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Willemse SW, Harley P, van Eijk RPA, Demaegd KC, Zelina P, Pasterkamp RJ, van Damme P, Ingre C, van Rheenen W, Veldink JH, Kiernan MC, Al-Chalabi A, van den Berg LH, Fratta P, van Es MA. UNC13A in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: from genetic association to therapeutic target. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2023; 94:649-656. [PMID: 36737245 PMCID: PMC10359588 DOI: 10.1136/jnnp-2022-330504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease with limited treatment options and an incompletely understood pathophysiology. Although genomewide association studies (GWAS) have advanced our understanding of the disease, the precise manner in which risk polymorphisms contribute to disease pathogenesis remains unclear. Of relevance, GWAS have shown that a polymorphism (rs12608932) in the UNC13A gene is associated with risk for both ALS and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Homozygosity for the C-allele at rs12608932 modifies the ALS phenotype, as these patients are more likely to have bulbar-onset disease, cognitive impairment and FTD at baseline as well as shorter survival. UNC13A is expressed in neuronal tissue and is involved in maintaining synaptic active zones, by enabling the priming and docking of synaptic vesicles. In the absence of functional TDP-43, risk variants in UNC13A lead to the inclusion of a cryptic exon in UNC13A messenger RNA, subsequently leading to nonsense mediated decay, with loss of functional protein. Depletion of UNC13A leads to impaired neurotransmission. Recent discoveries have identified UNC13A as a potential target for therapy development in ALS, with a confirmatory trial with lithium carbonate in UNC13A cases now underway and future approaches with antisense oligonucleotides currently under consideration. Considering UNC13A is a potent phenotypic modifier, it may also impact clinical trial outcomes. This present review describes the path from the initial discovery of UNC13A as a risk gene in ALS to the current therapeutic options being explored and how knowledge of its distinct phenotype needs to be taken into account in future trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean W Willemse
- Department of Neurology, UMC Utrecht Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Peter Harley
- UCL Queen Square Motor Neuron Disease Centre, Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Ruben P A van Eijk
- Department of Neurology, UMC Utrecht Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Biostatistics & Research Support, Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Koen C Demaegd
- Department of Neurology, UMC Utrecht Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Pavol Zelina
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - R Jeroen Pasterkamp
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Philip van Damme
- Department of Neurology, KU Leuven Hospital, Leuven, Belgium
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, VIB KU Leuven Center for Brain and Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Caroline Ingre
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Wouter van Rheenen
- Department of Neurology, UMC Utrecht Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Jan H Veldink
- Department of Neurology, UMC Utrecht Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Matthew C Kiernan
- Bushell Chair of Neurology, Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Neurology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
| | | | - Leonard H van den Berg
- Department of Neurology, UMC Utrecht Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Pietro Fratta
- UCL Queen Square Motor Neuron Disease Centre, Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Michael A van Es
- Department of Neurology, UMC Utrecht Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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Yang B, Jiang H, Wang F, Li S, Wu C, Bao J, Zhu Y, Xu Z, Liu B, Ren H, Yang X. UNC13A variant rs12608932 is associated with increased risk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and reduced patient survival: a meta-analysis. Neurol Sci 2019; 40:2293-2302. [PMID: 31201598 DOI: 10.1007/s10072-019-03951-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2019] [Accepted: 05/24/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease associated with both genetic and environmental risk factors. Previous studies trying to find an association between ALS and unc-13 homolog A (UNC13A) gene variants have shown inconsistent results. This study aimed to conduct a meta-analysis of the association between the C allele of rs12608932, a single-nucleotide polymorphism located in an intron of UNC13A, and risk of ALS and patient survival. METHODS PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang, and SinoMed databases were systematically searched for genome-wide association studies or case-control studies published up to January 2019 on the association between this variant in UNC13A and risk and/or prognosis of ALS. Data from eligible studies were extracted and analyzed. RESULTS The pooled data (28,072 patients with sporadic ALS and 56,545 controls) showed that rs12608932(C) was associated with an increased risk of ALS (OR = 1.13, 95%CI 1.07-1.20). Subgroup analysis revealed that rs12608932(C) increased the risk of sporadic ALS in non-Asian individuals, including those from the USA and Europe (OR 1.17, 95%CI 1.10-1.25, P < 0.000), but not in Japanese or Chinese subjects (OR 1.01, 95%CI 0.92-1.10, P = 0.85). The available data demonstrated that the CC genotype decreased the survival time of patients with ALS (OR 1.33, 95%CI 1.19-1.49, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION The present meta-analysis suggests that rs12608932(C) is associated with increased ALS susceptibility, especially in Caucasian and European subjects, and that the CC genotype of rs12608932 is associated with reduced ALS patient survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baiyuan Yang
- Department of Neurology, Seventh People's Hospital of Chengdu, Chengdu, 690041, Sichuan Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Haixia Jiang
- Department of Anesthesia, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, 650032, Yunnan Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Fang Wang
- Department of Geriatric Neurology, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, 650032, Yunnan Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Shimei Li
- Department of Anesthesia, Kunming Xishan District People's Hospital, Kunming, 650100, Yunnan Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Chongmin Wu
- Department of Geriatric Neurology, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, 650032, Yunnan Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Jianjian Bao
- Department of Geriatric Neurology, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, 650032, Yunnan Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Yongyun Zhu
- Department of Geriatric Neurology, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, 650032, Yunnan Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhong Xu
- Department of Geriatric Neurology, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, 650032, Yunnan Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Bin Liu
- Department of Geriatric Neurology, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, 650032, Yunnan Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Hui Ren
- Department of Geriatric Neurology, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, 650032, Yunnan Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Xinglong Yang
- Department of Geriatric Neurology, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, 650032, Yunnan Province, People's Republic of China.
