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Honer MA, Ferman BI, Gray ZH, Bondarenko EA, Whetstine JR. Epigenetic modulators provide a path to understanding disease and therapeutic opportunity. Genes Dev 2024; 38:473-503. [PMID: 38914477 PMCID: PMC11293403 DOI: 10.1101/gad.351444.123] [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] [Indexed: 06/26/2024]
Abstract
The discovery of epigenetic modulators (writers, erasers, readers, and remodelers) has shed light on previously underappreciated biological mechanisms that promote diseases. With these insights, novel biomarkers and innovative combination therapies can be used to address challenging and difficult to treat disease states. This review highlights key mechanisms that epigenetic writers, erasers, readers, and remodelers control, as well as their connection with disease states and recent advances in associated epigenetic therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madison A Honer
- Cancer Epigenetics Institute, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19111, USA
- Nuclear Dynamics and Cancer Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19111, USA
- Institute for Cancer Research, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19111, USA
- Biomedical Sciences Program, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19140, USA
| | - Benjamin I Ferman
- Cancer Epigenetics Institute, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19111, USA
- Nuclear Dynamics and Cancer Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19111, USA
- Institute for Cancer Research, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19111, USA
- Biomedical Sciences Program, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19140, USA
| | - Zach H Gray
- Cancer Epigenetics Institute, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19111, USA
- Nuclear Dynamics and Cancer Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19111, USA
- Institute for Cancer Research, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19111, USA
- Biomedical Sciences Program, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19140, USA
| | - Elena A Bondarenko
- Cancer Epigenetics Institute, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19111, USA
- Nuclear Dynamics and Cancer Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19111, USA
- Institute for Cancer Research, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19111, USA
| | - Johnathan R Whetstine
- Cancer Epigenetics Institute, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19111, USA;
- Nuclear Dynamics and Cancer Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19111, USA
- Institute for Cancer Research, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19111, USA
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Casey-Clyde T, Liu SJ, Serrano JAC, Teng C, Jang YG, Vasudevan HN, Bush JO, Raleigh DR. Eed controls craniofacial osteoblast differentiation and mesenchymal proliferation from the neural crest. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.13.584903. [PMID: 38558995 PMCID: PMC10979956 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.13.584903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
The histone methyltransferase Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) is required for specification of the neural crest, and mis-regulation of neural crest development can cause severe congenital malformations. PRC2 is necessary for neural crest induction, but the embryonic, cellular, and molecular consequences of PRC2 activity after neural crest induction are incompletely understood. Here we show that Eed, a core subunit of PRC2, is required for craniofacial osteoblast differentiation and mesenchymal proliferation after induction of the neural crest. Integrating mouse genetics with single-cell RNA sequencing, our results reveal that conditional knockout of Eed after neural crest cell induction causes severe craniofacial hypoplasia, impaired craniofacial osteogenesis, and attenuated craniofacial mesenchymal cell proliferation that is first evident in post-migratory neural crest cell populations. We show that Eed drives mesenchymal differentiation and proliferation in vivo and in primary craniofacial cell cultures by regulating diverse transcription factor programs that are required for specification of post-migratory neural crest cells. These data enhance understanding of epigenetic mechanisms that underlie craniofacial development, and shed light on the embryonic, cellular, and molecular drivers of rare congenital syndromes in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Casey-Clyde
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - S John Liu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Juan Antonio Camara Serrano
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Camilla Teng
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Yoon-Gu Jang
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Harish N Vasudevan
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Jeffrey O Bush
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - David R Raleigh
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
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3
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Avagliano L, Castiglioni S, Lettieri A, Parodi C, Di Fede E, Taci E, Grazioli P, Colombo EA, Gervasini C, Massa V. Intrauterine growth in chromatinopathies: A long road for better understanding and for improving clinical management. Birth Defects Res 2024; 116:e2383. [PMID: 38984779 DOI: 10.1002/bdr2.2383] [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: 02/23/2024] [Revised: 06/12/2024] [Accepted: 06/25/2024] [Indexed: 07/11/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chromatinopathies are a heterogeneous group of genetic disorders caused by pathogenic variants in genes coding for chromatin state balance proteins. Remarkably, many of these syndromes present unbalanced postnatal growth, both under- and over-, although little has been described in the literature. Fetal growth measurements are common practice in pregnancy management and values within normal ranges indicate proper intrauterine growth progression; on the contrary, abnormalities in intrauterine fetal growth open the discussion of possible pathogenesis affecting growth even in the postnatal period. METHODS Among the numerous chromatinopathies, we have selected six of the most documented in the literature offering evidence about two fetal overgrowth (Sotos and Weaver syndrome) and four fetal undergrowth syndromes (Bohring Opitz, Cornelia de Lange, Floating-Harbor, and Meier Gorlin syndrome), describing their molecular characteristics, maternal biochemical results and early pregnancy findings, prenatal ultrasound findings, and postnatal characteristics. RESULTS/CONCLUSION To date, the scarce data in the literature on prenatal findings are few and inconclusive, even though these parameters may contribute to a more rapid and accurate diagnosis, calling for a better and more detailed description of pregnancy findings.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Silvia Castiglioni
- Department of Health Sciences, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Antonella Lettieri
- Department of Health Sciences, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Chiara Parodi
- Department of Health Sciences, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Di Fede
- Department of Health Sciences, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
- Aldo Ravelli Center for Neurotechnology and Experimental Brain Therapeutics, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Esi Taci
- Department of Health Sciences, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
- Aldo Ravelli Center for Neurotechnology and Experimental Brain Therapeutics, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Paolo Grazioli
- Department of Health Sciences, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Elisa Adele Colombo
- Department of Health Sciences, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Cristina Gervasini
- Department of Health Sciences, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
- Aldo Ravelli Center for Neurotechnology and Experimental Brain Therapeutics, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Valentina Massa
- Department of Health Sciences, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
- Aldo Ravelli Center for Neurotechnology and Experimental Brain Therapeutics, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
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Zhang Y, Qiao Y, Li Z, Liu D, Jin Q, Guo J, Li X, Chen L, Liu L, Peng L. Intestinal NSD2 Aggravates Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis Through Histone Modifications. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024:e2402551. [PMID: 38923875 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202402551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2024] [Revised: 05/09/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
Mounting clinical evidence suggests that a comprised intestinal barrier contributes to the progression of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH); nevertheless, the precise mechanism remains elusive. This study unveils a significant upregulation of nuclear receptor-binding SET domain protein 2 (NSD2) in the intestines of obese humans and mice subjected to a high-fat cholesterol diet (HFCD). Intestine-specific NSD2 knockout attenuated the progression of intestinal barrier impairment and NASH, whereas NSD2 overexpression exacerbated this progression. Mechanistically, NSD2 directly regulates the transcriptional activation of Ern1 by demethylating histone H3 at lysine 36 (H3K36me2), thus activating the ERN1-JNK axis to intensify intestinal barrier impairment and subsequently foster NASH progression. These findings elucidate the crucial role of NSD2-mediated H3K36me2 in intestinal barrier impairment, suggesting that targeting intestinal NSD2 can represent a novel therapeutic approach for NASH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yijia Zhang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, P. R. China
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Immune-Mediated Inflammatory Diseases, Institute of Clinical Medical Sciences, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, 100029, P. R. China
| | - Yuan Qiao
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Immune-Mediated Inflammatory Diseases, Institute of Clinical Medical Sciences, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, 100029, P. R. China
| | - Zecheng Li
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Immune-Mediated Inflammatory Diseases, Institute of Clinical Medical Sciences, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, 100029, P. R. China
| | - Donghai Liu
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Immune-Mediated Inflammatory Diseases, Institute of Clinical Medical Sciences, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, 100029, P. R. China
| | - Qi Jin
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Immune-Mediated Inflammatory Diseases, Institute of Clinical Medical Sciences, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, 100029, P. R. China
| | - Jing Guo
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Immune-Mediated Inflammatory Diseases, Institute of Clinical Medical Sciences, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, 100029, P. R. China
| | - Xin Li
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Immune-Mediated Inflammatory Diseases, Institute of Clinical Medical Sciences, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, 100029, P. R. China
| | - Long Chen
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, P. R. China
| | - Lihong Liu
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Immune-Mediated Inflammatory Diseases, Institute of Clinical Medical Sciences, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, 100029, P. R. China
| | - Liang Peng
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Immune-Mediated Inflammatory Diseases, Institute of Clinical Medical Sciences, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, 100029, P. R. China
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Okamoto N, Yoshida S, Ogitani A, Etani Y, Yanagi K, Kaname T. Biallelic loss-of-function variants of EZH1 cause a novel developmental disorder with central precocious puberty. Am J Med Genet A 2024:e63726. [PMID: 38814056 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.a.63726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2023] [Revised: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 05/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024]
Abstract
Pathogenic variants of polycomb repressive complex-2 (PRC2) subunits are associated with overgrowth syndromes and neurological diseases. EZH2 is a major component of PRC2 and mediates the methylation of H3K27 trimethylation (H3K27me3). Germline variants of EZH2 have been identified as a cause of Weaver syndrome (WS), an overgrowth/intellectual disability (OGID) syndrome characterized by overgrowth, macrocephaly, accelerated bone age, intellectual disability (ID), and characteristic facial features. Germline variants of SUZ12 and EED, other components of PRC2, have also been reported in the WS or Weaver-like syndrome. EZH1 is a homolog of EZH2 that interchangeably associates with SUZ12 and EED. Recently, pathogenic variants of EZH1 have been reported in individuals with dominant and recessive neurodevelopmental disorders. We herein present sisters with biallelic loss-of-function variants of EZH1. They showed developmental delay, ID, and central precocious puberty, but not the features of WS or other OGID syndromes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nobuhiko Okamoto
- Department of Medical Genetics, Osaka Women's and Children's Hospital, Izumi, Japan
| | - Sayaka Yoshida
- Department of Pediatrics, Nara Prefecture General Medical Center, Nara, Japan
| | - Ayako Ogitani
- Department of Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Nara Prefecture General Medical Center, Nara, Japan
| | - Yuri Etani
- Department of Gastroenterology, Nutrition and Endocrinology, Osaka Women's and Children's Hospital, Izumi, Japan
| | - Kumiko Yanagi
- Department of Genome Medicine, National Center for Child Health and Development, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tadashi Kaname
- Department of Genome Medicine, National Center for Child Health and Development, Tokyo, Japan
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Ren Z, Yue L, Hu HY, Hou XL, Chen WQ, Tan Y, Dong Z, Zhang J. Identification of Novel NSD1 variations in four Pediatric cases with sotos Syndrome. BMC Med Genomics 2024; 17:116. [PMID: 38684994 PMCID: PMC11059674 DOI: 10.1186/s12920-024-01889-5] [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: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Sotos syndrome (SOTOS) is an uncommon genetic condition that manifests itself with the following distinctive features: prenatal overgrowth, facial abnormalities, and intellectual disability. This disorder is often associated with haploinsufficiency of the nuclear receptor-binding SET domain protein 1 (NSD1)gene. We investigated four pediatric cases characterized by early-onset overgrowth and developmental delay. The primary objective of this study was to achieve accurate genetic diagnoses. DESIGN&METHODS A sequential analysis approach comprising chromosomal karyotyping, whole exome sequencing, and microarray analysis was conducted. RESULTS All four cases exhibited variations in the NSD1 gene, with the identification of four previously unreported de novo variants, each specific to one case.Specifically, Case 1 carried the NSD1 (NM_022455): c.2686 C > T(p.Q896X) variant, Case 2 had the NSD1 (NM_022455): c.2858_2859delCT(p.S953X) variant, Case 3 displayed a chromosomal aberration, chr5: 5q35.2q35.3(176,516,604-176,639,249)×1, which encompassed the 5'-untranslated region of NSD1, and Case 4 harbored the NSD1 (NM_022455): c.6397T > G(p.C2133G) variant. CONCLUSION This study not only provided precise diagnoses for these cases but also supplied significant evidence to facilitate informed consultations. Furthermore, our findings expanded the spectrum of mutations associated with SOTOS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuo Ren
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University International Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Ling Yue
- Department of Pediatric Neurology Rehabilitation, Hebei Children's Hospital, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
| | - Hua-Ying Hu
- Birth Defects Prevention and Control Technology Research Center, Medical Innovation Research Division of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Xiao-Lin Hou
- Prenatal Diagnosis Center, Hebei Key Laboratory of Maternal and Fetal Medicine, Shijiazhuang Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health, Shijiazhuang Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, 16 Tangu-North Street, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
| | - Wen-Qi Chen
- Prenatal Diagnosis Center, Hebei Key Laboratory of Maternal and Fetal Medicine, Shijiazhuang Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health, Shijiazhuang Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, 16 Tangu-North Street, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
| | - Ya Tan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University International Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Zhe Dong
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University International Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Jing Zhang
- Prenatal Diagnosis Center, Hebei Key Laboratory of Maternal and Fetal Medicine, Shijiazhuang Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health, Shijiazhuang Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, 16 Tangu-North Street, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China.
