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Kurzbuch AR, Cooper B, Duncan C, Ellenbogen J, Richardson D, Sinha A, Weber A, Sithambaram S, Hennedige A, Parks C. Patient Tailored Surgery in Saethre-Chotzen Syndrome: Analysis of Reoperation for Intracranial Hypertension. J Craniofac Surg 2023; 34:2099-2103. [PMID: 37226293 DOI: 10.1097/scs.0000000000009429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 04/08/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Saethre-Chotzen syndrome (SCS) is a syndromic craniosynostosis with pathogenic variants in the TWIST1 gene showing a broad phenotypic spectrum. Controversies exist in the literature regarding surgical management with single one-stage versus patient-tailored surgery and the related reoperation rate for intracranial hypertension of up to 42%. At our center, SCS patients are offered patient-tailored surgery with single-stage fronto-orbital advancement and remodeling or fronto-orbital advancement and remodeling and posterior distraction in an individually determined order. The authors' database identified 35 confirmed SCS patients between 1999 and 2022. Involved sutures in craniosynostosis were left unicoronal (22.9%), bicoronal (22.9%), sagittal (8.6%), bicoronal and sagittal (5.7%), right unicoronal (2.9%), bicoronal and metopic (2.9%), bicoronal, sagittal and metopic (2.9%), and bilateral lambdoid (2.9%). There was pansynostosis in 8.6% and no craniosynostosis in 14.3% of the patients. Twenty-six patients, 10 females, and 16 males were operated on. Mean age at the first surgery was 1.70 years, and 3.86 years at the second surgery. Eleven of 26 patients had invasive intracranial pressure monitoring. Three patients presented with papilledema before the first surgery and 4 afterward. Four of the 26 operated patients were operated initially elsewhere. The other 22 patients were initially referred to our unit and underwent patient-tailored surgery. Nine of these patients (41%) had a second surgery, and 3 (14%) of them were because of raised intracranial pressure. Seven (27%) of all operated patients had a complication. Median follow-up was 13.98 years (range, 1.85-18.08). Patient-tailored surgery in a specialized center and long-term follow-up allow for a low reoperation rate for intracranial hypertension.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arthur R Kurzbuch
- Department of Neurosurgery, Craniofacial Unit, Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust
| | - Ben Cooper
- Department of Neurosurgery, Craniofacial Unit, Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust
| | - Christian Duncan
- Department of Maxillofacial and Craniofacial Surgery, Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust
| | - Jonathan Ellenbogen
- Department of Neurosurgery, Craniofacial Unit, Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust
| | - David Richardson
- Department of Maxillofacial and Craniofacial Surgery, Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust
| | - Ajay Sinha
- Department of Neurosurgery, Craniofacial Unit, Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust
| | - Astrid Weber
- Liverpool Centre for Genomic Medicine, Liverpool Women's NHS Foundation Trust
| | | | - Anusha Hennedige
- Department of Maxillofacial and Craniofacial Surgery, Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust
| | - Chris Parks
- Department of Neurosurgery, Craniofacial Unit, Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust
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Nuri T, Ota M, Ueda K, Iseki S. Quantitative Morphologic Analysis of Cranial Vault in Twist1+/- Mice: Implications in Craniosynostosis. Plast Reconstr Surg 2022; 149:28e-37e. [PMID: 34936613 DOI: 10.1097/prs.0000000000008665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The haploinsufficiency in the TWIST1 gene encoding a basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor is a cause of one of the craniosynostosis syndromes, Saethre-Chotzen syndrome. Patients with craniosynostosis usually require operative release of affected sutures, which makes it difficult to observe the long-term consequence of suture fusion on craniofacial growth. METHODS In this study, we performed quantitative analysis of morphologic changes of the skull in Twist1 heterozygously-deleted mice (Twist1+/-) with micro-computed tomographic images. RESULTS In Twist1+/- mice, fusion of the coronal suture began before postnatal day 14 and progressed until postnatal day 56, during which morphologic changes occurred. The growth of the skull was not achieved by a constant increase in the measured distances in wild type mice; some distances in the top-basal axis were decreased during the observation period. In the Twist1+/- mouse, growth in the top-basal axis was accelerated and that of the frontal cranium was reduced. In the unicoronal suture fusion mouse, the length of the zygomatic arch of affected side was shorter in the Twist1+/- mouse. In one postnatal day 56 Twist1+/- mouse with bilateral coronal suture fusion, asymmetric zygomatic arch length was identified. CONCLUSION The authors'results suggest that measuring the length of the left and right zygomatic arches may be useful for early diagnosis of coronal suture fusion and for estimation of the timing of synostosis, and that more detailed study on the growth pattern of the normal and the synostosed skull could provide prediction of the risk of resynostosis. CLINICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT The data from this study can be useful to better understand the cranial growth pattern in patients with craniosynostosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takashi Nuri
- From the Department of Plastic Reconstructive Surgery, Osaka Medical College; Food and Nutrition, Japan Women's University; and Molecular Craniofacial Embryology, Tokyo Medical and Dental University
| | - Masato Ota
- From the Department of Plastic Reconstructive Surgery, Osaka Medical College; Food and Nutrition, Japan Women's University; and Molecular Craniofacial Embryology, Tokyo Medical and Dental University
| | - Koichi Ueda
- From the Department of Plastic Reconstructive Surgery, Osaka Medical College; Food and Nutrition, Japan Women's University; and Molecular Craniofacial Embryology, Tokyo Medical and Dental University
| | - Sachiko Iseki
- From the Department of Plastic Reconstructive Surgery, Osaka Medical College; Food and Nutrition, Japan Women's University; and Molecular Craniofacial Embryology, Tokyo Medical and Dental University
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Romanelli Tavares VL, Guimarães-Ramos SL, Zhou Y, Masotti C, Ezquina S, Moreira DDP, Buermans H, Freitas RS, Den Dunnen JT, Twigg SRF, Passos-Bueno MR. New locus underlying auriculocondylar syndrome (ARCND): 430 kb duplication involving TWIST1 regulatory elements. J Med Genet 2021; 59:895-905. [PMID: 34750192 PMCID: PMC9411924 DOI: 10.1136/jmedgenet-2021-107825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2021] [Accepted: 09/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Background Auriculocondylar syndrome (ARCND) is a rare genetic disease that affects structures derived from the first and second pharyngeal arches, mainly resulting in micrognathia and auricular malformations. To date, pathogenic variants have been identified in three genes involved in the EDN1-DLX5/6 pathway (PLCB4, GNAI3 and EDN1) and some cases remain unsolved. Here we studied a large unsolved four-generation family. Methods We performed linkage analysis, resequencing and Capture-C to investigate the causative variant of this family. To test the pathogenicity of the CNV found, we modelled the disease in patient craniofacial progenitor cells, including induced pluripotent cell (iPSC)-derived neural crest and mesenchymal cells. Results This study highlights a fourth locus causative of ARCND, represented by a tandem duplication of 430 kb in a candidate region on chromosome 7 defined by linkage analysis. This duplication segregates with the disease in the family (LOD score=2.88) and includes HDAC9, which is located over 200 kb telomeric to the top candidate gene TWIST1. Notably, Capture-C analysis revealed multiple cis interactions between the TWIST1 promoter and possible regulatory elements within the duplicated region. Modelling of the disease revealed an increased expression of HDAC9 and its neighbouring gene, TWIST1, in neural crest cells. We also identified decreased migration of iPSC-derived neural crest cells together with dysregulation of osteogenic differentiation in iPSC-affected mesenchymal stem cells. Conclusion Our findings support the hypothesis that the 430 kb duplication is causative of the ARCND phenotype in this family and that deregulation of TWIST1 expression during craniofacial development can contribute to the phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Yan Zhou
