ASL), catalyzing the last step of arginine biosynthesis. The OsASL1 gene has two distinct transcripts, OsASL1.1 and OsASL1.2, which result from different transcription start sites, but only OsASL1.1 was able to complement the mutant phenotype. OsASL1.1 was expressed in both the roots and shoots. The protein encoded by OsASL1.1 showed ASL activity in yeast. OsALS1.1 was localized to the plastid. The short root of the mutant was rescued by exogenous addition of arginine, but not by other amino acids. These results indicate that arginine produced by ASL is required for normal root elongation in rice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jixing Xia
- Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University, Chuo 2-20-1, Kurashiki, Japan
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17
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Xia J, Yamaji N, Ma JF. An appropriate concentration of arginine is required for normal root growth in rice. Plant Signal Behav 2014; 9:e28717. [PMID: 24694754 PMCID: PMC4091324 DOI: 10.4161/psb.28717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2014] [Accepted: 03/31/2014] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Plant roots play an important role in uptake of water and nutrients, support of above-ground part and environmental sensing, but the molecular mechanisms underlying the root development are poorly understood in rice. We found that a gene (OsASL1) encoding argininosuccinate lyase is involved in normal root development of rice. OsASL1 cleaves argininosuccinate to arginine and fumarate reversibly, the last step in the arginine biosynthetic pathway. Here, we further characterized OsASL1 in terms of expression pattern, subcellular localization, and arginine effect on the root growth. A detailed expression analysis revealed that 2 transcripts of OsASL1, OsASL1.1 and OsASL1.2, showed different expression patterns; OsASL1.1 was expressed in most organs throughout the whole growth period, whereas OsASL1.2 was mainly expressed in the roots. In contrast to plastid-localized OsASL1.1, OsASL1.2 was localized to the cytosol and nucleus. The short-root phenotype of the mutant was not rescued by exogenous addition of the sodium nitroprusside, a nitric oxide donor, but rescued by an appropriate concentration of Arg. Our results indicate that the subcellular localization was determined by the N terminus of OsASL1 and that appropriate concentration of Arg is required for normal root elongation in rice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jixing Xia
- Institute of Plant Science and Resources; Okayama University; Kurashiki, Japan
| | - Naoki Yamaji
- Institute of Plant Science and Resources; Okayama University; Kurashiki, Japan
| | - Jian Feng Ma
- Institute of Plant Science and Resources; Okayama University; Kurashiki, Japan
- Correspondence to: Jian Feng Ma,
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Paul A, Mishra A, Surolia A, Vijayan M. Cloning, expression, purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray studies of argininosuccinate lyase (Rv1659) from Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Acta Crystallogr Sect F Struct Biol Cryst Commun 2013; 69:1422-4. [PMID: 24316845 PMCID: PMC3855735 DOI: 10.1107/s1744309113031138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2013] [Accepted: 11/12/2013] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
The last enzyme in the arginine-biosynthesis pathway, argininosuccinate lyase, from Mycobacterium tuberculosis has been cloned, expressed, purified and crystallized, and preliminary X-ray studies have been carried out on the crystals. The His-tagged tetrameric enzyme with a subunit molecular weight of 50.9 kDa crystallized with two tetramers in the asymmetric unit of the orthorhombic unit cell, space group P2(1)2(1)2(1). Molecular-replacement calculations and self-rotation calculations confirmed the space group and the tetrameric nature of the molecule.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. Paul
- Molecular Biophysics Unit, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560 012, India
| | - A. Mishra
- Molecular Biophysics Unit, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560 012, India
| | - A. Surolia
- Molecular Biophysics Unit, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560 012, India
| | - M. Vijayan
- Molecular Biophysics Unit, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560 012, India
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Raturi S, Venkatesh IH, Nagesh NK, Venkatagiri P. Use of continuous hemodiafiltration for the treatment of a neonate with hyperammonemia secondary to argininosuccinate lyase (ASAL) deficiency. Indian J Pediatr 2013; 80:794-5. [PMID: 23539248 DOI: 10.1007/s12098-013-1004-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2012] [Accepted: 03/05/2013] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Summar ML, Koelker S, Freedenberg D, Le Mons C, Haberle J, Lee HS, Kirmse B. The incidence of urea cycle disorders. Mol Genet Metab 2013; 110:179-80. [PMID: 23972786 PMCID: PMC4364413 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymgme.2013.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 189] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2013] [Revised: 07/09/2013] [Accepted: 07/10/2013] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
A key question for urea cycle disorders is their incidence. In the United States two UCDs, argininosuccinic synthetase and lyase deficiency, are currently detected by newborn screening. We used newborn screening data on over 6million births and data from the large US and European longitudinal registries to determine how common these conditions are. The incidence for the United States is predicted to be 1 urea cycle disorder patient for every 35,000 births presenting about 113 new patients per year across all age groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marshall L. Summar
- Division of Genetics and Metabolism, Children’s National Medical Center, 111 Michigan Ave. NW, Washington DC 20008, USA
- Corresponding author at: Division of Genetics and Metabolism, Children’s National Medical Center, Suite 4800, 111 Michigan Ave. NW, Washington DC 20008. USA
| | - Stefan Koelker
- University Children’s Hospital, Dept. of General Pediatrics, Division of Inherited Metabolic Diseases, Im Neuenheimer Feld 430, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Debra Freedenberg
- Texas Department of State Health Services, 1100 W 49th Street – Mail code 1918, Austin, TX 78756, USA
| | - Cynthia Le Mons
- National Urea Cycle Disorders Foundation, 75 South Grand Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91105, USA
| | - Johannes Haberle
- Division of Metabolism, University Children’s Hospital, Steinwiesstrasse 75, CH-8032 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Hye-Seung Lee
- Data Management and Coordinating Center, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Brian Kirmse
- Division of Genetics and Metabolism, Children’s National Medical Center, 111 Michigan Ave. NW, Washington DC 20008, USA
