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Carrizosa C, Undlien DE, Vigeland MD. shinyseg: a web application for flexible cosegregation and sensitivity analysis. Bioinformatics 2024; 40:btae201. [PMID: 38598476 PMCID: PMC11069105 DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btae201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2023] [Revised: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024] Open
Abstract
MOTIVATION Cosegregation analysis is a powerful tool for identifying pathogenic genetic variants, but its implementation remains challenging. Existing software is either limited in scope or too demanding for many end users. Moreover, current solutions lack methods for assessing the robustness of cosegregation evidence, which is important due to its reliance on uncertain estimates. RESULTS We present shinyseg, a comprehensive web application for clinical cosegregation analysis. Our app streamlines penetrance specification based on either liability classes or epidemiological data such as risks, hazard ratios, and age of onset distribution. In addition, it incorporates sensitivity analyses to assess the robustness of cosegregation evidence, and offers support in clinical interpretation. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION The shinyseg app is freely available at https://chrcarrizosa.shinyapps.io/shinyseg, with documentation and complete R source code on https://chrcarrizosa.github.io/shinyseg and https://github.com/chrcarrizosa/shinyseg.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Carrizosa
- Department of Medical Genetics, Oslo University Hospital and University of Oslo, 0424 Oslo, Norway
| | - Dag E Undlien
- Department of Medical Genetics, Oslo University Hospital and University of Oslo, 0424 Oslo, Norway
| | - Magnus D Vigeland
- Department of Forensic Sciences, Oslo University Hospital, 0424 Oslo, Norway
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Nam DW, Song YK, Kim JH, Lee EK, Park KH, Cha J, Choi BY, Lee JH, Oh SH, Jo DH, Lee SY. Allelic hierarchy for USH2A influences auditory and visual phenotypes in South Korean patients. Sci Rep 2023; 13:20239. [PMID: 37981655 PMCID: PMC10658080 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-47166-w] [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: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/21/2023] Open
Abstract
When medical genetic syndromes are influenced by allelic hierarchies, mutant alleles have distinct effects on clinical phenotypes. Genotype-phenotype correlations for Usher syndrome type 2 (USH2) suggest that the USH2A gene exhibits an allelic hierarchy. Here, we analyzed the phenotypes and genotypes of 16 South Korean patients with USH2A biallelic variants to investigate an allelic hierarchy from audiological and ophthalmological perspectives. Using whole exome and genome sequencing, 18 mutant alleles, including 4 novel alleles, were identified and implicated in USH2A-related disorders. Truncated alleles were linked to earlier onset of subjective hearing loss and more severe thresholds; biallelic truncated alleles had more severe effects. Truncated alleles were also associated with retinal structure degeneration and severe functional deterioration. However, younger patients (aged < 16 years) did not exhibit overt retinitis pigmentosa even when they had biallelic truncated alleles, suggesting that USH2A-related USH2 can mimic nonsyndromic hearing loss. For truncated alleles, there was a clear correlation between mean hearing threshold and 30-Hz flicker electroretinography implicit time. This study provides the first evidence of an USH2A-related allelic hierarchy among South Korean patients; our data yield valuable insights concerning the natural courses of clinical phenotypes and how genotype-based therapies may be used.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong Woo Nam
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Chungbuk National University Hospital, Cheongju, Republic of Korea
| | - Yong Keun Song
- Department of Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jeong Hun Kim
- Fight Against Angiogenesis-Related Blindness (FARB) Laboratory, Biomedical Research Institute, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Ophthalmology, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Eun Kyoung Lee
- Department of Ophthalmology, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyu Hyung Park
- Department of Ophthalmology, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - JuHyuen Cha
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, 101, Daehak-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, 03080, Republic of Korea
| | - Byung Yoon Choi
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Republic of Korea
| | - Jun Ho Lee
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, 101, Daehak-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, 03080, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung Ha Oh
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, 101, Daehak-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, 03080, Republic of Korea
| | - Dong Hyun Jo
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, 103, Daehak-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, 03080, Republic of Korea.
| | - Sang-Yeon Lee
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, 101, Daehak-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, 03080, Republic of Korea.
- Department of Genomic Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
- Sensory Organ Research Institute, Seoul National University Medical Research Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
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Crane R, Tebbe L, Mwoyosvi ML, Al-Ubaidi MR, Naash MI. Expression of the human usherin c.2299delG mutation leads to early-onset auditory loss and stereocilia disorganization. Commun Biol 2023; 6:933. [PMID: 37700068 PMCID: PMC10497539 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05296-x] [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: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Usher syndrome (USH) is the leading cause of combined deafness and blindness, with USH2A being the most prevalent form. The mechanisms responsible for this debilitating sensory impairment remain unclear. This study focuses on characterizing the auditory phenotype in a mouse model expressing the c.2290delG mutation in usherin equivalent to human frameshift mutation c.2299delG. Previously we described how this model reproduces patient's retinal phenotypes. Here, we present the cochlear phenotype, showing that the mutant usherin, is expressed during early postnatal stages. The c.2290delG mutation results in a truncated protein that is mislocalized within the cell body of the hair cells. The knock-in model also exhibits congenital hearing loss that remains consistent throughout the animal's lifespan. Structurally, the stereocilia bundles, particularly in regions associated with functional hearing loss, are disorganized. Our findings shed light on the role of usherin in maintaining structural support, specifically in longer inner hair cell stereocilia, during development, which is crucial for proper bundle organization and hair cell function. Overall, we present a genetic mouse model with cochlear defects associated with the c.2290delG mutation, providing insights into the etiology of hearing loss and offering potential avenues for the development of effective therapeutic treatments for USH2A patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Crane
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, 77204, USA
| | - Lars Tebbe
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, 77204, USA
| | - Maggie L Mwoyosvi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, 77204, USA
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA
| | - Muayyad R Al-Ubaidi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, 77204, USA.