- Clinical Genetics Group, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Cibele Masotti
- Genética e Biologia Evolutiva, Universidade de São Paulo Instituto de Biociências, Sao Paulo, Brazil.,Molecular Oncology Center, Hospital Sírio-Libanês, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Suzana Ezquina
- Genética e Biologia Evolutiva, Universidade de São Paulo Instituto de Biociências, Sao Paulo, Brazil.,Centre for Cancer Genetic Epidemiology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Danielle de Paula Moreira
- Genética e Biologia Evolutiva, Universidade de São Paulo Instituto de Biociências, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Henk Buermans
- Leiden Genome Technology Center, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Renato S Freitas
- Centro de Atendimento Integral ao Fissurado Lábio Palatal, Curitiba, Brazil
| | - Johan T Den Dunnen
- Leiden Genome Technology Center, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Stephen R F Twigg
- Clinical Genetics Group, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Maria Rita Passos-Bueno
- Genética e Biologia Evolutiva, Universidade de São Paulo Instituto de Biociências, Sao Paulo, Brazil
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Abstract
INTRODUCTION Saethre-Chotzen syndrome is a genetic condition characterized by craniofacial and limb anomalies, with craniosynostosis (mainly coronal) being the most frequent craniofacial finding. Cranial and facial deformities can be extremely variable requiring individualization of treatment strategies. We present our case series to highlight clinical findings, treatment philosophy, and challenges facing Saethre-Chotzen patients. METHODS A retrospective review was performed on records of patients given a diagnosis of Saethre-Chotzen syndrome at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Craniofacial Clinic (n = 7) between 1980 and 2010. Patients with complete records were included in this study, and review of demographic data, clinical findings, surgical interventions and postoperative follow-up, and stability were performed. RESULTS Seven patients (1 male and 6 female) were included in this study. The average age at which the patients were first seen was 6.5 years. Suture involvement was bicoronal (n = 6) and unicoronal (n = 1). There was 1 patient having superimposed metopic synostosis, and there was another patient having Kleeblattschädel deformity. Previous procedures performed for patients before establishing care at UCLA were strip craniectomy (n = 2) and fronto-orbital advancement (n = 2). All patients (n = 7) had fronto-orbital advancements at UCLA. Other skeletal operations included the following: redo forehead advancement and contouring (n = 3), monobloc advancement (n = 1), and LeFort III distraction (n = 1). Five patients reached skeletal maturity, and 2 patients received LeFort I advancement for class III malocclusion, one of which also required a bilateral sagittal split osteotomy of the mandible. CONCLUSION Clinical presentation and severity of deformity in Saethre-Chotzen syndrome are variable. Our current report reviews our treatment strategies and illustrates the predominance of cranial and upper face deformities and frequent need for redo surgeries to address forehead asymmetry in this group of syndromic craniosynostosis patients.
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Abstract
Craniosynostosis refers to a condition during early development in which one or more of the fibrous sutures of the skull prematurely fuse by turning into bone, which produces recognizable patterns of cranial shape malformations depending on which suture(s) are affected. In addition to cases with isolated cranial dysmorphologies, craniosynostosis appears in syndromes that include skeletal features of the eyes, nose, palate, hands, and feet as well as impairment of vision, hearing, and intellectual development. Approximately 85% of the cases are nonsyndromic sporadic and emerge after de novo structural genome rearrangements or single nucleotide variation, while the remainders consist of syndromic cases following mendelian inheritance. By karyotyping, genome wide linkage, and CNV analyses as well as by whole exome and whole genome sequencing, numerous candidate genes for craniosynostosis belonging to the FGF, Wnt, BMP, Ras/ERK, ephrin, hedgehog, STAT, and retinoic acid signaling pathways have been identified. Many of the craniosynostosis-related candidate genes form a functional network based upon protein-protein or protein-DNA interactions. Depending on which node of this craniosynostosis-related network is affected by a gene mutation or a change in gene expression pattern, a distinct craniosynostosis syndrome or set of phenotypes ensues. Structural variations may alter the dosage of one or several genes or disrupt the genomic architecture of genes and their regulatory elements within topologically associated chromatin domains. These may exert dominant effects by either haploinsufficiency, dominant negative partial loss of function, gain of function, epistatic interaction, or alteration of levels and patterns of gene expression during development. Molecular mechanisms of dominant modes of action of these mutations may include loss of one or several binding sites for cognate protein partners or transcription factor binding sequences. Such losses affect interactions within functional networks governing development and consequently result in phenotypes such as craniosynostosis. Many of the novel variants identified by genome wide CNV analyses, whole exome and whole genome sequencing are incorporated in recently developed diagnostic algorithms for craniosynostosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Poot
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
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Zhao Z, Rahman MA, Chen ZG, Shin DM. Multiple biological functions of Twist1 in various cancers. Oncotarget 2017; 8:20380-20393. [PMID: 28099910 PMCID: PMC5386770 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.14608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2016] [Accepted: 01/01/2017] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Twist1 is a well-known regulator of transcription during embryonic organogenesis in many species. In humans, Twist1 malfunction was first linked to Saethre-Chotzen syndrome and later identified to play an essential role in tumor initiation, stemness, angiogenesis, invasion, metastasis, and chemo-resistance in a variety of carcinomas, sarcomas, and hematological malignances. In this review, we will first focus on systematically elaborating the diverse pathological functions of Twist1 in various cancers, then delineating the intricate underlying network of molecular mechanisms, based on which we will summarize current therapeutic strategies in cancer treatment that target and modulate Twist1-involved signaling pathways. Most importantly, we will put special emphasis on revealing the independence and interdependency of these multiple biological functions of Twist1, piecing together the whole delicate picture of Twist1's diversified pathological roles in different cancers and providing new perspectives to guide future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhixiang Zhao
- Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States of America.,Department of Dermatology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Mohammad Aminur Rahman
- Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | - Zhuo G Chen
- Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | - Dong M Shin
- Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