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Abstract
Argininosuccinic aciduria (ASA) is a urea cycle disorder with a complex phenotype. In spite of a lower risk for recurrent hyperammonemic episodes as compared to the proximal disorders of ureagenesis, subjects with ASA are at risk for long-term complications including, poor neurocognitive outcome, hepatic disease and systemic hypertension. These complications can occur in spite of current standard therapy that includes dietary modifications and arginine supplementation suggesting that the presently available therapy is suboptimal. In this article, we discuss the natural history of ASA and the recent mechanistic insights from animal studies that have shown the requirement of argininosuccinate lyase, the enzyme deficient in ASA, for systemic nitric oxide production. These findings may have therapeutic implications and may help optimize therapy in ASA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandesh CS Nagamani
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Brendan Lee
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Houston, USA
- Corresponding author: Brendan Lee, M.D., Ph.D., Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Professor, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030., Phone: 713-798-5443, Fax: 713-798-5168,
| | - Ayelet Erez
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
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Doimo M, Trevisson E, Sartori G, Burlina A, Salviati L. Yeast complementation is sufficiently sensitive to detect the residual activity of ASL alleles associated with mild forms of argininosuccinic aciduria. J Inherit Metab Dis 2012; 35:557-8. [PMID: 22231378 DOI: 10.1007/s10545-011-9402-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2011] [Revised: 09/07/2011] [Accepted: 09/15/2011] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
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Engel K, Vuissoz JM, Eggimann S, Groux M, Berning C, Hu L, Klaus V, Moeslinger D, Mercimek-Mahmutoglu S, Stöckler S, Wermuth B, Häberle J, Nuoffer JM. Bacterial expression of mutant argininosuccinate lyase reveals imperfect correlation of in-vitro enzyme activity with clinical phenotype in argininosuccinic aciduria. J Inherit Metab Dis 2012; 35:133-40. [PMID: 21667091 DOI: 10.1007/s10545-011-9357-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [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: 12/17/2010] [Revised: 05/20/2011] [Accepted: 05/25/2011] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The urea cycle defect argininosuccinate lyase (ASL) deficiency has a large spectrum of presentations from highly severe to asymptomatic. Enzyme activity assays in red blood cells or fibroblasts, although diagnostic of the deficiency, fail to discriminate between severe, mild or asymptomatic cases. Mutation/phenotype correlation studies are needed to characterize the effects of individual mutations on the activity of the enzyme. METHODS Bacterial in-vitro expression studies allowed the enzyme analysis of purified mutant ASL proteins p.I100T (c.299 T > C), p.V178M (c.532 G > A), p.E189G (c.566A > G), p.Q286R (c.857A > G), p.K315E (c.943A > G), p.R379C (c.1135 C > T) and p.R385C (c.1153 C > T) in comparison to the wildtype protein. RESULTS In the bacterial in-vitro expression system, ASL wild-type protein was successfully expressed. The known classical p.Q286R, the novel classical p.K315E and the known mutations p.I100T, p.E189G and p.R385C, which all have been linked to a mild phenotype, showed no significant residual activity. There was some enzyme activity detected with the p.V178M (5 % of wild-type) and p.R379C (10 % of wild-type) mutations in which K(m) values for argininosuccinic acid differed significantly from the wild-type ASL protein. CONCLUSION The bacterially expressed enzymes proved that the mutations found in patients and studied here indeed are detrimental. However, as in the case of red cell ASL activity assays, some mutations found in genetically homozygous patients with mild presentations resulted in virtual loss of enzyme activity in the bacterial system, suggesting a more protective environment for the mutant enzyme in the liver than in the heterologous expression system and/or in the highly dilute assays utilized here.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Engel
- Klinik und Poliklinik für Kinder- und Jugendmedizin, Universitätsklinikum Münster, Albert-Schweitzer-Str. 33, 48149 Muenster, Germany
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Hozyasz KK, Mostowska A, Wojcicki P, Lianeri M, Jagodzinski PP. Polymorphic variants of genes related to arginine metabolism and the risk of orofacial clefts. Arch Oral Biol 2010; 55:861-6. [PMID: 20739017 DOI: 10.1016/j.archoralbio.2010.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [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: 03/17/2010] [Revised: 06/23/2010] [Accepted: 07/27/2010] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Maternal mid-pregnancy low levels of symmetric dimethylarginine and newborn low levels of citrulline are suspected to be risk factors for orofacial clefts. This study was undertaken to investigate the involvement of polymorphic variants of genes related to arginine metabolism in the susceptibility of clefting. DESIGN PCR-RFLP and HRM analyses were used to analyze single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of ASS1, ASL, and SLC25A13 in 172 children with non-syndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate (CL/P) and 188 controls without congenital anomalies. The differences in allele and genotype frequencies between cases and controls were determined using standard Chi-square and Fisher exact tests. The odds ratio (OR) and associated 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) for individuals with CL/P versus controls were also calculated. Associations between the investigated polymorphisms and the risk of being born with an orofacial cleft were tested using the nonparametric and genetic model-free Multifactor Dimensionality Reduction (MDR) approach. RESULTS Analysis of five SNPs of the ASS1 gene revealed that the G allele of rs7860909 is associated with increased CL/P risk. Compared to individuals with the AA genotype, the G allele carriers had an OR of 1.768 (95% CI: 1.133-2.759; p=0.012). For the remaining SNPs of all analysed genes, there was no overall evidence for cleft association considering the allele and genotype distribution. However, gene-by-gene interaction analysis conducted using the MDR approach revealed a significant interactive genetic effect of ASS1 (rs666174) and SLC25A13 (rs10252573) on the occurrence of clefting (p=0.002). CONCLUSION Our results demonstrate moderate evidence for the association of polymorphic variants of genes related to arginine metabolism with abnormal palatogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kamil K Hozyasz
- Department of Paediatrics, Institute of Mother and Child, Warsaw, Poland.