| | - Muna I Naash
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, 77204, USA.
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Central auditory deficits associated with genetic forms of peripheral deafness. Hum Genet 2021; 141:335-345. [PMID: 34435241 PMCID: PMC9034985 DOI: 10.1007/s00439-021-02339-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Since the 1990s, the study of inherited hearing disorders, mostly those detected at birth, in the prelingual period or in young adults, has led to the identification of their causal genes. The genes responsible for more than 140 isolated (non-syndromic) and about 400 syndromic forms of deafness have already been discovered. Studies of mouse models of these monogenic forms of deafness have provided considerable insight into the molecular mechanisms of hearing, particularly those involved in the development and/or physiology of the auditory sensory organ, the cochlea. In parallel, studies of these models have also made it possible to decipher the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying hearing impairment. This has led a number of laboratories to investigate the potential of gene therapy for curing these forms of deafness. Proof-of-concept has now been obtained for the treatment of several forms of deafness in mouse models, paving the way for clinical trials of cochlear gene therapy in patients in the near future. Nevertheless, peripheral deafness may also be associated with central auditory dysfunctions and may extend well beyond the auditory system itself, as a consequence of alterations to the encoded sensory inputs or involvement of the causal deafness genes in the development and/or functioning of central auditory circuits. Investigating the diversity, causes and underlying mechanisms of these central dysfunctions, the ways in which they could impede the expected benefits of hearing restoration by peripheral gene therapy, and determining how these problems could be remedied is becoming a research field in its own right. Here, we provide an overview of the current knowledge about the central deficits associated with genetic forms of deafness.
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Genetics, pathogenesis and therapeutic developments for Usher syndrome type 2. Hum Genet 2021; 141:737-758. [PMID: 34331125 DOI: 10.1007/s00439-021-02324-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 07/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Usher syndrome (USH) is a rare, autosomal recessively inherited disorder resulting in a combination of sensorineural hearing loss and a progressive loss of vision resulting from retinitis pigmentosa (RP), occasionally accompanied by an altered vestibular function. More and more evidence is building up indicating that also sleep deprivation, olfactory dysfunction, deficits in tactile perception and reduced sperm motility are part of the disease etiology. USH can be clinically classified into three different types, of which Usher syndrome type 2 (USH2) is the most prevalent. In this review, we, therefore, assess the genetic and clinical aspects, available models and therapeutic developments for USH2. Mutations in USH2A, ADGRV1 and WHRN have been described to be responsible for USH2, with USH2A being the most frequently mutated USH-associated gene, explaining 50% of all cases. The proteins encoded by the USH2 genes together function in a dynamic protein complex that, among others, is found at the photoreceptor periciliary membrane and at the base of the hair bundles of inner ear hair cells. To unravel the pathogenic mechanisms underlying USH2, patient-derived cellular models and animal models including mouse, zebrafish and drosophila, have been generated that all in part mimic the USH phenotype. Multiple cellular and genetic therapeutic approaches are currently under development for USH2, mainly focused on preserving or partially restoring the visual function of which one is already in the clinical phase. These developments are opening a new gate towards a possible treatment for USH2 patients.
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Peripheral Anomalies in USH2A Cause Central Auditory Anomalies in a Mouse Model of Usher Syndrome and CAPD. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12020151. [PMID: 33498833 PMCID: PMC7910880 DOI: 10.3390/genes12020151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2020] [Revised: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 01/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Central auditory processing disorder (CAPD) is associated with difficulties hearing and processing acoustic information, as well as subsequent impacts on the development of higher-order cognitive processes (i.e., attention and language). Yet CAPD also lacks clear and consistent diagnostic criteria, with widespread clinical disagreement on this matter. As such, identification of biological markers for CAPD would be useful. A recent genome association study identified a potential CAPD risk gene, USH2A. In a homozygous state, this gene is associated with Usher syndrome type 2 (USH2), a recessive disorder resulting in bilateral, high-frequency hearing loss due to atypical cochlear hair cell development. However, children with heterozygous USH2A mutations have also been found to show unexpected low-frequency hearing loss and reduced early vocabulary, contradicting assumptions that the heterozygous (carrier) state is "phenotype free". Parallel evidence has confirmed that heterozygous Ush2a mutations in a transgenic mouse model also cause low-frequency hearing loss (Perrino et al., 2020). Importantly, these auditory processing anomalies were still evident after covariance for hearing loss, suggesting a CAPD profile. Since usherin anomalies occur in the peripheral cochlea and not central auditory structures, these findings point to upstream developmental feedback effects of peripheral sensory loss on high-level processing characteristic of CAPD. In this study, we aimed to expand upon the mouse behavioral battery used in Perrino et al. (2020) by evaluating central auditory brain structures, including the superior olivary complex (SOC) and medial geniculate nucleus (MGN), in heterozygous and homozygous Ush2a mice. We found that heterozygous Ush2a mice had significantly larger SOC volumes while homozygous Ush2a had significantly smaller SOC volumes. Heterozygous mutations did not affect the MGN; however, homozygous Ush2a mutations resulted in a significant shift towards more smaller neurons. These findings suggest that alterations in cochlear development due to USH2A variation can secondarily impact the development of brain regions important for auditory processing ability.