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The clinical assessment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients' prognosis by ZNF512B gene, neck flexor muscle power score and body mass index (BMI). BMC Neurol 2018; 18:211. [PMID: 30567526 PMCID: PMC6299516 DOI: 10.1186/s12883-018-1219-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2018] [Accepted: 12/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Assessment on the prognosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is becoming a focus of research in recent years since there is no effective treatment. The aim of the research is to explore the major factors involving in prognosis of ALS patients through long-term follow-up. METHODS ALS patients' DNA extracted from peripheral blood white cells were detected for the risk allele by single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis. Neck flexor muscle score and body mass index (BMI) were recorded during Medical Research Council follow-up using manual muscle testing method. RESULTS ALS patients with risk alleles (C) deteriorated rapidly with poor clinical outcome. It seemed that the higher neck flexor muscle strength score in ALS patients with the longer survival time but without significant correlation (p > 0.05). The lower the basal body mass index, the shorter the survival time and the faster deterioration (p < 0.05). The patients with body mass index less than 22.04 seemed to have short survival time than those with BMI more than 22.04 (p < 0.05), however, the speed of deterioration in two groups of patients had no significant difference (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION The risk (C) allele of the SNP (rs2275294) in the ZNF512B gene, cervical flexor muscle power and body weight index might have clinical potential for ALS prognostication, since these indicators is so simple to perform that they might be very suitable for primary clinics and even community medical institutions to carry out.
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Modeling sporadic ALS in iPSC-derived motor neurons identifies a potential therapeutic agent. Nat Med 2018; 24:1579-1589. [PMID: 30127392 DOI: 10.1038/s41591-018-0140-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 209] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2017] [Accepted: 07/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a heterogeneous motor neuron disease for which no effective treatment is available, despite decades of research into SOD1-mutant familial ALS (FALS). The majority of ALS patients have no familial history, making the modeling of sporadic ALS (SALS) essential to the development of ALS therapeutics. However, as mutations underlying ALS pathogenesis have not yet been identified, it remains difficult to establish useful models of SALS. Using induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology to generate stem and differentiated cells retaining the patients' full genetic information, we have established a large number of in vitro cellular models of SALS. These models showed phenotypic differences in their pattern of neuronal degeneration, types of abnormal protein aggregates, cell death mechanisms, and onset and progression of these phenotypes in vitro among cases. We therefore developed a system for case clustering capable of subdividing these heterogeneous SALS models by their in vitro characteristics. We further evaluated multiple-phenotype rescue of these subclassified SALS models using agents selected from non-SOD1 FALS models, and identified ropinirole as a potential therapeutic candidate. Integration of the datasets acquired in this study permitted the visualization of molecular pathologies shared across a wide range of SALS models.