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25
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Abstract
Rats voluntarily run up to a dozen kilometers per night when their cages are equipped with a running wheel. Daily voluntary running is generally thought to enhance protein turnover. Thus, we sought to determine whether running worsens or improves protein degradation caused by a lysine-deficient diet and whether it changes the utilization of free amino acids released by proteolysis. Rats were fed a lysine-deficient diet and were given free access to a running wheel or remained sedentary (control) for 4 wk. Amino acid levels in plasma, muscle, and liver were measured together with plasma insulin levels and tissue weight. The lysine-deficient diet induced anorexia, skeletal muscle loss, and serine and threonine aminoacidemia, and it depleted plasma insulin and essential amino acids in skeletal muscle. Allowing rats to run voluntarily improved these symptoms; thus, voluntary wheel running made the rats less susceptible to dietary lysine deficiency. Amelioration of the declines in muscular leucine and plasma insulin observed in running rats could contribute to protein synthesis together with the enhanced availability of lysine and other essential amino acids in skeletal muscle. These results indicate that voluntary wheel running under lysine-deficient conditions does not enhance protein catabolism; on the contrary, it accelerates protein synthesis and contributes to the maintenance of muscle mass. The intense nocturnal voluntary running that characterizes rodents might be an adaptation of lysine-deficient grain eaters that allows them to maximize opportunities for food acquisition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenji Nagao
- Institute of Life Sciences, Ajinomoto Co. Inc., Kawasaki-ku, Japan
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Reid L, Perreault E, Lafrance G, Clarke JTR. Experience with the treatment of argininosuccinic aciduria during pregnancy. J Inherit Metab Dis 2009; 32 Suppl 1:S191-5. [PMID: 19585269 DOI: 10.1007/s10545-009-1145-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [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: 01/23/2009] [Revised: 05/04/2009] [Accepted: 05/05/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
We present the details of the management and the outcome of a pregnancy of a woman affected with argininosuccinic aciduria. Management with a closely monitored, protein-restricted diet, supplemented with L-arginine, resulted in the birth of a healthy infant boy and an uneventful perinatal course for the mother.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Reid
- Service de génétique médicale, Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbrooke, 3001, 12th Avenue Nord, Sherbrooke, Québec, J1H 5N4, Canada
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Ficicioglu C, Mandell R, Shih VE. Argininosuccinate lyase deficiency: longterm outcome of 13 patients detected by newborn screening. Mol Genet Metab 2009; 98:273-7. [PMID: 19635676 PMCID: PMC2773214 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymgme.2009.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [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: 04/28/2009] [Revised: 06/19/2009] [Accepted: 06/19/2009] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Argininosuccinate lyase deficiency is a urea cycle disorder which can present in the neonatal period with hyperammonemic encephalopathy, or later in childhood with episodic vomiting, growth and developmental delay. Abnormal hair, hepatomegaly, and hepatic fibrosis are unique features of this disorder. Twelve patients with argininosuccinate lyase deficiency were ascertained between 4 and 6 weeks of age by urine amino acid screening. One infant in a previously identified family was diagnosed shortly after birth. Diagnosis was confirmed by enzyme assay in red blood cells and/or skin fibroblasts. At the time of last follow-up, patients had been followed for 13-33 years. All patients were asymptomatic at detection, 7 had slightly increased blood ammonia, and all were initially treated with low-protein diet. Utilization of (14)C-citrulline by intact skin fibroblasts measured by (14)C incorporation into macromolecules was 74-135% of the control mean for 7 of the 8 patients studied. Nine patients had normal development, 4 had learning disability, 6 had EEG abnormalities, 3 had seizure disorder. None had any episodes of hyperammonemic coma. None had hepatomegaly. Patients detected by screening had higher enzyme activity measured by the (14)C-citrulline incorporation assay than comparison groups of patients with neonatal-onset and with late-onset detected by clinical disease. The ability to utilize (14)C-citrulline by intact fibroblasts seems to correlate with clinical outcome and may have prognostic value. It is likely that early diagnosis and treatment contributed to the relatively mild clinical course of the study group.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Ficicioglu
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Amino Acid Disorders Laboratory, Boston, MA 02114, USA
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28
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Mitchell S, Ellingson C, Coyne T, Hall L, Neill M, Christian N, Higham C, Dobrowolski SF, Tuchman M, Summar M. Genetic variation in the urea cycle: a model resource for investigating key candidate genes for common diseases. Hum Mutat 2009; 30:56-60. [PMID: 18666241 DOI: 10.1002/humu.20813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [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] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The urea cycle is the primary means of nitrogen metabolism in humans and other ureotelic organisms. There are five key enzymes in the urea cycle: carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase 1 (CPS1), ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC), argininosuccinate synthetase (ASS1), argininosuccinate lyase (ASL), and arginase 1 (ARG1). Additionally, a sixth enzyme, N-acetylglutamate synthase (NAGS), is critical for urea cycle function, providing CPS1 with its necessary cofactor. Deficiencies in any of these enzymes result in elevated blood ammonia concentrations, which can have detrimental effects, including central nervous system dysfunction, brain damage, coma, and death. Functional variants, which confer susceptibility for disease or dysfunction, have been described for enzymes within the cycle; however, a comprehensive screen of all the urea cycle enzymes has not been performed. We examined the exons and intron/exon boundaries of the five key urea cycle enzymes, NAGS, and two solute carrier transporter genes (SLC25A13 and SLC25A15) for sequence alterations using single-stranded conformational polymorphism (SSCP) analysis and high-resolution melt profiling. SSCP was performed on a set of DNA from 47 unrelated North American individuals with a mixture of ethnic backgrounds. High-resolution melt profiling was performed on a nonoverlapping DNA set of either 47 or 100 unrelated individuals with a mixture of backgrounds. We identified 33 unarchived polymorphisms in this screen that potentially play a role in the variation observed in urea cycle function. Screening all the genes in the pathway provides a catalog of variants that can be used in investigating candidate diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina Mitchell
- Center for Human Genetics Research, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, USA
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29
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Trevisson E, Salviati L, Baldoin MC, Casarin A, Basso G, Burlina A. Gene symbol: ASL. Disease: Argininosuccinate lyase deficiency. Hum Genet 2008; 124:303. [PMID: 18846632] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Eva Trevisson
- Genetica Clinica-Dipartimento di Pediatria-Università di Padova, Padova, Giustiniani, 3, 35128 Padova, Italy.
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30
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Trevisson E, Salviati L, Baldoin MC, Casarin A, Basso G, Burlina A. Gene symbol: ASL. Disease: Argininosuccinate lyase deficiency. Hum Genet 2008; 124:303. [PMID: 18846631] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Eva Trevisson
- Genetica Clinica-Dipartimento di Pediatria-Università di Padova, Padova, Giustiniani, 3, 35128 Padova, Italy.
