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Sadeghi B, Groschup MH, Eiden M. In silico identification of novel pre-microRNA genes in Rift valley fever virus suggest new pathomechanisms for embryo-fetal dysgenesis. Virulence 2024; 15:2329447. [PMID: 38548679 PMCID: PMC10984114 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2024.2329447] [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: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024] Open
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that regulate the post-transcriptional expression of target genes. Virus-encoded miRNAs play an important role in the replication of viruses, modulate gene expression in both the virus and host, and affect their persistence and immune evasion in hosts. This renders viral miRNAs as potential targets for therapeutic applications, especially against pathogenic viruses that infect humans and animals. Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) is a mosquito-borne zoonotic RNA virus that causes severe disease in both humans and livestock. High mortality among newborn lambs and abortion storms are key characteristics of an RVF outbreak. To date, limited information is available on RVFV-derived miRNAs. In this study, computational methods were used to analyse the RVFV genome for putative pre-miRNA genes, which were then analysed for the presence of mature miRNAs. We detected 19 RVFV-encoded miRNAs and identified their potential mRNAs targets in sheep (Ovis aries), the most susceptible host. The identification of significantly enriched O. aries genes in association with RVFV miRNAs will help elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying RVFV pathogenesis and potentially uncover novel drug targets for RVFV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Balal Sadeghi
- Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Martin H. Groschup
- Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Martin Eiden
- Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
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2
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Yadav C, Yadav R, Nanda S, Ranga S, Ahuja P, Tanwar M. Role of HOX genes in cancer progression and their therapeutical aspects. Gene 2024; 919:148501. [PMID: 38670395 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2024.148501] [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: 01/19/2024] [Revised: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
HOX genes constitute a family of evolutionarily conserved transcription factors that play pivotal roles in embryonic development, tissue patterning, and cell differentiation. These genes are essential for the precise spatial and temporal control of body axis formation in vertebrates. In addition to their developmental functions, HOX genes have garnered significant attention for their involvement in various diseases, including cancer. Deregulation of HOX gene expression has been observed in numerous malignancies, where they can influence tumorigenesis, progression, and therapeutic responses. This review provides an overview of the diverse roles of HOX genes in development, disease, and potential therapeutic targets, highlighting their significance in understanding biological processes and their potential clinical implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chetna Yadav
- Department of Genetics, Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak, Haryana 124001, India
| | - Ritu Yadav
- Department of Genetics, Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak, Haryana 124001, India.
| | - Smiti Nanda
- Retd. Senior Professor and Head, Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Pt. B.D. Sharma University of Health Sciences, Rohtak 124001, India
| | - Shalu Ranga
- Department of Genetics, Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak, Haryana 124001, India
| | - Parul Ahuja
- Department of Genetics, Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak, Haryana 124001, India
| | - Mukesh Tanwar
- Department of Genetics, Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak, Haryana 124001, India
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3
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Oguz B, Desdicioglu K, Tutuk V. Comparative morphometric analyses of the 2:4 finger ratio and nasal structure in young adults. Anat Sci Int 2024:10.1007/s12565-024-00792-4. [PMID: 39098845 DOI: 10.1007/s12565-024-00792-4] [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: 04/03/2024] [Accepted: 07/23/2024] [Indexed: 08/06/2024]
Abstract
The 2:4 finger ratio (2D:4D ratio) refers to the length ratio of the second to the fourth finger of the hand. Studies on the 2D:4D ratio have long established that this ratio tends to be lower in males than in females. Our study aims to investigate the correlation between the 2.4 finger ratio and nasal structure among young adults aged 18-25 through detailed morphometric analysis. The study was conducted on 205 students (Female:127, Male:78) aged between 18 and 25 years studying at Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University Faculty of Medicine. Morphometric measurements of the hand and nose were also measured and recorded by the same researcher. The volunteers were divided into eight groups for age and four groups for BMI. Statistical analysis was performed and p < 0.05 was considered significant. The evaluation revealed significant differences between sexes and the 2D:4D ratio. While no significant relationship was found between age and the 2D:4D ratio, correlations were present with some nasal parameters. A significant relationship was found between the BMI and the right hand 2D:4D ratio (p < 0.05). A positive correlation was observed between the BMI and certain nasal parameters. Furthermore, significant relationships were identified between the 2D:4D ratio and certain nasal parameters (p < 0.05). The data obtained from our study will contribute to the understanding of nasal development, sex determination in forensic medicine, and the diagnosis and treatment of pathologies related to the nose. Additionally, it will assist clinicians involved in planning any nasal operations in describing anatomical points related to this region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Buket Oguz
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Anatomy, Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University, Ankara, Turkey.
| | - Kadir Desdicioglu
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Anatomy, Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Vahide Tutuk
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Anatomy, Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University, Ankara, Turkey
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4
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Huang D, Ovcharenko I. The contribution of silencer variants to human diseases. Genome Biol 2024; 25:184. [PMID: 38978133 PMCID: PMC11232194 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-024-03328-1] [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: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although disease-causal genetic variants have been found within silencer sequences, we still lack a comprehensive analysis of the association of silencers with diseases. Here, we profiled GWAS variants in 2.8 million candidate silencers across 97 human samples derived from a diverse panel of tissues and developmental time points, using deep learning models. RESULTS We show that candidate silencers exhibit strong enrichment in disease-associated variants, and several diseases display a much stronger association with silencer variants than enhancer variants. Close to 52% of candidate silencers cluster, forming silencer-rich loci, and, in the loci of Parkinson's-disease-hallmark genes TRIM31 and MAL, the associated SNPs densely populate clustered candidate silencers rather than enhancers displaying an overall twofold enrichment in silencers versus enhancers. The disruption of apoptosis in neuronal cells is associated with both schizophrenia and bipolar disorder and can largely be attributed to variants within candidate silencers. Our model permits a mechanistic explanation of causative SNP effects by identifying altered binding of tissue-specific repressors and activators, validated with a 70% of directional concordance using SNP-SELEX. Narrowing the focus of the analysis to individual silencer variants, experimental data confirms the role of the rs62055708 SNP in Parkinson's disease, rs2535629 in schizophrenia, and rs6207121 in type 1 diabetes. CONCLUSIONS In summary, our results indicate that advances in deep learning models for the discovery of disease-causal variants within candidate silencers effectively "double" the number of functionally characterized GWAS variants. This provides a basis for explaining mechanisms of action and designing novel diagnostics and therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Di Huang
- Intramural Research Program, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Ivan Ovcharenko
- Intramural Research Program, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
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5
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Auger N, Brousseau É, Lafleur N, Arbour L. Risk of congenital anomalies in children who have a sibling with cancer: A matched cohort study. Ann Epidemiol 2024; 94:27-32. [PMID: 38614217 DOI: 10.1016/j.annepidem.2024.04.005] [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: 10/11/2023] [Revised: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/15/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE We assessed the risk of congenital anomalies in children who have a sibling with cancer. METHODS We performed a matched cohort study of children born between 2006 and 2022 in Quebec. The exposure was having a sibling with cancer. Exposed children were matched to unexposed children based on sex, number of siblings, birth order, and year. The outcome included heart defects, orofacial clefts, and other anomalies. Using conditional logistic regression, we estimated odds ratios (OR) and 95 % confidence intervals (CI) for the association between having a sibling with cancer and the likelihood of having a congenital anomaly. RESULTS A total of 2403 children who had a sibling with cancer were matched to 240,257 unexposed children. Congenital anomalies were more frequent in children who had a sibling with cancer compared with unexposed children (10.3 % vs 8.9 %). Overall, having a sibling with cancer was only weakly associated with congenital anomalies (OR 1.18, 95 % CI 1.04-1.35). Exposed children tended to have greater odds of polydactyly/syndactyly (OR 1.89, 95 % CI 1.11-3.21) and urinary defects (OR 1.50, 95 % CI 1.09-2.08) compared with unexposed children. CONCLUSIONS Children who have a sibling with cancer have an only weakly elevated risk of congenital anomalies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathalie Auger
- University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Institut national de santé publique du Québec, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
| | - Émilie Brousseau
- University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Institut national de santé publique du Québec, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Nahantara Lafleur
- University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Institut national de santé publique du Québec, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Laura Arbour
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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Wellik DM. Hox genes and patterning the vertebrate body. Curr Top Dev Biol 2024; 159:1-27. [PMID: 38729674 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2024.02.011] [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] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
The diversity of vertebrate body plans is dizzying, yet stunning for the many things they have in common. Vertebrates have inhabited virtually every part of the earth from its coldest to warmest climates. They locomote by swimming, flying, walking, slithering, or climbing, or combinations of these behaviors. And they exist in many different sizes, from the smallest of frogs, fish and lizards to giraffes, elephants, and blue whales. Despite these differences, vertebrates follow a remarkably similar blueprint for the establishment of their body plan. Within the relatively small amount of time required to complete gastrulation, the process through which the three germ layers, ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm are created, the embryo also generates its body axis and is simultaneously patterned. For the length of this axis, the genes that distinguish the neck from the rib cage or the trunk from the sacrum are the Hox genes. In vertebrates, there was evolutionary pressure to maintain this set of genes in the organism. Over the past decades, much has been learned regarding the regulatory mechanisms that ensure the appropriate expression of these genes along the main body axes. Genetic functions continue to be explored though much has been learned. Much less has been discerned on the identity of co-factors used by Hox proteins for the specificity of transcriptional regulation or what downstream targets and pathways are critical for patterning events, though there are notable exceptions. Current work in the field is demonstrating that Hox genes continue to function in many organs long after directing early patterning events. It is hopeful continued research will shed light on remaining questions regarding mechanisms used by this important and conserved set of transcriptional regulators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deneen M Wellik
- Department of Cell and Regenerative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, United States.