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Tibben BM, Rothbart SB. Mechanisms of DNA Methylation Regulatory Function and Crosstalk with Histone Lysine Methylation. J Mol Biol 2024; 436:168394. [PMID: 38092287 PMCID: PMC10957332 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2023.168394] [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: 09/28/2023] [Revised: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/20/2023]
Abstract
DNA methylation is a well-studied epigenetic modification that has key roles in regulating gene expression, maintaining genome integrity, and determining cell fate. Precisely how DNA methylation patterns are established and maintained in specific cell types at key developmental stages is still being elucidated. However, research over the last two decades has contributed to our understanding of DNA methylation regulation by other epigenetic processes. Specifically, lysine methylation on key residues of histone proteins has been shown to contribute to the allosteric regulation of DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) activities. In this review, we discuss the dynamic interplay between DNA methylation and histone lysine methylation as epigenetic regulators of genome function by synthesizing key recent studies in the field. With a focus on DNMT3 enzymes, we discuss mechanisms of DNA methylation and histone lysine methylation crosstalk in the regulation of gene expression and the maintenance of genome integrity. Further, we discuss how alterations to the balance of various sites of histone lysine methylation and DNA methylation contribute to human developmental disorders and cancers. Finally, we provide perspectives on the current direction of the field and highlight areas for continued research and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bailey M Tibben
- Department of Epigenetics, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
| | - Scott B Rothbart
- Department of Epigenetics, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA.
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Zhang Z, Wang R, Zhou H, Wu D, Cao Y, Zhang C, Sun H, Mu C, Hao Z, Ren H, Wang N, Yu S, Zhang J, Tao M, Wang C, Liu Y, Liu L, Liu Y, Zang J, Wang G. Inhibition of EHMT1/2 rescues synaptic damage and motor impairment in a PD mouse model. Cell Mol Life Sci 2024; 81:128. [PMID: 38472451 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-024-05176-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Revised: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
Epigenetic dysregulation that leads to alterations in gene expression and is suggested to be one of the key pathophysiological factors of Parkinson's disease (PD). Here, we found that α-synuclein preformed fibrils (PFFs) induced histone H3 dimethylation at lysine 9 (H3K9me2) and increased the euchromatic histone methyltransferases EHMT1 and EHMT2, which were accompanied by neuronal synaptic damage, including loss of synapses and diminished expression levels of synaptic-related proteins. Furthermore, the levels of H3K9me2 at promoters in genes that encode the synaptic-related proteins SNAP25, PSD95, Synapsin 1 and vGLUT1 were increased in primary neurons after PFF treatment, which suggests a linkage between H3K9 dimethylation and synaptic dysfunction. Inhibition of EHMT1/2 with the specific inhibitor A-366 or shRNA suppressed histone methylation and alleviated synaptic damage in primary neurons that were treated with PFFs. In addition, the synaptic damage and motor impairment in mice that were injected with PFFs were repressed by treatment with the EHMT1/2 inhibitor A-366. Thus, our findings reveal the role of histone H3 modification by EHMT1/2 in synaptic damage and motor impairment in a PFF animal model, suggesting the involvement of epigenetic dysregulation in PD pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhixiong Zhang
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuropathology, Department of Pharmacology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases and College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, Jiangsu, China
| | - Rui Wang
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuropathology, Department of Pharmacology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases and College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, Jiangsu, China
| | - Hui Zhou
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuropathology, Department of Pharmacology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases and College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, Jiangsu, China
| | - Dan Wu
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuropathology, Department of Pharmacology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases and College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yifan Cao
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuropathology, Department of Pharmacology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases and College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, Jiangsu, China
| | - Chuang Zhang
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuropathology, Department of Pharmacology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases and College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, Jiangsu, China
| | - Hongyang Sun
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuropathology, Department of Pharmacology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases and College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, Jiangsu, China
| | - Chenchen Mu
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuropathology, Department of Pharmacology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases and College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zongbing Hao
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuropathology, Department of Pharmacology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases and College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, Jiangsu, China
| | - Haigang Ren
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuropathology, Department of Pharmacology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases and College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, Jiangsu, China
- Jiangsu Provincial Medical Innovation Center of Trauma Medicine, Institute of Trauma Medicine, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, Jiangsu, China
- MOE Key Laboratory of Geriatric Diseases and Immunology, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, Jiangsu, China
| | - Nana Wang
- Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, 215163, China
| | - Shuang Yu
- Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, 215163, China
| | - Jingzhong Zhang
- Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, 215163, China
| | - Mengdan Tao
- School of Pharmacy, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cardiovascular Disease Translational Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China
| | - Can Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cardiovascular Disease Translational Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China
| | - Yan Liu
- School of Pharmacy, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cardiovascular Disease Translational Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China
| | - Liu Liu
- Department of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan Normal University, Hunan Provincial People's Hospital, Changsha, 410005, China
| | - Yanli Liu
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jianye Zang
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Life Sciences, and School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, 96 Jinzhai Road, Hefei, 230026, Anhui, China
| | - Guanghui Wang
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuropathology, Department of Pharmacology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases and College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, Jiangsu, China.
- MOE Key Laboratory of Geriatric Diseases and Immunology, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, Jiangsu, China.
- Center of Translational Medicine, First People's Hospital of Taicang, Taicang Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215400, China.
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Pacot L, Girish M, Knight S, Spurlock G, Varghese V, Ye M, Thomas N, Pasmant E, Upadhyaya M. Correlation between large rearrangements and patient phenotypes in NF1 deletion syndrome: an update and review. BMC Med Genomics 2024; 17:73. [PMID: 38448973 PMCID: PMC10919053 DOI: 10.1186/s12920-024-01843-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024] Open
Abstract
About 5-10% of neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) patients exhibit large genomic germline deletions that remove the NF1 gene and its flanking regions. The most frequent NF1 large deletion is 1.4 Mb, resulting from homologous recombination between two low copy repeats. This "type-1" deletion is associated with a severe clinical phenotype in NF1 patients, with several phenotypic manifestations including learning disability, a much earlier development of cutaneous neurofibromas, an increased tumour risk, and cardiovascular malformations. NF1 adjacent co-deleted genes could act as modifier loci for the specific clinical manifestations observed in deleted NF1 patients. Furthermore, other genetic modifiers (such as CNVs) not located at the NF1 locus could also modulate the phenotype observed in patients with large deletions. In this study, we analysed 22 NF1 deletion patients by genome-wide array-CGH with the aim (1) to correlate deletion length to observed phenotypic features and their severity in NF1 deletion syndrome, and (2) to identify whether the deletion phenotype could also be modulated by copy number variations elsewhere in the genome. We then review the role of co-deleted genes in the 1.4 Mb interval of type-1 deletions, and their possible implication in the main clinical features observed in this high-risk group of NF1 patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurence Pacot
- Fédération de Génétique et Médecine Génomique, Hôpital Cochin, DMU BioPhyGen, AP-HP, Centre-Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
- Institut Cochin, Inserm U1016, CNRS UMR8104, Université Paris Cité, CARPEM, Paris, France
| | - Milind Girish
- School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Samantha Knight
- School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Vinod Varghese
- All Wales Medical Genomics Service, Cardiff, Great Britain
| | - Manuela Ye
- Institut Cochin, Inserm U1016, CNRS UMR8104, Université Paris Cité, CARPEM, Paris, France
| | - Nick Thomas
- School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Eric Pasmant
- Fédération de Génétique et Médecine Génomique, Hôpital Cochin, DMU BioPhyGen, AP-HP, Centre-Université Paris Cité, Paris, France.
- Institut Cochin, Inserm U1016, CNRS UMR8104, Université Paris Cité, CARPEM, Paris, France.
| | - Meena Upadhyaya
- Division of Cancer and Genetics, Institute of Medical Genetics, Cardiff University, Heath Park, CF14 4XN, Cardiff, UK
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Kendir-Demirkol Y, Yeter B, Jenny LA. Expanding the Phenotypic and Genotypic Spectrum of Weaver Syndrome: A Missense Variant of the EZH2 Gene. Mol Syndromol 2024; 15:161-166. [PMID: 38585548 PMCID: PMC10996336 DOI: 10.1159/000533733] [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: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Weaver syndrome (WS) is a rare autosomal dominant disorder characterized by distinctive facial features, pre- and post-natal overgrowth, macrocephaly, and variable developmental delay. The characteristic facial features are ocular hypertelorism, a broad forehead, almond-shaped palpebral fissures and, in early childhood, large, fleshy ears, a pointed "stuck-on" chin with horizontal skin creases, and retrognathia. Heterozygous pathogenic/likely pathogenic variants in the enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) gene are responsible for WS. Case Presentation Here, we report a male patient with a heterozygous likely pathogenic variant in EZH2 gene who has tall stature, distinctive facial features, mild development delay, hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy with a MRI finding of periventricular leukomalacia, gingival hypertrophy, and early onset high hypermetropia. Conclusion This case demonstrates the importance of reporting detailed molecular and clinical findings in patients to expand the genotypic and phenotypic findings of this rare syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasemin Kendir-Demirkol
- Department of Pediatric Genetics, Health Science University, Ümraniye Education and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Burcu Yeter
- Department of Pediatric Genetics, Health Science University, Ümraniye Education and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Laura A. Jenny
- Department of Ophthalmology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
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11
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Lui JC. Growth disorders caused by variants in epigenetic regulators: progress and prospects. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2024; 15:1327378. [PMID: 38370361 PMCID: PMC10870149 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2024.1327378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic modifications play an important role in regulation of transcription and gene expression. The molecular machinery governing epigenetic modifications, also known as epigenetic regulators, include non-coding RNA, chromatin remodelers, and enzymes or proteins responsible for binding, reading, writing and erasing DNA and histone modifications. Recent advancement in human genetics and high throughput sequencing technology have allowed the identification of causative variants, many of which are epigenetic regulators, for a wide variety of childhood growth disorders that include skeletal dysplasias, idiopathic short stature, and generalized overgrowth syndromes. In this review, we highlight the connection between epigenetic modifications, genetic variants in epigenetic regulators and childhood growth disorders being established over the past decade, discuss their insights into skeletal biology, and the potential of epidrugs as a new type of therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian C. Lui
- Section on Growth and Development, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, MD, United States
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12
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Lui JC, Baron J. Epigenetic Causes of Overgrowth Syndromes. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2024; 109:312-320. [PMID: 37450557 PMCID: PMC11032252 DOI: 10.1210/clinem/dgad420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2023] [Revised: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Human overgrowth disorders are characterized by excessive prenatal and/or postnatal growth of various tissues. These disorders often present with tall stature, macrocephaly, and/or abdominal organomegaly and are sometimes associated with additional phenotypic abnormalities such as intellectual disability and increased cancer risk. As the genetic etiology of these disorders have been elucidated, a surprising pattern has emerged. Multiple monogenic overgrowth syndromes result from variants in epigenetic regulators: variants in histone methyltransferases NSD1 and EZH2 cause Sotos syndrome and Weaver syndrome, respectively, variants in DNA methyltransferase DNMT3A cause Tatton-Brown-Rahman syndrome, and variants in chromatin remodeler CHD8 cause an autism spectrum disorder with overgrowth. In addition, very recently, a variant in histone reader protein SPIN4 was identified in a new X-linked overgrowth disorder. In this review, we discuss the genetics of these overgrowth disorders and explore possible common underlying mechanisms by which epigenetic pathways regulate human body size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian C Lui
- Section on Growth and Development, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Jeffrey Baron
- Section on Growth and Development, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
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13
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Gao CW, Lin W, Riddle RC, Kushwaha P, Boukas L, Björnsson HT, Hansen KD, Fahrner JA. A mouse model of Weaver syndrome displays overgrowth and excess osteogenesis reversible with KDM6A/6B inhibition. JCI Insight 2024; 9:e173392. [PMID: 38015625 PMCID: PMC10906465 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.173392] [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: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Weaver syndrome is a Mendelian disorder of the epigenetic machinery (MDEM) caused by germline pathogenic variants in EZH2, which encodes the predominant H3K27 methyltransferase and key enzymatic component of Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2). Weaver syndrome is characterized by striking overgrowth and advanced bone age, intellectual disability, and distinctive facies. We generated a mouse model for the most common Weaver syndrome missense variant, EZH2 p.R684C. Ezh2R684C/R684C mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) showed global depletion of H3K27me3. Ezh2R684C/+ mice had abnormal bone parameters, indicative of skeletal overgrowth, and Ezh2R684C/+ osteoblasts showed increased osteogenic activity. RNA-Seq comparing osteoblasts differentiated from Ezh2R684C/+, and Ezh2+/+ BM-mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) indicated collective dysregulation of the BMP pathway and osteoblast differentiation. Inhibition of the opposing H3K27 demethylases KDM6A and KDM6B substantially reversed the excessive osteogenesis in Ezh2R684C/+ cells both at the transcriptional and phenotypic levels. This supports both the ideas that writers and erasers of histone marks exist in a fine balance to maintain epigenome state and that epigenetic modulating agents have therapeutic potential for the treatment of MDEMs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine W. Gao
- Department of Genetic Medicine
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, and
| | | | - Ryan C. Riddle
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Department of Orthopaedics, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Research and Development Service, Baltimore Veterans Administration Medical Center, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Priyanka Kushwaha
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Leandros Boukas
- Department of Genetic Medicine
- Department of Biostatistics, Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Hans T. Björnsson
- Department of Genetic Medicine
- Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Iceland, Reykjavík, Iceland
- Landspítali University Hospital, Reykjavík, Iceland
| | - Kasper D. Hansen
- Department of Genetic Medicine
- Department of Biostatistics, Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Jill A. Fahrner
- Department of Genetic Medicine
- Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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14
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Lewerissa EI, Nadif Kasri N, Linda K. Epigenetic regulation of autophagy-related genes: Implications for neurodevelopmental disorders. Autophagy 2024; 20:15-28. [PMID: 37674294 PMCID: PMC10761153 DOI: 10.1080/15548627.2023.2250217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Macroautophagy/autophagy is an evolutionarily highly conserved catabolic process that is important for the clearance of cytosolic contents to maintain cellular homeostasis and survival. Recent findings point toward a critical role for autophagy in brain function, not only by preserving neuronal health, but especially by controlling different aspects of neuronal development and functioning. In line with this, mutations in autophagy-related genes are linked to various key characteristics and symptoms of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), including autism, micro-/macrocephaly, and epilepsy. However, the group of NDDs caused by mutations in autophagy-related genes is relatively small. A significant proportion of NDDs are associated with mutations in genes encoding epigenetic regulatory proteins that modulate gene expression, so-called chromatinopathies. Intriguingly, several of the NDD-linked chromatinopathy genes have been shown to regulate autophagy-related genes, albeit in non-neuronal contexts. From these studies it becomes evident that tight transcriptional regulation of autophagy-related genes is crucial to control autophagic activity. This opens the exciting possibility that aberrant autophagic regulation might underly nervous system impairments in NDDs with disturbed epigenetic regulation. We here summarize NDD-related chromatinopathy genes that are known to regulate transcriptional regulation of autophagy-related genes. Thereby, we want to highlight autophagy as a candidate key hub mechanism in NDD-related chromatinopathies.Abbreviations: ADNP: activity dependent neuroprotector homeobox; ASD: autism spectrum disorder; ATG: AutTophaGy related; CpG: cytosine-guanine dinucleotide; DNMT: DNA methyltransferase; EHMT: euchromatic histone lysine methyltransferase; EP300: E1A binding protein p300; EZH2: enhancer of zeste 2 polycomb repressive complex 2 subunit; H3K4me3: histone 3 lysine 4 trimethylation; H3K9me1/2/3: histone 3 lysine 9 mono-, di-, or trimethylation; H3K27me2/3: histone 3 lysine 27 di-, or trimethylation; hiPSCs: human induced pluripotent stem cells; HSP: hereditary spastic paraplegia; ID: intellectual disability; KANSL1: KAT8 regulatory NSL complex subunit 1; KAT8: lysine acetyltransferase 8; KDM1A/LSD1: lysine demethylase 1A; MAP1LC3B: microtubule associated protein 1 light chain 3 beta; MTOR: mechanistic target of rapamycin kinase; MTORC1: mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1; NDD: neurodevelopmental disorder; PHF8: PHD finger protein 8; PHF8-XLID: PHF8-X linked intellectual disability syndrome; PTM: post-translational modification; SESN2: sestrin 2; YY1: YY1 transcription factor; YY1AP1: YY1 associated protein 1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elly I. Lewerissa
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboudumc, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, Nijmegen, Gelderland, The Netherlands
| | - Nael Nadif Kasri
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboudumc, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, Nijmegen, Gelderland, The Netherlands
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboudumc, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Nijmegen, Gelderland, The Netherlands
| | - Katrin Linda
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboudumc, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, Nijmegen, Gelderland, The Netherlands
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, Flemish Brabant, Belgium
- Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Leuven Brain Institute, Leuven, Flemish Brabant, Belgium
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15
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Negri ML, D'Annunzio S, Vitali G, Zippo A. May the force be with you: Nuclear condensates function beyond transcription control: Potential nongenetic functions of nuclear condensates in physiological and pathological conditions. Bioessays 2023; 45:e2300075. [PMID: 37530178 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202300075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2023] [Revised: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023]
Abstract
Over the past decade, research has revealed biomolecular condensates' relevance in diverse cellular functions. Through a phase separation process, they concentrate macromolecules in subcompartments shaping the cellular organization and physiology. In the nucleus, biomolecular condensates assemble relevant biomolecules that orchestrate gene expression. We here hypothesize that chromatin condensates can also modulate the nongenetic functions of the genome, including the nuclear mechanical properties. The importance of chromatin condensates is supported by the genetic evidence indicating that mutations in their members are causative of a group of rare Mendelian diseases named chromatinopathies (CPs). Despite a broad spectrum of clinical features and the perturbations of the epigenetic machinery characterizing the CPs, recent findings highlighted negligible changes in gene expression. These data argue in favor of possible noncanonical functions of chromatin condensates in regulating the genome's spatial organization and, consequently, the nuclear mechanics. In this review, we discuss how condensates may impact nuclear mechanical properties, thus affecting the cellular response to mechanical cues and, eventually, cell fate and identity. Chromatin condensates organize macromolecules in the nucleus orchestrating the transcription regulation and mutations in their members are responsible for rare diseases named chromatinopathies. We argue that chromatin condensates, in concert with the nuclear lamina, may also govern the nuclear mechanical properties affecting the cellular response to external cues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Luce Negri
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Sarah D'Annunzio
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Giulia Vitali
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Alessio Zippo
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, Trento, Italy
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16
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Zhang M, Zhang Y, Xu Q, Crawford J, Qian C, Wang GH, Qian J, Dong XZ, Pletnikov MV, Liu CM, Zhou FQ. Neuronal Histone Methyltransferase EZH2 Regulates Neuronal Morphogenesis, Synaptic Plasticity, and Cognitive Behavior in Mice. Neurosci Bull 2023; 39:1512-1532. [PMID: 37326884 PMCID: PMC10533778 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-023-01074-1] [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: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The histone methyltransferase enhancer of zeste 2 polycomb repressive complex 2 subunit (EZH2)-mediated trimethylation of histone H3 lysine 27 (H3K27me3) regulates neural stem cell proliferation and fate specificity through silencing different gene sets in the central nervous system. Here, we explored the function of EZH2 in early post-mitotic neurons by generating a neuron-specific Ezh2 conditional knockout mouse line. The results showed that a lack of neuronal EZH2 led to delayed neuronal migration, more complex dendritic arborization, and increased dendritic spine density. Transcriptome analysis revealed that neuronal EZH2-regulated genes are related to neuronal morphogenesis. In particular, the gene encoding p21-activated kinase 3 (Pak3) was identified as a target gene suppressed by EZH2 and H3K27me3, and expression of the dominant negative Pak3 reversed Ezh2 knockout-induced higher dendritic spine density. Finally, the lack of neuronal EZH2 resulted in impaired memory behaviors in adult mice. Our results demonstrated that neuronal EZH2 acts to control multiple steps of neuronal morphogenesis during development, and has long-lasting effects on cognitive function in adult mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mei Zhang
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, 21205, USA
- School of Life Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
| | - Yong Zhang
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, 21205, USA
| | - Qian Xu
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, 21205, USA
| | - Joshua Crawford
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, 21205, USA
| | - Cheng Qian
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, 21205, USA
| | - Guo-Hua Wang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, 21205, USA
| | - Jiang Qian
- Department of Ophthalmology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, 21205, USA
| | - Xin-Zhong Dong
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, 21205, USA
| | - Mikhail V Pletnikov
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, 21205, USA
| | - Chang-Mei Liu
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, 21205, USA.
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China.
| | - Feng-Quan Zhou
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, 21205, USA.
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, 21205, USA.
- Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310016, China.
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17
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Hawkes G, Yengo L, Vedantam S, Marouli E, Beaumont RN, Tyrrell J, Weedon MN, Hirschhorn J, Frayling TM, Wood AR. Identification and analysis of individuals who deviate from their genetically-predicted phenotype. PLoS Genet 2023; 19:e1010934. [PMID: 37733769 PMCID: PMC10564121 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Revised: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Findings from genome-wide association studies have facilitated the generation of genetic predictors for many common human phenotypes. Stratifying individuals misaligned to a genetic predictor based on common variants may be important for follow-up studies that aim to identify alternative causal factors. Using genome-wide imputed genetic data, we aimed to classify 158,951 unrelated individuals from the UK Biobank as either concordant or deviating from two well-measured phenotypes. We first applied our methods to standing height: our primary analysis classified 244 individuals (0.15%) as misaligned to their genetically predicted height. We show that these individuals are enriched for self-reporting being shorter or taller than average at age 10, diagnosed congenital malformations, and rare loss-of-function variants in genes previously catalogued as causal for growth disorders. Secondly, we apply our methods to LDL cholesterol (LDL-C). We classified 156 (0.12%) individuals as misaligned to their genetically predicted LDL-C and show that these individuals were enriched for both clinically actionable cardiovascular risk factors and rare genetic variants in genes previously shown to be involved in metabolic processes. Individuals whose LDL-C was higher than expected based on the genetic predictor were also at higher risk of developing coronary artery disease and type-two diabetes, even after adjustment for measured LDL-C, BMI and age, suggesting upward deviation from genetically predicted LDL-C is indicative of generally poor health. Our results remained broadly consistent when performing sensitivity analysis based on a variety of parametric and non-parametric methods to define individuals deviating from polygenic expectation. Our analyses demonstrate the potential importance of quantitatively identifying individuals for further follow-up based on deviation from genetic predictions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gareth Hawkes
- Genetics of Complex Traits, College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter, Exeter, Devon, United Kingdom
| | - Loic Yengo
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Sailaja Vedantam
- Endocrinology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Sharon, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Eirini Marouli
- William Harvey Research Institute, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Robin N. Beaumont
- Genetics of Complex Traits, College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter, Exeter, Devon, United Kingdom
| | | | - Jessica Tyrrell
- Genetics of Complex Traits, College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter, Exeter, Devon, United Kingdom
| | - Michael N. Weedon
- Genetics of Complex Traits, College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter, Exeter, Devon, United Kingdom
| | - Joel Hirschhorn
- Boston Children’s Hospital/Broad Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Timothy M. Frayling
- Genetics of Complex Traits, College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter, Exeter, Devon, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew R. Wood
- Genetics of Complex Traits, College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter, Exeter, Devon, United Kingdom
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18
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Selleri L, Rijli FM. Shaping faces: genetic and epigenetic control of craniofacial morphogenesis. Nat Rev Genet 2023; 24:610-626. [PMID: 37095271 DOI: 10.1038/s41576-023-00594-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 04/26/2023]
Abstract
Major differences in facial morphology distinguish vertebrate species. Variation of facial traits underlies the uniqueness of human individuals, and abnormal craniofacial morphogenesis during development leads to birth defects that significantly affect quality of life. Studies during the past 40 years have advanced our understanding of the molecular mechanisms that establish facial form during development, highlighting the crucial roles in this process of a multipotent cell type known as the cranial neural crest cell. In this Review, we discuss recent advances in multi-omics and single-cell technologies that enable genes, transcriptional regulatory networks and epigenetic landscapes to be closely linked to the establishment of facial patterning and its variation, with an emphasis on normal and abnormal craniofacial morphogenesis. Advancing our knowledge of these processes will support important developments in tissue engineering, as well as the repair and reconstruction of the abnormal craniofacial complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Licia Selleri
- Program in Craniofacial Biology, Department of Orofacial Sciences, School of Dentistry, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | - Filippo M Rijli
- Laboratory of Developmental Neuroepigenetics, Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland.
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
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19
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Jensen M, Chandrasekaran V, García-Bonete MJ, Li S, Anindya AL, Andersson K, Erlandsson MC, Oparina NY, Burmann BM, Brath U, Panchenko AR, Bokarewa I. M, Katona G. Survivin prevents the polycomb repressor complex 2 from methylating histone 3 lysine 27. iScience 2023; 26:106976. [PMID: 37534134 PMCID: PMC10391610 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Revised: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023] Open
Abstract
This study investigates the role of survivin in epigenetic control of gene transcription through interaction with the polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2). PRC2 is responsible for silencing gene expression by trimethylating lysine 27 on histone 3. We observed differential expression of PRC2 subunits in CD4+ T cells with varying levels of survivin expression, and ChIP-seq results indicated that survivin colocalizes with PRC2 along DNA. Inhibition of survivin resulted in a significant increase in H3K27 trimethylation, implying that survivin prevents PRC2 from functioning. Peptide microarray showed that survivin interacts with peptides from PRC2 subunits, and machine learning revealed that amino acid composition contains relevant information for predicting survivin interaction. NMR and BLI experiments supported the interaction of survivin with PRC2 subunit EZH2. Finally, protein-protein docking revealed that the survivin-EZH2 interaction interface overlaps with catalytic residues of EZH2, potentially inhibiting its H3K27 methylation activity. These findings suggest that survivin inhibits PRC2 function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maja Jensen
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Gothenburg, Box 462, 405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Venkataragavan Chandrasekaran
- Department of Rheumatology and Inflammation Research, Institute of Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Box 480, 40530 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - María-José García-Bonete
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Gothenburg, Box 440, 405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Shuxiang Li
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Atsarina Larasati Anindya
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Gothenburg, Box 462, 405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Karin Andersson
- Department of Rheumatology and Inflammation Research, Institute of Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Box 480, 40530 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Malin C. Erlandsson
- Department of Rheumatology and Inflammation Research, Institute of Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Box 480, 40530 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Nina Y. Oparina
- Department of Rheumatology and Inflammation Research, Institute of Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Box 480, 40530 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Björn M. Burmann
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Gothenburg, Box 462, 405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden
- Wallenberg Centre for Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Gothenburg, 405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Ulrika Brath
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology and the Swedish NMR Centre, University of Gothenburg, 412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Anna R. Panchenko
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Maria Bokarewa I.
