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Boesch S, Zech M. AOPEP-related autosomal recessive dystonia: update on Zech-Boesch syndrome. J Med Genet 2025; 62:388-395. [PMID: 40147878 DOI: 10.1136/jmg-2025-110656] [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: 01/21/2025] [Accepted: 03/17/2025] [Indexed: 03/29/2025]
Abstract
Gene discovery efforts have contributed to a better understanding of the molecular causes of dystonia, but knowledge of the individual monogenic forms remains limited. This review seeks to summarise all available data on the recently identified autosomal recessive subtype of dystonia caused by variants in AOPEP, focusing on the geographical origins of affected families, mutational spectrum, phenotypic expressions and pathophysiology. AOPEP-related dystonia, documented as Zech-Boesch syndrome in the Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man database, has been diagnosed in cohorts around the globe including under-represented populations with increased rates of consanguinity. Predictably leading to loss of protein function, the majority (74%) of disease-associated AOPEP alleles are protein-truncating variants comprising homozygous and compound heterozygous stop-gain, frameshift and splice-site changes. The dystonic disorder shows onset from childhood to the fourth decade and generalises in a significant proportion of cases (60%). Variable expressivity and age-related penetrance are likely to play a role in manifestation of the condition, consistent with occasional occurrence of AOPEP homozygous pathogenic variants in subjects without a diagnosis of dystonia. AOPEP encodes aminopeptidase O, a proteolytic processing enzyme that is preferentially expressed in glia and potentially linked to endosomal-lysosomal pathways. AOPEP-related autosomal recessive Zech-Boesch syndrome is of worldwide relevance for the diagnosis of genetic dystonia. Future research focusing on AOPEP`s role in cellular protein metabolism may provide new insights into dystonia pathogenesis and yet-unidentified therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvia Boesch
- Department of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruk, Austria
| | - Michael Zech
- Institute of Human Genetics, School of Medicine and Health, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- Institute for Advanced Study, Technical University of Munich, Garching, Germany
- Institute of Neurogenomics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Munich, Germany
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Atasu B, Simón-Sánchez J, Hanagasi H, Bilgic B, Hauser AK, Guven G, Heutink P, Gasser T, Lohmann E. Dissecting genetic architecture of rare dystonia: genetic, molecular and clinical insights. J Med Genet 2024; 61:443-451. [PMID: 38458754 DOI: 10.1136/jmg-2022-109099] [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: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/10/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Dystonia is one of the most common movement disorders. To date, the genetic causes of dystonia in populations of European descent have been extensively studied. However, other populations, particularly those from the Middle East, have not been adequately studied. The purpose of this study is to discover the genetic basis of dystonia in a clinically and genetically well-characterised dystonia cohort from Turkey, which harbours poorly studied populations. METHODS Exome sequencing analysis was performed in 42 Turkish dystonia families. Using co-expression network (CEN) analysis, identified candidate genes were interrogated for the networks including known dystonia-associated genes and genes further associated with the protein-protein interaction, animal model-based characteristics and clinical findings. RESULTS We identified potentially disease-causing variants in the established dystonia genes (PRKRA, SGCE, KMT2B, SLC2A1, GCH1, THAP1, HPCA, TSPOAP1, AOPEP; n=11 families (26%)), in the uncommon forms of dystonia-associated genes (PCCB, CACNA1A, ALDH5A1, PRKN; n=4 families (10%)) and in the candidate genes prioritised based on the pathogenicity of the variants and CEN-based analyses (n=11 families (21%)). The diagnostic yield was found to be 36%. Several pathways and gene ontologies implicated in immune system, transcription, metabolic pathways, endosomal-lysosomal and neurodevelopmental mechanisms were over-represented in our CEN analysis. CONCLUSIONS Here, using a structured approach, we have characterised a clinically and genetically well-defined dystonia cohort from Turkey, where dystonia has not been widely studied, and provided an uncovered genetic basis, which will facilitate diagnostic dystonia research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Burcu Atasu
- Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen Hertie Institut für klinische Hirnforschung Allgemeine Neurologie, Tubingen, Germany
| | - Javier Simón-Sánchez
- Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen Hertie Institut für klinische Hirnforschung Allgemeine Neurologie, Tubingen, Germany
| | - Hasmet Hanagasi
- Department of Neurology, Istanbul University Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Basar Bilgic
- Department of Neurology, Istanbul University Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Ann-Kathrin Hauser
- Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen Hertie Institut für klinische Hirnforschung Allgemeine Neurologie, Tubingen, Germany
| | - Gamze Guven
- Genetics Department, Aziz Sancar Institute of Experimental Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey
| | | | - Thomas Gasser
- Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen Hertie Institut für klinische Hirnforschung Allgemeine Neurologie, Tubingen, Germany
| | - Ebba Lohmann
- Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen Hertie Institut für klinische Hirnforschung Allgemeine Neurologie, Tubingen, Germany
