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Patrick MT, Bardhi R, Zhou W, Elder JT, Gudjonsson JE, Tsoi LC. Enhanced rare disease mapping for phenome-wide genetic association in the UK Biobank. Genome Med 2022; 14:85. [PMID: 35945607 PMCID: PMC9364550 DOI: 10.1186/s13073-022-01094-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Rare diseases collectively affect up to 10% of the population, but often lack effective treatment, and typically little is known about their pathophysiology. Major challenges include suboptimal phenotype mapping and limited statistical power. Population biobanks, such as the UK Biobank, recruit many individuals who can be affected by rare diseases; however, investigation into their utility for rare disease research remains limited. We hypothesized the UK Biobank can be used as a unique population assay for rare diseases in the general population. METHODS We constructed a consensus mapping between ICD-10 codes and ORPHA codes for rare diseases, then identified individuals with each rare condition in the UK Biobank, and investigated their age at recruitment, sex bias, and comorbidity distributions. Using exome sequencing data from 167,246 individuals of European ancestry, we performed genetic association controlling for case/control imbalance (SAIGE) to identify potential rare pathogenic variants for each disease. RESULTS Using our mapping approach, we identified and characterized 420 rare diseases affecting 23,575 individuals in the UK Biobank. Significant genetic associations included JAK2 V617F for immune thrombocytopenic purpura (p = 1.24 × 10-13) and a novel CALR loss of function variant for essential thrombocythemia (p = 1.59 × 10-13). We constructed an interactive resource highlighting demographic information ( http://www-personal.umich.edu/~mattpat/rareDiseases.html ) and demonstrate transferability by applying our mapping to a medical claims database. CONCLUSIONS Enhanced disease mapping and increased power from population biobanks can elucidate the demographics and genetic associations for rare diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew T Patrick
- Department of Dermatology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
| | - Redina Bardhi
- Department of Dermatology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.,School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Wei Zhou
- Analytic and Translational Genetics Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - James T Elder
- Department of Dermatology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Johann E Gudjonsson
- Department of Dermatology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Lam C Tsoi
- Department of Dermatology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA. .,Department of Biostatistics, Center for Statistical Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA. .,Department of Computational Medicine & Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
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2
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Thulabandu V, Ferguson JW, Phung M, Atit RP. EZH2 modulates retinoic acid signaling to ensure myotube formation during development. FEBS Lett 2022; 596:1672-1685. [PMID: 35294045 DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.14334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Revised: 02/27/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Sequential differentiation of pre-somitic progenitors into myocytes and subsequently into myotubes and myofibers is essential for the myogenic differentiation program (MDP) crucial for muscle development. Signaling factors involved in MDP are Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2) targets in various developmental contexts. PRC2 is active in the developing myotomes during MDP, but how it regulates MDP is unclear. Here, we found that myocyte differentiation to myotubes requires Enhancer of Zeste 2 (EZH2), the catalytic component of PRC2. We observed elevated retinoic-acid (RA) signaling in the prospective myocytes in the Ezh2 mutants (E8.5-MusEzh2 ), and its inhibition can partially rescue the myocyte differentiation defect. Together, our data demonstrate a new role for PRC2-EZH2 during myocyte differentiation into myotubes by modulating RA signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Venkata Thulabandu
- Dept. of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.A
| | - James W Ferguson
- Dept. of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.A
| | - Melissa Phung
- Dept. of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.A
| | - Radhika P Atit
- Dept. of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.A.,Dept. of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.A.,Dept. of Dermatology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.A
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3
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Ruiz A, Benucci S, Duthaler U, Bachmann C, Franchini M, Noreen F, Pietrangelo L, Protasi F, Treves S, Zorzato F. Improvement of muscle strength in a mouse model for congenital myopathy treated with HDAC and DNA methyltransferase inhibitors. eLife 2022; 11:73718. [PMID: 35238775 PMCID: PMC8956288 DOI: 10.7554/elife.73718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 02/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