- Department of Rheumatology and Inflammation Research, Institute of Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Box 480, 40530 Gothenburg, Sweden
- Rheumatology Clinic, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gröna stråket 16, 41346 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Gergely Katona
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Gothenburg, Box 462, 405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden
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20
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Gracia-Diaz C, Zhou Y, Yang Q, Maroofian R, Espana-Bonilla P, Lee CH, Zhang S, Padilla N, Fueyo R, Waxman EA, Lei S, Otrimski G, Li D, Sheppard SE, Mark P, Harr MH, Hakonarson H, Rodan L, Jackson A, Vasudevan P, Powel C, Mohammed S, Maddirevula S, Alzaidan H, Faqeih EA, Efthymiou S, Turchetti V, Rahman F, Maqbool S, Salpietro V, Ibrahim SH, di Rosa G, Houlden H, Alharbi MN, Al-Sannaa NA, Bauer P, Zifarelli G, Estaras C, Hurst ACE, Thompson ML, Chassevent A, Smith-Hicks CL, de la Cruz X, Holtz AM, Elloumi HZ, Hajianpour MJ, Rieubland C, Braun D, Banka S, French DL, Heller EA, Saade M, Song H, Ming GL, Alkuraya FS, Agrawal PB, Reinberg D, Bhoj EJ, Martínez-Balbás MA, Akizu N. Gain and loss of function variants in EZH1 disrupt neurogenesis and cause dominant and recessive neurodevelopmental disorders. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4109. [PMID: 37433783 PMCID: PMC10336078 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39645-5] [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: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Genetic variants in chromatin regulators are frequently found in neurodevelopmental disorders, but their effect in disease etiology is rarely determined. Here, we uncover and functionally define pathogenic variants in the chromatin modifier EZH1 as the cause of dominant and recessive neurodevelopmental disorders in 19 individuals. EZH1 encodes one of the two alternative histone H3 lysine 27 methyltransferases of the PRC2 complex. Unlike the other PRC2 subunits, which are involved in cancers and developmental syndromes, the implication of EZH1 in human development and disease is largely unknown. Using cellular and biochemical studies, we demonstrate that recessive variants impair EZH1 expression causing loss of function effects, while dominant variants are missense mutations that affect evolutionarily conserved aminoacids, likely impacting EZH1 structure or function. Accordingly, we found increased methyltransferase activity leading to gain of function of two EZH1 missense variants. Furthermore, we show that EZH1 is necessary and sufficient for differentiation of neural progenitor cells in the developing chick embryo neural tube. Finally, using human pluripotent stem cell-derived neural cultures and forebrain organoids, we demonstrate that EZH1 variants perturb cortical neuron differentiation. Overall, our work reveals a critical role of EZH1 in neurogenesis regulation and provides molecular diagnosis for previously undefined neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Gracia-Diaz
- Raymond G. Perelman Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Yijing Zhou
- Raymond G. Perelman Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Qian Yang
- Department of Neuroscience and Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Reza Maroofian
- Department of Neuromuscular Disorders, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Paula Espana-Bonilla
- Department of Structural and Molecular Biology, Instituto de Biología Molecular de Barcelona (IBMB), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Chul-Hwan Lee
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacology, Seoul National University, College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Shuo Zhang
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Natàlia Padilla
- Research Unit in Clinical and Translational Bioinformatics, Vall d'Hebron Institute of Research (VHIR), Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Raquel Fueyo
- Department of Structural and Molecular Biology, Instituto de Biología Molecular de Barcelona (IBMB), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Elisa A Waxman
- Raymond G. Perelman Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Sunyimeng Lei
- Raymond G. Perelman Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Garrett Otrimski
- Raymond G. Perelman Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Dong Li
- Center for Applied Genomics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Sarah E Sheppard
- Center for Applied Genomics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Paul Mark
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Medical Genetics, Helen DeVos Children's Hospital, Corewell Health, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - Margaret H Harr
- Center for Applied Genomics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Hakon Hakonarson
- Center for Applied Genomics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Lance Rodan
- Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Division of Genetics & Genomics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Adam Jackson
- Division of Evolution, Infection and Genomics, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Manchester Centre for Genomic Medicine, St Mary's Hospital, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Health Innovation Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Pradeep Vasudevan
- Leicestershire Clinical Genetics Service, University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, Leicester Royal Infirmary, Leicester, UK
| | - Corrina Powel
- Leicestershire Clinical Genetics Service, University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, Leicester Royal Infirmary, Leicester, UK
| | | | - Sateesh Maddirevula
- Department of Translational Genomics, Center for Genomic Medicine, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Hamad Alzaidan
- Department of Genetics, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Eissa A Faqeih
- Section of Medical Genetics, Children's Specialist Hospital, King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Stephanie Efthymiou
- Department of Neuromuscular Disorders, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Valentina Turchetti
- Department of Neuromuscular Disorders, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Fatima Rahman
- Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, University of Child Health Sciences & The Children's Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Shazia Maqbool
- Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, University of Child Health Sciences & The Children's Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Vincenzo Salpietro
- Department of Neuromuscular Disorders, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Shahnaz H Ibrahim
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Gabriella di Rosa
- Child Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Pediatrics, University of Messina, Messina, 98100, Italy
| | - Henry Houlden
- Department of Neuromuscular Disorders, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Maha Nasser Alharbi
- Maternity and Children Hospital Buraidah, Qassim Health Cluster, Buraydah, Saudi Arabia
| | | | | | | | - Conchi Estaras
- Center for Translational Medicine, Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Anna C E Hurst
- University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | | | - Anna Chassevent
- Department of Neurogenetics, Neurology and Developmental Medicine Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Constance L Smith-Hicks
- Department of Neurogenetics, Neurology and Developmental Medicine Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA
| | - Xavier de la Cruz
- Research Unit in Clinical and Translational Bioinformatics, Vall d'Hebron Institute of Research (VHIR), Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alexander M Holtz
- Division of Genetics & Genomics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - M J Hajianpour
- Division of Medical Genetics and Genomics, Department of Pediatrics, Albany Medical College, Albany, NY, USA
| | - Claudine Rieubland
- Department of Human Genetics, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Dominique Braun
- Department of Human Genetics, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Siddharth Banka
- Division of Evolution, Infection and Genomics, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Manchester Centre for Genomic Medicine, St Mary's Hospital, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Health Innovation Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Deborah L French
- Raymond G. Perelman Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Heller
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Murielle Saade
- Department of Structural and Molecular Biology, Instituto de Biología Molecular de Barcelona (IBMB), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Hongjun Song
- Department of Neuroscience and Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Guo-Li Ming
- Department of Neuroscience and Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Fowzan S Alkuraya
- Department of Translational Genomics, Center for Genomic Medicine, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, College of Medicine, Alfaisal University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Pankaj B Agrawal
- Division of Genetics & Genomics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- The Manton Center for Orphan Disease Research, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Miami School of Medicine and Holtz Children's Hospital, Jackson Heath System, Miami, FL, USA
| | | | - Elizabeth J Bhoj
- Raymond G. Perelman Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Center for Applied Genomics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Marian A Martínez-Balbás
- Department of Structural and Molecular Biology, Instituto de Biología Molecular de Barcelona (IBMB), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Naiara Akizu
- Raymond G. Perelman Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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21
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Gao CW, Lin W, Riddle RC, Kushwaha P, Boukas L, Björnsson HT, Hansen KD, Fahrner JA. Novel mouse model of Weaver syndrome displays overgrowth and excess osteogenesis reversible with KDM6A/6B inhibition. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.23.546270. [PMID: 37425751 PMCID: PMC10327066 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.23.546270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
Weaver syndrome is a Mendelian disorder of the epigenetic machinery (MDEM) caused by germline pathogenic variants in EZH2, which encodes the predominant H3K27 methyltransferase and key enzymatic component of Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2). Weaver syndrome is characterized by striking overgrowth and advanced bone age, intellectual disability, and distinctive facies. We generated a mouse model for the most common Weaver syndrome missense variant, EZH2 p.R684C. Ezh2R684C/R684C mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) showed global depletion of H3K27me3. Ezh2R684C/+ mice had abnormal bone parameters indicative of skeletal overgrowth, and Ezh2R684C/+ osteoblasts showed increased osteogenic activity. RNA-seq comparing osteoblasts differentiated from Ezh2R684C/+ and Ezh2+/+ bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) indicated collective dysregulation of the BMP pathway and osteoblast differentiation. Inhibition of the opposing H3K27 demethylases Kdm6a/6b substantially reversed the excessive osteogenesis in Ezh2R684C/+ cells both at the transcriptional and phenotypic levels. This supports both the ideas that writers and erasers of histone marks exist in a fine balance to maintain epigenome state, and that epigenetic modulating agents have therapeutic potential for the treatment of MDEMs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine W Gao
- Department of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - WanYing Lin
- Department of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Ryan C Riddle
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
- Department of Orthopaedics, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
- Research and Development Service, Baltimore Veterans Administration Medical Center, Baltimore, MD
| | - Priyanka Kushwaha
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Leandros Boukas
- Department of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
- Department of Biostatistics, Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
| | - Hans T Björnsson
- Department of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
- Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Iceland, Reykjavík, Iceland
- Landspítali University Hospital, Reykjavík, Iceland
| | - Kasper D Hansen
- Department of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
- Department of Biostatistics, Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
| | - Jill A Fahrner
- Department of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
- Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
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22
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Lui JC, Wagner J, Zhou E, Dong L, Barnes KM, Jee YH, Baron J. Loss-of-function variant in SPIN4 causes an X-linked overgrowth syndrome. JCI Insight 2023; 8:e167074. [PMID: 36927955 PMCID: PMC10243798 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.167074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Overgrowth syndromes can be caused by pathogenic genetic variants in epigenetic writers, such as DNA and histone methyltransferases. However, no overgrowth disorder has previously been ascribed to variants in a gene that acts primarily as an epigenetic reader. Here, we studied a male individual with generalized overgrowth of prenatal onset. Exome sequencing identified a hemizygous frameshift variant in Spindlin 4 (SPIN4), with X-linked inheritance. We found evidence that SPIN4 binds specific histone modifications, promotes canonical WNT signaling, and inhibits cell proliferation in vitro and that the identified frameshift variant had lost all of these functions. Ablation of Spin4 in mice recapitulated the human phenotype with generalized overgrowth, including increased longitudinal bone growth. Growth plate analysis revealed increased cell proliferation in the proliferative zone and an increased number of progenitor chondrocytes in the resting zone. We also found evidence of decreased canonical Wnt signaling in growth plate chondrocytes, providing a potential explanation for the increased number of resting zone chondrocytes. Taken together, our findings provide strong evidence that SPIN4 is an epigenetic reader that negatively regulates mammalian body growth and that loss of SPIN4 causes an overgrowth syndrome in humans, expanding our knowledge of the epigenetic regulation of human growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian C. Lui
- Section on Growth and Development, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, and
| | - Jacob Wagner
- Section on Growth and Development, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, and
| | - Elaine Zhou
- Section on Growth and Development, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, and
| | - Lijin Dong
- Genetic Engineering Core, National Eye Institute, National Institute of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Kevin M. Barnes
- Section on Growth and Development, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, and
| | - Youn Hee Jee
- Section on Growth and Development, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, and
| | - Jeffrey Baron
- Section on Growth and Development, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, and
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23
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Imagawa E, Seyama R, Aoi H, Uchiyama Y, Marcarini BG, Furquim I, Honjo RS, Bertola DR, Kim CA, Matsumoto N. Imagawa-Matsumoto syndrome: SUZ12-related overgrowth disorder. Clin Genet 2023; 103:383-391. [PMID: 36645289 DOI: 10.1111/cge.14296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2022] [Revised: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
The SUZ12 gene encodes a subunit of polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) that is essential for development by silencing the expression of multiple genes. Germline heterozygous variants in SUZ12 have been found in Imagawa-Matsumoto syndrome (IMMAS) characterized by overgrowth and multiple dysmorphic features. Similarly, both EZH2 and EED also encode a subunit of PRC2 each and their pathogenic variants cause Weaver syndrome and Cohen-Gibson syndrome, respectively. Clinical manifestations of these syndromes significantly overlap, although their different prevalence rates have recently been noted: generalized overgrowth, intellectual disability, scoliosis, and excessive loose skin appear to be less prevalent in IMMAS than in the other two syndromes. We could not determine any apparent genotype-phenotype correlation in IMMAS. The phenotype of neurofibromatosis type 1 arising from NF1 deletion was also shown to be modified by the deletion of SUZ12, 560 kb away. This review deepens our understanding of the clinical and genetic characteristics of IMMAS together with other overgrowth syndromes related to PRC2. We also report on a novel IMMAS patient carrying a splicing variant (c.1023+1G>C) in SUZ12. This patient had a milder phenotype than other previously reported IMMAS cases, with no macrocephaly or overgrowth phenotypes, highlighting the clinical variation in IMMAS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eri Imagawa
- Department of Pediatrics, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Rie Seyama