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Yang X, Li S, Xing D, Li P, Li C, Qi L, Xu Y, Ren H. Lack of association between the P413L variant of chromogranin B and ALS risk or age at onset: a meta-analysis. Amyotroph Lateral Scler Frontotemporal Degener 2017; 19:80-86. [PMID: 28795874 DOI: 10.1080/21678421.2017.1361444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the most common motor neuron disease, is thought to result from interaction of genetic and environmental risk factors. Whether the potentially functional exonic P413L variant in the chromogranin B gene influences ALS risk and age at onset is controversial. METHOD We meta-analysed or other studies assessing the association between the P413L variant and ALS risk or age at ALS onset indexed in Web of Science, PubMed, Embase, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang, and SinoMed databases. RESULTS Five case-control studies were analysed, involving 2639 patients with sporadic ALS, 201 with familial ALS and 3381 controls. No association was detected between risk of either ALS type and the CT + TT genotype or T-allele of the P413L variant. Age at ALS onset was similar between carriers and non-carriers of the T-allele. CONCLUSION The available evidence suggests that the P413L variant of chromogranin B is not associated with ALS risk or age at ALS onset. These results should be validated in large, well-designed studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinglong Yang
- a Department of Geriatric Neurology , First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University , Kunming , Yunan Province , P.R. China.,b Department of Neurology , West China Hospital, Sichuan University , Chengdu , Sichuan Province , P.R. China
| | - Shimei Li
- c Department of Anesthesia , Kunming Xishan District People's Hospital , Kunming , Yunnan Province , P.R. China , and
| | - Dongmei Xing
- d Department of Neurology , The Third People's Hospital of Yunnan Province , Kunming , Yunnan Province , P.R. China
| | - Peiyun Li
- d Department of Neurology , The Third People's Hospital of Yunnan Province , Kunming , Yunnan Province , P.R. China
| | - Ci Li
- d Department of Neurology , The Third People's Hospital of Yunnan Province , Kunming , Yunnan Province , P.R. China
| | - Ling Qi
- d Department of Neurology , The Third People's Hospital of Yunnan Province , Kunming , Yunnan Province , P.R. China
| | - Yanming Xu
- b Department of Neurology , West China Hospital, Sichuan University , Chengdu , Sichuan Province , P.R. China
| | - Hui Ren
- a Department of Geriatric Neurology , First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University , Kunming , Yunan Province , P.R. China
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Ishiura H, Tsuji S. Epidemiology and molecular mechanism of frontotemporal lobar degeneration/amyotrophic lateral sclerosis with repeat expansion mutation in C9orf72. J Neurogenet 2016; 29:85-94. [PMID: 26540641 DOI: 10.3109/01677063.2015.1085980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
GGGGCC hexanucleotide repeat expansions in C9orf72 were identified in 2011 as the genetic cause of frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD)/amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) linked to chromosome 9. Since then, a number of studies have been conducted to delineate the molecular epidemiology of the repeat expansions and the molecular pathophysiology of the disease. The frequency of the repeat expansions considerably varied among countries. The frequency of the repeat expansions was high in European populations and populations of European descent and a substantial proportion of sporadic FTLD or ALS patients also have the mutations in these populations. On the other hand, the frequency was extremely low in Asia or Oceania except for limited regions including Kii Peninsula of Japan. A founder effect seems to strongly influence the regional differences in the frequency, but there is no definitive evidence that supports the notion that the repeat expansions arose in a single founder or multiple founders. As a disease-causing mechanism, several molecular mechanisms have been proposed, including conformational changes of DNA (G-quadruplex formation and hypermethylation) or RNA (G-quadruplex formation) molecules, altered transcriptional levels of C9orf72, sequestration of RNA-binding proteins, bidirectional transcription, formation of RNA foci, and neurotoxicity of dipeptide repeat proteins generated by repeat-associated non-ATG-initiated translation. Further investigations on the molecular mechanisms of neurodegeneration are expected to lead to the development of therapeutic interventions for this disease as well as for other diseases associated with non-coding repeat expansions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroyuki Ishiura
- a Department of Neurology , The University of Tokyo , Tokyo , Japan
| | - Shoji Tsuji
- a Department of Neurology , The University of Tokyo , Tokyo , Japan
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Watanabe H, Atsuta N, Hirakawa A, Nakamura R, Nakatochi M, Ishigaki S, Iida A, Ikegawa S, Kubo M, Yokoi D, Watanabe H, Ito M, Katsuno M, Izumi Y, Morita M, Kanai K, Taniguchi A, Aiba I, Abe K, Mizoguchi K, Oda M, Kano O, Okamoto K, Kuwabara S, Hasegawa K, Imai T, Kawata A, Aoki M, Tsuji S, Nakashima K, Kaji R, Sobue G. A rapid functional decline type of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is linked to low expression of TTN. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2016; 87:851-8. [PMID: 26746183 DOI: 10.1136/jnnp-2015-311541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2015] [Accepted: 11/18/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To classify the patterns of functional decline in patients with sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and explore the genetic backgrounds that modified these patterns. METHODS We included 465 patients with sporadic ALS in the analysis and clustered the longitudinal functional scores in the registered patients, using a mixture approach of a non-linear mixed-effects model. We conducted a genome-wide analysis of 572 983 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). We then assessed the association between the clusters of longitudinal functional scores and SNPs. RESULTS We identified the following four clusters of longitudinal functional decline in the cases: a rapid decline cluster, an intermediate decline cluster, a sigmoidal decline cluster and a moderate decline cluster. We identified seven SNPs associated with the rapid decline cluster, using a recessive model (p=3.47-8.34×10(-8)). The OR for the probabilities of the rapid decline cluster ranged from 5.5 to 5.84. Homozygosity for the minor alleles in the seven SNPs, which constituted a linkage disequilibrium (LD) block, was associated with decreased expression of TTN (encoding Titin, a large sarcomere protein) in the expression quantitative trait loci database of a large-scale Japanese genetic variation database (p=8.6×10(-10)-1.1×10(-7)). TTN expression in immortalised lymphocyte lines was decreased in patients who were homozygous for the minor alleles compared with those who were homozygous for the major alleles (n=19 in each group, p=0.002). CONCLUSIONS We detected an LD block associated with a rapid functional decline in patients with sporadic ALS, which is linked to decreased expression of TTN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hazuki Watanabe