To date there are no therapies for patients with congenital myopathies, muscle disorders causing poor quality of life of affected individuals. In approximately 30% of the cases, patients with congenital myopathies carry either dominant or recessive mutations in the RYR1 gene; recessive RYR1 mutations are accompanied by reduction of RyR1 expression and content in skeletal muscles and are associated with fiber hypotrophy and muscle weakness. Importantly, muscles of patients with recessive RYR1 mutations exhibit increased content of class II histone de-acetylases and of DNA genomic methylation. We recently created a mouse model knocked-in for the p.Q1970fsX16+p.A4329D RyR1 mutations, which are isogenic to those carried by a severely affected child suffering from a recessive form of RyR1-related multi-mini core disease. The phenotype of the RyR1 mutant mice recapitulates many aspects of the clinical picture of patients carrying recessive RYR1 mutations. We treated the compound heterozygous mice with a combination of two drugs targeting DNA methylases and class II histone de-acetylases. Here we show that treatment of the mutant mice with drugs targeting epigenetic enzymes improves muscle strength, RyR1 protein content and muscle ultrastructure. This study provides proof of concept for the pharmacological treatment of patients with congenital myopathies linked to recessive RYR1 mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexis Ruiz
- Department of Biomedicine, Basel University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Sofia Benucci
- Department of Biomedicine, Basel University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Urs Duthaler
- Department of Biomedicine, Basel University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Christoph Bachmann
- Department of Biomedicine, Basel University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Martina Franchini
- Department of Biomedicine, Basel University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Faiza Noreen
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Laura Pietrangelo
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Science, University G d' Annunzio of Chieti, Chieti, Italy
| | - Feliciano Protasi
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Science, University G d' Annunzio of Chieti, Chieti, Italy
| | - Susan Treves
- Department of Biomedicine, Basel University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Francesco Zorzato
- Department of Biomedicine, Basel University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland
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4
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Mposhi A, Liang L, Mennega KP, Yildiz D, Kampert C, Hof IH, Jellema PG, de Koning TJ, Faber KN, Ruiters MHJ, Niezen-Koning KE, Rots MG. The Mitochondrial Epigenome: An Unexplored Avenue to Explain Unexplained Myopathies? Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23042197. [PMID: 35216315 PMCID: PMC8879787 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23042197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2021] [Revised: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Mutations in either mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) or nuclear genes that encode mitochondrial proteins may lead to dysfunctional mitochondria, giving rise to mitochondrial diseases. Some mitochondrial myopathies, however, present without a known underlying cause. Interestingly, methylation of mtDNA has been associated with various clinical pathologies. The present study set out to assess whether mtDNA methylation could explain impaired mitochondrial function in patients diagnosed with myopathy without known underlying genetic mutations. Enhanced mtDNA methylation was indicated by pyrosequencing for muscle biopsies of 14 myopathy patients compared to four healthy controls, at selected cytosines in the Cytochrome B (CYTB) gene, but not within the displacement loop (D-loop) region. The mtDNA methylation patterns of the four healthy muscle biopsies were highly consistent and showed intriguing tissue-specific differences at particular cytosines with control skin fibroblasts cultured in vitro. Within individual myopathy patients, the overall mtDNA methylation pattern correlated well between muscle and skin fibroblasts. Despite this correlation, a pilot analysis of four myopathy and five healthy fibroblast samples did not reveal a disease-associated difference in mtDNA methylation. We did, however, detect increased expression of solute carrier family 25A26 (SLC25A26), encoding the importer of S-adenosylmethionine, together with enhanced mtDNA copy numbers in myopathy fibroblasts compared to healthy controls. To confirm that pyrosequencing indeed reflected DNA methylation and not bisulfite accessibility, mass spectrometry was employed. Although no myopathy-related differences in total amount of methylated cytosines were detected at this stage, a significant contribution of contaminating nuclear DNA (nDNA) was revealed, and steps to improve enrichment for mtDNA are reported. In conclusion, in this explorative study we show that analyzing the mitochondrial genome beyond its sequence opens novel avenues to identify potential molecular biomarkers assisting in the diagnosis of unexplained myopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Archibold Mposhi
- Department of Pathology and Medical Biology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9713 GZ Groningen, The Netherlands; (A.M.); (L.L.); (K.P.M.); (P.G.J.); (M.H.J.R.)
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9713 GZ Groningen, The Netherlands;
| | - Lin Liang
- Department of Pathology and Medical Biology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9713 GZ Groningen, The Netherlands; (A.M.); (L.L.); (K.P.M.); (P.G.J.); (M.H.J.R.)
| | - Kevin P. Mennega
- Department of Pathology and Medical Biology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9713 GZ Groningen, The Netherlands; (A.M.); (L.L.); (K.P.M.); (P.G.J.); (M.H.J.R.)