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7
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Ko D, Mun S, Kim M, Nho YH, Lee DG, Kang S, Han K, Kim M. A Glance into the Destiny of Transcriptomic Activity, Embodied by the HOX Genes, in Neonatal and Aging Dermal Cells. Adv Biol (Weinh) 2024; 8:e2300325. [PMID: 38342585 DOI: 10.1002/adbi.202300325] [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: 07/12/2023] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/13/2024]
Abstract
Skin is an organ having a crucial role in the protection of muscle, bone, and internal organs and undergoing continuous self-renewal and aged. The growing interest in the prevention of skin aging and rejuvenation has sparked a surge of industrial and research studies focusing on the biological and transcriptional changes that occur during skin development and aging. In this study, the aim is to identify transcriptional differences between two main types of human skin cells: the human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs) and the human epidermis keratinocytes (HEKs) isolated from 30 neonatal and 30 adults (old) skin. Through differentially expressed gene (DEG) profiling using DEseq2, 604 up-, and 769 down-regulated genes are identified in the old group. A functional analysis using Metascape Gene Ontology and Reactome pathways revealed systematic transcriptomic shifts in key skin formation and maintenance markers, alongside a distinct difference in HOX gene families crucial for embryonic development and diverse biological processes. Among the 39 human HOX gene family, ten posterior HOX genes (HOXA10, 11, 13, HOXB13, HOXC11, and HOXD9-13) are significantly downregulated, and anterior 25 genes (HOXA2-7, HOXB1-9, HOXC4-6 and 8-9, and HOXD1,3,4 and 8) are upregulated, especially in the old HDFs. The study successfully demonstrates the correlation between HOX genes and the skin aging process, providing strong evidence that HOX genes are proposed as a new marker for skin aging assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Doyeong Ko
- Department of Bioconvergence Engineering, Dankook University, Jukjeon, 16890, Republic of Korea
| | - Seyoung Mun
- College of Science & Technology, Dankook University, Cheonan, 31116, Republic of Korea
- Department of Microbiology, Dankook University, Cheonan, 31116, Republic of Korea
- Center for Bio-Medical Core Facility, Dankook University, Cheonan, 3116, Republic of Korea
| | - Minji Kim
- COSMAX BTI R&I Center, 255 Pangyo-ro, Bundang-gu, Seongnam, 13486, Republic of Korea
| | - Youn-Hwa Nho
- COSMAX BTI R&I Center, 255 Pangyo-ro, Bundang-gu, Seongnam, 13486, Republic of Korea
| | - Dong-Geol Lee
- Department of Microbiology, Dankook University, Cheonan, 31116, Republic of Korea
- COSMAX BTI R&I Center, 255 Pangyo-ro, Bundang-gu, Seongnam, 13486, Republic of Korea
| | - Seunghyun Kang
- COSMAX BTI R&I Center, 255 Pangyo-ro, Bundang-gu, Seongnam, 13486, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyudong Han
- Department of Bioconvergence Engineering, Dankook University, Jukjeon, 16890, Republic of Korea
- Department of Microbiology, Dankook University, Cheonan, 31116, Republic of Korea
- Center for Bio-Medical Core Facility, Dankook University, Cheonan, 3116, Republic of Korea
| | - Misun Kim
- COSMAX BTI R&I Center, 255 Pangyo-ro, Bundang-gu, Seongnam, 13486, Republic of Korea
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8
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Xu Q, Cui L, Lin Y, Cui LA, Xia W. Disruption of FLNB leads to skeletal malformation by interfering with skeletal segmentation through the HOX gene. Bone Rep 2024; 20:101746. [PMID: 38463381 PMCID: PMC10924170 DOI: 10.1016/j.bonr.2024.101746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Revised: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 02/25/2024] [Indexed: 03/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Filamin B (FLNB) plays an important role in skeletal development. Mutations in FLNB can lead to skeletal malformation such as an abnormal number of ossification centers, indicating that the skeletal segmentation in the embryonic period may be interfered with. We established a mouse model with the pathogenic point mutation FLNB NM_001081427.1: c.4756G > A (p.Gly1586Arg) using CRISPR-Cas9 technology. Micro-CT, HE staining and whole skeletal preparation were performed to examine the skeletal malformation. In situ hybridization of embryos was performed to examine the transcription of HOX genes during embryonic development. The expression of FLNB was downregulated in FLNBG1586R/G1586R and FLNBWT/G1586R mice, compared to FLNBWT/WT mice. Fusions in tarsal bones were found in FLNBG1586R/G1586R and FLNBWT/G1586R mice, indicating that the skeletal segmentation was interfered with. In the embryo of FLNBG1586R/G1586R mice (E12.5), the transcription levels of HOXD10 and HOXB2 were downregulated in the carpal region and cervical spine region, respectively. This study indicated that the loss-of-function mutation G1586R in FLNB may lead to abnormal skeletal segmentation, and the mechanism was possibly associated with the downregulation of HOX gene transcription during the embryonic period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiming Xu
- Department of Orthopedic Oncology, Beijing Jishuitan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Lijia Cui
- Department of Endocrinology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Yude Lin
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Leigh-Anne Cui
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Weibo Xia
- Department of Endocrinology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China
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9
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Wilderman A, D'haene E, Baetens M, Yankee TN, Winchester EW, Glidden N, Roets E, Van Dorpe J, Janssens S, Miller DE, Galey M, Brown KM, Stottmann RW, Vergult S, Weaver KN, Brugmann SA, Cox TC, Cotney J. A distant global control region is essential for normal expression of anterior HOXA genes during mouse and human craniofacial development. Nat Commun 2024; 15:136. [PMID: 38167838 PMCID: PMC10762089 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44506-2] [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: 03/24/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Craniofacial abnormalities account for approximately one third of birth defects. The regulatory programs that build the face require precisely controlled spatiotemporal gene expression, achieved through tissue-specific enhancers. Clusters of coactivated enhancers and their target genes, known as superenhancers, are important in determining cell identity but have been largely unexplored in development. In this study we identified superenhancer regions unique to human embryonic craniofacial tissue. To demonstrate the importance of such regions in craniofacial development and disease, we focused on an ~600 kb noncoding region located between NPVF and NFE2L3. We identified long range interactions with this region in both human and mouse embryonic craniofacial tissue with the anterior portion of the HOXA gene cluster. Mice lacking this superenhancer exhibit perinatal lethality, and present with highly penetrant skull defects and orofacial clefts phenocopying Hoxa2-/- mice. Moreover, we identified two cases of de novo copy number changes of the superenhancer in humans both with severe craniofacial abnormalities. This evidence suggests we have identified a critical noncoding locus control region that specifically regulates anterior HOXA genes and copy number changes are pathogenic in human patients.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Eva D'haene
- Center for Medical Genetics, Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Machteld Baetens
- Center for Medical Genetics, Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | | | - Emma Wentworth Winchester
- Graduate Program UConn Health, Farmington, CT, USA
- University of Connecticut School of Dental Medicine, Farmington, CT, USA
| | - Nicole Glidden
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT, USA
| | - Ellen Roets
- Department of Obstetrics, Women's Clinic, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Jo Van Dorpe
- Department of Pathology, Ghent University, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Sandra Janssens
- Center for Medical Genetics, Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Danny E Miller
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Genetic Medicine, University of Washington, Washington, WA, USA
- Seattle Children's Hospital, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
- Brotman Baty Institute of Precision Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Miranda Galey
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Genetic Medicine, University of Washington, Washington, WA, USA
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Kari M Brown
- Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Rolf W Stottmann
- Steve and Cindy Rasmussen Institute for Genomic Medicine, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA
- The Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University School of Medicine, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Sarah Vergult
- Center for Medical Genetics, Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - K Nicole Weaver
- Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Division of Human Genetics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Samantha A Brugmann
- Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Timothy C Cox
- Department of Oral & Craniofacial Sciences, University of Missouri Kansas City, Kansas City, MO, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Missouri Kansas City, Kansas City, MO, USA
| | - Justin Cotney
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT, USA.
- Institute for Systems Genomics, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA.
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Murtazina A, Borovikov A, Kuchina A, Ovsova O, Bulakh M, Chukhrova A, Braslavskaya S, Ryzhkova O, Skryabin N, Kutsev S, Dadali E. Expanding the Phenotype of Hereditary Congenital Facial Paresis Type 3. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 25:129. [PMID: 38203298 PMCID: PMC10779017 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25010129] [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: 11/26/2023] [Revised: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The HOXB1 gene encodes a homeobox transcription factor pivotal in the development of rhombomere 4. Biallelic pathogenic variants in this gene are associated with congenital facial paresis type 3 (HCFP3). Only seven single nucleotide variants have been reported in the literature to date. Here, we report a 27-year-old female with a unique presentation of HCFP3 with two novel compound-heterozygous missense variants: c.763C>G, p.(Arg255Gly), which arose de novo and an inherited c.781C>T, p.(Arg261Cys) variant. The patient exhibited HCFP3 symptoms with mild upward esodeviation and lacked the documented ear malformations common in HCFP. For many years, she was misdiagnosed with facio-scapulo-humeral muscular dystrophy, due to complaints of shoulder girdle and neck muscle weakness. No alternative genetic or acquired causes of neck and shoulder girdle weakness were found, suggesting its potential inclusion in the phenotypic spectrum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aysylu Murtazina
- Research Centre for Medical Genetics, 115478 Moscow, Russia; (A.B.); (A.K.); (M.B.); (A.C.); (S.B.); (O.R.); (S.K.); (E.D.)
| | - Artem Borovikov
- Research Centre for Medical Genetics, 115478 Moscow, Russia; (A.B.); (A.K.); (M.B.); (A.C.); (S.B.); (O.R.); (S.K.); (E.D.)
| | - Anna Kuchina
- Research Centre for Medical Genetics, 115478 Moscow, Russia; (A.B.); (A.K.); (M.B.); (A.C.); (S.B.); (O.R.); (S.K.); (E.D.)
| | - Olga Ovsova
- Department of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Medical Genetics, Ural State Medical University, 620028 Ekaterinburg, Russia;
| | - Maria Bulakh
- Research Centre for Medical Genetics, 115478 Moscow, Russia; (A.B.); (A.K.); (M.B.); (A.C.); (S.B.); (O.R.); (S.K.); (E.D.)
| | - Alena Chukhrova
- Research Centre for Medical Genetics, 115478 Moscow, Russia; (A.B.); (A.K.); (M.B.); (A.C.); (S.B.); (O.R.); (S.K.); (E.D.)
| | - Svetlana Braslavskaya
- Research Centre for Medical Genetics, 115478 Moscow, Russia; (A.B.); (A.K.); (M.B.); (A.C.); (S.B.); (O.R.); (S.K.); (E.D.)
| | - Oksana Ryzhkova
- Research Centre for Medical Genetics, 115478 Moscow, Russia; (A.B.); (A.K.); (M.B.); (A.C.); (S.B.); (O.R.); (S.K.); (E.D.)
| | - Nikolay Skryabin
- Research Institute of Medical Genetics, Tomsk National Research Medical Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 634050 Tomsk, Russia;
| | - Sergey Kutsev
- Research Centre for Medical Genetics, 115478 Moscow, Russia; (A.B.); (A.K.); (M.B.); (A.C.); (S.B.); (O.R.); (S.K.); (E.D.)
| | - Elena Dadali
- Research Centre for Medical Genetics, 115478 Moscow, Russia; (A.B.); (A.K.); (M.B.); (A.C.); (S.B.); (O.R.); (S.K.); (E.D.)