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31
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Deignan JL, Cederbaum SD, Grody WW. Contrasting features of urea cycle disorders in human patients and knockout mouse models. Mol Genet Metab 2008; 93:7-14. [PMID: 17933574 PMCID: PMC2692509 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymgme.2007.08.123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [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: 07/07/2007] [Revised: 08/19/2007] [Accepted: 08/19/2007] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
The urea cycle exists for the removal of excess nitrogen from the body. Six separate enzymes comprise the urea cycle, and a deficiency in any one of them causes a urea cycle disorder (UCD) in humans. Arginase is the only urea cycle enzyme with an alternate isoform, though no known human disorder currently exists due to a deficiency in the second isoform. While all of the UCDs usually present with hyperammonemia in the first few days to months of life, most disorders are distinguished by a characteristic profile of plasma amino acid alterations that can be utilized for diagnosis. While enzyme assay is possible, an analysis of the underlying mutation is preferable for an accurate diagnosis. Mouse models for each of the urea cycle disorders exist (with the exception of NAGS deficiency), and for almost all of them, their clinical and biochemical phenotypes rather closely resemble the phenotypes seen in human patients. Consequently, all of the current mouse models are highly useful for future research into novel pharmacological and dietary treatments and gene therapy protocols for the management of urea cycle disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua L. Deignan
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA
- The Mental Retardation Research Center, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Stephen D. Cederbaum
- Department of Psychiatry, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA
- Department of Pediatrics, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA
- Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA
- The Mental Retardation Research Center, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Wayne W. Grody
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA
- Department of Pediatrics, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA
- Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA
- The Mental Retardation Research Center, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA
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Mages W, Heinrich O, Treuner G, Vlcek D, Daubnerova I, Slaninova M. Complementation of the Chlamydomonas reinhardtii arg7-8 (arg2) point mutation by recombination with a truncated nonfunctional ARG7 gene. Protist 2007; 158:435-46. [PMID: 17611150 DOI: 10.1016/j.protis.2007.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2007] [Accepted: 05/06/2007] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Chlamydomonas reinhardtii arg7-8 (arg2) mutant strains carrying a hitherto undescribed mutation in their argininosuccinate lyase gene (ARG7) that leads to arginine auxotrophy have been used together with the corresponding wild-type gene as a very reliable transformation system since 1989. In this study, we finally identify the molecular nature of the arg7-8 mutation as a (6073)G to A transition in exon 9 of ARG7 leading to a (288)Gly to Ser exchange near the active site of the protein. The same mutation was found in the ARG7 genes of three commonly used C. reinhardtii laboratory strains, namely cw15-302 arg2, CC-48, and CC-1618. We did not observe exact spontaneous reversion of the arg7-8 allele in our study, but did identify two different and rare intragenic suppressor mutations, (27)Leu to Phe and (285)Tyr to Phe. In our hands, only transformation of the arg7-8 strain with a truncated nonfunctional wild-type ARG7 gene lacking 124 codons at its 5' end led to exact reversion of the mutant base (6073)A to the wild-type (6073)G, presumably by recombination. This system offers a positive selection scheme for homologous recombination (HR) and may, therefore, be useful to the methodical improvement of recombination in Chlamydomonas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wolfgang Mages
- Lehrstuhl für Genetik, Universität Regensburg, Universitätsstr. 31, 93040 Regensburg, Germany.
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Trevisson E, Salviati L, Baldoin MC, Toldo I, Casarin A, Sacconi S, Cesaro L, Basso G, Burlina AB. Argininosuccinate lyase deficiency: mutational spectrum in Italian patients and identification of a novelASLpseudogene. Hum Mutat 2007; 28:694-702. [PMID: 17326097 DOI: 10.1002/humu.20498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [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: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Argininosuccinic aciduria (ASAuria) is an inborn error of metabolism caused by mutations in the argininosuccinate lyase (ASL) gene, which leads to the accumulation of argininosuccinic acid (ASA) in body fluids and severe hyperammonemia. A severe neonatal form and a milder late-onset variant are described. We report a novel ASL pseudogene located in the centromeric region of chromosome 7, 14 novel mutations in the ASL gene, and a novel intronic polymorphism found in a cohort of Italian patients. Our approach relied exclusively on genomic DNA analysis. We found seven missense mutations, two nonsense, three small insertions/deletions, and two splicing mutations. Only two patients harbored previously described mutations, and among the novel variants only two were present in more than one kindred. The pathogenicity of the splicing mutations was demonstrated by a functional splicing assay that employed a hybrid minigene. We also performed molecular modeling using the reported three-dimensional structure of ASL to predict the functional consequences of the missense mutations. There was no genotype-phenotype correlation. Patients with neonatal onset display developmental delay and seizures despite adequate metabolic control. Moreover, hepatomegaly, fibrosis, and abnormal liver function tests are common complications in these patients, but not in patients with the late infancy form. We stress the importance of mutation analysis in patients with ASAuria, to confirm the clinical diagnosis, and to perform DNA-based prenatal diagnosis in future pregnancies of these families.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Trevisson
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
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Wagemaker MJM, Eastwood DC, van der Drift C, Jetten MSM, Burton K, Van Griensven LJLD, Op den Camp HJM. Argininosuccinate synthetase and argininosuccinate lyase: two ornithine cycle enzymes from Agaricus bisporus. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2007; 111:493-502. [PMID: 17512708 DOI: 10.1016/j.mycres.2007.01.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2006] [Revised: 01/16/2007] [Accepted: 01/24/2007] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Accumulation of high quantities of urea in fruiting bodies is a known feature of larger basidiomycetes. Argininosuccinate synthetase (ASS) and argininosuccinate lyase (ASL) are two ornithine cycle enzymes catalysing the last two steps in the arginine biosynthetic pathway. Arginine is the main precursor for urea formation. In this work the nucleotide sequences of the genes and corresponding cDNAs encoding argininosuccinate synthetase (ass) and argininosuccinate lyase (asl) from Agaricus bisporus were determined. Eight and six introns were present in the ass and asl gene, respectively. The location of four introns in the asl gene were conserved among vertebrate asl genes. Deduced amino acid sequences, representing the first homobasidiomycete ASS and ASL protein sequences, were analysed and compared with their counterparts in other organisms. The ass ORF encoded for a protein of 425 amino acids with a calculated molecular mass of 47266Da. An alignment with ASS proteins from other organisms revealed high similarity with fungal and mammalian ASS proteins, 61-63% and 51-55% identity, respectively. The asl open reading frame (ORF) encoded a protein of 464 amino acids with an calculated mass of 52337Da and similar to ASS shared the highest similarity with fungal ASL proteins, 59-60% identity. Northern analyses of ass and asl during fruiting body formation and post-harvest development revealed that expression was significantly up-regulated from developmental stage 3 on for all the tissues studied. The expression reached a maximum at the later stages of fruiting body growth, stages 6 and 7. Both ass and asl genes were up-regulated within 3h after harvest showing that the induction mechanism is very sensitive to the harvest event and emphasizes the importance of the arginine biosynthetic pathway/ornithine cycle in post-harvest physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthijs J M Wagemaker