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Laboratory of Metabolic Diseases, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9713 GZ Groningen, The Netherlands; (D.Y.); (C.K.); (I.H.H.); (K.E.N.-K.)
| | - Dilemin Yildiz
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Laboratory of Metabolic Diseases, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9713 GZ Groningen, The Netherlands; (D.Y.); (C.K.); (I.H.H.); (K.E.N.-K.)
| | - Crista Kampert
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Laboratory of Metabolic Diseases, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9713 GZ Groningen, The Netherlands; (D.Y.); (C.K.); (I.H.H.); (K.E.N.-K.)
| | - Ingrid H. Hof
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Laboratory of Metabolic Diseases, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9713 GZ Groningen, The Netherlands; (D.Y.); (C.K.); (I.H.H.); (K.E.N.-K.)
| | - Pytrick G. Jellema
- Department of Pathology and Medical Biology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9713 GZ Groningen, The Netherlands; (A.M.); (L.L.); (K.P.M.); (P.G.J.); (M.H.J.R.)
| | - Tom J. de Koning
- Department of Genetics, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Antonius Deusinglaan 1, 9713 AV Groningen, The Netherlands;
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Lasarettgatan 40, 221 85 Lund, Sweden
| | - Klaas Nico Faber
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9713 GZ Groningen, The Netherlands;
| | - Marcel H. J. Ruiters
- Department of Pathology and Medical Biology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9713 GZ Groningen, The Netherlands; (A.M.); (L.L.); (K.P.M.); (P.G.J.); (M.H.J.R.)
| | - Klary E. Niezen-Koning
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Laboratory of Metabolic Diseases, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9713 GZ Groningen, The Netherlands; (D.Y.); (C.K.); (I.H.H.); (K.E.N.-K.)
| | - Marianne G. Rots
- Department of Pathology and Medical Biology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9713 GZ Groningen, The Netherlands; (A.M.); (L.L.); (K.P.M.); (P.G.J.); (M.H.J.R.)
- Correspondence:
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5
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Bouman K, Groothuis JT, Doorduin J, van Alfen N, Udink Ten Cate FEA, van den Heuvel FMA, Nijveldt R, van Tilburg WCM, Buckens SCFM, Dittrich ATM, Draaisma JMT, Janssen MCH, Kamsteeg EJ, van Kleef ESB, Koene S, Smeitink JAM, Küsters B, van Tienen FHJ, Smeets HJM, van Engelen BGM, Erasmus CE, Voermans NC. Natural history, outcome measures and trial readiness in LAMA2-related muscular dystrophy and SELENON-related myopathy in children and adults: protocol of the LAST STRONG study. BMC Neurol 2021; 21:313. [PMID: 34384384 PMCID: PMC8357962 DOI: 10.1186/s12883-021-02336-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND SELENON (SEPN1)-related myopathy (SELENON-RM) is a rare congenital myopathy characterized by slowly progressive proximal muscle weakness, early onset spine rigidity and respiratory insufficiency. A muscular dystrophy caused by mutations in the LAMA2 gene (LAMA2-related muscular dystrophy, LAMA2-MD) has a similar clinical phenotype, with either a severe, early-onset due to complete Laminin subunit α2 deficiency (merosin-deficient congenital muscular dystrophy type 1A (MDC1A)), or a mild, childhood- or adult-onset due to partial Laminin subunit α2 deficiency. For both muscle diseases, no curative treatment options exist, yet promising preclinical studies are ongoing. Currently, there is a paucity on natural history data and appropriate clinical and functional outcome measures are needed to reach trial readiness. METHODS LAST STRONG is a natural history study in Dutch-speaking patients of all ages diagnosed with SELENON-RM or LAMA2-MD, starting August 2020. Patients have four visits at our hospital over a period of 1.5 year. At all visits, they undergo standardized neurological examination, hand-held dynamometry (age ≥ 5 years), functional measurements, questionnaires (patient report and/or parent proxy; age ≥ 2 years), muscle ultrasound including diaphragm, pulmonary function tests (spirometry, maximal inspiratory and expiratory pressure, sniff nasal inspiratory pressure; age ≥ 5 years), and accelerometry for 8 days (age ≥ 2 years); at visit one and three, they undergo cardiac evaluation (electrocardiogram, echocardiography; age ≥ 2 years), spine X-ray (age ≥ 2 years), dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA-)scan (age ≥ 2 years) and full body magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (age ≥ 10 years). All examinations are adapted to the patient's age and functional abilities. Correlation between key parameters within and between subsequent visits will be assessed. DISCUSSION Our study will describe the natural history of patients diagnosed with SELENON-RM or LAMA2-MD, enabling us to select relevant clinical and functional outcome measures for reaching clinical trial-readiness. Moreover, our detailed description (deep phenotyping) of the clinical features will optimize clinical management and will establish a well-characterized baseline cohort for prospective follow-up. CONCLUSION Our natural history study is an essential step for reaching trial readiness in SELENON-RM and LAMA2-MD. TRIAL REGISTRATION This study has been approved by medical ethical reviewing committee Region Arnhem-Nijmegen (NL64269.091.17, 2017-3911) and is registered at ClinicalTrial.gov ( NCT04478981 ).