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11
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Mamatjan Y, Voisin MR, Nassiri F, Moraes FY, Bunda S, So J, Salih M, Shirahata M, Ono T, Shimizu H, Schrimpf D, von Deimling A, Aldape KD, Zadeh G. Integrated molecular analysis reveals hypermethylation and overexpression of HOX genes to be poor prognosticators in isocitrate dehydrogenase mutant glioma. Neuro Oncol 2023; 25:2028-2041. [PMID: 37474126 PMCID: PMC10628942 DOI: 10.1093/neuonc/noad126] [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: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Diffuse gliomas represent over 80% of malignant brain tumors ranging from low-grade to aggressive high-grade lesions. Within isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH)-mutant gliomas, there is a high variability in survival and a need to more accurately predict outcome. METHODS To identify and characterize a predictive signature of outcome in gliomas, we utilized an integrative molecular analysis (using methylation, mRNA, copy number variation (CNV), and mutation data), analyzing a total of 729 IDH-mutant samples including a test set of 99 from University Health Network (UHN) and 2 validation cohorts including the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). RESULTS Cox regression analysis of methylation data from the UHN cohort identified CpG-based signatures that split the glioma cohort into 2 prognostic groups strongly predicting survival that were validated using 2 independent cohorts from TCGA and DKFZ (all P-values < .0001). The methylation signatures that predicted poor outcomes also exhibited high CNV instability and hypermethylation of HOX gene probes. Integrated multi-platform analyses using mRNA and methylation (iRM) showed that parallel HOX gene overexpression and simultaneous hypermethylation were significantly associated with increased mutational load, high aneuploidy, and worse survival (P-value < .0001). A 7-HOX gene signature was developed and validated using the most significantly associated HOX genes with patient outcome in both 1p/19q codeleted and non-codeleted IDHmut gliomas. CONCLUSIONS HOX gene methylation and expression provide important prognostic information in IDH-mutant gliomas that are not captured by current molecular diagnostics. A 7-HOX gene signature of outcome shows significant survival differences in both 1p/19q codeleted and non-codeleted IDH-mutant gliomas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasin Mamatjan
- Princess Margaret Cancer Center and MacFeeters-Hamilton Center for Neuro-Oncology Research, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Faculty of Science, Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Mathew R Voisin
- Princess Margaret Cancer Center and MacFeeters-Hamilton Center for Neuro-Oncology Research, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Farshad Nassiri
- Princess Margaret Cancer Center and MacFeeters-Hamilton Center for Neuro-Oncology Research, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Fabio Y Moraes
- Department of Oncology, Queens University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Severa Bunda
- Princess Margaret Cancer Center and MacFeeters-Hamilton Center for Neuro-Oncology Research, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jonathan So
- Department of Medicine, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Mira Salih
- Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Neuro-Oncology/Neurosurgery, Saitama Medical University International Medical Center, Hidaka, Japan
| | - Mitsuaki Shirahata
- Department of Neuro-Oncology/Neurosurgery, Saitama Medical University International Medical Center, Hidaka, Japan
| | - Takahiro Ono
- Department of Neurosurgery, Akita University Graduate School of Medicine, Akita, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Shimizu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Akita University Graduate School of Medicine, Akita, Japan
| | - Daniel Schrimpf
- Department of Neuropathology, Institute of Pathology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Andreas von Deimling
- Department of Neuropathology, Institute of Pathology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Kenneth D Aldape
- Laboratory of Pathology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Gelareh Zadeh
- Princess Margaret Cancer Center and MacFeeters-Hamilton Center for Neuro-Oncology Research, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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12
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Song C, Kim KB, Lee GS, Shin S, Kim B. Is HOXA5 a Novel Prognostic Biomarker for Uterine Corpus Endometrioid Adenocarcinoma? Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:14758. [PMID: 37834206 PMCID: PMC10573156 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241914758] [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: 08/08/2023] [Revised: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Endometrial cancer (EC) is one of the most pervasive malignancies in females worldwide. HOXA5 is a member of the homeobox (HOX) family and encodes the HOXA5 protein. HOXA5 is associated with various cancers; however, its association with EC remains unclear. This study aimed to determine the association between HOXA5 gene expression and the prognosis of endometrioid adenocarcinoma, a subtype of EC (EAEC). Microarray data of HOXA5 were collected from the Gene Expression Omnibus datasets, consisting of 79 samples from GSE17025 and 20 samples from GSE29981. RNA-sequencing, clinical, and survival data on EC were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas cohort. Survival analysis revealed that HOXA5 overexpression was associated with poor overall survival in patients with EAEC (p = 0.044, HR = 1.832, 95% CI = 1.006-3.334). Cox regression analysis revealed that HOXA5 was an independent risk factor for poor prognosis in EAEC. The overexpression of HOXA5 was associated with a higher histological grade of EAEC, and it was also associated with TP53 mutation or the high copy number of EC. Our findings suggest the potential of HOXA5 as a novel biomarker for predicting poor survival outcomes in patients with EAEC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changho Song
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Ulsan University Hospital, Ulsan 44033, Republic of Korea;
| | - Kyoung Bo Kim
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Keimyung University School of Medicine, Daegu 42601, Republic of Korea;
| | - Gi Su Lee
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Keimyung University School of Medicine, Daegu 42601, Republic of Korea;
| | - Soyoung Shin
- Department of Pediatrics, Keimyung University School of Medicine, Daegu 42601, Republic of Korea;
| | - Byoungje Kim
- Department of Radiology, Keimyung University School of Medicine, Daegu 42601, Republic of Korea
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13
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Parrillo L, Spinelli R, Longo M, Zatterale F, Santamaria G, Leone A, Campitelli M, Raciti GA, Beguinot F. The Transcription Factor HOXA5: Novel Insights into Metabolic Diseases and Adipose Tissue Dysfunction. Cells 2023; 12:2090. [PMID: 37626900 PMCID: PMC10453582 DOI: 10.3390/cells12162090] [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: 06/15/2023] [Revised: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The transcription factor HOXA5, from the HOX gene family, has long been studied due to its critical role in physiological activities in normal cells, such as organ development and body patterning, and pathological activities in cancer cells. Nonetheless, recent evidence supports the hypothesis of a role for HOXA5 in metabolic diseases, particularly in obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2D). In line with the current opinion that adipocyte and adipose tissue (AT) dysfunction belong to the group of primary defects in obesity, linking this condition to an increased risk of insulin resistance (IR) and T2D, the HOXA5 gene has been shown to regulate adipocyte function and AT remodeling both in humans and mice. Epigenetics adds complexity to HOXA5 gene regulation in metabolic diseases. Indeed, epigenetic mechanisms, specifically DNA methylation, influence the dynamic HOXA5 expression profile. In human AT, the DNA methylation profile at the HOXA5 gene is associated with hypertrophic obesity and an increased risk of developing T2D. Thus, an inappropriate HOXA5 gene expression may be a mechanism causing or maintaining an impaired AT function in obesity and potentially linking obesity to its associated disorders. In this review, we integrate the current evidence about the involvement of HOXA5 in regulating AT function, as well as its association with the pathogenesis of obesity and T2D. We also summarize the current knowledge on the role of DNA methylation in controlling HOXA5 expression. Moreover, considering the susceptibility of epigenetic changes to reversal through targeted interventions, we discuss the potential therapeutic value of targeting HOXA5 DNA methylation changes in the treatment of metabolic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Parrillo
- URT Genomics of Diabetes, Institute of Experimental Endocrinology and Oncology, National Research Council, Department of Translational Medical Sciences, Federico II University of Naples, 80131 Naples, Italy; (R.S.); (M.L.); (F.Z.); (A.L.); (M.C.); (G.A.R.)
| | - Rosa Spinelli
- URT Genomics of Diabetes, Institute of Experimental Endocrinology and Oncology, National Research Council, Department of Translational Medical Sciences, Federico II University of Naples, 80131 Naples, Italy; (R.S.); (M.L.); (F.Z.); (A.L.); (M.C.); (G.A.R.)
- Lundberg Laboratory for Diabetes Research, Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 41345 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Michele Longo
- URT Genomics of Diabetes, Institute of Experimental Endocrinology and Oncology, National Research Council, Department of Translational Medical Sciences, Federico II University of Naples, 80131 Naples, Italy; (R.S.); (M.L.); (F.Z.); (A.L.); (M.C.); (G.A.R.)
| | - Federica Zatterale
- URT Genomics of Diabetes, Institute of Experimental Endocrinology and Oncology, National Research Council, Department of Translational Medical Sciences, Federico II University of Naples, 80131 Naples, Italy; (R.S.); (M.L.); (F.Z.); (A.L.); (M.C.); (G.A.R.)
| | - Gianluca Santamaria
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University Magna Græcia of Catanzaro, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy;
| | - Alessia Leone
- URT Genomics of Diabetes, Institute of Experimental Endocrinology and Oncology, National Research Council, Department of Translational Medical Sciences, Federico II University of Naples, 80131 Naples, Italy; (R.S.); (M.L.); (F.Z.); (A.L.); (M.C.); (G.A.R.)
| | - Michele Campitelli
- URT Genomics of Diabetes, Institute of Experimental Endocrinology and Oncology, National Research Council, Department of Translational Medical Sciences, Federico II University of Naples, 80131 Naples, Italy; (R.S.); (M.L.); (F.Z.); (A.L.); (M.C.); (G.A.R.)
| | - Gregory Alexander Raciti
- URT Genomics of Diabetes, Institute of Experimental Endocrinology and Oncology, National Research Council, Department of Translational Medical Sciences, Federico II University of Naples, 80131 Naples, Italy; (R.S.); (M.L.); (F.Z.); (A.L.); (M.C.); (G.A.R.)
| | - Francesco Beguinot
- URT Genomics of Diabetes, Institute of Experimental Endocrinology and Oncology, National Research Council, Department of Translational Medical Sciences, Federico II University of Naples, 80131 Naples, Italy; (R.S.); (M.L.); (F.Z.); (A.L.); (M.C.); (G.A.R.)
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14
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Fedoseyeva VB, Novosadova EV, Nenasheva VV, Novosadova LV, Grivennikov IA, Tarantul VZ. Transcription of HOX Genes Is Significantly Increased during Neuronal Differentiation of iPSCs Derived from Patients with Parkinson's Disease. J Dev Biol 2023; 11:23. [PMID: 37367477 DOI: 10.3390/jdb11020023] [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: 04/10/2023] [Revised: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is the most serious movement disorder, but the actual cause of this disease is still unknown. Induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neural cultures from PD patients carry the potential for experimental modeling of underlying molecular events. We analyzed the RNA-seq data of iPSC-derived neural precursor cells (NPCs) and terminally differentiated neurons (TDNs) from healthy donors (HD) and PD patients with mutations in PARK2 published previously. The high level of transcription of HOX family protein-coding genes and lncRNA transcribed from the HOX clusters was revealed in the neural cultures from PD patients, while in HD NPCs and TDNs, the majority of these genes were not expressed or slightly transcribed. The results of this analysis were generally confirmed by qPCR. The HOX paralogs in the 3' clusters were activated more strongly than the genes of the 5' cluster. The abnormal activation of the HOX gene program upon neuronal differentiation in the cells of PD patients raises the possibility that the abnormal expression of these key regulators of neuronal development impacts PD pathology. Further research is needed to investigate this hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viya B Fedoseyeva
- Institute of Molecular Genetics of National Research Centre "Kurchatov Institute", Moscow 123182, Russia
| | - Ekaterina V Novosadova
- Institute of Molecular Genetics of National Research Centre "Kurchatov Institute", Moscow 123182, Russia
| | - Valentina V Nenasheva
- Institute of Molecular Genetics of National Research Centre "Kurchatov Institute", Moscow 123182, Russia
| | - Lyudmila V Novosadova
- Institute of Molecular Genetics of National Research Centre "Kurchatov Institute", Moscow 123182, Russia
| | - Igor A Grivennikov
- Institute of Molecular Genetics of National Research Centre "Kurchatov Institute", Moscow 123182, Russia
| | - Vyacheslav Z Tarantul
- Institute of Molecular Genetics of National Research Centre "Kurchatov Institute", Moscow 123182, Russia
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15
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Afzal Z, Lange JJ, Nolte C, McKinney S, Wood C, Paulson A, De Kumar B, Unruh J, Slaughter BD, Krumlauf R. Shared retinoic acid responsive enhancers coordinately regulate nascent transcription of Hoxb coding and non-coding RNAs in the developing mouse neural tube. Development 2023; 150:dev201259. [PMID: 37102683 PMCID: PMC10233718 DOI: 10.1242/dev.201259] [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: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 04/28/2023]
Abstract
Signaling pathways regulate the patterns of Hox gene expression that underlie their functions in the specification of axial identity. Little is known about the properties of cis-regulatory elements and underlying transcriptional mechanisms that integrate graded signaling inputs to coordinately control Hox expression. Here, we optimized a single molecule fluorescent in situ hybridization (smFISH) technique with probes spanning introns to evaluate how three shared retinoic acid response element (RARE)-dependent enhancers in the Hoxb cluster regulate patterns of nascent transcription in vivo at the level of single cells in wild-type and mutant embryos. We predominately detect nascent transcription of only a single Hoxb gene in each cell, with no evidence for simultaneous co-transcriptional coupling of all or specific subsets of genes. Single and/or compound RARE mutations indicate that each enhancer differentially impacts global and local patterns of nascent transcription, suggesting that selectivity and competitive interactions between these enhancers is important to robustly maintain the proper levels and patterns of nascent Hoxb transcription. This implies that rapid and dynamic regulatory interactions potentiate transcription of genes through combined inputs from these enhancers in coordinating the retinoic acid response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zainab Afzal
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
- Anatomy and Cell Biology Department, Kansas University Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA
| | - Jeffrey J. Lange
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Christof Nolte
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Sean McKinney
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Christopher Wood
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Ariel Paulson
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Bony De Kumar
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Jay Unruh
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | | | - Robb Krumlauf
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
- Anatomy and Cell Biology Department, Kansas University Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA
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16
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Narwidina A, Miyazaki A, Iwata K, Kurogoushi R, Sugimoto A, Kudo Y, Kawarabayashi K, Yamakawa Y, Akazawa Y, Kitamura T, Nakagawa H, Yamaguchi-Ueda K, Hasegawa T, Yoshizaki K, Fukumoto S, Yamamoto A, Ishimaru N, Iwasaki T, Iwamoto T. Iroquois homeobox 3 regulates odontoblast proliferation and differentiation mediated by Wnt5a expression. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2023; 650:47-54. [PMID: 36773339 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2023.02.004] [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: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
Iroquois homeobox (Irx) genes are TALE-class homeobox genes that are evolutionarily conserved across species and have multiple critical cellular functions in fundamental tissue development processes. Previous studies have shown that Irxs genes are expressed during tooth development. However, the precise roles of genes in teeth remain unclear. Here, we demonstrated for the first time that Irx3 is an essential molecule for the proliferation and differentiation of odontoblasts. Using cDNA synthesized from postnatal day 1 (P1) tooth germs, we examined the expression of all Irx genes (Irx1-Irx6) by RT-PCR and found that all genes except Irx4 were expressed in the tooth tissue. Irx1-Irx3 a were expressed in the dental epithelial cell line M3H1 cells, while Irx3 and Irx5 were expressed in the dental mesenchymal cell line mDP cells. Only Irx3 was expressed in both undifferentiated cell lines. Immunostaining also revealed the presence of IRX3 in the dental epithelial cells and mesenchymal condensation. Inhibition of endogenous Irx3 by siRNA blocks the proliferation and differentiation of mDP cells. Wnt3a, Wnt5a, and Bmp4 are factors involved in odontoblast differentiation and were highly expressed in mDP cells by quantitative PCR analysis. Interestingly, the expression of Wnt5a (but not Wnt3a or Bmp4) was suppressed by Irx3 siRNA. These results suggest that Irx3 plays an essential role in part through the regulation of Wnt5a expression during odontoblast proliferation and differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anrizandy Narwidina
- Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Graduate School of Oral Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School, Tokushima, 770-8504, Japan; Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School, Tokushima, 770-8504, Japan
| | - Aya Miyazaki
- Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School, Tokushima, 770-8504, Japan
| | - Kokoro Iwata
- Department of Pediatric Dentistry / Special Needs Dentistry, Division of Oral Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, 113-8549, Japan
| | - Rika Kurogoushi
- Department of Pediatric Dentistry / Special Needs Dentistry, Division of Oral Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, 113-8549, Japan
| | - Asuna Sugimoto
- Department of Pediatric Dentistry / Special Needs Dentistry, Division of Oral Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, 113-8549, Japan
| | - Yasusei Kudo
- Department of Oral Bioscience, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School, Tokushima, 770-8504, Japan
| | - Keita Kawarabayashi
- Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School, Tokushima, 770-8504, Japan
| | - Yoshihito Yamakawa
- Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Graduate School of Oral Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School, Tokushima, 770-8504, Japan; Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School, Tokushima, 770-8504, Japan
| | - Yuki Akazawa
- Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School, Tokushima, 770-8504, Japan
| | - Takamasa Kitamura
- Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School, Tokushima, 770-8504, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Nakagawa
- Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School, Tokushima, 770-8504, Japan
| | - Kimiko Yamaguchi-Ueda
- Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School, Tokushima, 770-8504, Japan
| | - Tomokazu Hasegawa
- Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School, Tokushima, 770-8504, Japan
| | - Keigo Yoshizaki
- Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics Section, Division of Oral Health, Growth and Development, Kyushu University Faculty of Dental Science, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan
| | - Satoshi Fukumoto
- Pediatric Dentistry Section, Division of Oral Health, Growth and Development, Kyushu University Faculty of Dental Science, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan
| | - Akihito Yamamoto
- Department of Tissue Regeneration, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School, Tokushima, 770-8504, Japan
| | - Naozumi Ishimaru
- Department of Oral Molecular Pathology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School, Tokushima, 770-8504, Japan
| | - Tomonori Iwasaki
- Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School, Tokushima, 770-8504, Japan
| | - Tsutomu Iwamoto
- Department of Pediatric Dentistry / Special Needs Dentistry, Division of Oral Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, 113-8549, Japan.