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7
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Bouard C, Terreux R, Tissier A, Jacqueroud L, Vigneron A, Ansieau S, Puisieux A, Payen L. Destabilization of the TWIST1/E12 complex dimerization following the R154P point-mutation of TWIST1: an in silico approach. BMC STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY 2017; 17:6. [PMID: 28521820 PMCID: PMC5437649 DOI: 10.1186/s12900-017-0076-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2017] [Accepted: 05/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Background The bHLH transcription factor TWIST1 plays a key role in the embryonic development and in tumorigenesis. Some loss-of-function mutations of the TWIST1 gene have been shown to cause an autosomal dominant craniosynostosis, known as the Saethre-Chotzen syndrome (SCS). Although the functional impacts of many TWIST1 mutations have been experimentally reported, little is known on the molecular mechanisms underlying their loss-of-function. In a previous study, we highlighted the predictive value of in silico molecular dynamics (MD) simulations in deciphering the molecular function of TWIST1 residues. Results Here, since the substitution of the arginine 154 amino acid by a glycine residue (R154G) is responsible for the SCS phenotype and the substitution of arginine 154 by a proline experimentally decreases the dimerizing ability of TWIST1, we investigated the molecular impact of this point mutation using MD approaches. Consistently, MD simulations highlighted a clear decrease in the stability of the α-helix during the dimerization of the mutated R154P TWIST1/E12 dimer compared to the wild-type TE complex, which was further confirmed in vitro using immunoassays. Conclusions Our study demonstrates that MD simulations provide a structural explanation for the loss-of-function associated with the SCS TWIST1 mutation and provides a proof of concept of the predictive value of these MD simulations. This in silico methodology could be used to determine reliable pharmacophore sites, leading to the application of docking approaches in order to identify specific inhibitors of TWIST1 complexes. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12900-017-0076-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Bouard
- Inserm UMR-S1052, Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Lyon, Lyon, 69373, France.,CNRS UMR5286, Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Lyon, Lyon, 69373, France.,LabEX DEVweCAN, Lyon, France.,UNIV UMR1052, Lyon, 69008, France.,Centre Léon Bérard, Lyon, 69373, France
| | - Raphael Terreux
- Université de Lyon1, ISPB, Lyon, 69008, France.,Pole Rhône-Alpes de Bioinformatique - Lyon Gerland (PRABI-LG), Lyon, 69007, France.,CNRS UMR 5305, Lyon, France
| | - Agnès Tissier
- Inserm UMR-S1052, Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Lyon, Lyon, 69373, France.,CNRS UMR5286, Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Lyon, Lyon, 69373, France.,LabEX DEVweCAN, Lyon, France.,UNIV UMR1052, Lyon, 69008, France.,Centre Léon Bérard, Lyon, 69373, France
| | - Laurent Jacqueroud
- Inserm UMR-S1052, Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Lyon, Lyon, 69373, France.,CNRS UMR5286, Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Lyon, Lyon, 69373, France.,LabEX DEVweCAN, Lyon, France.,UNIV UMR1052, Lyon, 69008, France.,Centre Léon Bérard, Lyon, 69373, France
| | - Arnaud Vigneron
- Inserm UMR-S1052, Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Lyon, Lyon, 69373, France.,CNRS UMR5286, Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Lyon, Lyon, 69373, France.,LabEX DEVweCAN, Lyon, France.,UNIV UMR1052, Lyon, 69008, France.,Centre Léon Bérard, Lyon, 69373, France
| | - Stéphane Ansieau
- Inserm UMR-S1052, Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Lyon, Lyon, 69373, France.,CNRS UMR5286, Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Lyon, Lyon, 69373, France.,LabEX DEVweCAN, Lyon, France.,UNIV UMR1052, Lyon, 69008, France.,Centre Léon Bérard, Lyon, 69373, France
| | - Alain Puisieux
- Inserm UMR-S1052, Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Lyon, Lyon, 69373, France.,CNRS UMR5286, Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Lyon, Lyon, 69373, France.,LabEX DEVweCAN, Lyon, France.,UNIV UMR1052, Lyon, 69008, France.,Centre Léon Bérard, Lyon, 69373, France.,Université de Lyon1, ISPB, Lyon, 69008, France.,Institut Universitaire de France, Paris, 75231, France
| | - Léa Payen
- Inserm UMR-S1052, Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Lyon, Lyon, 69373, France. .,CNRS UMR5286, Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Lyon, Lyon, 69373, France. .,LabEX DEVweCAN, Lyon, France. .,UNIV UMR1052, Lyon, 69008, France. .,Centre Léon Bérard, Lyon, 69373, France. .,Université de Lyon1, ISPB, Lyon, 69008, France. .,Laboratoire de Biochimie et Biologie Moléculaire (CHLS), Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon, 69003, France.
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Cleary MA, Narcisi R, Albiero A, Jenner F, de Kroon LMG, Koevoet WJLM, Brama PAJ, van Osch GJVM. Dynamic Regulation of TWIST1 Expression During Chondrogenic Differentiation of Human Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells. Stem Cells Dev 2017; 26:751-761. [PMID: 28300491 DOI: 10.1089/scd.2016.0308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) are clinically promising to repair damaged articular cartilage. This study investigated TWIST1, an important transcriptional regulator in mesenchymal lineages, in BMSC chondrogenesis. We hypothesized that downregulation of TWIST1 expression is required for in vitro chondrogenic differentiation. Indeed, significant downregulation of TWIST1 was observed in murine skeletal progenitor cells during limb development (N = 3 embryos), and during chondrogenic differentiation of culture-expanded human articular chondrocytes (N = 3 donors) and isolated adult human BMSCs (N = 7 donors), consistent with an inhibitory effect of TWIST1 expression on chondrogenic differentiation. Silencing of TWIST1 expression in BMSCs by siRNA, however, did not improve chondrogenic differentiation potential. Interestingly, additional investigation revealed that downregulation of TWIST1 in chondrogenic BMSCs is preceded by an initial upregulation. Similar upregulation is observed in non-chondrogenic BMSCs (N = 5 donors); however, non-chondrogenic cells fail to downregulate TWIST1 expression thereafter, preventing their chondrogenic differentiation. This study describes for the first time endogenous TWIST1 expression during in vitro chondrogenic differentiation of human BMSCs, demonstrating dynamic regulation of TWIST1 expression whereby upregulation and then downregulation of TWIST1 expression are required for chondrogenic differentiation of BMSCs. Elucidation of the molecular regulation of, and by, TWIST1 will provide targets for optimization of BMSC chondrogenic differentiation culture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mairéad A Cleary
- 1 School of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinary Clinical Sciences, University College Dublin , Dublin, Ireland .,2 Department of Orthopaedics, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center , Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Roberto Narcisi
- 2 Department of Orthopaedics, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center , Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Anna Albiero
- 2 Department of Orthopaedics, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center , Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Florien Jenner
- 3 University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna , Equine Hospital, Vienna, Austria
| | - Laurie M G de Kroon
- 2 Department of Orthopaedics, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center , Rotterdam, the Netherlands .,4 Department of Rheumatology, Radboud University Medical Center , Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Wendy J L M Koevoet
- 5 Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center , Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Pieter A J Brama
- 1 School of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinary Clinical Sciences, University College Dublin , Dublin, Ireland