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Nudel R, Christiani CAJ, Ohland J, Uddin MJ, Hemager N, Ellersgaard D, Spang KS, Burton BK, Greve AN, Gantriis DL, Bybjerg-Grauholm J, Jepsen JRM, Thorup AAE, Mors O, Werge T, Nordentoft M. Quantitative genome-wide association analyses of receptive language in the Danish High Risk and Resilience Study. BMC Neurosci 2020; 21:30. [PMID: 32635940 PMCID: PMC7341668 DOI: 10.1186/s12868-020-00581-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2020] [Accepted: 06/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND One of the most basic human traits is language. Linguistic ability, and disability, have been shown to have a strong genetic component in family and twin studies, but molecular genetic studies of language phenotypes are scarce, relative to studies of other cognitive traits and neurodevelopmental phenotypes. Moreover, most genetic studies examining such phenotypes do not incorporate parent-of-origin effects, which could account for some of the heritability of the investigated trait. We performed a genome-wide association study of receptive language, examining both child genetic effects and parent-of-origin effects. RESULTS Using a family-based cohort with 400 children with receptive language scores, we found a genome-wide significant paternal parent-of-origin effect with a SNP, rs11787922, on chromosome 9q21.31, whereby the T allele reduced the mean receptive language score by ~ 23, constituting a reduction of more than 1.5 times the population SD (P = 1.04 × 10-8). We further confirmed that this association was not driven by broader neurodevelopmental diagnoses in the child or a family history of psychiatric diagnoses by incorporating covariates for the above and repeating the analysis. CONCLUSIONS Our study reports a genome-wide significant association for receptive language skills; to our knowledge, this is the first documented genome-wide significant association for this phenotype. Furthermore, our study illustrates the importance of considering parent-of-origin effects in association studies, particularly in the case of cognitive or neurodevelopmental traits, in which parental genetic data are not always incorporated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ron Nudel
- Institute of Biological Psychiatry, Mental Health Centre Sct. Hans, Mental Health Centre Sct. Hans, Mental Health Services Copenhagen, Roskilde, Denmark
- iPSYCH, The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Camilla A J Christiani
- iPSYCH, The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Mental Health Centre Copenhagen, University of Copenhagen Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jessica Ohland
- iPSYCH, The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Mental Health Centre Copenhagen, University of Copenhagen Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Md Jamal Uddin
- iPSYCH, The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Mental Health Centre Copenhagen, University of Copenhagen Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Section for Biostatistics, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Nicoline Hemager
- iPSYCH, The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Mental Health Centre Copenhagen, University of Copenhagen Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Ditte Ellersgaard
- iPSYCH, The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Mental Health Centre Copenhagen, University of Copenhagen Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Katrine S Spang
- iPSYCH, The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Mental Health Centre for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry-Research unit, Mental Health Services in the Capital Region of Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Birgitte K Burton
- iPSYCH, The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Mental Health Centre for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry-Research unit, Mental Health Services in the Capital Region of Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Aja N Greve
- iPSYCH, The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Psychosis Research Unit, Aarhus University Hospital-Psychiatry, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Ditte L Gantriis
- iPSYCH, The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Psychosis Research Unit, Aarhus University Hospital-Psychiatry, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Jonas Bybjerg-Grauholm
- iPSYCH, The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Center for Neonatal Screening, Department for Congenital Disorders, Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jens Richardt M Jepsen
- iPSYCH, The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Mental Health Centre Copenhagen, University of Copenhagen Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Mental Health Centre for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry-Research unit, Mental Health Services in the Capital Region of Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Center for Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research and Center for Clinical Intervention and Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research, Mental Health Services in the Capital Region of Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Anne A E Thorup
- iPSYCH, The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Mental Health Centre for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry-Research unit, Mental Health Services in the Capital Region of Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Ole Mors
- iPSYCH, The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Psychosis Research Unit, Aarhus University Hospital-Psychiatry, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Thomas Werge
- Institute of Biological Psychiatry, Mental Health Centre Sct. Hans, Mental Health Centre Sct. Hans, Mental Health Services Copenhagen, Roskilde, Denmark.
- iPSYCH, The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, Copenhagen, Denmark.
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - Merete Nordentoft
- iPSYCH, The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, Copenhagen, Denmark.
- Mental Health Centre Copenhagen, University of Copenhagen Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
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