- Department of Microbiology, IWWR, Radboud University Nijmegen, Toernooiveld 1, NL-6525 ED Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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Christodoulou J, Craig HJ, Walker DC, Weaving LS, Pearson CE, McInnes RR. Deletion hotspot in the argininosuccinate lyase gene: association with topoisomerase II and DNA polymerase alpha sites. Hum Mutat 2006; 27:1065-71. [PMID: 16941645 DOI: 10.1002/humu.20352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [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: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Molecular analysis of argininosuccinate lyase (ASAL) deficiency has led to the identification of a deletion hotspot in the ASL gene. Six individuals with ASAL deficiency had alleles that led to a complete absence of exon 13 from the ASL mRNA; each had a partial deletion of exon 13 in the genomic DNA. In all six patients, the deletions begin 18 bp upstream of the 3' end of exon 13. In four cases, the deletions were 13 bp in length, and ended within exon 13, whereas in two other patients the deletions were 25 bp and extended into intron 13. The sequence at which these deletions begin overlaps both a putative topoisomerase II recognition site and a DNA polymerase alpha mutation/frameshift site. Moreover, the topoisomerase II cut site is situated precisely at the beginning of the deletions, which are flanked by small (2- and 3-bp) direct repeats. We note that a similar concurrence of these two putative enzyme sites can be found in a number of other deletion sites in the human genome, most notably the DeltaF508 deletion in the CFTR gene. These findings suggest that the joint presence of these two enzyme sites represents a DNA sequence context that may favor the occurrence of small deletions.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Christodoulou
- Program in Genetics and Genomic Biology, Research Institute, Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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Arndt T, Gressner A, Herwig J, Meier U, Sewell AC. Argininosuccinate lyase deficiency (ASL) and carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT): Experience with four independent CDT analysis methods — misleading results given by the %CDT TIA assay. Clin Chim Acta 2006; 373:117-20. [PMID: 16808909 DOI: 10.1016/j.cca.2006.05.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [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: 05/09/2006] [Accepted: 05/09/2006] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chronic liver disease can cause false-positive carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT) results mimicking chronic alcohol abuse. We tested whether argininosuccinate lyase deficiency (ASL), a genetic disorder of the urea cycle with hepatomegaly and biochemical hepatitis, causes increased CDT results and whether this depends on the analytical method. METHODS Seven serum samples from four ASL patients without alcohol abuse were analyzed by capillary electrophoresis, HPLC, particle-enhanced immunonephelometry with monoclonal CDT antibodies, and microcolumn CDT and non-CDT fractionation followed by a turbidimetric immunoassay with transferrin antibodies (%CDT TIA). RESULTS Increased CDT results (two out of four patients or five out of seven samples) were obtained by the %CDT TIA assay, but not by the remaining three CDT tests. The corresponding serum samples showed increased fractions of trisialotransferrin by HPLC (as the IFCC reference method for CDT analysis). One sample contained an elevated trisialotransferrin but a normal CDT also in the %CDT TIA test. One patient had a normal trisialotransferrin and a normal CDT as assayed by each of the four CDT methods. CONCLUSIONS Argininosuccinate lyase deficiency is not itself a cause for increased CDT values. Increased fractions of trisialotransferrin in ASL patients appear to interfere with CDT analysis by the %CDT TIA assay. This can give false-positive CDT results. Since this can appear not only in ASL patients, microcolumn CDT and non-CDT fractionation followed by a turbidimetric immunoassay using transferrin but not CDT antibodies by the %CDT TIA assay should no longer be used for CDT measurement without confirmatory analysis by HPLC or capillary electrophoresis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Torsten Arndt
- Bioscientia GmbH, Konrad Adenauer Strasse 17, 55218 Ingelheim, Germany.
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Lee HJ, Lai YH, Huang YT, Huang CW, Chen YH, Chang GG. Critical role of tryptophanyl residues in the conformational stability of goose δ-crystallin. Exp Eye Res 2006; 83:658-66. [PMID: 16677632 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2006.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [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: 01/22/2006] [Revised: 03/03/2006] [Accepted: 03/08/2006] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Delta-crystallin is the major structural protein in avian and reptilian eye lenses but its sequence is highly homologous with the urea cycle enzyme, argininosuccinate lyase (ASL). In previous studies the multi-step unfolding process of this protein in the presence of GdmCl was sensitively probed using tryptophan fluorescence. In this study the contribution of single tryptophan residues to the stability of the local environment was monitored by mutation of two highly conservative tryptophan residues in goose delta-crystallin, Trp 74 and Trp 169. These residues behaved differently in terms of fluorescence intensity and maxima emission wavelength, consistent with their structural location in buried or solvent accessible regions. No gross changes in the secondary structure after mutation were observed, as judged by far-UV CD. The side chains of tryptophan residues in the structure of wild-type goose delta-crystallin possess both hydrophobic and hydrogen bonding interactions. Replacement of the side chain with phenylalanine or alanine led to expose of a hydrophobic area and a reduction in thermal stability; W169A particularly has a T(m) value that was 10 degrees C lower than the wild type enzyme. In the presence of GdmCl, a sharp red shift in fluorescence wavelength due to subunit dissociation can be sensitively detected using a single tryptophan, with the region surrounding W74 undergoing the first transition with a [GdmCl](1/2) of 0.45 M. Further measurement of unfolding curves by CD revealed that the W169A mutant was most unstable with a [GdmCl](1/2) of 0.22 M. From sedimentation velocity analysis, the unstable conformation of the W169A mutant affected the assembly of the quaternary structure. Our studies demonstrate the critical role for the tryptophan residues in stabilizing protein conformations and subunit assembly in delta-crystallin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hwei-Jen Lee
- Department of Biochemistry and Institute of Molecular Biology, National Defense Medical Center, No. 161, Sec. 6, Minchuan East Road, Neihu, Taipei 114, Taiwan.