| | - Gerjo J V M van Osch
- 2 Department of Orthopaedics, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center , Rotterdam, the Netherlands .,5 Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center , Rotterdam, the Netherlands
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9
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Middelkamp S, van Heesch S, Braat AK, de Ligt J, van Iterson M, Simonis M, van Roosmalen MJ, Kelder MJE, Kruisselbrink E, Hochstenbach R, Verbeek NE, Ippel EF, Adolfs Y, Pasterkamp RJ, Kloosterman WP, Kuijk EW, Cuppen E. Molecular dissection of germline chromothripsis in a developmental context using patient-derived iPS cells. Genome Med 2017; 9:9. [PMID: 28126037 PMCID: PMC5270341 DOI: 10.1186/s13073-017-0399-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2016] [Accepted: 01/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Germline chromothripsis causes complex genomic rearrangements that are likely to affect multiple genes and their regulatory contexts. The contribution of individual rearrangements and affected genes to the phenotypes of patients with complex germline genomic rearrangements is generally unknown. Methods To dissect the impact of germline chromothripsis in a relevant developmental context, we performed trio-based RNA expression analysis on blood cells, induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), and iPSC-derived neuronal cells from a patient with de novo germline chromothripsis and both healthy parents. In addition, Hi-C and 4C-seq experiments were performed to determine the effects of the genomic rearrangements on transcription regulation of genes in the proximity of the breakpoint junctions. Results Sixty-seven genes are located within 1 Mb of the complex chromothripsis rearrangements involving 17 breakpoints on four chromosomes. We find that three of these genes (FOXP1, DPYD, and TWIST1) are both associated with developmental disorders and differentially expressed in the patient. Interestingly, the effect on TWIST1 expression was exclusively detectable in the patient’s iPSC-derived neuronal cells, stressing the need for studying developmental disorders in the biologically relevant context. Chromosome conformation capture analyses show that TWIST1 lost genomic interactions with several enhancers due to the chromothripsis event, which likely led to deregulation of TWIST1 expression and contributed to the patient’s craniosynostosis phenotype. Conclusions We demonstrate that a combination of patient-derived iPSC differentiation and trio-based molecular profiling is a powerful approach to improve the interpretation of pathogenic complex genomic rearrangements. Here we have applied this approach to identify misexpression of TWIST1, FOXP1, and DPYD as key contributors to the complex congenital phenotype resulting from germline chromothripsis rearrangements. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13073-017-0399-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sjors Middelkamp
- Center for Molecular Medicine and Cancer Genomics Netherlands, Division Biomedical Genetics, University Medical Center Utrecht, Universiteitsweg 100, Utrecht, 3584CG, The Netherlands
| | - Sebastiaan van Heesch
- Center for Molecular Medicine and Cancer Genomics Netherlands, Division Biomedical Genetics, University Medical Center Utrecht, Universiteitsweg 100, Utrecht, 3584CG, The Netherlands.,Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) in the Helmholtz Association, Robert-Rössle-Strasse 10, Berlin, 13125, Germany
| | - A Koen Braat
- Department of Cell Biology, Center for Molecular Medicine and Regenerative Medicine Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Uppsalalaan 6, Utrecht, 3584CT, The Netherlands
| | - Joep de Ligt
- Center for Molecular Medicine and Cancer Genomics Netherlands, Division Biomedical Genetics, University Medical Center Utrecht, Universiteitsweg 100, Utrecht, 3584CG, The Netherlands
| | - Maarten van Iterson
- Department of Molecular Epidemiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Einthovenweg 20, Leiden, 2333ZC, The Netherlands
| | - Marieke Simonis
- Cergentis B.V., Yalelaan 62, Utrecht, 3584CM, The Netherlands
| | - Markus J van Roosmalen
- Center for Molecular Medicine and Cancer Genomics Netherlands, Division Biomedical Genetics, University Medical Center Utrecht, Universiteitsweg 100, Utrecht, 3584CG, The Netherlands
| | - Martijn J E Kelder
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Crewe Road, Edinburgh, EH4 2XU, UK
| | - Evelien Kruisselbrink
- Department of Pediatric Pulmonology & Laboratory of Translational Immunology, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, University Medical Centre, Lundlaan 6, Utrecht, 3584EA, The Netherlands
| | - Ron Hochstenbach
- Center for Molecular Medicine and Cancer Genomics Netherlands, Division Biomedical Genetics, University Medical Center Utrecht, Universiteitsweg 100, Utrecht, 3584CG, The Netherlands
| | - Nienke E Verbeek
- Department of Genetics, University Medical Center Utrecht, Lundlaan 6, Utrecht, 3584EA, The Netherlands
| | - Elly F Ippel
- Department of Genetics, University Medical Center Utrecht, Lundlaan 6, Utrecht, 3584EA, The Netherlands
| | - Youri Adolfs
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Universiteitsweg 100, Utrecht, 3584CG, The Netherlands
| | - R Jeroen Pasterkamp
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Universiteitsweg 100, Utrecht, 3584CG, The Netherlands
| | - Wigard P Kloosterman
- Center for Molecular Medicine and Cancer Genomics Netherlands, Division Biomedical Genetics, University Medical Center Utrecht, Universiteitsweg 100, Utrecht, 3584CG, The Netherlands
| | - Ewart W Kuijk
- Center for Molecular Medicine and Cancer Genomics Netherlands, Division Biomedical Genetics, University Medical Center Utrecht, Universiteitsweg 100, Utrecht, 3584CG, The Netherlands.
| | - Edwin Cuppen
- Center for Molecular Medicine and Cancer Genomics Netherlands, Division Biomedical Genetics, University Medical Center Utrecht, Universiteitsweg 100, Utrecht, 3584CG, The Netherlands.
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Mutation Screening of Candidate Genes in Patients with Nonsyndromic Sagittal Craniosynostosis. Plast Reconstr Surg 2016; 137:952-961. [PMID: 26910679 DOI: 10.1097/01.prs.0000479978.75545.ee] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Craniosynostosis is a condition that includes the premature fusion of one or multiple cranial sutures. Among various craniosynostosis forms, sagittal nonsyndromic craniosynostosis is the most prevalent. Although different gene mutations have been identified in some craniosynostosis syndromes, the cause of sagittal nonsyndromic craniosynostosis remains largely unknown. METHODS To screen for candidate genes for sagittal nonsyndromic craniosynostosis, the authors sequenced DNA of 93 sagittal nonsyndromic craniosynostosis patients from a population-based study conducted in Iowa and New York states. FGFR1-3 mutational hotspots and the entire TWIST1, RAB23, and BMP2 coding regions were screened because of their known roles in human nonsyndromic or syndromic sagittal craniosynostosis, expression patterns, and/or animal model studies. RESULTS The authors identified two rare variants in their cohort. A FGFR1 insertion c.730_731insG, which led to a premature stop codon, was predicted to abolish the entire immunoglobulin-like III domain, including the ligand-binding region. A c.439C>G variant was observed in TWIST1 at its highly conserved loop domain in another patient. The patient's mother harbored the same variant and was reported with jaw abnormalities. These two variants were not detected in 116 alleles from unaffected controls or seen in the several databases; however, TWIST1 variant was found in a low frequency of 0.000831 percent in Exome Aggregation Consortium database. CONCLUSIONS The low mutation detection rate indicates that these genes account for only a small proportion of sagittal nonsyndromic craniosynostosis patients. The authors' results add to the perception that sagittal nonsyndromic craniosynostosis is a complex developmental defect with considerable genetic heterogeneity. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Risk, II.