- Department of Human Genetics, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Juntendo University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiromi Aoi
- Department of Human Genetics, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Juntendo University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yuri Uchiyama
- Department of Human Genetics, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan
- Department of Rare Disease Genomics, Yokohama City University Hospital, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Bruno Guimaraes Marcarini
- Genetics Unit, Instituto da Crianca, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Isabel Furquim
- Genetics Unit, Instituto da Crianca, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Rachel Sayuri Honjo
- Genetics Unit, Instituto da Crianca, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Debora Romeo Bertola
- Genetics Unit, Instituto da Crianca, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Chong Ae Kim
- Genetics Unit, Instituto da Crianca, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Naomichi Matsumoto
- Department of Human Genetics, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan
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24
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Hawkes G, Yengo L, Vedantam S, Marouli E, Beaumont RN, Tyrrell J, Weedon MN, Hirschhorn J, Frayling TM, Wood AR. Identification and analysis of individuals who deviate from their genetically-predicted phenotype. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.02.10.528019. [PMID: 36798175 PMCID: PMC9934696 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.10.528019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/13/2023]
Abstract
Findings from genome-wide association studies have facilitated the generation of genetic predictors for many common human phenotypes. Stratifying individuals misaligned to a genetic predictor based on common variants may be important for follow-up studies that aim to identify alternative causal factors. Using genome-wide imputed genetic data, we aimed to classify 158,951 unrelated individuals from the UK Biobank as either concordant or deviating from two well-measured phenotypes. We first applied our methods to standing height: our primary analysis classified 244 individuals (0.15%) as misaligned to their genetically predicted height. We show that these individuals are enriched for self-reporting being shorter or taller than average at age 10, diagnosed congenital malformations, and rare loss-of-function variants in genes previously catalogued as causal for growth disorders. Secondly, we apply our methods to LDL cholesterol. We classified 156 (0.12%) individuals as misaligned to their genetically predicted LDL cholesterol and show that these individuals were enriched for both clinically actionable cardiovascular risk factors and rare genetic variants in genes previously shown to be involved in metabolic processes. Individuals whose LDL-C was higher than expected based on the genetic predictor were also at higher risk of developing coronary artery disease and type-two diabetes, even after adjustment for measured LDL-C, BMI and age, suggesting upward deviation from genetically predicted LDL-C is indicative of generally poor health. Our results remained broadly consistent when performing sensitivity analysis based on a variety of parametric and non-parametric methods to define individuals deviating from polygenic expectation. Our analyses demonstrate the potential importance of quantitatively identifying individuals for further follow-up based on deviation from genetic predictions. Author Summary Human genetics is becoming increasingly useful to help predict human traits across a population owing to findings from large-scale genetic association studies and advances in the power of genetic predictors. This provides an opportunity to potentially identify individuals that deviate from genetic predictions for a common phenotype under investigation. For example, an individual may be genetically predicted to be tall, but be shorter than expected. It is potentially important to identify individuals who deviate from genetic predictions as this can facilitate further follow-up to assess likely causes. Using 158,951 unrelated individuals from the UK Biobank, with height and LDL cholesterol, as exemplar traits, we demonstrate that approximately 0.15% & 0.12% of individuals deviate from their genetically predicted phenotypes respectively. We observed these individuals to be enriched for a range of rare clinical diagnoses, as well as rare genetic factors that may be causal. Our analyses also demonstrate several methods for detecting individuals who deviate from genetic predictions that can be applied to a range of continuous human phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gareth Hawkes
- Genetics of Complex Traits, College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter, Exeter, Devon, UK
| | - Loic Yengo
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | | | - Eirini Marouli
- William Harvey Research Institute, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry Queen Mary University of London, London
| | - Robin N Beaumont
- Genetics of Complex Traits, College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter, Exeter, Devon, UK
| | | | - Jessica Tyrrell
- Genetics of Complex Traits, College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter, Exeter, Devon, UK
| | - Michael N Weedon
- Genetics of Complex Traits, College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter, Exeter, Devon, UK
| | | | - Timothy M Frayling
- Genetics of Complex Traits, College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter, Exeter, Devon, UK
| | - Andrew R Wood
- Genetics of Complex Traits, College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter, Exeter, Devon, UK
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25
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Fu MP, Merrill SM, Sharma M, Gibson WT, Turvey SE, Kobor MS. Rare diseases of epigenetic origin: Challenges and opportunities. Front Genet 2023; 14:1113086. [PMID: 36814905 PMCID: PMC9939656 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2023.1113086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Rare diseases (RDs), more than 80% of which have a genetic origin, collectively affect approximately 350 million people worldwide. Progress in next-generation sequencing technology has both greatly accelerated the pace of discovery of novel RDs and provided more accurate means for their diagnosis. RDs that are driven by altered epigenetic regulation with an underlying genetic basis are referred to as rare diseases of epigenetic origin (RDEOs). These diseases pose unique challenges in research, as they often show complex genetic and clinical heterogeneity arising from unknown gene-disease mechanisms. Furthermore, multiple other factors, including cell type and developmental time point, can confound attempts to deconvolute the pathophysiology of these disorders. These challenges are further exacerbated by factors that contribute to epigenetic variability and the difficulty of collecting sufficient participant numbers in human studies. However, new molecular and bioinformatics techniques will provide insight into how these disorders manifest over time. This review highlights recent studies addressing these challenges with innovative solutions. Further research will elucidate the mechanisms of action underlying unique RDEOs and facilitate the discovery of treatments and diagnostic biomarkers for screening, thereby improving health trajectories and clinical outcomes of affected patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maggie P. Fu
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada,Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada,BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Sarah M. Merrill
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada,Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada,BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Mehul Sharma
- BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada,Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, BC Children’s Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - William T. Gibson
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada,BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Stuart E. Turvey
- BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada,Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, BC Children’s Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Michael S. Kobor
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada,Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada,BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada,*Correspondence: Michael S. Kobor,
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26
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Molecular Analysis and Reclassification of NSD1 Gene Variants in a Cohort of Patients with Clinical Suspicion of Sotos Syndrome. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:genes14020295. [PMID: 36833222 PMCID: PMC9956575 DOI: 10.3390/genes14020295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Sotos syndrome is a rare genetic disorder caused by haploinsufficiency of the NSD1 (nuclear receptor binding SET domain containing protein 1) gene. No clinical diagnostic consensus criteria are published yet, and molecular analysis reduces the clinical diagnostic uncertainty. We screened 1530 unrelated patients enrolled from 2003 to 2021 at Galliera Hospital and Gaslini Institute in Genoa. NSD1 variants were identified in 292 patients including nine partial gene deletions, 13 microdeletions of the entire NSD1 gene, and 115 novel intragenic variants never previously described. Thirty-two variants of uncertain significance (VUS) out of 115 identified were re-classified. Twenty-five missense NSD1 VUS (25/32, 78.1%) changed class to likely pathogenic or likely benign, showing a highly significant shift in class (p < 0.01). Apart from NSD1, we identified variants in additional genes (NFIX, PTEN, EZH2, TCF20, BRWD3, PPP2R5D) in nine patients analyzed by the NGS custom panel. We describe the evolution of diagnostic techniques in our laboratory to ascertain molecular diagnosis, the identification of 115 new variants, and the re-classification of 25 VUS in NSD1. We underline the utility of sharing variant classification and the need to improve communication between the laboratory staff and the referring physician.
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27
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Macrae TA, Fothergill-Robinson J, Ramalho-Santos M. Regulation, functions and transmission of bivalent chromatin during mammalian development. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2023; 24:6-26. [PMID: 36028557 DOI: 10.1038/s41580-022-00518-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 60.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Cells differentiate and progress through development guided by a dynamic chromatin landscape that mediates gene expression programmes. During development, mammalian cells display a paradoxical chromatin state: histone modifications associated with gene activation (trimethylated histone H3 Lys4 (H3K4me3)) and with gene repression (trimethylated H3 Lys27 (H3K27me3)) co-occur at promoters of developmental genes. This bivalent chromatin modification state is thought to poise important regulatory genes for expression or repression during cell-lineage specification. In this Review, we discuss recent work that has expanded our understanding of the molecular basis of bivalent chromatin and its contributions to mammalian development. We describe the factors that establish bivalency, especially histone-lysine N-methyltransferase 2B (KMT2B) and Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2), and consider evidence indicating that PRC1 shapes bivalency and may contribute to its transmission between generations. We posit that bivalency is a key feature of germline and embryonic stem cells, as well as other types of stem and progenitor cells. Finally, we discuss the relevance of bivalent chromtin to human development and cancer, and outline avenues of future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trisha A Macrae
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | - Julie Fothergill-Robinson
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Miguel Ramalho-Santos
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada.
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28
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Jarred EG, Qu Z, Tsai T, Oberin R, Petautschnig S, Bildsoe H, Pederson S, Zhang QH, Stringer JM, Carroll J, Gardner DK, Van den Buuse M, Sims NA, Gibson WT, Adelson DL, Western PS. Transient Polycomb activity represses developmental genes in growing oocytes. Clin Epigenetics 2022; 14:183. [PMID: 36544159 PMCID: PMC9769065 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-022-01400-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Non-genetic disease inheritance and offspring phenotype are substantially influenced by germline epigenetic programming, including genomic imprinting. Loss of Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2) function in oocytes causes non-genetically inherited effects on offspring, including embryonic growth restriction followed by post-natal offspring overgrowth. While PRC2-dependent non-canonical imprinting is likely to contribute, less is known about germline epigenetic programming of non-imprinted genes during oocyte growth. In addition, de novo germline mutations in genes encoding PRC2 lead to overgrowth syndromes in human patients, but the extent to which PRC2 activity is conserved in human oocytes is poorly understood. RESULTS In this study, we identify a discrete period of early oocyte growth during which PRC2 is expressed in mouse growing oocytes. Deletion of Eed during this window led to the de-repression of 343 genes. A high proportion of these were developmental regulators, and the vast majority were not imprinted genes. Many of the de-repressed genes were also marked by the PRC2-dependent epigenetic modification histone 3 lysine 27 trimethylation (H3K27me3) in primary-secondary mouse oocytes, at a time concurrent with PRC2 expression. In addition, we found H3K27me3 was also enriched on many of these genes by the germinal vesicle (GV) stage in human oocytes, strongly indicating that this PRC2 function is conserved in the human germline. However, while the 343 genes were de-repressed in mouse oocytes lacking EED, they were not de-repressed in pre-implantation embryos and lost H3K27me3 during pre-implantation development. This implies that H3K27me3 is a transient feature that represses a wide range of genes in oocytes. CONCLUSIONS Together, these data indicate that EED has spatially and temporally distinct functions in the female germline to repress a wide range of developmentally important genes and that this activity is conserved in the mouse and human germlines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellen G. Jarred
- grid.452824.dCentre for Reproductive Health, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, VIC Australia ,grid.1002.30000 0004 1936 7857Department of Molecular and Translational Science, Monash University, Clayton, VIC Australia
| | - Zhipeng Qu
- grid.1010.00000 0004 1936 7304Department of Molecular and Biomedical Science, School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA Australia
| | - Tesha Tsai
- grid.452824.dCentre for Reproductive Health, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, VIC Australia ,grid.1002.30000 0004 1936 7857Department of Molecular and Translational Science, Monash University, Clayton, VIC Australia
| | - Ruby Oberin
- grid.452824.dCentre for Reproductive Health, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, VIC Australia ,grid.1002.30000 0004 1936 7857Department of Molecular and Translational Science, Monash University, Clayton, VIC Australia
| | - Sigrid Petautschnig
- grid.452824.dCentre for Reproductive Health, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, VIC Australia ,grid.1002.30000 0004 1936 7857Department of Molecular and Translational Science, Monash University, Clayton, VIC Australia
| | - Heidi Bildsoe
- grid.452824.dCentre for Reproductive Health, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, VIC Australia ,grid.1002.30000 0004 1936 7857Department of Molecular and Translational Science, Monash University, Clayton, VIC Australia
| | - Stephen Pederson
- grid.1010.00000 0004 1936 7304Department of Molecular and Biomedical Science, School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA Australia
| | - Qing-hua Zhang
- grid.1002.30000 0004 1936 7857Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC Australia
| | - Jessica M. Stringer
- grid.1002.30000 0004 1936 7857Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC Australia
| | - John Carroll
- grid.1002.30000 0004 1936 7857Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC Australia
| | - David K. Gardner
- grid.1008.90000 0001 2179 088XSchool of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC Australia
| | - Maarten Van den Buuse
- grid.1018.80000 0001 2342 0938School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC Australia
| | - Natalie A. Sims
- grid.1073.50000 0004 0626 201XBone Cell Biology and Disease Unit, St. Vincent’s Institute of Medical Research, Fitzroy, VIC Australia ,grid.413105.20000 0000 8606 2560Department of Medicine at St, Vincent’s Hospital, Fitzroy, VIC Australia
| | - William T. Gibson
- grid.17091.3e0000 0001 2288 9830Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia and British Columbia Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC Canada
| | - David L. Adelson