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Naoki Atsuta
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Akihiro Hirakawa
- Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Section, Center for Advanced Medicine and Clinical Research, Nagoya University Hospital, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Ryoichi Nakamura
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Masahiro Nakatochi
- Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Section, Center for Advanced Medicine and Clinical Research, Nagoya University Hospital, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Shinsuke Ishigaki
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Aritoshi Iida
- Laboratory for Bone and Joint Diseases, Center for Integrative Medical Science, RIKEN, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shiro Ikegawa
- Laboratory for Bone and Joint Diseases, Center for Integrative Medical Science, RIKEN, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Michiaki Kubo
- Laboratory for Genotyping Development, Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, RIKEN, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Daichi Yokoi
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Hirohisa Watanabe
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Mizuki Ito
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Masahisa Katsuno
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Yuishin Izumi
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Health Biosciences, University of Tokushima Graduate School, Tokushima, Japan
| | - Mitsuya Morita
- Division of Neurology, Department of Internal Medicine, Jichi Medical University, Tochigi, Japan
| | - Kazuaki Kanai
- Department of Neurology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Akira Taniguchi
- Department of Neurology, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, Tsu, Japan
| | - Ikuko Aiba
- Department of Neurology, National Hospital Organization, Higashinagoya National Hospital, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Koji Abe
- Department of Neurology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Okayama, Japan
| | - Koichi Mizoguchi
- Department of Neurology, National Hospital Organization, Shizuoka-Fuji National Hospital, Fujinomiya, Japan
| | - Masaya Oda
- Department of Neurology, Vihara Hananosato Hospital, Miyoshi, Japan
| | - Osamu Kano
- Department of Neurology, Toho University Omori Medical Center, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Koichi Okamoto
- Department of Neurology, Geriatrics Research Institute, Maebashi, Japan
| | - Satoshi Kuwabara
- Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Kazuko Hasegawa
- Division of Neurology, National Hospital Organization, Sagamihara National Hospital, Sagamihara, Japan
| | - Takashi Imai
- Division of Neurology, National Hospital Organization, Miyagi National Hospital, Miyagi, Japan
| | - Akihiro Kawata
- Department of Neurology, Tokyo Metropolitan Neurological Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masashi Aoki
- Department of Neurology, Tohoku University School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
| | - Shoji Tsuji
- Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kenji Nakashima
- Division of Neurology, Department of Brain and Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, Yonago, Japan
| | - Ryuji Kaji
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Health Biosciences, University of Tokushima Graduate School, Tokushima, Japan
| | - Gen Sobue
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
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8
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Ju XD, Liu T, Chen J, Li XG, Liu XX, Liu WC, Wang K, Deng M. Single-nucleotide Polymorphism rs2275294 in ZNF512B is not Associated with Susceptibility to Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis in a Large Chinese Cohort. Chin Med J (Engl) 2015; 128:3305-9. [PMID: 26668144 PMCID: PMC4797505 DOI: 10.4103/0366-6999.171421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease that primarily affects motor neurons and has no effective treatment. Recently, Iida et al. identified a single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs2275294 in the ZNF512B gene that is significantly associated with susceptibility to ALS in the Japanese population. Here, we performed a case–control study examining the possible association of rs2275294 with risk of sporadic ALS (SALS) in a large Chinese cohort. Methods: To assess this association, we performed a replication study in 953 SALS patients and 1039 age- and gender-matched healthy control subjects, who were recruited from Peking University Third Hospital and the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University from January 2004 to December 2013 throughout China. We genotyped the rs2275294 SNP using polymerase chain reaction and direct sequencing. Results: The allele frequency of rs2275294 in ZNF512B was different between Japanese and Chinese. The association in Chinese between ALS patients and controls did not reach statistical significance (P = 0.54; odds ratio = 0.94; 95% confidence interval = 0.76–1.15). Conclusions: The SNP rs2275294 in ZNF512B is not considered to be associated with ALS susceptibility in the Chinese population. Our study highlights genetic heterogeneity in ALS susceptibility in different population. Given our negative results, further replication study involving larger and more homogeneous samples in different ethnicities should be performed in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Min Deng
- Medical Research Center, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing 100191, China