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Gao B, Zhou Z, Chen J, Zhang S, Jin S, Yang W, Lei Y, Wang K, Li J, Zhuang Y. Aminopeptidase O Protein mediates the association between Lachnospiraceae and appendicular lean mass. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1325466. [PMID: 38384268 PMCID: PMC10879621 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1325466] [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: 10/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Objective Investigating the causal relationship between Lachnospiraceae and Appendicular lean mass (ALM) and identifying and quantifying the role of Aminopeptidase O Protein (AOPEP) as a potential mediator. Methods The summary statistics data of gut microbiota composition from the largest available genome-wide association study (GWAS) meta-analysis conducted by the MiBioGen Consortium (n = 13,266). Appendicular lean mass data were obtained from the UK-Biobank (n = 450,243). We conducted bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis using summary-level data from GWAS to investigate the causal relationship between Lachnospiraceae and ALM. Additionally, we employed a drug-targeted MR approach to assess the causal relationship between AOPEP and ALM. Finally, a two-step MR was employed to quantitatively estimate the proportion of the effect of Lachnospiraceae on ALM that is mediated by AOPEP. Cochran's Q statistic was used to quantify heterogeneity among instrumental variable estimates. Results In the MR analysis, it was found that an increase in genetically predicted Lachnospiraceae [OR = 1.031, 95% CI (1.011-1.051), P = 0.002] is associated with an increase in ALM. There is no strong evidence to suggest that genetically predicted ALM has an impact on Lachnospiraceae genus [OR = 1.437, 95% CI (0.785-2.269), P = 0.239]. The proportion of genetically predicted Lachnospiraceae mediated by AOPEP was 34.2% [95% CI (1.3%-67.1%)]. Conclusion Our research reveals that increasing Lachnospiraceae abundance in the gut can directly enhance limb muscle mass and concurrently suppress AOPEP, consequently mitigating limb muscle loss. This supports the potential therapeutic modulation of gut microbiota for sarcopenia. Interventions such as drug treatments or microbiota transplantation, aimed at elevating Lachnospiraceae abundance and AOPEP inhibition, synergistically improve sarcopenia in the elderly, thereby enhancing the overall quality of life for older individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Yan Zhuang
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
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Minnerop M, Leube B, Reinhardt A, Kölsche T, Lee JI, Blank C, Schnitzler A. Variable Age at Onset in AOPEP-Associated Dystonia. Mov Disord 2023; 38:2318-2319. [PMID: 38113317 DOI: 10.1002/mds.29629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Revised: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Martina Minnerop
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Center Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- Institute of Clinical Neuroscience and Medical Psychology, Medical Faculty, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Department of Neurology, Center for Movement Disorders and Neuromodulation, Medical Faculty, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Barbara Leube
- Institute of Human Genetics, Medical Faculty, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Alisha Reinhardt
- Department of Neurology, Center for Movement Disorders and Neuromodulation, Medical Faculty, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Tristan Kölsche
- Department of Neurology, Medical Faculty, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - John-Ih Lee
- Department of Neurology, Medical Faculty, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Cornelia Blank
- Institute of Human Genetics, Medical Faculty, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Alfons Schnitzler
- Institute of Clinical Neuroscience and Medical Psychology, Medical Faculty, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Department of Neurology, Center for Movement Disorders and Neuromodulation, Medical Faculty, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
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Salamon A, Nagy ZF, Pál M, Szabó M, Csősz Á, Szpisjak L, Gárdián G, Zádori D, Széll M, Klivényi P. Genetic Screening of a Hungarian Cohort with Focal Dystonia Identified Several Novel Putative Pathogenic Gene Variants. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:10745. [PMID: 37445923 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241310745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Revised: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Dystonia is a rare movement disorder which is characterized by sustained or intermittent muscle contractions causing abnormal and often repetitive movements, postures, or both. The two most common forms of adult-onset focal dystonia are cervical dystonia (CD) and benign essential blepharospasm (BSP). A total of 121 patients (CD, 74; BSP, 47) were included in the study. The average age of the patients was 64 years. For the next-generation sequencing (NGS) approach, 30 genes were selected on the basis of a thorough search of the scientific literature. Assessment of 30 CD- and BSP-associated genes from 121 patients revealed a total of 209 different heterozygous variants in 24 genes. Established clinical and genetic validity was determined for nine heterozygous variations (three likely pathogenic and six variants of uncertain significance). Detailed genetic examination is an important part of the work-up for focal dystonia forms. To our knowledge, our investigation is the first such study to be carried out in the Middle-European region.