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Alsmadi O, Alkayal F, Al-Sayed M, Rashed MS, Imtiaz F, Meyer BF. LCGreen I–Based Real-Time PCR Assays for Detecting Common ASL and HMGCL Variants. Clin Chem 2006; 52:1439-40. [PMID: 16798975 DOI: 10.1373/clinchem.2006.067538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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Xu Y, Glansdorff N, Labedan B. Bioinformatic analysis of an unusual gene-enzyme relationship in the arginine biosynthetic pathway among marine gamma proteobacteria: implications concerning the formation of N-acetylated intermediates in prokaryotes. BMC Genomics 2006; 7:4. [PMID: 16409639 PMCID: PMC1382215 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-7-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2005] [Accepted: 01/12/2006] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The N-acetylation of L-glutamate is regarded as a universal metabolic strategy to commit glutamate towards arginine biosynthesis. Until recently, this reaction was thought to be catalyzed by either of two enzymes: (i) the classical N-acetylglutamate synthase (NAGS, gene argA) first characterized in Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa several decades ago and also present in vertebrates, or (ii) the bifunctional version of ornithine acetyltransferase (OAT, gene argJ) present in Bacteria, Archaea and many Eukaryotes. This paper focuses on a new and surprising aspect of glutamate acetylation. We recently showed that in Moritella abyssi and M. profunda, two marine gamma proteobacteria, the gene for the last enzyme in arginine biosynthesis (argH) is fused to a short sequence that corresponds to the C-terminal, N-acetyltransferase-encoding domain of NAGS and is able to complement an argA mutant of E. coli. Very recently, other authors identified in Mycobacterium tuberculosis an independent gene corresponding to this short C-terminal domain and coding for a new type of NAGS. We have investigated the two prokaryotic Domains for patterns of gene-enzyme relationships in the first committed step of arginine biosynthesis. Results The argH-A fusion, designated argH(A), and discovered in Moritella was found to be present in (and confined to) marine gamma proteobacteria of the Alteromonas- and Vibrio-like group. Most of them have a classical NAGS with the exception of Idiomarina loihiensis and Pseudoalteromonas haloplanktis which nevertheless can grow in the absence of arginine and therefore appear to rely on the arg(A) sequence for arginine biosynthesis. Screening prokaryotic genomes for virtual argH-X 'fusions' where X stands for a homologue of arg(A), we retrieved a large number of Bacteria and several Archaea, all of them devoid of a classical NAGS. In the case of Thermus thermophilus and Deinococcus radiodurans, the arg(A)-like sequence clusters with argH in an operon-like fashion. In this group of sequences, we find the short novel NAGS of the type identified in M. tuberculosis. Among these organisms, at least Thermus, Mycobacterium and Streptomyces species appear to rely on this short NAGS version for arginine biosynthesis. Conclusion The gene-enzyme relationship for the first committed step of arginine biosynthesis should now be considered in a new perspective. In addition to bifunctional OAT, nature appears to implement at least three alternatives for the acetylation of glutamate. It is possible to propose evolutionary relationships between them starting from the same ancestral N-acetyltransferase domain. In M. tuberculosis and many other bacteria, this domain evolved as an independent enzyme, whereas it fused either with a carbamate kinase fold to give the classical NAGS (as in E. coli) or with argH as in marine gamma proteobacteria. Moreover, there is an urgent need to clarify the current nomenclature since the same gene name argA has been used to designate structurally different entities. Clarifying the confusion would help to prevent erroneous genomic annotation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Xu
- Marine Sciences Research Center, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, New York 11794-5000, USA
| | - Nicolas Glansdorff
- Microbiology and Genetics, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Bernard Labedan
- Institut de Génétique et Microbiologie, CNRS UMR 8621, Université Paris Sud, Bâtiment 400, 91405 Orsay Cedex, France
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Gharbi M, Powroznik B, Mazzucchelli G, Deville C, Nollevaux G, Rusu D, Dandrifosse G, Peulen O. Modulation of intestinal urea cycle by dietary spermine in suckling rat. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2005; 336:1119-24. [PMID: 16168957 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2005.08.240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2005] [Accepted: 08/30/2005] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Argininosuccinate synthetase, an ubiquitous enzyme in mammals, catalyses the formation of argininosuccinate, the precursor of arginine. Arginine is recognised as an essential amino acid in foetuses and neonates, but also as a conditionally essential amino acid in adults. Argininosuccinate synthetase is initially expressed in enterocytes during the developmental period, it disappeared from this organ then appeared in the kidneys. Although the importance of both intestinal and renal argininosuccinate synthetases has been recognised for a long time, nutrients have not yet been identified as inducers of the gene expression. In the context of a proteomic screening of intestinal modifications induced by dietary spermine in suckling rats, we showed that argininosuccinate synthetase and carbamoyl phosphate synthase disappeared from enterocytes after this treatment. The disappearance of argininosuccinate synthetase in small intestine was confirmed by immunodetection. Expression of carbamoyl phosphate synthase and argininosuccinate synthetase coding genes decreased also after spermine administration. Expression of other urea cycle enzyme coding genes was modulated by spermine administration: argininosuccinate lyase decreased and arginase increased. Our results fit with the developmental variation of argininosuccinate synthetase and carbamoyl phosphate synthase. Modulation of the gene expression for several urea cycle enzymes suggests a coordination between all the pathway steps and switch toward polyamine (or proline and glutamate) biosynthesis from ornithine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Myriam Gharbi
- Department of Biochemistry and General Physiology, Immunology Center, University of Liège, Belgium
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Abstract
Delta-crystallin, the major soluble protein component in the avian eye lens, is homologous to argininosuccinate lyase (ASL). Two delta-crystallin isoforms exist in ducks, delta1- and delta2-crystallin, which are 94% identical in amino acid sequence. While duck delta2-crystallin (ddeltac2) has maintained ASL activity, evolution has rendered duck delta1-crystallin (ddeltac1) enzymatically inactive. Previous attempts to regenerate ASL activity in ddeltac1 by mutating the residues in the 20s (residues 22-31) and 70s (residues 74-89) loops to those found in ddeltac2 resulted in a double loop mutant (DLM) which was enzymatically inactive (Tsai, M. et al. (2004) Biochemistry 43, 11672-82). This result suggested that one or more of the remaining five amino acid substitutions in domain 1 of the DLM contributes to the loss of ASL activity in ddeltac1. In the current study, residues Met-9, Val-14, Ala-41, Ile-43, and Glu-115 were targeted for mutagenesis, either alone or in combination, to the residues found in ddeltac2. ASL activity was recovered in the DLM by changing Met-9 to Trp, and this activity is further potentiated in the DLM-M9W mutant when Glu-115 is changed to Asp. The roles of Trp-9 and Asp-115 were further investigated by site-directed mutagenesis in wild-type ddeltac2. Changing the identity of either Trp-9 or Asp-115 in ddeltac2 resulted in a dramatic drop in enzymatic activity. The loss of activity in Trp-9 mutants indicates a preference for an aromatic residue at this position. Truncation mutants of ddeltac2 in which the first 8, 9, or 14 N-terminal residues were removed displayed either decreased or no ASL activity, suggesting residues 1-14 are crucial for enzymatic activity in ddeltac2. Our kinetic studies combined with available structural data suggest that the N-terminal arm in ASL/delta2-crystallin is involved in stabilizing regions of the protein involved in substrate binding and catalysis, and in completely sequestering the substrate from the solvent.