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9
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Chen CJ, Chen CM, Pai TW, Chang HT, Hwang CS. A genome-wide association study on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in the Taiwanese Han population. Biomark Med 2015; 10:597-611. [PMID: 26580837 DOI: 10.2217/bmm.15.115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Identification of mutations in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in a genome-wide association study can reveal possible biomarkers of such a rapidly progressive and fatal neurodegenerative disease. It was observed that significant single nucleotide polymorphisms vary when the tested population changes from one ethnic group to another. To identify new loci associated with ALS susceptibility in the Taiwanese Han population, we performed a genome-wide association study on 94 patients with sporadic ALS and 376 matched controls. We uncovered two new susceptibility loci at 13q14.3 (rs2785946) and 11q25 (rs11224052). In addition, we analyzed the functions of all the associated genes among 54 significant single nucleotide polymorphisms using Gene Ontology annotations, and the results showed several statistically significant neural- and muscle-related Gene Ontology terms and the associated diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chi-Jim Chen
- Department of Computer Science & Engineering, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung, Taiwan
| | - Chien-Ming Chen
- Department of Computer Science & Engineering, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung, Taiwan
| | - Tun-Wen Pai
- Department of Computer Science & Engineering, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung, Taiwan
| | - Hao-Teng Chang
- Graduate Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.,Department of Computer Science & Information Engineering, Asia University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Chi-Shin Hwang
- Department of Neurology, Taipei City Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.,School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
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10
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Vidal-Taboada JM, Lopez-Lopez A, Salvado M, Lorenzo L, Garcia C, Mahy N, Rodríguez MJ, Gamez J. UNC13A confers risk for sporadic ALS and influences survival in a Spanish cohort. J Neurol 2015; 262:2285-92. [PMID: 26162714 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-015-7843-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2015] [Revised: 06/29/2015] [Accepted: 06/30/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
To investigate the association of functional variants of the human UNC13A gene with the risk of ALS, survival and the disease progression rate in a Spanish ALS cohort. 136 sporadic ALS (sALS) patients and 487 healthy controls were genotyped for the UNC13A rs12608932 variant. Clinical characterization of ALS patients included gender, age at first symptom, initial topography, disease progression rate, and survival. Genetic association was analyzed under five inheritance models. The sALS patients with the rs12608932(CC) genotype had an increased risk of ALS under a recessive genetic model [OR 2.16; 95 % CI (1.23, 3.8), p = 0.009; corrected p = 0.028]. Genotypes with a C allele are also associated with increased risk [OR 1.47; 95 % CI (1.11, 1.95); p = 0.008; corrected p = 0.023] under an additive model. sALS patients with a C/C genotype had a shorter survival than patients with A/A and A/C genotypes [HR 1.44; 95 % CI (1.11, 1.873); p = 0.007] under a recessive model. In an overdominant model, heterozygous patients had a longer survival than homozygous patients [HR 0.36; 95 % CI (0.22, 0.59); p = 0.001]. The rs12608932 genotypes modify the progression of symptoms measured using the ALSFRS-R. No association with age of onset, initial topography or rate of decline in FVC was found. Our results show that rs12608932 is a risk factor for ALS in the Spanish population and replicate the findings described in other populations. The rs12608932 is a modifying factor for survival and disease progression rate in our series. Our results also corroborated that it did not influence the age of onset.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose Manuel Vidal-Taboada
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Unit, Department of Physiological Sciences I, Faculty of Medicine, IDIBAPS, Universitat de Barcelona, Casanova 143, 08036, Barcelona, Spain. .,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED, ISCIII), Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Alan Lopez-Lopez
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Unit, Department of Physiological Sciences I, Faculty of Medicine, IDIBAPS, Universitat de Barcelona, Casanova 143, 08036, Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED, ISCIII), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Maria Salvado
- ALS Unit, Neurology Department, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, VHIR, Medicine Department, Autonomous University of Barcelona, FEDER, Passeig Vall d'Hebron 119, 08035, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Laura Lorenzo
- ALS Unit, Neurology Department, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, VHIR, Medicine Department, Autonomous University of Barcelona, FEDER, Passeig Vall d'Hebron 119, 08035, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Cecilia Garcia
- ALS Unit, Neurology Department, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, VHIR, Medicine Department, Autonomous University of Barcelona, FEDER, Passeig Vall d'Hebron 119, 08035, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Nicole Mahy
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Unit, Department of Physiological Sciences I, Faculty of Medicine, IDIBAPS, Universitat de Barcelona, Casanova 143, 08036, Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED, ISCIII), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Manuel J Rodríguez
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Unit, Department of Physiological Sciences I, Faculty of Medicine, IDIBAPS, Universitat de Barcelona, Casanova 143, 08036, Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED, ISCIII), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Josep Gamez
- ALS Unit, Neurology Department, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, VHIR, Medicine Department, Autonomous University of Barcelona, FEDER, Passeig Vall d'Hebron 119, 08035, Barcelona, Spain.