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Affiliation(s)
- Karlijn Bouman
- Department of Neurology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud university medical center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
- Department of Pediatric Neurology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Amalia Children's Hospital, Radboud university medical center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| | - Jan T Groothuis
- Department of Rehabilitation, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud university medical center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Jonne Doorduin
- Department of Neurology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud university medical center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Nens van Alfen
- Department of Neurology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud university medical center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Floris E A Udink Ten Cate
- Department of Pediatric cardiology, Amalia Children's Hospital, Radboud university medical center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | | | - Robin Nijveldt
- Department of Cardiology, Radboud university medical center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | | | - Stan C F M Buckens
- Department of Radiology, Radboud university medical center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Anne T M Dittrich
- Department of Pediatrics, Amalia Children's Hospital, Radboud university medical center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Jos M T Draaisma
- Department of Pediatrics, Amalia Children's Hospital, Radboud university medical center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Mirian C H Janssen
- Department of Internal Medicine, Radboud university medical center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Erik-Jan Kamsteeg
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud university medical center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Esmee S B van Kleef
- Department of Neurology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud university medical center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Saskia Koene
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | | | - Benno Küsters
- Department of Pathology, Radboud university medical center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | | | - Hubert J M Smeets
- Department of Toxicogenomics, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- School for Mental Health and Neurosciences (MHeNS), Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
- School for Developmental Biology and Oncology (GROW), Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Baziel G M van Engelen
- Department of Neurology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud university medical center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Corrie E Erasmus
- Department of Pediatric Neurology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Amalia Children's Hospital, Radboud university medical center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Nicol C Voermans
- Department of Neurology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud university medical center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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6
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Ma C, Hoffmann PR. Selenoproteins as regulators of T cell proliferation, differentiation, and metabolism. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2020; 115:54-61. [PMID: 33214077 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2020.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Revised: 11/06/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Selenium (Se) is an essential micronutrient that plays a key role in regulating the immune system. T cells are of particular interest due to their important role in promoting adaptive immunity against pathogens and cancer as well as regulating tolerance, all of which are influenced by dietary Se levels. The biological effects of Se are mainly exerted through the actions of the proteins into which it is inserted, i.e. selenoproteins. Thus, the roles that selenoproteins play in regulating T cell biology and molecular mechanisms involved have emerged as important areas of research for understanding how selenium affects immunity. Members of this diverse family of proteins exhibit a wide variety of functions within T cells that include regulating calcium flux induced by T cell receptor (TCR) engagement, shaping the redox tone of T cells before, during, and after activation, and linking TCR-induced activation to metabolic reprogramming required for T cell proliferation and differentiation. This review summarizes recent insights into the roles that selenoproteins play in these processes and their implications in understanding how Se may influence immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chi Ma
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, 651 Ilalo Street, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813 USA
| | - Peter R Hoffmann
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, 651 Ilalo Street, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813 USA.