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Flaherty K, Singh N, Richtsmeier JT. Understanding craniosynostosis as a growth disorder. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY 2016; 5:429-59. [PMID: 27002187 PMCID: PMC4911263 DOI: 10.1002/wdev.227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2015] [Revised: 12/06/2015] [Accepted: 12/24/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Craniosynostosis is a condition of complex etiology that always involves the premature fusion of one or multiple cranial sutures and includes various anomalies of the soft and hard tissues of the head. Steady progress in the field has resulted in identifying gene mutations that recurrently cause craniosynostosis. There are now scores of mutations on many genes causally related to craniosynostosis syndromes, though the genetic basis for the majority of nonsyndromic cases is unknown. Identification of these genetic mutations has allowed significant progress in understanding the intrinsic properties of cranial sutures, including mechanisms responsible for normal suture patency and for pathogenesis of premature suture closure. An understanding of morphogenesis of cranial vault sutures is critical to understanding the pathophysiology of craniosynostosis conditions, but the field is now poised to recognize the repeated changes in additional skeletal and soft tissues of the head that typically accompany premature suture closure. We review the research that has brought an understanding of premature suture closure within our reach. We then enumerate the less well-studied, but equally challenging, nonsutural phenotypes of craniosynostosis conditions that are well characterized in available mouse models. We consider craniosynostosis as a complex growth disorder of multiple tissues of the developing head, whose growth is also targeted by identified mutations in ways that are poorly understood. Knowledge gained from studies of humans and mouse models for these conditions underscores the diverse, associated developmental anomalies of the head that contribute to the complex phenotypes of craniosynostosis conditions presenting novel challenges for future research. WIREs Dev Biol 2016, 5:429-459. doi: 10.1002/wdev.227 For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Flaherty
- Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University,
University Park, PA 16802
| | - Nandini Singh
- Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University,
University Park, PA 16802
| | - Joan T. Richtsmeier
- Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University,
University Park, PA 16802
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12
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Bouard C, Terreux R, Honorat M, Manship B, Ansieau S, Vigneron AM, Puisieux A, Payen L. Deciphering the molecular mechanisms underlying the binding of the TWIST1/E12 complex to regulatory E-box sequences. Nucleic Acids Res 2016; 44:5470-89. [PMID: 27151200 PMCID: PMC4914114 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkw334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2016] [Accepted: 04/13/2016] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The TWIST1 bHLH transcription factor controls embryonic development and cancer processes. Although molecular and genetic analyses have provided a wealth of data on the role of bHLH transcription factors, very little is known on the molecular mechanisms underlying their binding affinity to the E-box sequence of the promoter. Here, we used an in silico model of the TWIST1/E12 (TE) heterocomplex and performed molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of its binding to specific (TE-box) and modified E-box sequences. We focused on (i) active E-box and inactive E-box sequences, on (ii) modified active E-box sequences, as well as on (iii) two box sequences with modified adjacent bases the AT- and TA-boxes. Our in silico models were supported by functional in vitro binding assays. This exploration highlighted the predominant role of protein side-chain residues, close to the heart of the complex, at anchoring the dimer to DNA sequences, and unveiled a shift towards adjacent ((-1) and (-1*)) bases and conserved bases of modified E-box sequences. In conclusion, our study provides proof of the predictive value of these MD simulations, which may contribute to the characterization of specific inhibitors by docking approaches, and their use in pharmacological therapies by blocking the tumoral TWIST1/E12 function in cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Bouard
- Inserm UMR-S1052, Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Lyon, Lyon 69373, France CNRS UMR5286, Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Lyon, Lyon 69373, France LabEX DEVweCAN, Lyon, France UNIV UMR1052, Lyon 69008, France Centre Léon Bérard, Lyon 69373, France Université de Lyon1, ISPB, Lyon 69008, France
| | - Raphael Terreux
- Université de Lyon1, ISPB, Lyon 69008, France Institut de Biochimie des protéines IBCP, Lyon 69007, France CNRS UMR 5305, Lyon 69007, France
| | - Mylène Honorat
- Institut de Biochimie des protéines IBCP, Lyon 69007, France
| | | | - Stéphane Ansieau
- CNRS UMR5286, Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Lyon, Lyon 69373, France LabEX DEVweCAN, Lyon, France UNIV UMR1052, Lyon 69008, France Centre Léon Bérard, Lyon 69373, France
| | - Arnaud M Vigneron
- Inserm UMR-S1052, Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Lyon, Lyon 69373, France CNRS UMR5286, Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Lyon, Lyon 69373, France LabEX DEVweCAN, Lyon, France UNIV UMR1052, Lyon 69008, France Centre Léon Bérard, Lyon 69373, France
| | - Alain Puisieux
- Inserm UMR-S1052, Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Lyon, Lyon 69373, France CNRS UMR5286, Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Lyon, Lyon 69373, France LabEX DEVweCAN, Lyon, France UNIV UMR1052, Lyon 69008, France Centre Léon Bérard, Lyon 69373, France Université de Lyon1, ISPB, Lyon 69008, France Institut Universitaire de France, Paris 75231, France
| | - Léa Payen
- Inserm UMR-S1052, Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Lyon, Lyon 69373, France CNRS UMR5286, Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Lyon, Lyon 69373, France LabEX DEVweCAN, Lyon, France UNIV UMR1052, Lyon 69008, France Centre Léon Bérard, Lyon 69373, France Université de Lyon1, ISPB, Lyon 69008, France Hospices Civils de Lyon, Laboratoire de Biochimie et Biologie Moléculaire du CHLS, Lyon 69003, France
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13
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Goodnough LH, Dinuoscio GJ, Atit RP. Twist1 contributes to cranial bone initiation and dermal condensation by maintaining Wnt signaling responsiveness. Dev Dyn 2015; 245:144-56. [PMID: 26677825 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.24367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2015] [Revised: 10/29/2015] [Accepted: 10/30/2015] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Specification of cranial bone and dermal fibroblast progenitors in the supraorbital arch mesenchyme is Wnt/β-catenin signaling-dependent. The mechanism underlying how these cells interpret instructive signaling cues and differentiate into these two lineages is unclear. Twist1 is a target of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway and is expressed in cranial bone and dermal lineages. RESULTS Here, we show that onset of Twist1 expression in the mouse cranial mesenchyme is dependent on ectodermal Wnts and mesenchymal β-catenin activity. Conditional deletion of Twist1 in the supraorbital arch mesenchyme leads to cranial bone agenesis and hypoplastic dermis, as well as craniofacial malformation of eyes and palate. Twist1 is preferentially required for cranial bone lineage commitment by maintaining Wnt responsiveness. In the conditional absence of Twist1, the cranial dermis fails to condense and expand apically leading to extensive cranial dermal hypoplasia with few and undifferentiated hair follicles. CONCLUSIONS Thus, Twist1, a target of canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling, also functions to maintain Wnt responsiveness and is a key effector for cranial bone fate selection and dermal condensation.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Henry Goodnough
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio
| | - Gregg J Dinuoscio
- Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio
| | - Radhika P Atit
- Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio.,Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio.,Department of Dermatology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio
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14
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Inducible knockout of Twist1 in young and adult mice prolongs hair growth cycle and has mild effects on general health, supporting Twist1 as a preferential cancer target. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY 2013; 183:1281-1292. [PMID: 23906809 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2013.06.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2013] [Revised: 06/06/2013] [Accepted: 06/26/2013] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Twist1 promotes epithelial-mesenchymal transition, invasion, metastasis, stemness, and chemotherapy resistance in cancer cells and thus is a potential target for cancer therapy. However, Twist1-null mice are embryonic lethal, and people with one Twist1 germline mutant allele develop Saethre-Chotzen syndrome; it is questionable whether Twist1 can be targeted in patients without severe adverse effects. We found that Twist1 is expressed in several tissues, including fibroblasts of the mammary glands and dermal papilla cells of the hair follicles. We developed a tamoxifen-inducible Twist1 knockout mouse model; Twist1 knockout in 6-week-old female mice did not affect mammary gland morphogenesis and function during pregnancy and lactation. In both males and females, the knockout did not influence body weight gain, heart rate, or total lean and fat components. The knockout also did not alter blood pressure in males, although it slightly reduced blood pressure in females. Although Twist1 is not cyclically expressed in dermal papilla cells, knockout of Twist1 at postnatal day 13 (when hair follicles have developed) drastically extended the anagen phase and accelerated hair growth. These results indicate that Twist1 is not essential for maintaining an overall healthy condition in young and adult mice and that loss of function facilitates hair growth in adulthood, supporting Twist1 as a preferential target for cancer therapy.