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11
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He J, Tang L, Benyamin B, Shah S, Hemani G, Liu R, Ye S, Liu X, Ma Y, Zhang H, Cremin K, Leo P, Wray NR, Visscher PM, Xu H, Brown MA, Bartlett PF, Mangelsdorf M, Fan D. C9orf72 hexanucleotide repeat expansions in Chinese sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Neurobiol Aging 2015; 36:2660.e1-8. [PMID: 26142124 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2015.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2014] [Revised: 05/05/2015] [Accepted: 06/01/2015] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
A hexanucleotide repeat expansion (HRE) in the C9orf72 gene has been identified as the most common mutation in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) among Caucasian populations. We sought to comprehensively evaluate genetic and epigenetic variants of C9orf72 and the contribution of the HRE in Chinese ALS cases. We performed fragment-length and repeat-primed polymerase chain reaction to determine GGGGCC copy number and expansion within the C9orf72 gene in 1092 sporadic ALS (sALS) and 1062 controls from China. We performed haplotype analysis of 23 single-nucleotide polymorphisms within and surrounding C9orf72. The C9orf72 HRE was found in 3 sALS patients (0.3%) but not in control subjects (p = 0.25). For 2 of the cases with the HRE, genotypes of 8 single-nucleotide polymorphisms flanking the HRE were inconsistent with the haplotype reported to be strongly associated with ALS in Caucasian populations. For these 2 individuals, we found hypermethylation of the CpG island upstream of the repeat, an observation not detected in other sALS patients (p < 10(-8)) or controls. The detailed analysis of the C9orf72 locus in a large cohort of Chinese samples provides robust evidence that may not be consistent with a single Caucasian founder event. Both the Caucasian and Chinese haplotypes associated with HRE were highly associated with repeat lengths >8 repeats implying that both haplotypes may confer instability of repeat length.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji He
- Department of Neurology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China; Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia; Translational Research Institute, University of Queensland Diamantina Institute, Woolloongabba, Queensland, Australia
| | - Lu Tang
- Department of Neurology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Beben Benyamin
- Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Sonia Shah
- Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Gib Hemani
- Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia; Translational Research Institute, University of Queensland Diamantina Institute, Woolloongabba, Queensland, Australia
| | - Rong Liu
- Department of Neurology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Shan Ye
- Department of Neurology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaolu Liu
- Department of Neurology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Yan Ma
- Department of Neurology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Huagang Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Katie Cremin
- Translational Research Institute, University of Queensland Diamantina Institute, Woolloongabba, Queensland, Australia
| | - Paul Leo
- Translational Research Institute, University of Queensland Diamantina Institute, Woolloongabba, Queensland, Australia
| | - Naomi R Wray
- Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Peter M Visscher
- Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia; Translational Research Institute, University of Queensland Diamantina Institute, Woolloongabba, Queensland, Australia
| | - Huji Xu
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Shanghai Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Matthew A Brown
- Translational Research Institute, University of Queensland Diamantina Institute, Woolloongabba, Queensland, Australia
| | - Perry F Bartlett
- Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Marie Mangelsdorf
- Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Dongsheng Fan
- Department of Neurology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China.