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17
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Mahmoodi M, Karami F, Abdollahi H, Giahi N, Divsalar K, Honarmand A, Modarressi MH. Promoter Methylation of Two HOXA9 and NISCH Genes in Opium Users. ADDICTION & HEALTH 2023; 15:87-92. [PMID: 37560396 PMCID: PMC10408764 DOI: 10.34172/ahj.2023.1356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 08/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Opiate abuse has been critically increased in the world, especially in Iran. Owing to the association of opiate use with multiple human cancers and neurological disorders, seeking for genetic and epigenetic effects of opium can pave the way for early diagnosis of major health defects in addicted users. Accordingly, the present study aimed to determine the methylation status of the promoter of two genes, which are actively involved in neurodevelopment and cancer evolution. METHODS DNA was isolated from peripheral blood of 28 opium abusers and 19 healthy controls and then subjected to sonication. Sonicated DNAs undergone methylated DNA immunoprecipitation-real time polymerase chain reaction (MeDIP-Real Time PCR) using specific primer pairs designed for HOXA9 and NISCH genes. Obtained data were analyzed using SPSS software. FINDINGS HOXA9 and NISCH genes were found to be significantly methylated in addicted users compared to controls (P<0.001) which was significantly associated with the mean of the age regarding HOXA9 gene (P=0.002). Neither opium amount nor duration or route of using was associated with the methylation status of HOXA9 or NISCH genes. CONCLUSION Hypermethylation of HOXA9 and NISCH genes as tumor suppressor in opium-addicted individuals can be considered as confirmatory evidence for carcinogenesis of opium. Further studies are required to figure out the role of epigenetic alterations in cancer evolution among opium users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Majid Mahmoodi
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
- Cancer Research Center, Cancer Institute of Iran, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Karami
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
- Department of Medical Genetics, Applied Biophotonics Research Center, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hamidreza Abdollahi
- Department of Medical Genetics, Applied Biophotonics Research Center, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Navidreza Giahi
- Akhtar Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Kouros Divsalar
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Amin Honarmand
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Afzalipour Hospital, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
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18
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Fang W, Li K, Ma S, Wei F, Hu Y. Natural selection and convergent evolution of the HOX gene family in Carnivora. Front Ecol Evol 2023. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2023.1107034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
HOX genes play a central role in the development and regulation of limb patterns. For mammals in the order Carnivora, limbs have evolved in different forms, and there are interesting cases of phenotypic convergence, such as the pseudothumb of the giant and red pandas, and the flippers or specialized limbs of the pinnipeds and sea otter. However, the molecular bases of limb development remain largely unclear. Here, we studied the molecular evolution of the HOX9 ~ 13 genes of 14 representative species in Carnivora and explored the molecular evolution of other HOX genes. We found that only one limb development gene, HOXC10, underwent convergent evolution between giant and red pandas and was thus an important candidate gene related to the development of pseudothumbs. No signals of amino acid convergence and natural selection were found in HOX9 ~ 13 genes between pinnipeds and sea otter, but there was evidence of positive selection and rapid evolution in four pinniped species. Overall, few HOX genes evolve via natural selection or convergent evolution, and these could be important candidate genes for further functional validation. Our findings provide insights into potential molecular mechanisms of the development of specialized pseudothumbs and flippers (or specialized limbs).
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19
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Abstract
Hox genes encode evolutionarily conserved transcription factors that are essential for the proper development of bilaterian organisms. Hox genes are unique because they are spatially and temporally regulated during development in a manner that is dictated by their tightly linked genomic organization. Although their genetic function during embryonic development has been interrogated, less is known about how these transcription factors regulate downstream genes to direct morphogenetic events. Moreover, the continued expression and function of Hox genes at postnatal and adult stages highlights crucial roles for these genes throughout the life of an organism. Here, we provide an overview of Hox genes, highlighting their evolutionary history, their unique genomic organization and how this impacts the regulation of their expression, what is known about their protein structure, and their deployment in development and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharine A. Hubert
- Program in Genetics, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI 53705, USA
- Department of Cell and Regenerative Biology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI 53705, USA
| | - Deneen M. Wellik
- Department of Cell and Regenerative Biology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI 53705, USA
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20
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HOXA5: A crucial transcriptional factor in cancer and a potential therapeutic target. Biomed Pharmacother 2022; 155:113800. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2022.113800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Revised: 09/29/2022] [Accepted: 10/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
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21
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Steens J, Klein D. HOX genes in stem cells: Maintaining cellular identity and regulation of differentiation. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:1002909. [PMID: 36176275 PMCID: PMC9514042 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.1002909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Stem cells display a unique cell type within the body that has the capacity to self-renew and differentiate into specialized cell types. Compared to pluripotent stem cells, adult stem cells (ASC) such as mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) exhibit restricted differentiation capabilities that are limited to cell types typically found in the tissue of origin, which implicates that there must be a certain code or priming determined by the tissue of origin. HOX genes, a subset of homeobox genes encoding transcription factors that are generally repressed in undifferentiated pluripotent stem cells, emerged here as master regulators of cell identity and cell fate during embryogenesis, and in maintaining this positional identity throughout life as well as specifying various regional properties of respective tissues. Concurrently, intricate molecular circuits regulated by diverse stem cell-typical signaling pathways, balance stem cell maintenance, proliferation and differentiation. However, it still needs to be unraveled how stem cell-related signaling pathways establish and regulate ASC-specific HOX expression pattern with different temporal-spatial topography, known as the HOX code. This comprehensive review therefore summarizes the current knowledge of specific ASC-related HOX expression patterns and how these were integrated into stem cell-related signaling pathways. Understanding the mechanism of HOX gene regulation in stem cells may provide new ways to manipulate stem cell fate and function leading to improved and new approaches in the field of regenerative medicine.
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22
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Chen S, Shu G, Wang G, Ye J, Xu J, Huang C, Yang S. HOXA1 promotes proliferation and metastasis of bladder cancer by enhancing SMAD3 transcription. Pathol Res Pract 2022; 239:154141. [DOI: 10.1016/j.prp.2022.154141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2022] [Revised: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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23
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Verma A, Arya R, Brahmachari V. Identification of a polycomb responsive region in human HoxA cluster and its long-range interaction with polycomb enriched genomic regions. Gene 2022; 845:146832. [PMID: 36007803 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2022.146832] [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: 04/09/2022] [Revised: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Polycomb and Trithorax group proteins (PcG, TrxG) epigenetically regulate developmental genes. These proteins bind with specific DNA elements, the Polycomb Response Element (PRE). Apart from mutations in polycomb/ trithorax proteins, altered cis-elements like PRE underlie the modified function and thus disease etiology. PREs are well studied in Drosophila, while only a few human PREs have been reported. We have identified a polycomb responsive DNA element, hPRE-HoxA3, in the intron of the HoxA3 gene. The hPRE-HoxA3 represses luciferase reporter activity in a PcG-dependent manner. The endogenous hPRE-HoxA3 element recruits PcG proteins and is enriched with repressive H3K27me3 marks, demonstrating that hPRE-HoxA3 is a part of the PcG-dependent gene regulatory network. Furthermore, it interacts with D11-12, the well-known PRE in the human Hox cluster. hPRE-Hox3 is a part of the 3-dimensional chromosomal domain organization as it is involved in the long-range interaction with other PcG enriched regions of Hox A, B, C, and D clusters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akanksha Verma
- Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Center for Biomedical Research, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007, India.
| | - Richa Arya
- Current address- Cytogenetics Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221005, India.
| | - Vani Brahmachari
- Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Center for Biomedical Research, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007, India
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24
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Naznin RA, Moniruzzaman M, Sumi SA, Benzir M, Jahan I, Ahmad R, Haque M. Sacralization of Coccygeal Vertebra: A Descriptive Observational Study in Bangladesh. Cureus 2022; 14:e27496. [PMID: 35919212 PMCID: PMC9339143 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.27496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: In the sacrococcygeal region, anatomical variation is due to the sacralization of the coccygeal vertebra, which is the due union of/fusion of the fifth sacral with the first coccygeal vertebra of five couples of sacral foramina under-detected or asymptomatic beyond radiological assessment. That is why it is challenging to know the cause of coccydynia, caudal block failure, the difficult second stage of labor, and perineal tears. The present study aims to improve knowledge about the anatomical variation of sacralization of the coccygeal vertebra. Additionally, to find the prevalence of sacralization of coccygeal vertebra in Sylhet, Bangladesh. Methods: This study was performed on 60 parched, totally calcified, typical sacra of mature-age individuals of undetermined sexes, fulfilling the inclusion criteria from the bone bank of the osteology museum of the Department of Anatomy, Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College, Sylhet, Bangladesh, from July 2017 to June 2018. Sex determination of the collected unknown sacra was conducted using discriminant function analysis. It was found that 50% (30) were male and 50% (30%) were female. The unpaired t-tests and chi-square were utilized to determine the statistical significance. Results: Out of 60 sacra, eight (13.33%) samples presented with sacralization. This study found that males had significantly higher straight (p=0.05) and curved (p=0.05) lengths of sacrococcygeal vertebrae. The sacrococcygeal curvature index (SCI) showed statistically significant (p=0.05) differences between the sexes. Conclusion: Sacralization may exert an impact on the caudal block. It could extend the second stage of the labor process with perineal tears. Therefore, knowledge about the anatomical variation of the coccygeal vertebra is essential.