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Affiliation(s)
- May Tsai
- Structural Biology and Biochemistry, Research Institute, Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1X8, Canada
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Shimogiri T, Bosak N, Morisson M, Okamoto S, Kawabe K, Maeda Y, Vignal A, Yasue H. Assignment of CPS1, OTC, CRYD2, ARG2 and ASS genes to the chicken RH map. Genet Sel Evol 2005; 36:593-9. [PMID: 15339635 PMCID: PMC2697195 DOI: 10.1186/1297-9686-36-5-593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [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: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
An attempt was made to assign five genes, CPS1, OTC, ASS, CRYD2, and ARG2, to chicken chromosomes (GGA) by radiation-hybrid mapping. OTC was assigned to GGA1; ARG2 to GGA5; CPS1 to GGA7; and CRYD2 to GGA19. ASS was not, however, assigned to a specific chromosomal position.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Natalia Bosak
- Genome Research Department, National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Mireille Morisson
- Laboratoire de génétique cellulaire, Institut national de la recherche agronomique, Castanet-Tolosan, France
| | - Shin Okamoto
- Faculty of Agriculture, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Kotaro Kawabe
- Gene Research Center, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Yoshizane Maeda
- Faculty of Agriculture, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Alain Vignal
- Laboratoire de génétique cellulaire, Institut national de la recherche agronomique, Castanet-Tolosan, France
| | - Hiroshi Yasue
- Genome Research Department, National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, Tsukuba, Japan
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Al-Sayed M, Alahmed S, Alsmadi O, Khalil H, Rashed MS, Imtiaz F, Meyer BF. Identification of a common novel mutation in Saudi patients with argininosuccinic aciduria. J Inherit Metab Dis 2005; 28:877-83. [PMID: 16435180 DOI: 10.1007/s10545-005-0081-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [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] [Received: 01/11/2005] [Accepted: 05/09/2005] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
We have identified a common novel mutation (Q354X) in the argininosuccinate lyase (ASL) gene in Saudi patients with argininosuccinic aciduria (ASAuria; McKusick 207900). The two index patients were siblings, had a neonatal onset of the disease and were diagnosed based on the clinical presentation and confirmed by analysis of their dried blood spots (DBS) by tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). The ASL gene was then analysed by direct sequencing. A further 28 patients with a confirmed diagnosis of ASAuria based on MS/MS of their DBS were tested by sequencing for the presence of the Q354X mutation. This mutation was found in 14 out of the 28 patients (50%) tested. Our work indicates that the Q354X allele is common, may account for 50% of the abnormal ASL genes in the Saudi population, and is likely to be associated with the neonatal form of the disease. We recommend that all patients diagnosed with ASAuria in Saudi Arabia or of Arab origin be tested for this mutation and for Q116X, which has been described previously. In addition, further analysis is needed to identify other underlying disease mutations for ASAuria in the Saudi population.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Al-Sayed
- Department of Medical Genetics, King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Center, PO Box 3354, Riyadh 11211, Saudi Arabia.
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE Inherited differences in renal function underlie the effect of high salt diets on blood pressure in Dahl rats. We probed the kidneys of inbred Dahl SS/Jr and SR/Jr for anonymous and candidate genes whose expression was regulated by dietary sodium. METHODS mRNA quantitation of both candidate genes implicated in sodium excretion and anonymous gene products found by differential hybridization in the kidneys of salt-resistant (SR) and salt sensitive (SS) inbred Dahl rats on high and low salt diets for 21 days. RESULTS Differential screening revealed a cDNA clone (H1) that showed increased dietary salt-dependent expression only in SS rats. Sequencing of the H1 cDNA showed it was the Dahl rat homologue to a perchloric acid soluble protein expressed in liver and kidney. Among candidate genes, transcript levels of arginosuccinate synthetase (AS) and arginosuccinate lyase (AL) were higher in SS on low salt diets, and AS mRNA increased in response to a high salt diet in SR. Renal mRNA for the ANP-A and the vasopressin type II receptors did not differ by strain or dietary conditions. CONCLUSIONS Three new salt-sensitive genes were detected in the kidneys of inbred Dahl rats. Two genes encode enzymes in the biosynthesis of L-arginine. The upregulation of these genes by dietary salt indicates increased demand and biosynthesis of L-arginine in Dahl SS rats. A third gene encodes a small acid-soluble protein thought to influence the transcription/translation of numerous genes. Further studies will be needed to determine the nature of the association of these genes with salt-sensitivity and blood pressure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geoffrey K Lighthall
- Department of Physiology and Medicine, University of Maryland, Veterans Administration Medical Center, Baltimore, Maryland 21201, USA
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Reimers JM, Schmidt KH, Longacre A, Reschke DK, Wright BE. Increased transcription rates correlate with increased reversion rates in leuB and argH Escherichia coli auxotrophs. Microbiology (Reading) 2004; 150:1457-1466. [PMID: 15133107 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.26954-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Escherichia coli auxotrophs of leuB and argH were examined to determine if higher rates of transcription in derepressed genes were correlated with increased reversion rates. Rates of leuB and argH mRNA synthesis were determined using half-lives and concentrations, during exponential growth and at several time points during 30 min of amino acid starvation. Changes in mRNA concentration were primarily due to increased mRNA synthesis and not to increased stability. Four strains of E. coli amino acid auxotrophs, isogenic except for relA and argR, were examined. In both the leuB and argH genes, rates of transcription and mutation were compared. In general, strains able to activate transcription with guanosine tetraphosphate (ppGpp) had higher rates of mRNA synthesis and mutation than those lacking ppGpp (relA2 mutants). argR knockout strains were constructed in relA(+) and relA mutant strains, and rates of both argH reversion and mRNA synthesis were significantly higher in the argR knockouts than in the regulated strains. A statistically significant linear correlation between increased rates of transcription and mutation was found for data from both genes. In general, changes in mRNA half-lives were less than threefold, whereas changes in rates of mRNA synthesis were often two orders of magnitude. The results suggest that specific starvation conditions target the biosynthetic genes for derepression and increased rates of transcription and mutation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Karen H Schmidt
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
| | - Angelika Longacre
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
| | - Dennis K Reschke
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
| | - Barbara E Wright
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
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Affiliation(s)
- L R Keller
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahasse, USA
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47
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Abstract
Argininosuccinate lyase (AL) has several roles in intermediary metabolism. It is an essential component of the urea cycle, providing a pathway for the disposal of excess nitrogen in mammals. AL links the urea cycle to the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle by generating fumarate. Finally, AL is required for the endogenous production of arginine. In this latter role it may function outside ureagenic organs to provide arginine as a substrate for nitric oxide synthases (NOS). Increasing evidence suggests that argininosuccinate synthetase (AS) and AL are more globally expressed, and the coordinate regulation of AS and AL gene expression with that of the inducible form of NOS (iNOS) provides evidence that this may facilitate the regulation of NOS activity. Deficiency of AL leads to the human urea cycle disorder argininosuccinic aciduria. We produced an AL deficient mouse by gene targeting in order to investigate the role of AL in endogenous arginine production. This mouse also provides a model of the human disorder to explore the pathogenesis of the disorder and possible new treatments. Metabolic studies of these mice demonstrated that they have the same biochemical phenotype as humans, with hyperammonemia, elevated plasma argininosuccinic acid and low plasma arginine. Plasma nitrites, derived from NO, were not reduced in AL deficient mice and there was no significant difference is the level of cyclic GMP, the second messenger induced by NO.