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15
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Vincentz JW, Firulli BA, Lin A, Spicer DB, Howard MJ, Firulli AB. Twist1 controls a cell-specification switch governing cell fate decisions within the cardiac neural crest. PLoS Genet 2013; 9:e1003405. [PMID: 23555309 PMCID: PMC3605159 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1003405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2012] [Accepted: 02/07/2013] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Neural crest cells are multipotent progenitor cells that can generate both ectodermal cell types, such as neurons, and mesodermal cell types, such as smooth muscle. The mechanisms controlling this cell fate choice are not known. The basic Helix-loop-Helix (bHLH) transcription factor Twist1 is expressed throughout the migratory and post-migratory cardiac neural crest. Twist1 ablation or mutation of the Twist-box causes differentiation of ectopic neuronal cells, which molecularly resemble sympathetic ganglia, in the cardiac outflow tract. Twist1 interacts with the pro-neural factor Sox10 via its Twist-box domain and binds to the Phox2b promoter to repress transcriptional activity. Mesodermal cardiac neural crest trans-differentiation into ectodermal sympathetic ganglia-like neurons is dependent upon Phox2b function. Ectopic Twist1 expression in neural crest precursors disrupts sympathetic neurogenesis. These data demonstrate that Twist1 functions in post-migratory neural crest cells to repress pro-neural factors and thereby regulate cell fate determination between ectodermal and mesodermal lineages. During vertebrate development, a unique population of cells, termed neural crest cells, migrates throughout the developing embryo, generating various cell types, for example, the smooth muscle that divides the aorta and pulmonary artery where they connect to the heart, and the autonomic neurons, which coordinate organ function. The distinctions between neural crest cells that will form smooth muscle and those that will become neurons are thought to occur prior to migration. Here, we show that, in mice with mutations of the transcription factor Twist1, a subpopulation of presumptive smooth muscle cells, following migration to the heart, instead mis-specify to resemble autonomic neurons. Twist1 represses transcription of the pro-neural factor Phox2b both through antagonism of its upstream effector, Sox10, and through direct binding to its promoter. Phox2b is absolutely required for autonomic neuron development, and indeed, the aberrant neurons in Twist1 mutants disappear when Phox2b is also mutated. Ectopic Twist1 expression within all neural crest cells disrupts the specification of normal autonomic neurons. Collectively, these data reveal that neural crest cells can alter their cell fate from mesoderm to ectoderm after they have migrated and that Twist1 functions to maintain neural crest cell potency during embryonic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua W Vincentz
- Riley Heart Research Center, Herman B Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Division of Pediatrics Cardiology, Departments of Anatomy, Indiana University Medical School, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America
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16
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Qin Q, Xu Y, He T, Qin C, Xu J. Normal and disease-related biological functions of Twist1 and underlying molecular mechanisms. Cell Res 2011; 22:90-106. [PMID: 21876555 DOI: 10.1038/cr.2011.144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 318] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
This article reviews the molecular structure, expression pattern, physiological function, pathological roles and molecular mechanisms of Twist1 in development, genetic disease and cancer. Twist1 is a basic helix-loop-helix domain-containing transcription factor. It forms homo- or hetero-dimers in order to bind the Nde1 E-box element and activate or repress its target genes. During development, Twist1 is essential for mesoderm specification and differentiation. Heterozygous loss-of-function mutations of the human Twist1 gene cause several diseases including the Saethre-Chotzen syndrome. The Twist1-null mouse embryos die with unclosed cranial neural tubes and defective head mesenchyme, somites and limb buds. Twist1 is expressed in breast, liver, prostate, gastric and other types of cancers, and its expression is usually associated with invasive and metastatic cancer phenotypes. In cancer cells, Twist1 is upregulated by multiple factors including SRC-1, STAT3, MSX2, HIF-1α, integrin-linked kinase and NF-κB. Twist1 significantly enhances epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and cancer cell migration and invasion, hence promoting cancer metastasis. Twist1 promotes EMT in part by directly repressing E-cadherin expression by recruiting the nucleosome remodeling and deacetylase complex for gene repression and by upregulating Bmi1, AKT2, YB-1, etc. Emerging evidence also suggests that Twist1 plays a role in expansion and chemotherapeutic resistance of cancer stem cells. Further understanding of the mechanisms by which Twist1 promotes metastasis and identification of Twist1 functional modulators may hold promise for developing new strategies to inhibit EMT and cancer metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Qin
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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17
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A newly described bovine type 2 scurs syndrome segregates with a frame-shift mutation in TWIST1. PLoS One 2011; 6:e22242. [PMID: 21814570 PMCID: PMC3141036 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0022242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2011] [Accepted: 06/17/2011] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The developmental pathways involved in horn development are complex and still poorly understood. Here we report the description of a new dominant inherited syndrome in the bovine Charolais breed that we have named type 2 scurs. Clinical examination revealed that, despite a strong phenotypic variability, all affected individuals show both horn abnormalities similar to classical scurs phenotype and skull interfrontal suture synostosis. Based on a genome-wide linkage analysis using Illumina BovineSNP50 BeadChip genotyping data from 57 half-sib and full-sib progeny, this locus was mapped to a 1.7 Mb interval on bovine chromosome 4. Within this region, the TWIST1 gene encoding a transcription factor was considered as a strong candidate gene since its haploinsufficiency is responsible for the human Saethre-Chotzen syndrome, characterized by skull coronal suture synostosis. Sequencing of the TWIST1 gene identified a c.148_157dup (p.A56RfsX87) frame-shift mutation predicted to completely inactivate this gene. Genotyping 17 scurred and 20 horned founders of our pedigree as well as 48 unrelated horned controls revealed a perfect association between this mutation and the type 2 scurs phenotype. Subsequent genotyping of 32 individuals born from heterozygous parents showed that homozygous mutated progeny are completely absent, which is consistent with the embryonic lethality reported in Drosophila and mouse suffering from TWIST1 complete insufficiency. Finally, data from previous studies on model species and a fine description of type 2 scurs symptoms allowed us to propose different mechanisms to explain the features of this syndrome. In conclusion, this first report on the identification of a potential causal mutation affecting horn development in cattle offers a unique opportunity to better understand horn ontogenesis.