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25
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Elgeshy KM, Abdel Wahab AHA. The Role, Significance, and Association of MicroRNA-10a/b in Physiology of Cancer. Microrna 2022; 11:118-138. [PMID: 35616665 DOI: 10.2174/2211536611666220523104408] [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: 12/25/2021] [Revised: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that regulate the translation of mRNA and protein, mainly at the posttranscriptional level. Global expression profiling of miRNAs has demonstrated a broad spectrum of aberrations that correlated with several diseases, and miRNA- 10a and miRNA-10b were the first examined miRNAs to be involved in abnormal activities upon dysregulation, including many types of cancers and progressive diseases. It is expected that the same miRNAs behave inconsistently within different types of cancer. This review aims to provide a set of information about our updated understanding of miRNA-10a and miRNA-10b and their clinical significance, molecular targets, current research gaps, and possible future applications of such potent regulators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khaled M Elgeshy
- Department of Botany and Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
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26
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Zaib T, Rashid H, Khan H, Zhou X, Sun P. Recent Advances in Syndactyly: Basis, Current Status and Future Perspectives. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:771. [PMID: 35627156 PMCID: PMC9141913 DOI: 10.3390/genes13050771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Revised: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
A comprehensive summary of recent knowledge in syndactyly (SD) is important for understanding the genetic etiology of SD and disease management. Thus, this review article provides background information on SD, as well as insights into phenotypic and genetic heterogeneity, newly identified gene mutations in various SD types, the role of HOXD13 in limb deformities, and recently introduced modern surgical techniques for SD. This article also proposes a procedure for genetic analysis to obtain a clearer genotype-phenotype correlation for SD in the future. We briefly describe the classification of non-syndromic SD based on variable phenotypes to explain different phenotypic features and mutations in the various genes responsible for the pathogenesis of different types of SD. We describe how different types of mutation in HOXD13 cause various types of SD, and how a mutation in HOXD13 could affect its interaction with other genes, which may be one of the reasons behind the differential phenotypes and incomplete penetrance. Furthermore, we also discuss some recently introduced modern surgical techniques, such as free skin grafting, improved flap techniques, and dermal fat grafting in combination with the Z-method incision, which have been successfully practiced clinically with no post-operative complications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tahir Zaib
- Stem Cell Research Center, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, China
- (T.Z.)
- (X.Z.)
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Immunopathology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, China
| | - Hibba Rashid
- Department of Biotechnology and Microbiology, Abasyn University, Peshawar 25000, Pakistan
| | - Hanif Khan
- Department of Pharmacology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, China
| | - Xiaoling Zhou
- Stem Cell Research Center, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, China
- (T.Z.)
- (X.Z.)
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Immunopathology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, China
| | - Pingnan Sun
- Stem Cell Research Center, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, China
- (T.Z.)
- (X.Z.)
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Immunopathology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, China
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27
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Sezer A, Perçin FE, Kazan HH, Kayhan G, Akturk M. A de novo heterozygous HOXA11 variant in a patient with mesomelic dysplasia with urogenital abnormalities. Am J Med Genet A 2022; 188:1890-1895. [PMID: 35253374 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.a.62713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Revised: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 02/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Mesomelic dysplasias are a genetically and clinically heterogeneous group of diseases with more than 10 types defined. This article presents an 18-year-old female patient with normal intelligence and a multisystem phenotype including disproportionate short stature, scoliosis, mesomelic limb shortening, radial bowing, short fourth to fifth metacarpals and metatarsals, fusions in the carpal/tarsal bones, operated pes equinovarus, primary amenorrhea, uterine hypoplasia, vesicoureteral reflux, and chronic kidney disease. Whole-exome sequencing revealed a de novo heterozygous c.881T>G (p.Met294Arg) variant in HOXA11 (NM_005523.6) gene. The variant was located in the homeodomain of HOXA11 and predicted to alter DNA-binding ability of the protein. In silico analyses indicated that the variant could promote the alterations in the protein-protein interaction. The possible functional effect of the variant was supposed as dominant-negative. Hoxa11-mutant mice have been reported to exhibit homeotic transformations in the thoracic and sacral vertebrae, zeugopodal phenotype in forelimb and hindlimb, and urogenital abnormalities. Although mice models were reported as mesomelic dysplasia and urogenital abnormalities (MDUGA), this phenotype has not yet been reported in humans. This was the first case with MDUGA putatively related to a de novo variant in HOXA11.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdullah Sezer
- Department of Medical Genetics, Dr. Sami Ulus Maternity and Children's Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.,Faculty of Medicine, Department of Medical Genetics, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Ferda Emriye Perçin
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Medical Genetics, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Hasan Huseyin Kazan
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Medical Genetics, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Gulsum Kayhan
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Medical Genetics, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Mujde Akturk
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey
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28
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Shenoy US, Adiga D, Kabekkodu SP, Hunter KD, Radhakrishnan R. Molecular implications of HOX genes targeting multiple signaling pathways in cancer. Cell Biol Toxicol 2022; 38:1-30. [PMID: 34617205 PMCID: PMC8789642 DOI: 10.1007/s10565-021-09657-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Homeobox (HOX) genes encode highly conserved homeotic transcription factors that play a crucial role in organogenesis and tissue homeostasis. Their deregulation impacts the function of several regulatory molecules contributing to tumor initiation and progression. A functional bridge exists between altered gene expression of individual HOX genes and tumorigenesis. This review focuses on how deregulation in the HOX-associated signaling pathways contributes to the metastatic progression in cancer. We discuss their functional significance, clinical implications and ascertain their role as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker in the various cancer types. Besides, the mechanism of understanding the theoretical underpinning that affects HOX-mediated therapy resistance in cancers has been outlined. The knowledge gained shall pave the way for newer insights into the treatment of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- U Sangeetha Shenoy
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Manipal School of Life Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, 576104, India
| | - Divya Adiga
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Manipal School of Life Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, 576104, India
| | - Shama Prasada Kabekkodu
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Manipal School of Life Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, 576104, India
| | - Keith D Hunter
- Academic Unit of Oral and Maxillofacial Medicine and Pathology, School of Clinical Dentistry, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TA, UK
| | - Raghu Radhakrishnan
- Department of Oral Pathology, Manipal College of Dental Sciences, Manipal, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, 576104, India.
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29
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A Systematic Review on HOX Genes as Potential Biomarkers in Colorectal Cancer: An Emerging Role of HOXB9. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222413429. [PMID: 34948228 PMCID: PMC8707253 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222413429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Revised: 12/05/2021] [Accepted: 12/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Emerging evidence shows that Homeobox (HOX) genes are important in carcinogenesis, and their dysregulation has been linked with metastatic potential and poor prognosis. This review (PROSPERO-CRD42020190953) aims to systematically investigate the role of HOX genes as biomarkers in CRC and the impact of their modulation on tumour growth and progression. The MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science and Cochrane databases were searched for eligible studies exploring two research questions: (a) the clinicopathological and prognostic significance of HOX dysregulation in patients with CRC and (b) the functional role of HOX genes in CRC progression. Twenty-five studies enrolling 3003 CRC patients, showed that aberrant expression of HOX proteins was significantly related to tumour depth, nodal invasion, distant metastases, advanced stage and poor prognosis. A post-hoc meta-analysis on HOXB9 showed that its overexpression was significantly associated with the presence of distant metastases (pooled OR 4.14, 95% CI 1.64–10.43, I2 = 0%, p = 0.003). Twenty-two preclinical studies showed that HOX proteins are crucially related to tumour growth and metastatic potential by affecting cell proliferation and altering the expression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition modulators. In conclusion, HOX proteins may play vital roles in CRC progression and are associated with overall survival. HOXB9 may be a critical transcription factor in CRC.
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30
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Cain B, Gebelein B. Mechanisms Underlying Hox-Mediated Transcriptional Outcomes. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:787339. [PMID: 34869389 PMCID: PMC8635045 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.787339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 10/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Metazoans differentially express multiple Hox transcription factors to specify diverse cell fates along the developing anterior-posterior axis. Two challenges arise when trying to understand how the Hox transcription factors regulate the required target genes for morphogenesis: First, how does each Hox factor differ from one another to accurately activate and repress target genes required for the formation of distinct segment and regional identities? Second, how can a Hox factor that is broadly expressed in many tissues within a segment impact the development of specific organs by regulating target genes in a cell type-specific manner? In this review, we highlight how recent genomic, interactome, and cis-regulatory studies are providing new insights into answering these two questions. Collectively, these studies suggest that Hox factors may differentially modify the chromatin of gene targets as well as utilize numerous interactions with additional co-activators, co-repressors, and sequence-specific transcription factors to achieve accurate segment and cell type-specific transcriptional outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brittany Cain
- Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Brian Gebelein
- Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States.,Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, United States
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31
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Hordyjewska-Kowalczyk E, Nowosad K, Jamsheer A, Tylzanowski P. Genotype-phenotype correlation in clubfoot (talipes equinovarus). J Med Genet 2021; 59:209-219. [PMID: 34782442 DOI: 10.1136/jmedgenet-2021-108040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Clubfoot (talipes equinovarus) is a congenital malformation affecting muscles, bones, connective tissue and vascular or neurological structures in limbs. It has a complex aetiology, both genetic and environmental. To date, the most important findings in clubfoot genetics involve PITX1 variants, which were linked to clubfoot phenotype in mice and humans. Additionally, copy number variations encompassing TBX4 or single nucleotide variants in HOXC11, the molecular targets of the PITX1 transcription factor, were linked to the clubfoot phenotype. In general, genes of cytoskeleton and muscle contractile apparatus, as well as components of the extracellular matrix and connective tissue, are frequently linked with clubfoot aetiology. Last but not least, an equally important element, that brings us closer to a better understanding of the clubfoot genotype/phenotype correlation, are studies on the two known animal models of clubfoot-the pma or EphA4 mice. This review will summarise the current state of knowledge of the molecular basis of this congenital malformation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewa Hordyjewska-Kowalczyk
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Lubelskie, Poland
| | - Karol Nowosad
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Lubelskie, Poland.,The Postgraduate School of Molecular Medicine, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.,Department of Cell Biology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Aleksander Jamsheer
- Department of Medical Genetics, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Wielkopolskie, Poland
| | - Przemko Tylzanowski
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Lubelskie, Poland .,Department of Development and Regeneration, Skeletal Biology and Engineering Research Centre, KU Leuven, Leuven, Flanders, Belgium
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32
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Feng Y, Zhang T, Wang Y, Xie M, Ji X, Luo X, Huang W, Xia L. Homeobox Genes in Cancers: From Carcinogenesis to Recent Therapeutic Intervention. Front Oncol 2021; 11:770428. [PMID: 34722321 PMCID: PMC8551923 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.770428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The homeobox (HOX) genes encoding an evolutionarily highly conserved family of homeodomain-containing transcriptional factors are essential for embryogenesis and tumorigenesis. HOX genes are involved in cell identity determination during early embryonic development and postnatal processes. The deregulation of HOX genes is closely associated with numerous human malignancies, highlighting the indispensable involvement in mortal cancer development. Since most HOX genes behave as oncogenes or tumor suppressors in human cancer, a better comprehension of their upstream regulators and downstream targets contributes to elucidating the function of HOX genes in cancer development. In addition, targeting HOX genes may imply therapeutic potential. Recently, novel therapies such as monoclonal antibodies targeting tyrosine receptor kinases, small molecular chemical inhibitors, and small interfering RNA strategies, are difficult to implement for targeting transcriptional factors on account of the dual function and pleiotropic nature of HOX genes-related molecular networks. This paper summarizes the current state of knowledge on the roles of HOX genes in human cancer and emphasizes the emerging importance of HOX genes as potential therapeutic targets to overcome the limitations of present cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yangyang Feng
- Department of Gastroenterology, Institute of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Tongyue Zhang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Institute of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yijun Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Institute of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Meng Xie
- Department of Gastroenterology, Institute of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiaoyu Ji
- Department of Gastroenterology, Institute of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiangyuan Luo
- Department of Gastroenterology, Institute of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Wenjie Huang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,Hepatic Surgery Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Limin Xia
- Department of Gastroenterology, Institute of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
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33
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Singh NP. Gene regulation: Context is everything. Curr Biol 2021; 31:R1115-R1117. [PMID: 34637709 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.08.064] [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]
Abstract
How transcription factors regulate a distinct set of target genes in different cell types is a fundamental question. A new study demonstrates how Ultrabithorax, a Hox transcription factor, acts as both a repressor and an activator in a cell type-specific manner to alter chromatin accessibility and gene regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Narendra P Singh
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MI 64110, USA.