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Affiliation(s)
- András Salamon
- Department of Neurology, University of Szeged, 6, Semmelweis Str., H-6725 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Zsófia Flóra Nagy
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Szeged, 4, Somogyi Béla Str., H-6720 Szeged, Hungary
- Institute of Genomic Medicine and Rare Disorders, Semmelweis University, 78/b, Üllői Str., H-1083 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Margit Pál
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Szeged, 4, Somogyi Béla Str., H-6720 Szeged, Hungary
- ELKH-SZTE Functional Clinical Genetics Research Group, Eötvös Loránd Research Network, 4, Somogyi Béla Str., H-6720 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Máté Szabó
- Department of Neurology, University of Szeged, 6, Semmelweis Str., H-6725 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Ádám Csősz
- Department of Neurology, University of Szeged, 6, Semmelweis Str., H-6725 Szeged, Hungary
| | - László Szpisjak
- Department of Neurology, University of Szeged, 6, Semmelweis Str., H-6725 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Gabriella Gárdián
- Department of Neurology, University of Szeged, 6, Semmelweis Str., H-6725 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Dénes Zádori
- Department of Neurology, University of Szeged, 6, Semmelweis Str., H-6725 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Márta Széll
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Szeged, 4, Somogyi Béla Str., H-6720 Szeged, Hungary
- ELKH-SZTE Functional Clinical Genetics Research Group, Eötvös Loránd Research Network, 4, Somogyi Béla Str., H-6720 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Péter Klivényi
- Department of Neurology, University of Szeged, 6, Semmelweis Str., H-6725 Szeged, Hungary
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Di Fonzo A, Jinnah HA, Zech M. Dystonia genes and their biological pathways. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2023; 169:61-103. [PMID: 37482402 DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2023.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/25/2023]
Abstract
High-throughput sequencing has been instrumental in uncovering the spectrum of pathogenic genetic alterations that contribute to the etiology of dystonia. Despite the immense heterogeneity in monogenic causes, studies performed during the past few years have highlighted that many rare deleterious variants associated with dystonic presentations affect genes that have roles in certain conserved pathways in neural physiology. These various gene mutations that appear to converge towards the disruption of interconnected cellular networks were shown to produce a wide range of different dystonic disease phenotypes, including isolated and combined dystonias as well as numerous clinically complex, often neurodevelopmental disorder-related conditions that can manifest with dystonic features in the context of multisystem disturbances. In this chapter, we summarize the manifold dystonia-gene relationships based on their association with a discrete number of unifying pathophysiological mechanisms and molecular cascade abnormalities. The themes on which we focus comprise dopamine signaling, heavy metal accumulation and calcifications in the brain, nuclear envelope function and stress response, gene transcription control, energy homeostasis, lysosomal trafficking, calcium and ion channel-mediated signaling, synaptic transmission beyond dopamine pathways, extra- and intracellular structural organization, and protein synthesis and degradation. Enhancing knowledge about the concept of shared etiological pathways in the pathogenesis of dystonia will motivate clinicians and researchers to find more efficacious treatments that allow to reverse pathologies in patient-specific core molecular networks and connected multipathway loops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessio Di Fonzo
- Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Neurology Unit, Milan, Italy
| | - H A Jinnah
- Departments of Neurology, Human Genetics, and Pediatrics, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Michael Zech
- Institute of Neurogenomics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Munich, Germany; Institute of Human Genetics, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
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Mutation screening of AOPEP variants in a large dystonia cohort. J Neurol 2023; 270:3225-3233. [PMID: 36933031 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-023-11665-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2023] [Revised: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2023]
Abstract
STUDY OBJECTIVES Recently, AOPEP has been identified to be a novel causative gene of autosomal-recessive dystonia. However, no large cohort study has been conducted to confirm the association. We aimed to systematically evaluate the genetic associations of AOPEP with dystonia in a large Chinese dystonia cohort. METHODS We analyzed rare variants of AOPEP in 878 dystonia patients with whole-exome sequencing. The over-representation of rare variants in patients was examined with Fisher's exact test at allele and gene levels. RESULTS Among the 878 patients with dystonia, we found two patients with biallelic likely pathogenic variants in the AOPEP gene. One patient carried putative compound heterozygous variants (p.A212D and p.G216R) and presented with childhood-onset segmental dystonia involving the upper limbs and craniocervical muscles accompanied by myoclonus of the dystonia affected areas. One patient carried homozygote of p.M291Nfs*68 and presented with adult-onset isolated cervical dystonia. Another 15 patients were identified to carry heterozygous rare variants in AOPEP, including 2 loss-of-function variants (p.M291Nfs*68 and p.R493X) and 6 missense variants. One loss-of-function variant (p.R493X) was the same as previously reported. Nearly, all of the 15 patients carrying heterozygous variants in AOPEP presented with isolated dystonia with only craniocervical muscles affected, except for one patient who carried the p.R493X variant presented with segmental dystonia affecting the neck and right upper limb combined with parkinsonism. Gene-based burden analysis detected enrichment of rare variants and rare damaging variants of AOPEP in dystonia. CONCLUSIONS Our study supplemented the evidence on the role of AOPEP in autosomal-recessive dystonia in Chinese population, and expanded the genotypic and phenotypic spectrum of AOPEP.
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Thomsen M, Lange LM, Klein C, Lohmann K. MDSGene: Extending the List of Isolated Dystonia Genes by VPS16, EIF2AK2, and AOPEP. Mov Disord 2023; 38:507-508. [PMID: 36670070 DOI: 10.1002/mds.29327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Mirja Thomsen
- Institute of Neurogenetics, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Lara M Lange
- Institute of Neurogenetics, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Christine Klein
- Institute of Neurogenetics, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Katja Lohmann
- Institute of Neurogenetics, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
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