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Affiliation(s)
- V Reid Sutton
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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Ensor CM, Holtsberg FW, Bomalaski JS, Clark MA. Pegylated arginine deiminase (ADI-SS PEG20,000 mw) inhibits human melanomas and hepatocellular carcinomas in vitro and in vivo. Cancer Res 2002; 62:5443-50. [PMID: 12359751] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/26/2023]
Abstract
Some murine melanomas and hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) have been shown to be auxotrophic for arginine. Arginine deiminase (ADI; EC 3.5.3.6.), an arginine-degrading enzyme isolated from Mycoplasma, can inhibit growth of these tumors. We found that ADI was specific for arginine and did not degrade other amino acids. Although arginine is not an essential amino acid for most cells, all human melanomas and HCCs tested were found to be inhibited by ADI in vitro. Arginine is synthesized from citrulline in two steps by argininosuccinate synthetase and argininosuccinate lyase. Melanomas and HCCs did not express argininosuccinate synthetase mRNA but did express argininosuccinate lyase mRNA, suggesting that the arginine auxotrophy of these cells was a result of an inability to produce argininosuccinate synthetase. Human melanomas and HCCs were transfected with an expression plasmid containing argininosuccinate synthetase cDNA. The transfected cells were much more resistant to ADI than the parental cells in vitro and in vivo. Initial attempts to use ADI in vivo indicated that this enzyme had little efficacy, consistent with its short circulation half-life. Formulation of ADI with polyethylene glycol to produce ADI-SS PEG(20,000 mw) resulted in an enzyme with a much longer circulation half-life that, and although equally effective in vitro, was more efficacious in the treatment of mice implanted with human melanomas and HCCs. These data indicate that sensitivity of melanoma and HCC is due to the absence of argininosuccinate synthetase in these cells and that an effective formulation of ADI, which causes a sustained decrease in arginine, may be a useful treatment for arginine auxotrophic tumors including melanoma and HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles Mark Ensor
- Department of Biology, T. H. Morgan Building and Phoenix Pharmacologics, Inc., Lexington, Kentucky 40503, USA
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Linnebank M, Tschiedel E, Häberle J, Linnebank A, Willenbring H, Kleijer WJ, Koch HG. Argininosuccinate lyase (ASL) deficiency: mutation analysis in 27 patients and a completed structure of the human ASL gene. Hum Genet 2002; 111:350-9. [PMID: 12384776 DOI: 10.1007/s00439-002-0793-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [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: 03/21/2002] [Accepted: 06/18/2002] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Argininosuccinic aciduria is an urea cycle disorder caused by argininosuccinate lyase (ASL) deficiency and is inherited as an autosomal-recessive trait. To date, mutation analysis has been limited because of incomplete sequence information about the human ASL gene. As a consequence, only 12 different mutations in 12 patients have been reported, so far. This study aimed at the completion of the structure and the sequence of the human ASL gene, the development of a genomic DNA-based system for mutation analysis and, finally, the characterisation of the molecular genetic background of ASL deficiency in 27 unrelated patients. This report provides transcript variants, the complete sequence of the human ASL gene and a complete ASL homologue on chromosome 22. The homologue was formerly thought to be a pseudogene but was found, in this study, to be correlated with an immunoglobulin-lambda-like mRNA. On the basis of the novel sequence data, a polymerase reaction chain system for mutation-screening in all 16 coding exons of the ASL gene was established and applied to the analysis of the ASL-deficient patients. We found mutations in all of the 54 investigated alleles and identified 23 (19 novel) different mutations. Some mutational hot-spots were identified (mainly in exons 4, 5, and 7) as were several predominant mutations: IVS5+1G-->A (15 alleles), c.532G-->A (7), c.346C-->T (6), c.1153C-->T (4). This study introduces a system for mutation analysis in the ASL gene, thereby elucidating the genetic background of ASL deficiency, which was found to be associated with considerable allelic heterogeneity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Linnebank
- Universitätsklinikum Münster, Klinik und Poliklinik fuer Kinderheilkunde, 48149 Münster, Germany
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Tanaka T, Nagao M, Mori T, Tsutsumi H. A novel stop codon mutation (X465Y) in the argininosuccinate lyase gene in a patient with argininosuccinic aciduria. TOHOKU J EXP MED 2002; 198:119-24. [PMID: 12512996 DOI: 10.1620/tjem.198.119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [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: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Argininosuccinate lyase (ASL) deficiency (McKusick 207900) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder affecting the urea cycle. The cardinal symptom in the neonatal form is progressive hyperammonemia, which is often life-threatening. However, clinical symptoms in the late onset form are quite heterogeneous. As well as measurement of ASL activity, analysis of the ASL gene is necessary to clarify the genetic basis of various phenotypes. We report a patient with late onset argininosuccinate lyase deficiency (ASLD) who had hepatomegaly and mildly increased level of ammonia. By mutation analysis of the mRNA and genomic DNA from the patient's leukocytes, we identified a novel missense mutation 1395G>C in the homozygous state, which results in the exchange of a stop codon to tyrosine at amino acid position 465 (X465Y). This unique mutation causes an elongation of fifty amino acids in the C-terminal region of the ASL protein, and is likely related to a milder phenotype compared with previously reported mutations. In addition, this is the first report on mutation analysis in a Japanese ASLD patient.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toju Tanaka
- Department of Pediatrics, Sapporo Medical University, Sapporo 063-8543, Japan
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