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34
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Oluwayiose OA, Marcho C, Wu H, Houle E, Krawetz SA, Suvorov A, Mager J, Richard Pilsner J. Paternal preconception phthalate exposure alters sperm methylome and embryonic programming. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2021; 155:106693. [PMID: 34120004 PMCID: PMC8292217 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2021.106693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2021] [Revised: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Preconception environmental conditions have been demonstrated to shape sperm epigenetics and subsequently offspring health and development. Our previous findings in humans showed that urinary anti-androgenic phthalate metabolites in males were associated with altered sperm methylation and blastocyst-stage embryo development. To corroborate this, we examined the effect of preconception exposure to di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) on genome-wide DNA methylation and gene expression profiles in mice. Eight-week old C57BL/6J male mice were exposed to either a vehicle control, low, or high dose of DEHP (2.5 and 25 mg/kg/weight, respectively) for 67 days (~2 spermatogenic cycles) and were subsequently mated with unexposed females. Reduced representation bisulfite sequencing (RRBS) of epididymal sperm was performed and gastrulation stage embryos were collected for RRBS and transcriptome analyses in both embryonic and extra-embryonic lineages. Male preconception DEHP exposure resulted in 704 differentially methylated regions (DMRs; q-value < 0.05; ≥10% methylation change) in sperm, 1,716 DMRs in embryonic, and 3,181 DMRs in extra-embryonic tissue. Of these, 29 DMRs overlapped between sperm and F1 tissues, half of which showed concordant methylation changes between F0 and F1 generations. F1 transcriptomes at E7.5 were also altered by male preconception DEHP exposure including developmental gene families such as Hox, Gata, and Sox. Additionally, gene ontology analyses of DMRs and differentially expressed genes showed enrichment of multiple developmental processes including embryonic development, pattern specification and morphogenesis. These data indicate that spermatogenesis in adult may represent a sensitive window in which exposure to DEHP alters the sperm methylome as well as DNA methylation and gene expression in the developing embryo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oladele A Oluwayiose
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Chelsea Marcho
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA; Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Haotian Wu
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, NY, USA
| | - Emily Houle
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Stephen A Krawetz
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology & Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
| | - Alexander Suvorov
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Jesse Mager
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - J Richard Pilsner
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology & Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA.
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Hudson KM, Shiver E, Yu J, Mehta S, Jima DD, Kane MA, Patisaul HB, Cowley M. Transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolomic analyses identify candidate pathways linking maternal cadmium exposure to altered neurodevelopment and behavior. Sci Rep 2021; 11:16302. [PMID: 34381081 PMCID: PMC8357970 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-95630-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Cadmium (Cd) is a ubiquitous toxic heavy metal of major public concern. Despite inefficient placental transfer, maternal Cd exposure impairs fetal growth and development. Increasing evidence from animal models and humans suggests maternal Cd exposure negatively impacts neurodevelopment; however, the underlying molecular mechanisms are unclear. To address this, we utilized multiple -omics approaches in a mouse model of maternal Cd exposure to identify pathways altered in the developing brain. Offspring maternally exposed to Cd presented with enlarged brains proportional to body weights at birth and altered behavior at adulthood. RNA-seq in newborn brains identified exposure-associated increases in Hox gene and myelin marker expression and suggested perturbed retinoic acid (RA) signaling. Proteomic analysis showed altered levels of proteins involved in cellular energy pathways, hypoxic response, and RA signaling. Consistent with transcriptomic and proteomic analyses, we identified increased levels of retinoids in maternally-exposed newborn brains. Metabolomic analyses identified metabolites with significantly altered abundance, supportive of changes to cellular energy pathways and hypoxia. Finally, maternal Cd exposure reduced mitochondrial DNA levels in newborn brains. The identification of multiple pathways perturbed in the developing brain provides a basis for future studies determining the mechanistic links between maternal Cd exposure and altered neurodevelopment and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen M Hudson
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA
- Center for Human Health and the Environment, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA
| | - Emily Shiver
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA
- Center for Human Health and the Environment, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA
| | - Jianshi Yu
- School of Pharmacy Mass Spectrometry Center, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - Sanya Mehta
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA
- Center for Human Health and the Environment, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA
| | - Dereje D Jima
- Center for Human Health and the Environment, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA
- Bioinformatics Research Center, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA
| | - Maureen A Kane
- School of Pharmacy Mass Spectrometry Center, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - Heather B Patisaul
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA
- Center for Human Health and the Environment, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA
| | - Michael Cowley
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA.
- Center for Human Health and the Environment, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA.
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Viral Manipulation of the Host Epigenome as a Driver of Virus-Induced Oncogenesis. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9061179. [PMID: 34070716 PMCID: PMC8227491 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9061179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Revised: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Tumorigenesis due to viral infection accounts for a high fraction of the total global cancer burden (15–20%) of all human cancers. A comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms by which viral infection leads to tumor development is extremely important. One of the main mechanisms by which viruses induce host cell proliferation programs is through controlling the host’s epigenetic machinery. In this review, we dissect the epigenetic pathways through which oncogenic viruses can integrate their genome into host cell chromosomes and lead to tumor progression. In addition, we highlight the potential use of drugs based on histone modifiers in reducing the global impact of cancer development due to viral infection.
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Gulotta MR, De Simone G, John J, Perricone U, Brancale A. A Computer-Based Methodology to Design Non-Standard Peptides Potentially Able to Prevent HOX-PBX1-Associated Cancer Diseases. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:5670. [PMID: 34073517 PMCID: PMC8198631 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22115670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2021] [Revised: 05/19/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
In the last decades, HOX proteins have been extensively studied due to their pivotal role in transcriptional events. HOX proteins execute their activity by exploiting a cooperative binding to PBX proteins and DNA. Therefore, an increase or decrease in HOX activity has been associated with both solid and haematological cancer diseases. Thus, inhibiting HOX-PBX interaction represents a potential strategy to prevent these malignancies, as demonstrated by the patented peptide HTL001 that is being studied in clinical trials. In this work, a computational study is described to identify novel potential peptides designed by employing a database of non-natural amino acids. For this purpose, residue scanning of the HOX minimal active sequence was performed to select the mutations to be further processed. According to these results, the peptides were point-mutated and used for Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations in complex with PBX1 protein and DNA to evaluate complex binding stability. MM-GBSA calculations of the resulting MD trajectories were exploited to guide the selection of the most promising mutations that were exploited to generate twelve combinatorial peptides. Finally, the latter peptides in complex with PBX1 protein and DNA were exploited to run MD simulations and the ΔGbinding average values of the complexes were calculated. Thus, the analysis of the results highlighted eleven combinatorial peptides that will be considered for further assays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Rita Gulotta
- Molecular Informatics Unit, Fondazione Ri.MED, Via Filippo Marini 14, 90128 Palermo, Italy; (G.D.S.); (U.P.)
| | - Giada De Simone
- Molecular Informatics Unit, Fondazione Ri.MED, Via Filippo Marini 14, 90128 Palermo, Italy; (G.D.S.); (U.P.)
| | - Justin John
- NRN Tech LTD, Henstaff Court, Llantrisant Road, Groesfaen CF72 8NG, UK;
| | - Ugo Perricone
- Molecular Informatics Unit, Fondazione Ri.MED, Via Filippo Marini 14, 90128 Palermo, Italy; (G.D.S.); (U.P.)
| | - Andrea Brancale
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cardiff University, King Edward VII Avenue, Cardiff CF10 3NB, UK;
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Liu T, Ji C, Sun Y, Bai W. HOXA9 Expression is Associated with Advanced Tumour Stage and Prognosis in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma. Cancer Manag Res 2021; 13:4147-4154. [PMID: 34045901 PMCID: PMC8149281 DOI: 10.2147/cmar.s305814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Accepted: 05/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Homeobox A9 (HOXA9), a member of the HOX protein family, plays diverse biological roles in embryonic development and carcinogenesis. The prognostic value of HOXA9 expression in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is not well-defined. The present study aimed to analyse NPC tissue HOXA9 expression and determine prognostic significance by investigating the relationship between HOXA9 expression and clinicopathologic features. Methods Between January 2010 and December 2014, 252 NPC patients and 30 chronic nasopharyngitis patients (control group) were recruited to participate in the present study. Correlations between HOXA9 expression level and clinicopathologic features (including survival) were analysed. Results High HOXA9 expression was significantly associated with clinical stage (p < 0.01) and higher T stage (p < 0.01). In univariate analysis, high HOXA9 expression predicted overall survival (OS) (p = 0.011). In multivariate analysis, HOXA9 over-expression independently and significantly predicted poorer PFS (p < 0.01, hazard ratio (HR) = 2.387, 95% CI [0.876, 6.545]) and OS (p < 0.01, HR = 2.486, 95% CI [1.041, 8.926]). Conclusion High HOXA9 expression is an independent prognostic factor associated with advanced tumour stage and poorer survival in NPC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiancong Liu
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Shengjing Hospital, China Medical University, Shenyang, People's Republic of China
| | - Chao Ji
- Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Shengjing Hospital, China Medical University, Shenyang, People's Republic of China
| | - Yang Sun
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Shengjing Hospital, China Medical University, Shenyang, People's Republic of China
| | - Weiliang Bai
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Shengjing Hospital, China Medical University, Shenyang, People's Republic of China
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Bhattacharyya U, Deshpande SN, Bhatia T, Thelma BK. Revisiting Schizophrenia from an Evolutionary Perspective: An Association Study of Recent Evolutionary Markers and Schizophrenia. Schizophr Bull 2021; 47:827-836. [PMID: 33350444 PMCID: PMC8759809 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbaa179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
The persistence of schizophrenia in human populations at a high prevalence and with a large heritability estimate despite reduced fertility and increased mortality rate is a Darwinian paradox. This may be likely if the genomic components that predispose to schizophrenia are also advantageous for the acquisition of important human traits, such as language and cognition. Accordingly, an emerging group of genomic markers of recent evolution in humans, namely human accelerated regions (HARs), since our divergence from chimpanzees, are gaining importance for neurodevelopmental disorders, such as schizophrenia. We hypothesize that variants within HARs may affect the expression of genes under their control, thus contributing to disease etiology. A total of 49 HAR single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were prioritized from the complete repertoire of HARs (n = 2737) based on their functional relevance and prevalence in the South Asian population. Test of association using 2 independent schizophrenia case-control cohorts of north Indian ethnicity (discovery: n = 930; replication: n = 1104) revealed 3 SNPs (rs3800926, rs3801844, and rs764453) from chromosome 7 and rs77047799 from chromosome 3 to be significantly associated (combined analysis: Bonferroni corrected P < .002-.000004). Of note, these SNPs were found to alter the expression of neurodevelopmental genes such as SLC25A13, MAD1L1, and ULK4; a few from the HOX gene family; and a few genes that are implicated in mitochondrial function. These SNPs may most likely alter binding sites of transcription factors, including TFCP2, MAFK, SREBF2, E2F1, and/or methylation signatures around these genes. These findings reiterate a neurodevelopmental basis of schizophrenia and also open up a promising avenue to investigate HAR-mediated mitochondrial dysfunction in schizophrenia etiology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - B K Thelma
- Department of Genetics, University of Delhi South Campus, New Delhi, India
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Kimmel CB, Wind AL, Oliva W, Ahlquist SD, Walker C, Dowd J, Blanco-Sánchez B, Titus TA, Batzel P, Talbot JC, Postlethwait JH, Nichols JT. Transgene-mediated skeletal phenotypic variation in zebrafish. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2021; 98:956-970. [PMID: 32112658 PMCID: PMC7483860 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.14300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2019] [Revised: 01/13/2020] [Accepted: 02/25/2020] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
When considering relationships between genotype and phenotype we frequently ignore the fact that the genome of a typical animal, notably including that of a fish and a human, harbours a huge amount of foreign DNA. Such DNA, in the form of transposable elements, can affect genome function in a major way, and transgene biology needs to be included in our understanding of the genome. Here we examine an unexpected phenotypic effect of the chromosomally integrated transgene fli1a-F-hsp70l:Gal4VP16 that serves as a model for transgene function generally. We examine larval fras1 mutant zebrafish (Danio rerio). Gal4VP16 is a potent transcriptional activator that is already well known for toxicity and mediating unusual transcriptional effects. In the presence of the transgene, phenotypes in the neural crest-derived craniofacial skeleton, notably fusions and shape changes associated with loss of function fras1 mutations, are made more severe, as we quantify by scoring phenotypic penetrance, the fraction of mutants expressing the trait. A very interesting feature is that the enhancements are highly specific for fras1 mutant phenotypes, occurring in the apparent absence of more widespread changes. Except for the features due to the fras1 mutation, the transgene-bearing larvae appear generally healthy and to be developing normally. The transgene behaves as a genetic partial dominant: a single copy is sufficient for the enhancements, yet, for some traits, two copies may exert a stronger effect. We made new strains bearing independent insertions of the fli1a-F-hsp70l:Gal4VP16 transgene in new locations in the genome, and observed increased severities of the same phenotypes as observed for the original insertion. This finding suggests that sequences within the transgene, for example Gal4VP16, are responsible for the enhancements, rather than the effect on neighbouring host sequences (such as an insertional mutation). The specificity and biological action underlying the traits are subjects of considerable interest for further investigation, as we discuss. Our findings show that work with transgenes needs to be undertaken with caution and attention to detail.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Whitney Oliva
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA
| | | | - Charline Walker
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA
| | - John Dowd
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA
| | - Bernardo Blanco-Sánchez
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA
- Current address: Laboratory of Embryology and Genetics of Congenital Malformations, INSERM UMR 1163, Institut Imagine, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Tom A. Titus
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA
| | - Peter Batzel
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA
| | - Jared C. Talbot
- School of Biology and Ecology, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469, USA
| | | | - James T. Nichols
- Department of Craniofacial Biology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
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Dietrich K, Fiedler IA, Kurzyukova A, López-Delgado AC, McGowan LM, Geurtzen K, Hammond CL, Busse B, Knopf F. Skeletal Biology and Disease Modeling in Zebrafish. J Bone Miner Res 2021; 36:436-458. [PMID: 33484578 DOI: 10.1002/jbmr.4256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Revised: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Zebrafish are teleosts (bony fish) that share with mammals a common ancestor belonging to the phylum Osteichthyes, from which their endoskeletal systems have been inherited. Indeed, teleosts and mammals have numerous genetically conserved features in terms of skeletal elements, ossification mechanisms, and bone matrix components in common. Yet differences related to bone morphology and function need to be considered when investigating zebrafish in skeletal research. In this review, we focus on zebrafish skeletal architecture with emphasis on the morphology of the vertebral column and associated anatomical structures. We provide an overview of the different ossification types and osseous cells in zebrafish and describe bone matrix composition at the microscopic tissue level with a focus on assessing mineralization. Processes of bone formation also strongly depend on loading in zebrafish, as we elaborate here. Furthermore, we illustrate the high regenerative capacity of zebrafish bones and present some of the technological advantages of using zebrafish as a model. We highlight zebrafish axial and fin skeleton patterning mechanisms, metabolic bone disease such as after immunosuppressive glucocorticoid treatment, as well as osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) and osteopetrosis research in zebrafish. We conclude with a view of why larval zebrafish xenografts are a powerful tool to study bone metastasis. © 2021 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR).