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18
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A de novo balanced translocation t(7;12)(p21.2;p12.3) in a patient with Saethre-Chotzen-like phenotype downregulates TWIST and an osteoclastic protein-tyrosine phosphatase, PTP-oc. Eur J Med Genet 2011; 54:e478-83. [PMID: 21708297 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmg.2011.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2011] [Accepted: 05/23/2011] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Saethre-Chotzen syndrome (SCS) is an autosomal dominant craniosynostosis syndrome with variable expression. Here we report on a female infant with a de novo balanced translocation 46, XX, t(7;12)(p21.2;p12.3) and presenting at birth brachycephaly, antimongolic palpebral fissures, ocular hypertelorism, broad nose with low nasal bridge and low-set ears. This phenotype is suggestive of a subtle form of SCS, given the absence of limbs anomalies. Cloning of both breakpoints revealed that the translocation does not interrupt the TWIST1 coding region, on 7p21, known to be causative for SCS, but downregulates TWIST1 expression due to a position effect. On chromosome 12, the breakpoint translocates a shorter transcript of PTPRO gene, the osteoclastic protein-tyrosine phosphatase, PTP-oc, near to regulatory region of 7p leading to down-regulation of PTP-oc in the proband's fibroblasts. This is a confirmatory case report providing further evidence for TWIST1 haploinsufficiency in SCS, although a possible role of PTP-oc as genetic factor underlying or at least influencing the development of craniosynostosis could not be a priori excluded.
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19
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Reoperation for intracranial hypertension in TWIST1-confirmed Saethre-Chotzen syndrome: a 15-year review. Plast Reconstr Surg 2009; 123:1801-1810. [PMID: 19483581 DOI: 10.1097/prs.0b013e3181a3f391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Saethre-Chotzen syndrome is a syndromic craniosynostosis defined by a genetic mutation affecting the TWIST1 gene on chromosome 7p21. It is typically associated with unicoronal or bicoronal synostosis, eyelid ptosis, dysmorphic external ears, and other variable facial and limb abnormalities. Surgical management of the craniosynostosis addresses the calvarial deformity and may relieve or reduce the risk of intracranial hypertension. The aim of this study was to assess surgical intervention, with particular consideration of the reoperation rate for intracranial hypertension, in Saethre-Chotzen syndrome patients. METHODS A retrospective case note analysis was performed on all patients with a confirmed TWIST1 gene abnormality who attended the Oxford Craniofacial Unit over a 15-year period. Each patient's mutation and clinical features were recorded. Surgical intervention and sequelae were examined in greater detail. RESULTS Thirty-four patients with genetically confirmed Saethre-Chotzen syndrome were identified. All had craniosynostosis (bicoronal, 76 percent; unicoronal, 18 percent; bicoronal and sagittal, 6 percent), and the majority had eyelid ptosis, low frontal hairline, and external ear anomalies. Thirty-one patients had received surgical intervention. Nine of 26 patients (35 percent) with at least 12 months of follow-up after primary intervention and eight of 19 patients (42 percent) with at least 5 years of follow-up developed intracranial hypertension necessitating secondary calvarial surgery. CONCLUSIONS Despite standard surgical intervention, patients with Saethre-Chotzen syndrome have a high rate (35 to 42 percent) of recurrent intracranial hypertension necessitating further surgical expansion. All patients with either bicoronal synostosis or unicoronal synostosis with syndromic features should be screened for TWIST1 mutations, as this confers a greater risk than nonsyndromic synostosis of the same sutures. Regular follow-up throughout the childhood years is essential.
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De S, Teichmann SA, Babu MM. The impact of genomic neighborhood on the evolution of human and chimpanzee transcriptome. Genome Res 2009; 19:785-94. [PMID: 19233772 DOI: 10.1101/gr.086165.108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Divergence of gene expression can result in phenotypic variation, which contributes to the evolution of new species. Although the influence of trans- and cis-regulatory mutations is well known, the genome-wide impact of changes in genomic neighborhood of genes on expression divergence between species remains largely unexplored. Here, we compare the neighborhood of orthologous genes (within a window of 2 MB) in human and chimpanzee with the expression levels of their transcripts from several equivalent tissues and demonstrate that genes with altered neighborhood are more likely to undergo expression divergence than genes with conserved neighborhood. We observe the same trend when expression divergence data were analyzed from six different brain parts that are equivalent between human and chimpanzee. Additionally, we find enrichment for genes with altered neighborhood to be expressed in a tissue-specific manner in the human brain. These results suggest that expression divergence induced by this mechanism could have contributed to the phenotypic differences between human and chimpanzee. We propose that, in addition to other molecular mechanisms, change in genomic neighborhood is an important factor that drives transcriptome evolution.
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Murakami M, Ohkuma M, Nakamura M. Molecular mechanism of transforming growth factor-β-mediated inhibition of growth arrest and differentiation in a myoblast cell line. Dev Growth Differ 2008; 50:121-30. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1440-169x.2007.00982.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Sahlin P, Windh P, Lauritzen C, Emanuelsson M, Grönberg H, Stenman G. Women with Saethre-Chotzen syndrome are at increased risk of breast cancer. Genes Chromosomes Cancer 2007; 46:656-60. [PMID: 17437280 DOI: 10.1002/gcc.20449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The Saethre-Chotzen syndrome is an autosomal, dominantly inherited craniosynostosis caused by mutations in the basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor gene TWIST1. This syndrome has hitherto not been associated with an increased risk of cancer. However, recent studies, using a murine breast tumor model, have shown that Twist may act as a key regulator of metastasis and that the gene is overexpressed in subsets of sporadic human breast cancers. Here, we report a novel association between the Saethre-Chotzen syndrome and breast cancer. In 15 Swedish Saethre-Chotzen families, 15 of 29 (52%) women carriers over the age of 25 had developed breast cancer. At least four patients developed breast cancer before 40 years of age, and five between 40 and 50 years of age. The observed cases with breast cancer (n = 15) are significantly higher than expected (n = 0.89), which gives a standardized incidence ratio (SIR) of 16.80 (95% CI 1.54-32.06). Our finding of a high frequency of breast cancer in women with the Saethre-Chotzen syndrome identifies breast cancer as an important and previously unrecognized symptom characteristic of this syndrome. The results strongly suggest that women carriers of this syndrome would benefit from genetic counseling and enrolment in surveillance programs including yearly mammography. Our results also indicate that the TWIST1 gene may be a novel breast cancer susceptibility gene. Additional studies are, however, necessary to reveal the mechanism by which TWIST1 may predispose to early onset breast cancer in Saethre-Chotzen patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pelle Sahlin
- Department of Plastic Surgery, The Sahlgrenska Academy at Göteborg University, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Göteborg, Sweden.