- grid.1010.00000 0004 1936 7304Department of Molecular and Biomedical Science, School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA Australia ,grid.437963.c0000 0001 1349 5098South Australian Museum, SA Adelaide, Australia
| | - Patrick S. Western
- grid.452824.dCentre for Reproductive Health, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, VIC Australia ,grid.1002.30000 0004 1936 7857Department of Molecular and Translational Science, Monash University, Clayton, VIC Australia
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Boycott KM, Hartley T, Kernohan KD, Dyment DA, Howley H, Innes AM, Bernier FP, Brudno M. Care4Rare Canada: Outcomes from a decade of network science for rare disease gene discovery. Am J Hum Genet 2022; 109:1947-1959. [PMID: 36332610 PMCID: PMC9674964 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2022.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The past decade has witnessed a rapid evolution in rare disease (RD) research, fueled by the availability of genome-wide (exome and genome) sequencing. In 2011, as this transformative technology was introduced to the research community, the Care4Rare Canada Consortium was launched: initially as FORGE, followed by Care4Rare, and Care4Rare SOLVE. Over what amounted to three eras of diagnosis and discovery, the Care4Rare Consortium used exome sequencing and, more recently, genome and other 'omic technologies to identify the molecular cause of unsolved RDs. We achieved a diagnostic yield of 34% (623/1,806 of participating families), including the discovery of deleterious variants in 121 genes not previously associated with disease, and we continue to study candidate variants in novel genes for 145 families. The Consortium has made significant contributions to RD research, including development of platforms for data collection and sharing and instigating a Canadian network to catalyze functional characterization research of novel genes. The Consortium was instrumental to implementing genome-wide sequencing as a publicly funded test for RD diagnosis in Canada. Despite the successes of the past decade, the challenge of solving all RDs remains enormous, and the work is far from over. We must leverage clinical and 'omic data for secondary use, develop tools and policies to support safe data sharing, continue to explore the utility of new and emerging technologies, and optimize research protocols to delineate complex disease mechanisms. Successful approaches in each of these realms is required to offer diagnostic clarity to all families with RDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kym M. Boycott
- Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1H 8L1, Canada,Corresponding author
| | - Taila Hartley
- Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1H 8L1, Canada
| | - Kristin D. Kernohan
- Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1H 8L1, Canada
| | - David A. Dyment
- Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1H 8L1, Canada
| | - Heather Howley
- Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1H 8L1, Canada
| | - A. Micheil Innes
- Department of Medical Genetics and Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Francois P. Bernier
- Department of Medical Genetics and Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Michael Brudno
- Department of Computer Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 2E4, Canada
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30
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van der Laan L, Rooney K, Trooster TM, Mannens MM, Sadikovic B, Henneman P. DNA methylation episignatures: insight into copy number variation. Epigenomics 2022; 14:1373-1388. [PMID: 36537268 DOI: 10.2217/epi-2022-0287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
In this review we discuss epigenetic disorders that result from aberrations in genes linked to epigenetic regulation. We describe current testing methods for the detection of copy number variants (CNVs) in Mendelian disorders, dosage sensitivity, reciprocal phenotypes and the challenges of test selection and overlapping clinical features in genetic diagnosis. We discuss aberrations of DNA methylation and propose a role for episignatures as a novel clinical testing method in CNV disorders. Finally, we postulate that episignature mapping in CNV disorders may provide novel insights into the molecular mechanisms of disease and unlock key findings of the genome-wide impact on disease gene networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liselot van der Laan
- Department of Human Genetics, Amsterdam Reproduction & Development Research Institute, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Amsterdam, 1105 AZ, The Netherlands
| | - Kathleen Rooney
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, Western University, London, Ontario, N5A 3K7, Canada.,Verspeeten Clinical Genome Centre, London Health Science Centre, London, Ontario, N6A 5W9, Canada
| | - Tessa Ma Trooster
- Department of Human Genetics, Amsterdam Reproduction & Development Research Institute, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Amsterdam, 1105 AZ, The Netherlands
| | - Marcel Mam Mannens
- Department of Human Genetics, Amsterdam Reproduction & Development Research Institute, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Amsterdam, 1105 AZ, The Netherlands
| | - Bekim Sadikovic
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, Western University, London, Ontario, N5A 3K7, Canada.,Verspeeten Clinical Genome Centre, London Health Science Centre, London, Ontario, N6A 5W9, Canada
| | - Peter Henneman
- Department of Human Genetics, Amsterdam Reproduction & Development Research Institute, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Amsterdam, 1105 AZ, The Netherlands
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31
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Bondhus L, Wei A, Arboleda VA. DMRscaler: a scale-aware method to identify regions of differential DNA methylation spanning basepair to multi-megabase features. BMC Bioinformatics 2022; 23:364. [PMID: 36064314 PMCID: PMC9447346 DOI: 10.1186/s12859-022-04899-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2021] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pathogenic mutations in genes that control chromatin function have been implicated in rare genetic syndromes. These chromatin modifiers exhibit extraordinary diversity in the scale of the epigenetic changes they affect, from single basepair modifications by DNMT1 to whole genome structural changes by PRM1/2. Patterns of DNA methylation are related to a diverse set of epigenetic features across this full range of epigenetic scale, making DNA methylation valuable for mapping regions of general epigenetic dysregulation. However, existing methods are unable to accurately identify regions of differential methylation across this full range of epigenetic scale directly from DNA methylation data. RESULTS To address this, we developed DMRscaler, a novel method that uses an iterative windowing procedure to capture regions of differential DNA methylation (DMRs) ranging in size from single basepairs to whole chromosomes. We benchmarked DMRscaler against several DMR callers in simulated and natural data comparing XX and XY peripheral blood samples. DMRscaler was the only method that accurately called DMRs ranging in size from 100 bp to 1 Mb (pearson's r = 0.94) and up to 152 Mb on the X-chromosome. We then analyzed methylation data from rare-disease cohorts that harbor chromatin modifier gene mutations in NSD1, EZH2, and KAT6A where DMRscaler identified novel DMRs spanning gene clusters involved in development. CONCLUSION Taken together, our results show DMRscaler is uniquely able to capture the size of DMR features across the full range of epigenetic scale and identify novel, co-regulated regions that drive epigenetic dysregulation in human disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leroy Bondhus
- grid.19006.3e0000 0000 9632 6718Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, 615 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA 90095 USA ,grid.19006.3e0000 0000 9632 6718Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095 USA ,grid.19006.3e0000 0000 9632 6718Department of Computational Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095 USA
| | - Angela Wei
- grid.19006.3e0000 0000 9632 6718Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, 615 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA 90095 USA ,grid.19006.3e0000 0000 9632 6718Bioinformatics Interdepartmental PhD Program, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095 USA ,grid.19006.3e0000 0000 9632 6718Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095 USA ,grid.19006.3e0000 0000 9632 6718Department of Computational Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095 USA
| | - Valerie A. Arboleda
- grid.19006.3e0000 0000 9632 6718Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, 615 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA 90095 USA ,grid.19006.3e0000 0000 9632 6718Bioinformatics Interdepartmental PhD Program, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095 USA ,grid.19006.3e0000 0000 9632 6718Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095 USA ,grid.19006.3e0000 0000 9632 6718Department of Computational Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095 USA ,grid.19006.3e0000 0000 9632 6718Molecular Biology Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095 USA ,grid.19006.3e0000 0000 9632 6718Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095 USA
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32
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Vitsios D, Dhindsa RS, Matelska D, Mitchell J, Zou X, Armenia J, Hu F, Wang Q, Sidders B, Harper AR, Petrovski S. Cancer-driving mutations are enriched in genic regions intolerant to germline variation. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabo6371. [PMID: 36026442 PMCID: PMC9417173 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abo6371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Large reference datasets of protein-coding variation in human populations have allowed us to determine which genes and genic subregions are intolerant to germline genetic variation. There is also a growing number of genes implicated in severe Mendelian diseases that overlap with genes implicated in cancer. We hypothesized that cancer-driving mutations might be enriched in genic subregions that are depleted of germline variation relative to somatic variation. We introduce a new metric, OncMTR (oncology missense tolerance ratio), which uses 125,748 exomes in the Genome Aggregation Database (gnomAD) to identify these genic subregions. We demonstrate that OncMTR can significantly predict driver mutations implicated in hematologic malignancies. Divergent OncMTR regions were enriched for cancer-relevant protein domains, and overlaying OncMTR scores on protein structures identified functionally important protein residues. Last, we performed a rare variant, gene-based collapsing analysis on an independent set of 394,694 exomes from the UK Biobank and find that OncMTR markedly improves genetic signals for hematologic malignancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dimitrios Vitsios
- Centre for Genomics Research, Discovery Sciences, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
- Corresponding author. (D.V.), (R.S.D.), (S.P.)
| | - Ryan S. Dhindsa
- Centre for Genomics Research, Discovery Sciences, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, Waltham, MA, USA
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
- Corresponding author. (D.V.), (R.S.D.), (S.P.)
| | - Dorota Matelska
- Centre for Genomics Research, Discovery Sciences, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
| | - Jonathan Mitchell
- Centre for Genomics Research, Discovery Sciences, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
| | - Xuequing Zou
- Centre for Genomics Research, Discovery Sciences, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
| | - Joshua Armenia
- Bioinformatics and Data Science, Research, and Early Development, Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
| | - Fengyuan Hu
- Centre for Genomics Research, Discovery Sciences, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
| | - Quanli Wang
- Centre for Genomics Research, Discovery Sciences, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, Waltham, MA, USA
| | - Ben Sidders
- Bioinformatics and Data Science, Research, and Early Development, Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
| | - Andrew R. Harper
- Centre for Genomics Research, Discovery Sciences, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
| | - Slavé Petrovski
- Centre for Genomics Research, Discovery Sciences, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Austin Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Corresponding author. (D.V.), (R.S.D.), (S.P.)
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33
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Zhang SF, Dai SK, Du HZ, Wang H, Li XG, Tang Y, Liu CM. The epigenetic state of EED-Gli3-Gli1 regulatory axis controls embryonic cortical neurogenesis. Stem Cell Reports 2022; 17:2064-2080. [PMID: 35931079 PMCID: PMC9481917 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2022.07.004] [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: 01/07/2022] [Revised: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations in the embryonic ectoderm development (EED) cause Weaver syndrome, but whether and how EED affects embryonic brain development remains elusive. Here, we generated a mouse model in which Eed was deleted in the forebrain to investigate the role of EED. We found that deletion of Eed decreased the number of upper-layer neurons but not deeper-layer neurons starting at E16.5. Transcriptomic and genomic occupancy analyses revealed that the epigenetic states of a group of cortical neurogenesis-related genes were altered in Eed knockout forebrains, followed by a decrease of H3K27me3 and an increase of H3K27ac marks within the promoter regions. The switching of H3K27me3 to H3K27ac modification promoted the recruitment of RNA-Pol2, thereby enhancing its expression level. The small molecule activator SAG or Ptch1 knockout for activating Hedgehog signaling can partially rescue aberrant cortical neurogenesis. Taken together, we proposed a novel EED-Gli3-Gli1 regulatory axis that is critical for embryonic brain development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuang-Feng Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China; State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Shang-Kun Dai
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Hong-Zhen Du
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Hui Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Xing-Guo Li
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, China Medical University, Taichung 40402, Taiwan
| | - Yi Tang
- Department of Neurology, Innovation Center for Neurological Disorders, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, China.
| | - Chang-Mei Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing 100101, China.
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34
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Chemical biology and pharmacology of histone lysine methylation inhibitors. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. GENE REGULATORY MECHANISMS 2022; 1865:194840. [PMID: 35753676 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagrm.2022.194840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Revised: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Histone lysine methylation is a post-translational modification that plays a key role in the epigenetic regulation of a broad spectrum of biological processes. Moreover, the dysregulation of histone lysine methyltransferases (KMTs) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of several diseases particularly cancer. Due to their pathobiological importance, KMTs have garnered immense attention over the last decade as attractive therapeutic targets. These endeavors have culminated in tens of chemical probes that have been used to interrogate many aspects of histone lysine methylation. Besides, over a dozen inhibitors have been advanced to clinical trials, including the EZH2 inhibitor tazemetostat approved for the treatment of follicular lymphoma and advanced epithelioid sarcoma. In this Review, we highlight the chemical biology and pharmacology of KMT inhibitors and targeted protein degraders focusing on the clinical development of EZH1/2, DOT1L, Menin-MLL, and WDR5-MLL inhibitors. We also briefly discuss the pharmacologic targeting of other KMTs.
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35
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Germline Abnormalities in DNA Methylation and Histone Modification and Associated Cancer Risk. Curr Hematol Malig Rep 2022; 17:82-93. [PMID: 35653077 DOI: 10.1007/s11899-022-00665-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Somatic mutations in DNA methyltransferases and other DNA methylation associated genes have been found in a wide variety of cancers. Germline mutations in these genes have been associated with several rare hereditary disorders. Among the described germline/congenital disorders, neurological dysfunction and/or growth abnormalities appear to be a common phenotype. Here, we outline known germline abnormalities and examine the cancer risks associated with these mutations. RECENT FINDINGS The increased use and availability of sequencing techniques in the clinical setting has expanded the identification of germline abnormalities involving DNA methylation machinery. This has provided additional cases to study these rare hereditary disorders and their predisposition to cancer. Studying these syndromes may offer an opportunity to better understand the contribution of these genes in cancer development.