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristin Dietrich
- Center for Regenerative Therapies TU Dresden (CRTD), Center for Healthy Aging TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Imke Ak Fiedler
- Department of Osteology and Biomechanics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Anastasia Kurzyukova
- Center for Regenerative Therapies TU Dresden (CRTD), Center for Healthy Aging TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Alejandra C López-Delgado
- Center for Regenerative Therapies TU Dresden (CRTD), Center for Healthy Aging TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Lucy M McGowan
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Karina Geurtzen
- Center for Regenerative Therapies TU Dresden (CRTD), Center for Healthy Aging TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Chrissy L Hammond
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Björn Busse
- Department of Osteology and Biomechanics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.,Interdisciplinary Competence Center for Interface Research (ICCIR), Hamburg, Germany
| | - Franziska Knopf
- Center for Regenerative Therapies TU Dresden (CRTD), Center for Healthy Aging TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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Fan Y, Gao D, Zhang Y, Zhu J, Zhang F, Wang L, Wen Y, Guo X, Sun S. Genome-Wide Differentially Methylated Region Analysis to Reveal Epigenetic Differences of Articular Cartilage in Kashin-Beck Disease and Osteoarthritis. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:636291. [PMID: 33732704 PMCID: PMC7957013 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.636291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2020] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Kashin-Beck disease (KBD) is a degenerative osteoarticular disorder, and displays the significant differences with osteoarthritis (OA) regarding the etiology and molecular changes in articular cartilage. However, the underlying dysfunctions of molecular mechanisms in KBD and OA remain unclear. Here, we primarily performed the various genome-wide differential methylation analyses to reveal the distinct differentially methylated regions (DMRs) in conjunction with corresponding differentially methylated genes (DMGs), and enriched functional pathways in KBD and OA. We identified a total of 131 DMRs in KBD vs. Control, and 58 DMRs in OA vs. Controls, and the results demonstrate that many interesting DMRs are linked to DMGs, such as SMOC2 and HOXD3, which are all key genes to regulate cartilage/skeletal physiologic and pathologic process, and are further enriched in skeletal system and limb-associated pathways. Our DMR analysis indicates that KBD-associated DMRs has higher proportion than OA-associated DMRs in gene body regions. KBD-associated DMGs were enriched in wounding and coagulation-related functional pathways that may be stimulated by trace elements. The identified molecular features provide novel clues for understanding the pathogenetic and therapeutic studies of both KBD and OA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Fan
- School of Public Health, Health Science Center of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
- Key Laboratory of Trace Elements and Endemic Diseases of National Health Commission and Collaborative Innovation Center of Endemic Diseases and Health Promotion in Silk Road Region, Xi'an, China
| | - Dalong Gao
- Department of Orthopaedics, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
- Department of Orthopaedics, The Central Hospital of Xianyang, Xianyang, China
| | - Yingang Zhang
- Department of Orthopaedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Jiaqiang Zhu
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Feng Zhang
- School of Public Health, Health Science Center of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
- Key Laboratory of Trace Elements and Endemic Diseases of National Health Commission and Collaborative Innovation Center of Endemic Diseases and Health Promotion in Silk Road Region, Xi'an, China
| | - Lu Wang
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Yan Wen
- School of Public Health, Health Science Center of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
- Key Laboratory of Trace Elements and Endemic Diseases of National Health Commission and Collaborative Innovation Center of Endemic Diseases and Health Promotion in Silk Road Region, Xi'an, China
| | - Xiong Guo
- School of Public Health, Health Science Center of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
- Key Laboratory of Trace Elements and Endemic Diseases of National Health Commission and Collaborative Innovation Center of Endemic Diseases and Health Promotion in Silk Road Region, Xi'an, China
| | - Shiquan Sun
- School of Public Health, Health Science Center of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
- Key Laboratory of Trace Elements and Endemic Diseases of National Health Commission and Collaborative Innovation Center of Endemic Diseases and Health Promotion in Silk Road Region, Xi'an, China
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Congenital Malformations in Sea Turtles: Puzzling Interplay between Genes and Environment. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11020444. [PMID: 33567785 PMCID: PMC7915190 DOI: 10.3390/ani11020444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Revised: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Congenital malformations can lead to embryonic mortality in many species, and sea turtles are no exception. Genetic and/or environmental alterations occur during early development in the embryo, and may produce aberrant phenotypes, many of which are incompatible with life. Causes of malformations are multifactorial; genetic factors may include mutations, chromosomal aberrations, and inbreeding effects, whereas non-genetic factors may include nutrition, hyperthermia, low moisture, radiation, and contamination. It is possible to monitor and control some of these factors (such as temperature and humidity) in nesting beaches, and toxic compounds in feeding areas, which can be transferred to the embryo through their lipophilic properties. In this review, we describe possible causes of different types of malformations observed in sea turtle embryos, as well as some actions that may help reduce embryonic mortality. Abstract The completion of embryonic development depends, in part, on the interplay between genetic factors and environmental conditions, and any alteration during development may affect embryonic genetic and epigenetic regulatory pathways leading to congenital malformations, which are mostly incompatible with life. Oviparous reptiles, such as sea turtles, that produce numerous eggs in a clutch that is buried on the beach provide an opportunity to study embryonic mortality associated with malformations that occur at different times during development, or that prevent the hatchling from emerging from the nest. In sea turtles, the presence of congenital malformations frequently leads to mortality. A few years ago, a detailed study was performed on external congenital malformations in three species of sea turtles from the Mexican Pacific and Caribbean coasts, the hawksbill turtle, Eretmochelys imbricata (n = 23,559 eggs), the green turtle, Chelonia mydas (n = 17,690 eggs), and the olive ridley, Lepidochelys olivacea (n = 20,257 eggs), finding 63 types of congenital malformations, of which 38 were new reports. Of the three species, the olive ridley showed a higher incidence of severe anomalies in the craniofacial region (49%), indicating alterations of early developmental pathways; however, several malformations were also observed in the body, including defects in the carapace (45%) and limbs (33%), as well as pigmentation disorders (20%), indicating that deviations occurred during the middle and later stages of development. Although intrinsic factors (i.e., genetic mutations or epigenetic modifications) are difficult to monitor in the field, some environmental factors (such as the incubation temperature, humidity, and probably the status of feeding areas) are, to some extent, less difficult to monitor and/or control. In this review, we describe the aetiology of different malformations observed in sea turtle embryos, and provide some actions that can reduce embryonic mortality.