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12
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He J, Mangelsdorf M, Fan D, Bartlett P, Brown MA. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Genetic Studies: From Genome-wide Association Mapping to Genome Sequencing. Neuroscientist 2014; 21:599-615. [PMID: 25378359 DOI: 10.1177/1073858414555404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease of obscure etiology. Multiple genetic studies have been conducted to advance our understanding of the disease, employing a variety of techniques such as linkage mapping in families, to genome-wide association studies and sequencing based approaches such as whole exome sequencing and whole genome sequencing and a few epigenetic analyses. While major progress has been made, the majority of the genetic variation involved in ALS is yet to be undefined. The optimal study designs to investigate ALS depend on the genetic model for the disease, and it is likely that different approaches will be required to map genes involved in familial and sporadic disease. The potential approaches and their strengths and weaknesses are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji He
- Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane, Australia Department of Neurology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China University of Queensland Diamantina Institute, Translational Research Institute, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Woolloongabba, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Marie Mangelsdorf
- Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Dongsheng Fan
- Department of Neurology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Perry Bartlett
- Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Matthew A Brown
- University of Queensland Diamantina Institute, Translational Research Institute, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Woolloongabba, Brisbane, Australia
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13
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Chen X, Huang R, Chen Y, Zheng Z, Chen K, Song W, Zhao B, Yang Y, Yuan L, Shang H. Association analysis of four candidate genetic variants with sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in a Chinese population. Neurol Sci 2014; 35:1089-95. [PMID: 24493373 DOI: 10.1007/s10072-014-1656-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2013] [Accepted: 01/23/2014] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Recently, four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), including rs2814707 in the 9p21, rs12608932 in the UNC13A gene, rs13048019 in the TIMA1 gene, and rs2228576 in the SCNN1A gene have been reported to be associated with the risk for developing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in Caucasian population. However, this association is not consistent among different studies and yet to be tested in ALS patients in Mainland China. This study included 397 sporadic ALS (SALS) patients and 287 unrelated Chinese healthy controls from Southwest China. Four SNPs listed above were genotyped by using Sequenom's iPLEX assay. No significant differences in the genotype distributions or minor allele frequencies in all SNPs were found between ALS group and control group, between the spinal-onset group and bulbar-onset group, and between the early-onset group and the late-onset group. Our results suggest that these SNPs are unlikely to be common cause of SALS in Chinese population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueping Chen
- Department of Neurology and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, SiChuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, China
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14
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Fogh I, Ratti A, Gellera C, Lin K, Tiloca C, Moskvina V, Corrado L, Sorarù G, Cereda C, Corti S, Gentilini D, Calini D, Castellotti B, Mazzini L, Querin G, Gagliardi S, Del Bo R, Conforti FL, Siciliano G, Inghilleri M, Saccà F, Bongioanni P, Penco S, Corbo M, Sorbi S, Filosto M, Ferlini A, Di Blasio AM, Signorini S, Shatunov A, Jones A, Shaw PJ, Morrison KE, Farmer AE, Van Damme P, Robberecht W, Chiò A, Traynor BJ, Sendtner M, Melki J, Meininger V, Hardiman O, Andersen PM, Leigh NP, Glass JD, Overste D, Diekstra FP, Veldink JH, van Es MA, Shaw CE, Weale ME, Lewis CM, Williams J, Brown RH, Landers JE, Ticozzi N, Ceroni M, Pegoraro E, Comi GP, D'Alfonso S, van den Berg LH, Taroni F, Al-Chalabi A, Powell J, Silani V. A genome-wide association meta-analysis identifies a novel locus at 17q11.2 associated with sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Hum Mol Genet 2013; 23:2220-31. [PMID: 24256812 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddt587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Identification of mutations at familial loci for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) has provided novel insights into the aetiology of this rapidly progressing fatal neurodegenerative disease. However, genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of the more common (∼90%) sporadic form have been less successful with the exception of the replicated locus at 9p21.2. To identify new loci associated with disease susceptibility, we have established the largest association study in ALS to date and undertaken a GWAS meta-analytical study combining 3959 newly genotyped Italian individuals (1982 cases and 1977 controls) collected by SLAGEN (Italian Consortium for the Genetics of ALS) together with samples from Netherlands, USA, UK, Sweden, Belgium, France, Ireland and Italy collected by ALSGEN (the International Consortium on Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Genetics). We analysed a total of 13 225 individuals, 6100 cases and 7125 controls for almost 7 million single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). We identified a novel locus with genome-wide significance at 17q11.2 (rs34517613 with P = 1.11 × 10(-8); OR 0.82) that was validated when combined with genotype data from a replication cohort (P = 8.62 × 10(-9); OR 0.833) of 4656 individuals. Furthermore, we confirmed the previously reported association at 9p21.2 (rs3849943 with P = 7.69 × 10(-9); OR 1.16). Finally, we estimated the contribution of common variation to heritability of sporadic ALS as ∼12% using a linear mixed model accounting for all SNPs. Our results provide an insight into the genetic structure of sporadic ALS, confirming that common variation contributes to risk and that sufficiently powered studies can identify novel susceptibility loci.
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15
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Tetsuka S, Morita M, Iida A, Uehara R, Ikegawa S, Nakano I. ZNF512B gene is a prognostic factor in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. J Neurol Sci 2012; 324:163-6. [PMID: 23168171 DOI: 10.1016/j.jns.2012.10.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2012] [Revised: 10/30/2012] [Accepted: 10/30/2012] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Recently, Iida et al. discovered a new single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the ZNF512B gene associated with susceptibility to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The ZNF512B gene was found to be a transcription factor promoting the expression of a downstream gene in the signal transduction pathway of the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), which is essential for the protection and survival of neurons but the influence of the new SNP (rs2275294) in actual ALS patients remained unknown. The objective of our study was to examine whether the new SNP in the ZNF512B gene might influence the phenotype of ALS. We conducted a retrospective analysis of the ZNF512B gene in 176 patients diagnosed as having ALS at our hospital. Evaluation of the prognosis after the onset using Kaplan-Meier survival curves in patients with versus without the risk allele (C allele: CC and CT genotypes) revealed a significantly lower survival probability in those with the risk allele (log-rank test, P<0.01), independent of the other prognostic factors in ALS. Our study revealed the influence of the new SNP in actual ALS patients. It would be clinically reasonable to suggest that the ZNF512B gene is a new prognostic factor in ALS. This study is the first, as per our knowledge, to indicate that the association between the new susceptibility gene for ALS and its pathway could be identified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Syuichi Tetsuka
- Division of Neurology, Department of Internal Medicine, Jichi Medical University, Yakushiji, Shimotsuke, Tochigi, Japan.