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7
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Brennan S, Garcia-Castañeda M, Michelucci A, Sabha N, Malik S, Groom L, Wei LaPierre L, Dowling JJ, Dirksen RT. Mouse model of severe recessive RYR1-related myopathy. Hum Mol Genet 2020; 28:3024-3036. [PMID: 31107960 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddz105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2019] [Revised: 05/07/2019] [Accepted: 05/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Ryanodine receptor type I (RYR1)-related myopathies (RYR1 RM) are a clinically and histopathologically heterogeneous group of conditions that represent the most common subtype of childhood onset non-dystrophic muscle disorders. There are no treatments for this severe group of diseases. A major barrier to therapy development is the lack of an animal model that mirrors the clinical severity of pediatric cases of the disease. To address this, we used CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing to generate a novel recessive mouse model of RYR1 RM. This mouse (Ryr1TM/Indel) possesses a patient-relevant point mutation (T4706M) engineered into 1 allele and a 16 base pair frameshift deletion engineered into the second allele. Ryr1TM/Indel mice exhibit an overt phenotype beginning at 14 days of age that consists of reduced body/muscle mass and myofibre hypotrophy. Ryr1TM/Indel mice become progressively inactive from that point onward and die at a median age of 42 days. Histopathological assessment shows myofibre hypotrophy, increased central nuclei and decreased triad number but no clear evidence of metabolic cores. Biochemical analysis reveals a marked decrease in RYR1 protein levels (20% of normal) as compared to only a 50% decrease in transcript. Functional studies at end stage show significantly reduced electrically evoked Ca2+ release and force production. In summary, Ryr1TM/Indel mice exhibit a post-natal lethal recessive form of RYR1 RM that pheno-copies the severe congenital clinical presentation seen in a subgroup of RYR1 RM children. Thus, Ryr1TM/Indel mice represent a powerful model for both establishing the pathomechanisms of recessive RYR1 RM and pre-clinical testing of therapies for efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Brennan
- Program for Genetics and Genome Biology, Hospital for Sick Children, 686 Bay St, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 0A4, Canada.,Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, 686 Bay St, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Maricela Garcia-Castañeda
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, University of Rochester, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, NY 14642 USA
| | - Antonio Michelucci
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, University of Rochester, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, NY 14642 USA
| | - Nesrin Sabha
- Program for Genetics and Genome Biology, Hospital for Sick Children, 686 Bay St, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Sundeep Malik
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, University of Rochester, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, NY 14642 USA
| | - Linda Groom
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, University of Rochester, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, NY 14642 USA
| | - Lan Wei LaPierre
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, University of Rochester, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, NY 14642 USA
| | - James J Dowling
- Program for Genetics and Genome Biology, Hospital for Sick Children, 686 Bay St, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 0A4, Canada.,Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, 686 Bay St, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 0A4, Canada.,Division of Neurology, Hospital for Sick Children, 686 Bay St, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Robert T Dirksen
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, University of Rochester, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, NY 14642 USA
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8
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Fusto A, Moyle LA, Gilbert PM, Pegoraro E. Cored in the act: the use of models to understand core myopathies. Dis Model Mech 2019; 12:dmm041368. [PMID: 31874912 PMCID: PMC6955215 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.041368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The core myopathies are a group of congenital myopathies with variable clinical expression - ranging from early-onset skeletal-muscle weakness to later-onset disease of variable severity - that are identified by characteristic 'core-like' lesions in myofibers and the presence of hypothonia and slowly or rather non-progressive muscle weakness. The genetic causes are diverse; central core disease is most often caused by mutations in ryanodine receptor 1 (RYR1), whereas multi-minicore disease is linked to pathogenic variants of several genes, including selenoprotein N (SELENON), RYR1 and titin (TTN). Understanding the mechanisms that drive core development and muscle weakness remains challenging due to the diversity of the excitation-contraction coupling (ECC) proteins involved and the differential effects of mutations across proteins. Because of this, the use of representative models expressing a mature ECC apparatus is crucial. Animal models have facilitated the identification of disease progression mechanisms for some mutations and have provided evidence to help explain genotype-phenotype correlations. However, many unanswered questions remain about the common and divergent pathological mechanisms that drive disease progression, and these mechanisms need to be understood in order to identify therapeutic targets. Several new transgenic animals have been described recently, expanding the spectrum of core myopathy models, including mice with patient-specific mutations. Furthermore, recent developments in 3D tissue engineering are expected to enable the study of core myopathy disease progression and the effects of potential therapeutic interventions in the context of human cells. In this Review, we summarize the current landscape of core myopathy models, and assess the hurdles and opportunities of future modeling strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurora Fusto
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Padua, Padua 35128, Italy
| | - Louise A Moyle
- Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S3E1, Canada
- Institute of Biomaterials and Biochemical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S3G9, Canada
| | - Penney M Gilbert
- Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S3E1, Canada
- Institute of Biomaterials and Biochemical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S3G9, Canada
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S3G5, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S1A8, Canada
| | - Elena Pegoraro
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Padua, Padua 35128, Italy
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