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36
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Peedicayil J. The relevance of polycomb group proteins to the development of psychiatric disorders. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:927833. [PMID: 35938156 PMCID: PMC9354779 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.927833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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37
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Wang YY, Deng YS, Dai SK, Mi TW, Li RY, Liu PP, Liu C, He BD, He XC, Du HZ, Yang HC, Tang Y, Liu CM, Teng ZQ. Loss of microglial EED impairs synapse density, learning, and memory. Mol Psychiatry 2022; 27:2999-3009. [PMID: 35484239 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01576-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Revised: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The embryonic ectoderm development (EED) is a core component of the polycomb-repressive complex 2 (PRC2) whose mutations are linked to neurodevelopmental abnormalities, intellectual disability, and neurodegeneration. Although EED has been extensively studied in neural stem cells and oligodendrocytes, its role in microglia is incompletely understood. Here, we show that microglial EED is essential for synaptic pruning during the postnatal stage of brain development. The absence of microglial EED at early postnatal stages resulted in reduced spines and impaired synapse density in the hippocampus at adulthood, accompanied by upregulated expression of phagocytosis-related genes in microglia. As a result, deletion of microglial Eed impaired hippocampus-dependent learning and memory in mice. These results suggest that microglial EED is critical for normal synaptic and cognitive functions during postnatal development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying-Ying Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.,Savaid Medical School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.,Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.,Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Yu-Sen Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.,Savaid Medical School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.,Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Shang-Kun Dai
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.,Savaid Medical School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.,Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Ting-Wei Mi
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Rui-Yang Li
- Innovation Center for Neurological Disorders, Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China
| | - Pei-Pei Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.,Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.,Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Cong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.,Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.,Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Bao-Dong He
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.,Savaid Medical School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.,Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Xuan-Cheng He
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.,Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.,Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Hong-Zhen Du
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.,Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.,Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Han-Chen Yang
- Innovation Center for Neurological Disorders, Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China
| | - Yi Tang
- Innovation Center for Neurological Disorders, Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China.
| | - Chang-Mei Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China. .,Savaid Medical School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China. .,Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China. .,Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing, 100101, China.
| | - Zhao-Qian Teng
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China. .,Savaid Medical School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China. .,Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China. .,Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing, 100101, China.
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Buontempo S, Laise P, Hughes JM, Trattaro S, Das V, Rencurel C, Testa G. EZH2-Mediated H3K27me3 Targets Transcriptional Circuits of Neuronal Differentiation. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:814144. [PMID: 35645710 PMCID: PMC9133892 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.814144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2) plays important roles in the epigenetic regulation of cellular development and differentiation through H3K27me3-dependent transcriptional repression. Aberrant PRC2 activity has been associated with cancer and neurodevelopmental disorders, particularly with respect to the malfunction of sits catalytic subunit EZH2. Here, we investigated the role of the EZH2-mediated H3K27me3 apposition in neuronal differentiation. We made use of a transgenic mouse model harboring Ezh2 conditional KO alleles to derive embryonic stem cells and differentiate them into glutamatergic neurons. Time course transcriptomics and epigenomic analyses of H3K27me3 in absence of EZH2 revealed a significant dysregulation of molecular networks affecting the glutamatergic differentiation trajectory that resulted in: (i) the deregulation of transcriptional circuitries related to neuronal differentiation and synaptic plasticity, in particular LTD, as a direct effect of EZH2 loss and (ii) the appearance of a GABAergic gene expression signature during glutamatergic neuron differentiation. These results expand the knowledge about the molecular pathways targeted by Polycomb during glutamatergic neuron differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serena Buontempo
- Department of Experimental Oncology, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Pasquale Laise
- Department of Experimental Oncology, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - James M. Hughes
- Department of Experimental Oncology, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Sebastiano Trattaro
- Department of Experimental Oncology, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Milan, Italy
- Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Human Technopole, Milan, Italy
| | - Vivek Das
- Department of Experimental Oncology, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Chantal Rencurel
- Department of Structural Biology and Biophysics, Biozentrum of the University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Giuseppe Testa
- Department of Experimental Oncology, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Milan, Italy
- Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Human Technopole, Milan, Italy
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39
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Bölicke N, Albert M. Polycomb-mediated gene regulation in human brain development and neurodevelopmental disorders. Dev Neurobiol 2022; 82:345-363. [PMID: 35384339 DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Revised: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The neocortex is considered the seat of higher cognitive function in humans. It develops from a sheet of neural progenitor cells, most of which eventually give rise to neurons. This process of cell fate determination is controlled by precise temporal and spatial gene expression patterns that in turn are affected by epigenetic mechanisms including Polycomb group (PcG) regulation. PcG proteins assemble in multiprotein complexes and catalyze repressive posttranslational histone modifications. Their association with neurodevelopmental disease and various types of cancer of the central nervous system, as well as observations in mouse models, has implicated these epigenetic modifiers in controlling various stages of cortex development. The precise mechanisms conveying PcG-associated transcriptional repression remain incompletely understood and are an active field of research. PcG activity appears to be highly context-specific, raising the question of species-specific differences in the regulation of neural stem and progenitor regulation. In this review, we will discuss our growing understanding of how PcG regulation affects human cortex development, based on studies in murine model systems, but focusing mostly on findings obtained from examining impaired PcG activity in the context of human neurodevelopmental disorders and cancer. Furthermore, we will highlight relevant experimental approaches for functional investigations of PcG regulation in human cortex development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nora Bölicke
- Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Mareike Albert
- Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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40
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Janssen SM, Lorincz MC. Interplay between chromatin marks in development and disease. Nat Rev Genet 2022; 23:137-153. [PMID: 34608297 DOI: 10.1038/s41576-021-00416-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
DNA methylation (DNAme) and histone post-translational modifications (PTMs) have important roles in transcriptional regulation. Although many reports have characterized the functions of such chromatin marks in isolation, recent genome-wide studies reveal surprisingly complex interactions between them. Here, we focus on the interplay between DNAme and methylation of specific lysine residues on the histone H3 tail. We describe the impact of genetic perturbation of the relevant methyltransferases in the mouse on the landscape of chromatin marks as well as the transcriptome. In addition, we discuss the specific neurodevelopmental growth syndromes and cancers resulting from pathogenic mutations in the human orthologues of these genes. Integrating these observations underscores the fundamental importance of crosstalk between DNA and histone H3 methylation in development and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanne M Janssen
- Department of Medical Genetics, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Matthew C Lorincz
- Department of Medical Genetics, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
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41
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Rocha C, Prinos P. Post-transcriptional and Post-translational Modifications of Primary Cilia: How to Fine Tune Your Neuronal Antenna. Front Cell Neurosci 2022; 16:809917. [PMID: 35295905 PMCID: PMC8918543 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2022.809917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Primary cilia direct cellular signaling events during brain development and neuronal differentiation. The primary cilium is a dynamic organelle formed in a multistep process termed ciliogenesis that is tightly coordinated with the cell cycle. Genetic alterations, such as ciliary gene mutations, and epigenetic alterations, such as post-translational modifications and RNA processing of cilia related factors, give rise to human neuronal disorders and brain tumors such as glioblastoma and medulloblastoma. This review discusses the important role of genetics/epigenetics, as well as RNA processing and post-translational modifications in primary cilia function during brain development and cancer formation. We summarize mouse and human studies of ciliogenesis and primary cilia activity in the brain, and detail how cilia maintain neuronal progenitor populations and coordinate neuronal differentiation during development, as well as how cilia control different signaling pathways such as WNT, Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) and PDGF that are critical for neurogenesis. Moreover, we describe how post-translational modifications alter cilia formation and activity during development and carcinogenesis, and the impact of missplicing of ciliary genes leading to ciliopathies and cell cycle alterations. Finally, cilia genetic and epigenetic studies bring to light cellular and molecular mechanisms that underlie neurodevelopmental disorders and brain tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cecilia Rocha
- Early Drug Discovery Unit, Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- *Correspondence: Cecilia Rocha,
| | - Panagiotis Prinos
- Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Panagiotis Prinos,
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42
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Wilson KD, Porter EG, Garcia BA. Reprogramming of the epigenome in neurodevelopmental disorders. Crit Rev Biochem Mol Biol 2022; 57:73-112. [PMID: 34601997 PMCID: PMC9462920 DOI: 10.1080/10409238.2021.1979457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
The etiology of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) remains a challenge for researchers. Human brain development is tightly regulated and sensitive to cellular alterations caused by endogenous or exogenous factors. Intriguingly, the surge of clinical sequencing studies has revealed that many of these disorders are monogenic and monoallelic. Notably, chromatin regulation has emerged as highly dysregulated in NDDs, with many syndromes demonstrating phenotypic overlap, such as intellectual disabilities, with one another. Here we discuss epigenetic writers, erasers, readers, remodelers, and even histones mutated in NDD patients, predicted to affect gene regulation. Moreover, this review focuses on disorders associated with mutations in enzymes involved in histone acetylation and methylation, and it highlights syndromes involving chromatin remodeling complexes. Finally, we explore recently discovered histone germline mutations and their pathogenic outcome on neurological function. Epigenetic regulators are mutated at every level of chromatin organization. Throughout this review, we discuss mechanistic investigations, as well as various animal and iPSC models of these disorders and their usefulness in determining pathomechanism and potential therapeutics. Understanding the mechanism of these mutations will illuminate common pathways between disorders. Ultimately, classifying these disorders based on their effects on the epigenome will not only aid in prognosis in patients but will aid in understanding the role of epigenetic machinery throughout neurodevelopment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khadija D. Wilson
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Elizabeth G. Porter
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Benjamin A. Garcia
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
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43
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Reichard J, Zimmer-Bensch G. The Epigenome in Neurodevelopmental Disorders. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:776809. [PMID: 34803599 PMCID: PMC8595945 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.776809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 10/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurodevelopmental diseases (NDDs), such as autism spectrum disorders, epilepsy, and schizophrenia, are characterized by diverse facets of neurological and psychiatric symptoms, differing in etiology, onset and severity. Such symptoms include mental delay, cognitive and language impairments, or restrictions to adaptive and social behavior. Nevertheless, all have in common that critical milestones of brain development are disrupted, leading to functional deficits of the central nervous system and clinical manifestation in child- or adulthood. To approach how the different development-associated neuropathologies can occur and which risk factors or critical processes are involved in provoking higher susceptibility for such diseases, a detailed understanding of the mechanisms underlying proper brain formation is required. NDDs rely on deficits in neuronal identity, proportion or function, whereby a defective development of the cerebral cortex, the seat of higher cognitive functions, is implicated in numerous disorders. Such deficits can be provoked by genetic and environmental factors during corticogenesis. Thereby, epigenetic mechanisms can act as an interface between external stimuli and the genome, since they are known to be responsive to external stimuli also in cortical neurons. In line with that, DNA methylation, histone modifications/variants, ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling, as well as regulatory non-coding RNAs regulate diverse aspects of neuronal development, and alterations in epigenomic marks have been associated with NDDs of varying phenotypes. Here, we provide an overview of essential steps of mammalian corticogenesis, and discuss the role of epigenetic mechanisms assumed to contribute to pathophysiological aspects of NDDs, when being disrupted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Reichard
- Functional Epigenetics in the Animal Model, Institute for Biology II, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
- Research Training Group 2416 MultiSenses-MultiScales, Institute for Biology II, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Geraldine Zimmer-Bensch
- Functional Epigenetics in the Animal Model, Institute for Biology II, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
- Research Training Group 2416 MultiSenses-MultiScales, Institute for Biology II, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
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44
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Hetzelt KLML, Winterholler M, Kerling F, Rauch C, Ekici AB, Winterpacht A, Vasileiou G, Uebe S, Thiel CT, Kraus C, Reis A, Zweier C. Manifestation of epilepsy in a patient with EED-related overgrowth (Cohen-Gibson syndrome). Am J Med Genet A 2021; 188:292-297. [PMID: 34533271 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.a.62496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2021] [Revised: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Cohen-Gibson syndrome is a rare genetic disorder, characterized by fetal or early childhood overgrowth and mild to severe intellectual disability. It is caused by heterozygous aberrations in EED, which encodes an evolutionary conserved polycomb group (PcG) protein that forms the polycomb repressive complex-2 (PRC2) together with EZH2, SUZ12, and RBBP7/4. In total, 11 affected individuals with heterozygous pathogenic variants in EED were reported, so far. All variants affect a few key residues within the EED WD40 repeat domain. By trio exome sequencing, we identified the heterozygous missense variant c.581A > G, p.(Asn194Ser) in exon 6 of the EED-gene in an individual with moderate intellectual disability, overgrowth, and epilepsy. The same pathogenic variant was detected in 2 of the 11 previously reported cases. Epilepsy, however, was only diagnosed in one other individual with Cohen-Gibson syndrome before. Our findings further confirm that the WD40 repeat domain represents a mutational hotspot; they also expand the clinical spectrum of Cohen-Gibson syndrome and highlight the clinical variability even in individuals with the same pathogenic variant. Furthermore, they indicate a possible association between Cohen-Gibson syndrome and epilepsy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katalin L M L Hetzelt
- Institute of Human Genetics, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg FAU, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Martin Winterholler
- Department of Neurology, Epilepsy and Movement Disorders Center, Sana-Krankenhaus Rummelsberg, Schwarzenbruck/Nuremberg, Germany
| | - Frank Kerling
- Department of Neurology, Epilepsy and Movement Disorders Center, Sana-Krankenhaus Rummelsberg, Schwarzenbruck/Nuremberg, Germany
| | - Christophe Rauch
- Department of Neurology, Epilepsy and Movement Disorders Center, Sana-Krankenhaus Rummelsberg, Schwarzenbruck/Nuremberg, Germany
| | - Arif B Ekici
- Institute of Human Genetics, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg FAU, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Andreas Winterpacht
- Institute of Human Genetics, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg FAU, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Georgia Vasileiou
- Institute of Human Genetics, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg FAU, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Steffen Uebe
- Institute of Human Genetics, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg FAU, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Christian T Thiel
- Institute of Human Genetics, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg FAU, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Cornelia Kraus
- Institute of Human Genetics, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg FAU, Erlangen, Germany
| | - André Reis
- Institute of Human Genetics, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg FAU, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Christiane Zweier
- Institute of Human Genetics, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg FAU, Erlangen, Germany.,Department of Human Genetics, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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45
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Porpaczy E, Sperr WR, Thalhammer R, Mitterbauer-Hohendanner G, Müllauer L, Simonitsch-Klupp I, Schiefer AI. Co-occurrence of immature T-lymphoblastic lymphoma and acute myeloid leukemia—microenvironment-dependent lineage differentiation derived from a common progenitor? J Hematop 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s12308-021-00466-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractMixed phenotype acute leukemia (MPAL) is an uncommon disease characterized by currently only limited knowledge concerning biology, clinical presentation, and treatment outcome. We here describe a most unusual case of simultaneous occurrence of T-lymphoblastic lymphoma in cervical and mediastinal lymph nodes and acute myeloid leukemia in the bone marrow (BM) successfully treated with allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT). Although the blasts in both locations showed additional aberrant expression of other lineage markers (even B-cell markers), diagnostic criteria of MPAL were not fulfilled either in the LN or in the BM. We performed next generation sequencing (NGS) with the objective to look for common genetic aberrations in both tissues. Histology, immunohistochemistry, flow cytometry, AML-associated genetic alterations (FLT3, NPM1, KIT D816V, CEPBA), and clonal T-cell receptor β and γ gene rearrangements were performed according to routine diagnostic workflows. Next generation sequencing and Sanger sequencing were additionally performed in BM and LN. Somatic mutation in the EZH2 gene (p.(Arg684Cys)) was detected in the BM by NGS, and the same mutation was found in the LN. Since an identical genetic aberration (EZH2 mutation) was detected in both locations, a common progenitor with regional dependent differentiation may be involved.
