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Beard DC, Zhang X, Wu DY, Martin JR, Erickson A, Boua JV, Hamagami N, Swift RG, McCullough KB, Ge X, Bell-Hensley A, Zheng H, Palmer CW, Fuhler NA, Lawrence AB, Hill CA, Papouin T, Noguchi KK, McAlinden A, Garbow JR, Dougherty JD, Maloney SE, Gabel HW. Distinct disease mutations in DNMT3A result in a spectrum of behavioral, epigenetic, and transcriptional deficits. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113411. [PMID: 37952155 PMCID: PMC10843706 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Phenotypic heterogeneity in monogenic neurodevelopmental disorders can arise from differential severity of variants underlying disease, but how distinct alleles drive variable disease presentation is not well understood. Here, we investigate missense mutations in DNA methyltransferase 3A (DNMT3A), a DNA methyltransferase associated with overgrowth, intellectual disability, and autism, to uncover molecular correlates of phenotypic heterogeneity. We generate a Dnmt3aP900L/+ mouse mimicking a mutation with mild to moderate severity and compare phenotypic and epigenomic effects with a severe R878H mutation. P900L mutants exhibit core growth and behavioral phenotypes shared across models but show subtle epigenomic changes, while R878H mutants display extensive disruptions. We identify mutation-specific dysregulated genes that may contribute to variable disease severity. Shared transcriptomic disruption identified across mutations overlaps dysregulation observed in other developmental disorder models and likely drives common phenotypes. Together, our findings define central drivers of DNMT3A disorders and illustrate how variable epigenomic disruption contributes to phenotypic heterogeneity in neurodevelopmental disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana C Beard
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Xiyun Zhang
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Dennis Y Wu
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Jenna R Martin
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Alyssa Erickson
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Jane Valeriane Boua
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Nicole Hamagami
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Raylynn G Swift
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Katherine B McCullough
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Xia Ge
- Department of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Austin Bell-Hensley
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Hongjun Zheng
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Cory W Palmer
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Nicole A Fuhler
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Austin B Lawrence
- Department of Pathology and Anatomical Science, University of Missouri School of Medicine, Columbia, MO 65212, USA
| | - Cheryl A Hill
- Department of Pathology and Anatomical Science, University of Missouri School of Medicine, Columbia, MO 65212, USA
| | - Thomas Papouin
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Kevin K Noguchi
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Audrey McAlinden
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Joel R Garbow
- Department of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Joseph D Dougherty
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Susan E Maloney
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Harrison W Gabel
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA.
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Christian DL, Wu DY, Martin JR, Moore JR, Liu YR, Clemens AW, Nettles SA, Kirkland NM, Papouin T, Hill CA, Wozniak DF, Dougherty JD, Gabel HW. DNMT3A Haploinsufficiency Results in Behavioral Deficits and Global Epigenomic Dysregulation Shared across Neurodevelopmental Disorders. Cell Rep 2020; 33:108416. [PMID: 33238114 PMCID: PMC7716597 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.108416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2020] [Revised: 09/17/2020] [Accepted: 10/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations in DNA methyltransferase 3A (DNMT3A) have been detected in autism and related disorders, but how these mutations disrupt nervous system function is unknown. Here, we define the effects of DNMT3A mutations associated with neurodevelopmental disease. We show that diverse mutations affect different aspects of protein activity but lead to shared deficiencies in neuronal DNA methylation. Heterozygous DNMT3A knockout mice mimicking DNMT3A disruption in disease display growth and behavioral alterations consistent with human phenotypes. Strikingly, in these mice, we detect global disruption of neuron-enriched non-CG DNA methylation, a binding site for the Rett syndrome protein MeCP2. Loss of this methylation leads to enhancer and gene dysregulation that overlaps with models of Rett syndrome and autism. These findings define the effects of DNMT3A haploinsufficiency in the brain and uncover disruption of the non-CG methylation pathway as a convergence point across neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana L Christian
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110-1093, USA
| | - Dennis Y Wu
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110-1093, USA
| | - Jenna R Martin
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110-1093, USA
| | - J Russell Moore
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110-1093, USA
| | - Yiran R Liu
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110-1093, USA
| | - Adam W Clemens
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110-1093, USA
| | - Sabin A Nettles
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110-1093, USA
| | - Nicole M Kirkland
- Department of Pathology and Anatomical Science, University of Missouri School of Medicine, Columbia, MO 65212, USA
| | - Thomas Papouin
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110-1093, USA
| | - Cheryl A Hill
- Department of Pathology and Anatomical Science, University of Missouri School of Medicine, Columbia, MO 65212, USA
| | - David F Wozniak
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110-1093, USA; Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110-1093, USA; Taylor Family Institute for Innovative Psychiatric Research, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110-1093, USA
| | - Joseph D Dougherty
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110-1093, USA; Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110-1093, USA
| | - Harrison W Gabel
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110-1093, USA.
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