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16
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Analysis of C9orf72 repeat expansion in 563 Japanese patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Neurobiol Aging 2012; 33:2527.e11-6. [PMID: 22727276 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2012.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2012] [Revised: 05/20/2012] [Accepted: 05/20/2012] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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17
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Study of the HFE gene common polymorphisms in French patients with sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. J Neurol Sci 2012; 317:58-61. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jns.2012.02.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2011] [Revised: 02/17/2012] [Accepted: 02/23/2012] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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18
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19
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Fecto F, Siddique T. SIGMAR1 mutations, genetic heterogeneity at the chromosome 9p locus, and the expanding etiological diversity of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Ann Neurol 2011; 70:867-70. [PMID: 22190360 DOI: 10.1002/ana.22648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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20
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Lill CM, Abel O, Bertram L, Al-Chalabi A. Keeping up with genetic discoveries in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: the ALSoD and ALSGene databases. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2011; 12:238-49. [PMID: 21702733 DOI: 10.3109/17482968.2011.584629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a genetically heterogeneous disorder that shows a characteristic dichotomy of familial forms typically displaying Mendelian inheritance patterns, and sporadic ALS showing no or less obvious familial aggregation. While the former is caused by rare, highly penetrant, and pathogenic mutations, risk for sporadic ALS is probably the result of the combined effects of common polymorphisms with minor to moderate effect sizes. Owing to recent advances in high-throughput genotyping and sequencing technologies, genetic research in both fields is evolving at a rapidly increasing pace making it more and more difficult to follow and evaluate the most significant progress in the field. To alleviate this problem, our groups have created dedicated and freely available online databases, ALSoD ( http://alsod.iop.kcl.ac.uk/ ) and ALSGene ( http://www.alsgene.org ), which provide systematic and in-depth qualitative and quantitative overviews of genetic research in both familial and sporadic ALS. This review briefly introduces the background and main features of both databases and provides an overview of the currently most compelling genetic findings in ALS derived from analyses using these resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina M Lill
- Neuropsychiatric Genetics Group, Department of Vertebrate Genomics, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
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21
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Making connections: pathology and genetics link amyotrophic lateral sclerosis with frontotemporal lobe dementia. J Mol Neurosci 2011; 45:663-75. [PMID: 21901496 DOI: 10.1007/s12031-011-9637-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2011] [Accepted: 08/18/2011] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Over the last couple of decades, there has been a growing body of clinical, genetic, and histopathological evidence that similar pathological processes underlie amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and some types of frontotemporal lobe dementia (FTD). Even though there is great diversity in the genetic causes of these disorders, there is a high degree of overlap in their histopathology. Genes linked to rare cases of familial ALS and/or FTD, like FUS, TARDBP, OPTN, and UBQLN2 may converge onto a unifying pathogenic pathway and thereby provide novel therapeutic targets common to a spectrum of etiologically diverse forms of ALS and ALS-FTD. Additionally, there are major loci for ALS-FTD on chromosomes 9p and 15q. Identification of causative genetic alterations at those loci will be an important step in understanding the pathogenesis of juvenile- and adult-onset ALS and ALS-FTD. Interactions between TDP-43, FUS, optineurin, and ubiquilin 2 need to be studied to understand their common molecular pathways. Future efforts should also be directed towards generation and characterization of in vivo models to dissect the pathogenic mechanisms of these diseases. Such efforts will rapidly accelerate the discovery of new drugs that regulate accumulation of pathogenic proteins and their downstream consequences.
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22
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Iida A, Takahashi A, Kubo M, Saito S, Hosono N, Ohnishi Y, Kiyotani K, Mushiroda T, Nakajima M, Ozaki K, Tanaka T, Tsunoda T, Oshima S, Sano M, Kamei T, Tokuda T, Aoki M, Hasegawa K, Mizoguchi K, Morita M, Takahashi Y, Katsuno M, Atsuta N, Watanabe H, Tanaka F, Kaji R, Nakano I, Kamatani N, Tsuji S, Sobue G, Nakamura Y, Ikegawa S. A functional variant in ZNF512B is associated with susceptibility to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in Japanese. Hum Mol Genet 2011; 20:3684-92. [DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddr268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
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