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Guan Y, Guan A, Chen L, Gong A. LINC00461 facilitates HNSCC development and reduces chemosensitivity by impairing miR-195-mediated inhibition of HOXA10. MOLECULAR THERAPY-ONCOLYTICS 2021; 21:74-86. [PMID: 33869744 PMCID: PMC8027536 DOI: 10.1016/j.omto.2021.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 01/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Homeobox A10 (HOXA10) has been regarded to serve as an oncogene in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). This study was intended to explore the interaction among the long intergenic noncoding RNA 00461 (LINC00461), microRNA (miR)-195, and HOXA10, and to investigate its role in epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and chemoresistance in HNSCC. The effects of LINC00461, miR-195, and HOXA10 on the EMT and chemoresistance of HNSCC cells were analyzed by comprehensive analysis of gain- and loss-of-function techniques. The intimate relationships among LINC00461, miR-195, and HOXA10 were investigated by several procedures such as RNA-binding protein immunoprecipitation, RNA pull-down, and dual-luciferase reporter assays. A xenotransplantation tumor model in nude mice was established for the assessment of the tumorigenic ability of the cells in vivo. Our findings indicated that LINC00461 was highly expressed in HNSCC and its overexpression induced EMT and precipitated the chemoresistance of HNSCC cells to cisplatin. The LINC00461 could bind to miR-195 while miR-195 targeted HOXA10 independently. Moreover, LINC00461 impaired miR-195-mediated inhibition of HOXA10 to induce EMT and increase the chemoresistance in HNSCC. Tumor weight and volume were reduced by lentivirus-mediated elevation of miR-195 by inhibition of HOXA10, which could be annulled by LINC00461 overexpression. LINC00461 downregulates the expression of miR-195 to subsequently upregulate the expression of HOXA10, thereby promoting EMT and enhancing chemoresistance in HNSCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yifang Guan
- Department of Stomatology, Linyi People's Hospital, Linyi 276000, Shandong, P.R. China
| | - Aizhong Guan
- Department of Stomatology, Linyi People's Hospital, Linyi 276000, Shandong, P.R. China
| | - Long Chen
- Department of Stomatology, Linyi People's Hospital, Linyi 276000, Shandong, P.R. China
| | - Aimei Gong
- Department of Stomatology, Linyi People's Hospital, Linyi 276000, Shandong, P.R. China
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Hung SY, Lin CC, Hsu CL, Yao CY, Wang YH, Tsai CH, Hou HA, Chou WC, Tien HF. The expression levels of long non-coding RNA KIAA0125 are associated with distinct clinical and biological features in myelodysplastic syndromes. Br J Haematol 2020; 192:589-598. [PMID: 33249572 DOI: 10.1111/bjh.17231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have important functions in cancer biology. Among them, lncRNA KIAA0125 is one of the genes proposed to play a critical role in leukaemia stem cell (LSC). In this study, we aimed to investigate the clinical relevance of the expression levels of lncRNA KIAA0125 in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), a disease with highly heterogeneous clinical and biological features. Using RNA arrays, we measured the expression of KIAA0125 in 176 primary MDS patients. We found that higher KIAA0125 expression was associated with higher risk MDS, based on the revised International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS-R), mutations in ASXL1 and NRAS, and predicted poorer overall survival (OS) and leukaemia-free survival (LFS). Multivariate analysis revealed that higher KIAA0125 expression was an independent, unfavourable prognostic factor for OS and LFS, irrespective of IPSS-R and mutation status. Further global gene expression profile analysis suggested a close association of higher KIAA0125 expressions with LSC signatures. The expression of KIAA0125 may be a potential biomarker to guide the treatment choice in MDS patients, especially those with lower risk subtypes, in whom palliative treatment is usually used.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheng-Yu Hung
- Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital Yunlin Branch, Yunlin, Taiwan
| | - Chien-Chin Lin
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.,Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.,Department of Laboratory Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Lang Hsu
- Department of Medical Research, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chi-Yuan Yao
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.,Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.,Department of Laboratory Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Hung Wang
- Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Cheng-Hong Tsai
- Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hsin-An Hou
- Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Wen-Chien Chou
- Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.,Department of Laboratory Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hwei-Fang Tien
- Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
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46
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Konzman D, Abramowitz LK, Steenackers A, Mukherjee MM, Na HJ, Hanover JA. O-GlcNAc: Regulator of Signaling and Epigenetics Linked to X-linked Intellectual Disability. Front Genet 2020; 11:605263. [PMID: 33329753 PMCID: PMC7719714 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2020.605263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cellular identity in multicellular organisms is maintained by characteristic transcriptional networks, nutrient consumption, energy production and metabolite utilization. Integrating these cell-specific programs are epigenetic modifiers, whose activity is often dependent on nutrients and their metabolites to function as substrates and co-factors. Emerging data has highlighted the role of the nutrient-sensing enzyme O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT) as an epigenetic modifier essential in coordinating cellular transcriptional programs and metabolic homeostasis. OGT utilizes the end-product of the hexosamine biosynthetic pathway to modify proteins with O-linked β-D-N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc). The levels of the modification are held in check by the O-GlcNAcase (OGA). Studies from model organisms and human disease underscore the conserved function these two enzymes of O-GlcNAc cycling play in transcriptional regulation, cellular plasticity and mitochondrial reprogramming. Here, we review these findings and present an integrated view of how O-GlcNAc cycling may contribute to cellular memory and transgenerational inheritance of responses to parental stress. We focus on a rare human genetic disorder where mutant forms of OGT are inherited or acquired de novo. Ongoing analysis of this disorder, OGT- X-linked intellectual disability (OGT-XLID), provides a window into how epigenetic factors linked to O-GlcNAc cycling may influence neurodevelopment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - John A. Hanover
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
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47
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Gonçalves CS, Le Boiteux E, Arnaud P, Costa BM. HOX gene cluster (de)regulation in brain: from neurodevelopment to malignant glial tumours. Cell Mol Life Sci 2020; 77:3797-3821. [PMID: 32239260 PMCID: PMC11105007 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-020-03508-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2019] [Revised: 03/10/2020] [Accepted: 03/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
HOX genes encode a family of evolutionarily conserved homeodomain transcription factors that are crucial both during development and adult life. In humans, 39 HOX genes are arranged in four clusters (HOXA, B, C, and D) in chromosomes 7, 17, 12, and 2, respectively. During embryonic development, particular epigenetic states accompany their expression along the anterior-posterior body axis. This tightly regulated temporal-spatial expression pattern reflects their relative chromosomal localization, and is critical for normal embryonic brain development when HOX genes are mainly expressed in the hindbrain and mostly absent in the forebrain region. Epigenetic marks, mostly polycomb-associated, are dynamically regulated at HOX loci and regulatory regions to ensure the finely tuned HOX activation and repression, highlighting a crucial epigenetic plasticity necessary for homeostatic development. HOX genes are essentially absent in healthy adult brain, whereas they are detected in malignant brain tumours, namely gliomas, where HOX genes display critical roles by regulating several hallmarks of cancer. Here, we review the major mechanisms involved in HOX genes (de)regulation in the brain, from embryonic to adult stages, in physiological and oncologic conditions. We focus particularly on the emerging causes of HOX gene deregulation in glioma, as well as on their functional and clinical implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Céline S Gonçalves
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Elisa Le Boiteux
- Université Clermont Auvergne, CNRS, INSERM-iGReD, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Philippe Arnaud
- Université Clermont Auvergne, CNRS, INSERM-iGReD, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Bruno M Costa
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal.
- ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal.
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48
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Díaz-Santiago E, Jabato FM, Rojano E, Seoane P, Pazos F, Perkins JR, Ranea JAG. Phenotype-genotype comorbidity analysis of patients with rare disorders provides insight into their pathological and molecular bases. PLoS Genet 2020; 16:e1009054. [PMID: 33001999 PMCID: PMC7553355 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2019] [Revised: 10/13/2020] [Accepted: 08/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic and molecular analysis of rare disease is made difficult by the small numbers of affected patients. Phenotypic comorbidity analysis can help rectify this by combining information from individuals with similar phenotypes and looking for overlap in terms of shared genes and underlying functional systems. However, few studies have combined comorbidity analysis with genomic data. We present a computational approach that connects patient phenotypes based on phenotypic co-occurence and uses genomic information related to the patient mutations to assign genes to the phenotypes, which are used to detect enriched functional systems. These phenotypes are clustered using network analysis to obtain functionally coherent phenotype clusters. We applied the approach to the DECIPHER database, containing phenotypic and genomic information for thousands of patients with heterogeneous rare disorders and copy number variants. Validity was demonstrated through overlap with known diseases, co-mention within the biomedical literature, semantic similarity measures, and patient cluster membership. These connected pairs formed multiple phenotype clusters, showing functional coherence, and mapped to genes and systems involved in similar pathological processes. Examples include claudin genes from the 22q11 genomic region associated with a cluster of phenotypes related to DiGeorge syndrome and genes related to the GO term anterior/posterior pattern specification associated with abnormal development. The clusters generated can help with the diagnosis of rare diseases, by suggesting additional phenotypes for a given patient and potential underlying functional systems. Other tools to find causal genes based on phenotype were also investigated. The approach has been implemented as a workflow, named PhenCo, which can be adapted to any set of patients for which phenomic and genomic data is available. Full details of the analysis, including the clusters formed, their constituent functional systems and underlying genes are given. Code to implement the workflow is available from GitHub. Although rare diseases each affect a small number of people, taken together they affect millions. Better diagnosis and understanding of the underlying mechanisms are needed. By combining phenotypic data for many rare disease patients, we can build clusters of comorbid phenotypes that tend to co-occur together. By using genomic information, we can supplement these clusters and look for related genes and functional systems, such as pathways and molecular mechanisms. We applied such an approach to thousands of rare disease patients from the DECIPHER resources. We were able to detect hundreds of pairs of comorbid phenotypes, and use them to build tens of phenotype clusters. By mapping genes to these phenotypes, based on data from the same patients, we were able to detect related genes and functional systems, such as genes mapping to the 22q11 genomic region underlying a cluster of phenotypes related to DiGeorge syndrome. To ensure that these clusters made sensible predictions, results were validated using literature co-mention, overlap with known disease and semantic similarity measures. These comorbidity patterns, along with their underlying molecular systems, can give important insights into disease mechanisms, moreover they can be used to direct differential-diagnosis of rare disease patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Díaz-Santiago
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of Malaga, Malaga, Spain
| | - Fernando M. Jabato
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of Malaga, Malaga, Spain
| | - Elena Rojano
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of Malaga, Malaga, Spain
| | - Pedro Seoane
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of Malaga, Malaga, Spain
- CIBER de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), ISCIII, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - James R. Perkins
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of Malaga, Malaga, Spain
- CIBER de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), ISCIII, Madrid, Spain
- The Biomedical Research Institute of Malaga (IBIMA), Malaga, Spain
- * E-mail:
| | - Juan A. G. Ranea
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of Malaga, Malaga, Spain
- CIBER de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), ISCIII, Madrid, Spain
- The Biomedical Research Institute of Malaga (IBIMA), Malaga, Spain
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49
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Schut PC, Brosens E, Van Dooren TJM, Galis F, Ten Broek CMA, Baijens IMM, Dremmen MHG, Tibboel D, Schol MP, de Klein A, Eggink AJ, Cohen-Overbeek TE. Exploring copy number variants in deceased fetuses and neonates with abnormal vertebral patterns and cervical ribs. Birth Defects Res 2020; 112:1513-1525. [PMID: 32755042 PMCID: PMC7689732 DOI: 10.1002/bdr2.1786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2020] [Revised: 07/03/2020] [Accepted: 07/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Background Cervical patterning abnormalities are rare in the general population, but one variant, cervical ribs, is particularly common in deceased fetuses and neonates. The discrepancy between the incidence in the general population and early mortality is likely due to indirect selection against cervical ribs. The cause for the co‐occurrence of cervical ribs and adverse outcome remains unidentified. Copy number variations resulting in gain or loss of specific genes involved in development and patterning could play a causative role. Methods Radiographs of 374 deceased fetuses and infants, including terminations of pregnancies, stillbirths and neonatal deaths, were assessed. Copy number profiles of 265 patients were determined using single nucleotide polymorphism array. Results 274/374 patients (73.3%) had an abnormal vertebral pattern, which was associated with congenital abnormalities. Cervical ribs were present in 188/374 (50.3%) and were more common in stillbirths (69/128 [53.9%]) and terminations of pregnancies (101/188 [53.7%]), compared to live births (18/58, 31.0%). Large (likely) deleterious copy number variants and aneuploidies were prevalent in these patients. None of the rare copy number variants were recurrent or overlapped with candidate genes for vertebral patterning. Conclusions The large variety of copy number variants in deceased fetuses and neonates with similar abnormalities of the vertebral pattern probably reflects the etiological heterogeneity of vertebral patterning abnormalities. This genetic heterogeneity corresponds with the hypothesis that cervical ribs can be regarded as a sign of disruption of critical, highly interactive stages of embryogenesis. The vertebral pattern can probably provide valuable information regarding fetal and neonatal outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pauline C Schut
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Obstetrics and Fetal Medicine, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Erwin Brosens
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Tom J M Van Dooren
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.,CNRS, Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences iEES Paris, Sorbonne University, Paris, France
| | | | | | - Inge M M Baijens
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Obstetrics and Fetal Medicine, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Marjolein H G Dremmen
- Department of Radiology, Division of Paediatric Radiology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Dick Tibboel
- Department of Paediatric Surgery, Erasmus MC, Erasmus University Medical Center Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Martin P Schol
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Annelies de Klein
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Alex J Eggink
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Obstetrics and Fetal Medicine, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Titia E Cohen-Overbeek
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Obstetrics and Fetal Medicine, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
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50
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Kulebyakina M, Makarevich P. Hox-Positive Adult Mesenchymal Stromal Cells: Beyond Positional Identity. Front Cell Dev Biol 2020; 8:624. [PMID: 32850789 PMCID: PMC7412745 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.00624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Homeotic genes (Hox) are universal regulators of the body patterning process in embryogenesis of metazoans. The Hox gene expression pattern (Hox code) retains in adult tissues and serves as a cellular positional identity marker. Despite previously existing notions that the Hox code is inherent in all stroma mesenchymal cells as a whole, recent studies have shown that the Hox code may be an attribute of a distinct subpopulation of adult resident mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC). Recent evidence allows suggesting a "non-canonical" role for Hox gene expression which is associated with renewal and regeneration in postnatal organs after damage. In tissues with high regenerative capacity, it has been shown that a special cell population is critical for these processes, a distinctive feature of which is the persistent expression of tissue-specific Hox genes. We believe that in the postnatal period Hox-positive subpopulation of resident MSC may serve as a unique regenerative reserve. These cells coordinate creation and maintenance of the correct structure of the stroma through a tissue-specific combination of mechanisms. In this article, we summarize data on the role of resident MSC with a tissue-specific pattern of Hox gene expression as regulators of correct tissue reconstruction after injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Kulebyakina
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Pavel Makarevich
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia.,Laboratory of Gene and Cell Therapy, Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
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