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46
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Luo X, Schoch K, Jangam SV, Bhavana VH, Graves HK, Kansagra S, Jasien JM, Stong N, Keren B, Mignot C, Ravelli C, Bellen HJ, Wangler MF, Shashi V, Yamamoto S. Rare deleterious de novo missense variants in Rnf2/Ring2 are associated with a neurodevelopmental disorder with unique clinical features. Hum Mol Genet 2021; 30:1283-1292. [PMID: 33864376 PMCID: PMC8255132 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddab110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2021] [Revised: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The Polycomb group (PcG) gene RNF2 (RING2) encodes a catalytic subunit of the Polycomb repressive complex 1 (PRC1), an evolutionarily conserved machinery that post-translationally modifies chromatin to maintain epigenetic transcriptional repressive states of target genes including Hox genes. Here, we describe two individuals, each with rare de novo missense variants in RNF2. Their phenotypes include intrauterine growth retardation, severe intellectual disabilities, behavioral problems, seizures, feeding difficulties and dysmorphic features. Population genomics data suggest that RNF2 is highly constrained for loss-of-function (LoF) and missense variants, and both p.R70H and p.S82R variants have not been reported to date. Structural analyses of the two alleles indicate that these changes likely impact the interaction between RNF2 and BMI1, another PRC1 subunit or its substrate Histone H2A, respectively. Finally, we provide functional data in Drosophila that these two missense variants behave as LoF alleles in vivo. The evidence provide support for deleterious alleles in RNF2 being associated with a new and recognizable genetic disorder. This tentative gene-disease association in addition to the 12 previously identified disorders caused by PcG genes attests to the importance of these chromatin regulators in Mendelian disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi Luo
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine (BCM), Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Kelly Schoch
- Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, Duke Health, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Sharayu V Jangam
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine (BCM), Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Venkata Hemanjani Bhavana
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine (BCM), Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Hillary K Graves
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine (BCM), Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Sujay Kansagra
- Division of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Duke Health, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Joan M Jasien
- Division of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Duke Health, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Nicholas Stong
- Institute for Genomic Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Boris Keren
- Département de Génétique, Hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, APHP, Paris 75013, France
- Sorbonne Université, Paris 75006, France
| | - Cyril Mignot
- Sorbonne Université, Paris 75006, France
- APHP, Sorbonne Université, Département de Génétique et Centre de Référence Déficiences Intellectuelles de Causes Rares, Groupe Hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière et Hôpital Trousseau, Paris 75013, France
| | - Claudia Ravelli
- Sorbonne Université, Paris 75006, France
- Département de Neuropédiatrie, Hôpital Armand Trousseau, APHP, Paris 75012, France
| | | | - Hugo J Bellen
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine (BCM), Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, BCM, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Michael F Wangler
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine (BCM), Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Vandana Shashi
- Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, Duke Health, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Shinya Yamamoto
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine (BCM), Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, BCM, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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47
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Petracovici A, Bonasio R. Distinct PRC2 subunits regulate maintenance and establishment of Polycomb repression during differentiation. Mol Cell 2021; 81:2625-2639.e5. [PMID: 33887196 PMCID: PMC8217195 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2021.03.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2020] [Revised: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) is an essential epigenetic regulator that deposits repressive H3K27me3. PRC2 subunits form two holocomplexes-PRC2.1 and PRC2.2-but the roles of these two PRC2 assemblies during differentiation are unclear. We employed auxin-inducible degradation to deplete PRC2.1 subunit MTF2 or PRC2.2 subunit JARID2 during differentiation of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) to neural progenitors (NPCs). Depletion of either MTF2 or JARID2 resulted in incomplete differentiation due to defects in gene regulation. Distinct sets of Polycomb target genes were derepressed in the absence of MTF2 or JARID2. MTF2-sensitive genes were marked by H3K27me3 in ESCs and remained silent during differentiation, whereas JARID2-sensitive genes were preferentially active in ESCs and became newly repressed in NPCs. Thus, MTF2 and JARID2 contribute non-redundantly to Polycomb silencing, suggesting that PRC2.1 and PRC2.2 have distinct functions in maintaining and establishing, respectively, Polycomb repression during differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Petracovici
- Graduate Group in Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Epigenetics Institute, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Roberto Bonasio
- Epigenetics Institute, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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48
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Tkatchenko TV, Tkatchenko AV. Genome-wide analysis of retinal transcriptome reveals common genetic network underlying perception of contrast and optical defocus detection. BMC Med Genomics 2021; 14:153. [PMID: 34107987 PMCID: PMC8190860 DOI: 10.1186/s12920-021-01005-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Refractive eye development is regulated by optical defocus in a process of emmetropization. Excessive exposure to negative optical defocus often leads to the development of myopia. However, it is still largely unknown how optical defocus is detected by the retina. METHODS Here, we used genome-wide RNA-sequencing to conduct analysis of the retinal gene expression network underlying contrast perception and refractive eye development. RESULTS We report that the genetic network subserving contrast perception plays an important role in optical defocus detection and emmetropization. Our results demonstrate an interaction between contrast perception, the retinal circadian clock pathway and the signaling pathway underlying optical defocus detection. We also observe that the relative majority of genes causing human myopia are involved in the processing of optical defocus. CONCLUSIONS Together, our results support the hypothesis that optical defocus is perceived by the retina using contrast as a proxy and provide new insights into molecular signaling underlying refractive eye development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Andrei V. Tkatchenko
- Department of Ophthalmology, Columbia University, New York, NY USA
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY USA
- Edward S. Harkness Eye Institute, Research Annex Room 415, 635 W. 165th Street, New York, NY 10032 USA
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49
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Pirozzi F, Lee B, Horsley N, Burkardt DD, Dobyns WB, Graham JM, Dentici ML, Cesario C, Schallner J, Porrmann J, Di Donato N, Sanchez-Lara PA, Mirzaa GM. Proximal variants in CCND2 associated with microcephaly, short stature, and developmental delay: A case series and review of inverse brain growth phenotypes. Am J Med Genet A 2021; 185:2719-2738. [PMID: 34087052 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.a.62362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2021] [Revised: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Cyclin D2 (CCND2) is a critical cell cycle regulator and key member of the cyclin D2-CDK4 (DC) complex. De novo variants of CCND2 clustering in the distal part of the protein have been identified as pathogenic causes of brain overgrowth (megalencephaly, MEG) and severe cortical malformations in children including the megalencephaly-polymicrogyria-polydactyly-hydrocephalus (MPPH) syndrome. Megalencephaly-associated CCND2 variants are localized to the terminal exon and result in accumulation of degradation-resistant protein. We identified five individuals from three unrelated families with novel variants in the proximal region of CCND2 associated with microcephaly, mildly simplified cortical gyral pattern, symmetric short stature, and mild developmental delay. Identified variants include de novo frameshift variants and a dominantly inherited stop-gain variant segregating with the phenotype. This is the first reported association between proximal CCND2 variants and microcephaly, to our knowledge. This series expands the phenotypic spectrum of CCND2-related disorders and suggests that distinct classes of CCND2 variants are associated with reciprocal effects on human brain growth (microcephaly and megalencephaly due to possible loss or gain of protein function, respectively), adding to the growing paradigm of inverse phenotypes due to dysregulation of key brain growth genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filomena Pirozzi
- Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Benson Lee
- Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Medicine, Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Nicole Horsley
- Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Deepika D Burkardt
- National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - William B Dobyns
- Division of Genetics and Metabolism, Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - John M Graham
- Medical Genetics Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Maria L Dentici
- Medical Genetics Unit, Academic Department of Pediatrics, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCSS, Rome, Italy.,Genetics and Rare Diseases Research Division, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCSS, Rome, Italy
| | - Claudia Cesario
- Translational Cytogenomics Research Unit, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Jens Schallner
- Department of Neuropediatrics, School of Medicine, Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Joseph Porrmann
- Institute for Clinical Genetics, University Hospital, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Nataliya Di Donato
- Institute for Clinical Genetics, University Hospital, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Pedro A Sanchez-Lara
- Medical Genetics Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Ghayda M Mirzaa
- Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, USA.,Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA.,Brotman-Baty Institute for Precision Medicine, Seattle, Washington, USA.,Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
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Blasco García de Andoain G, Navas García M, González Aduna Ó, Bocos Portillo A, Ezquiaga Terrazas E, Ayuso-Mateos JL, Pastor J, Vega-Zelaya L, Torres CV. Posteromedial Hypothalamic Deep Brain Stimulation for Refractory Aggressiveness in a Patient With Weaver Syndrome: Clinical, Technical Report and Operative Video. Oper Neurosurg (Hagerstown) 2021; 21:165-171. [PMID: 34017998 DOI: 10.1093/ons/opab149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2020] [Accepted: 03/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND IMPORTANCE Deep brain stimulation of the posteromedial hypothalamus (PMH DBS) appears to be an effective treatment for drug-resistant aggressiveness. Weaver syndrome (WS) is a rare genetic disorder in which patients develop some degree of intellectual disability and rarely severe behavioral alterations that may benefit from this procedure. CLINICAL PRESENTATION We present the case of a 26-yr-old man diagnosed with WS presenting with uncontrollable self and heteroaggressiveness and disruptive behavior refractory to pharmacological treatment and under severe physical and mechanical restraining measures. The patient was successfully treated with bilateral PMH DBS resulting in affective improvement, greater tolerance for signs of affection, regularization in his sleep pattern and appetite disturbances at 12-mo follow-up. A detailed description and video of the procedure are presented, and a review of the clinical characteristics of WS and the utility and benefits of PMH DBS for refractory aggressiveness are reviewed. CONCLUSION To our knowledge, this is the first case of refractory aggressiveness described in WS as well as the first patient with WS successfully treated with PMH DBS.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marta Navas García
- Department of Neurosurgery, La Princesa University Hospital, Madrid, Spain
| | | | | | | | | | - Jesús Pastor
- Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, La Princesa University Hospital, Madrid, Spain
| | - Lorena Vega-Zelaya
- Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, La Princesa University Hospital, Madrid, Spain
| | - Cristina V Torres
- Department of Neurosurgery, La Princesa University Hospital, Madrid, Spain
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