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Ohkuma M, Funato N, Higashihori N, Murakami M, Ohyama K, Nakamura M. Unique CCT repeats mediate transcription of the TWIST1 gene in mesenchymal cell lines. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2007; 352:925-31. [PMID: 17157810 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2006.11.114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2006] [Accepted: 11/26/2006] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
TWIST1, a basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor, plays critical roles in embryo development, cancer metastasis and mesenchymal progenitor differentiation. Little is known about transcriptional regulation of TWIST1 expression. Here we identified DNA sequences responsible for TWIST1 expression in mesenchymal lineage cell lines. Reporter assays with TWIST1 promoter mutants defined the -102 to -74 sequences that are essential for TWIST1 expression in human and mouse mesenchymal cell lines. Tandem repeats of CCT, but not putative CREB and NF-kappaB sites in the sequences substantially supported activity of the TWIST1 promoter. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay demonstrated that the DNA sequences with the CCT repeats formed complexes with nuclear factors, containing, at least, Sp1 and Sp3. These results suggest critical implication of the CCT repeats in association with Sp1 and Sp3 factors in sustaining expression of the TWIST1 gene in mesenchymal cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mizue Ohkuma
- Maxillofacial Orthognathics, Graduate School, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo 113-8549, Japan
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Jadico SK, Huebner A, McDonald-McGinn DM, Zackai EH, Young TL. Ocular phenotype correlations in patients with TWIST versus FGFR3 genetic mutations. J AAPOS 2006; 10:435-44. [PMID: 17070479 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaapos.2006.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2005] [Accepted: 06/14/2006] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND/PURPOSE Despite the similar clinical phenotype of the Saethre-Chotzen and Muenke craniosynostoses, the 2 syndromes are now genotypically distinct. Patients with Saethre-Chotzen and Muenke syndromes carry mutations in the TWIST and fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) 3 genes, respectively. We sought to assess possible ocular phenotypic differences in patients with mutations of either gene previously grouped according to phenotype only. METHODS A retrospective chart review was performed for 21 children with known mutations of the TWIST (n=10) or the FGFR3 (n=11) genes. Data gathered included patient sex, age, family craniofacial history, craniofacial and ophthalmic surgeries, type of strabismus, ptosis, cycloplegic refraction, visual acuity, the presence of amblyopia, nasolacrimal duct obstruction (NLDO), nystagmus, hypertelorism, epicanthal fold anomalies, and any ocular structural abnormalities. RESULTS In the TWIST group, ptosis was present in 90%, amblyopia in 70%, horizontal strabismus in 70%, vertical strabismus in 60%, NLDO in 60%, astigmatism in 50%, inferior oblique overaction (IOOA) in 40%, hyperopia in 40%, myopia in 30%, nystagmus in 30%, and optic nerve findings in 30%. In the FGFR3 group, ptosis was present in 36%, amblyopia in 18%, horizontal strabismus in 55%, vertical strabismus in 36%, NLDO in 0%, astigmatism in 9%, IOOA in 45%, hyperopia in 27%, myopia in 18%, nystagmus in 18%, and optic nerve findings in 27%. CONCLUSIONS Patients with TWIST gene mutations may have more ophthalmic abnormalities, including more strabismus, ptosis, NLDO, astigmatism, vertical deviations, and amblyopia compared with patients with FGFR3 gene mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzanne K Jadico
- University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
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25
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Entz-Werlé N, Stoetzel C, Berard-Marec P, Kalifa C, Brugiere L, Pacquement H, Schmitt C, Tabone MD, Gentet JC, Quillet R, Oudet P, Lutz P, Babin-Boilletot A, Gaub MP, Perrin-Schmitt F. Frequent genomic abnormalities at TWIST in human pediatric osteosarcomas. Int J Cancer 2005; 117:349-55. [PMID: 15900593 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.21068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The identification of genes as markers for chromosome aberrations in specific tumors might facilitate oncogenesis mechanism comprehension, cancer detection, prediction of clinical outcomes, and response to therapy. Previous physiologic and oncologic data identified the TWIST gene as a marker for mesodermal derivative and bone tissue differentiation, but its contribution to bone malignancies has not been investigated. In the present study, search for genomic alterations in high-grade pediatric osteosarcomas was focused on the 7p21 region, and more specifically on the TWIST gene. In a cohort of 74 patients, we observed by allelotyping that 31 of 68 informative tumors were rearranged at the TWIST locus. Among them, analysis by quantitative PCR (QPCR) revealed that, surprisingly, mostly deletions (22/68), but also amplifications (9/68), of the TWIST gene were detected. Furthermore, deletions at TWIST were statistically correlated to other molecular abnormalities, like alterations at the APC or c-kit loci, as well as to clinical features such as a poor outcome. This work shows that the TWIST gene seemed to be involved in high-grade pediatric osteosarcomas and is a new marker with a possible initial predictive value.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natacha Entz-Werlé
- Service de pédiatrie Onco-Hématologie, CHRU Hautepierre, Strasbourg, France.
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26
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Fernandez BA, Siegel-Bartelt J, Herbrick JAS, Teshima I, Scherer SW. Holoprosencephaly and cleidocranial dysplasia in a patient due to two position-effect mutations: case report and review of the literature. Clin Genet 2005; 68:349-59. [PMID: 16143022 DOI: 10.1111/j.1399-0004.2005.00498.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Holoprosencephaly (HPE) is a genetically heterogeneous developmental field defect in which midline cleavage of the forebrain and craniofacial structures is impaired. Based on the analysis of HPE patients with chromosome rearrangements, at least six loci for the disorder have been assigned. The sonic hedgehog gene (SHH) at 7q36 has been identified as the HPE3 locus. Cleidocranial dysplasia (CCD) is an autosomal dominant skeletal disorder characterized by clavicular, pelvic and dental anomalies. It is caused by mutations in the osteoblast-specific transcription factor CBFA1/RUNX2, which maps to 6p21. We report a 20-year-old female with premaxillary agenesis (part of the HPE spectrum), as well as skeletal abnormalities and impacted teeth reminiscent of CCD. She carries a de novo 6;7 reciprocal translocation, with breakpoints at 6p21.1 and 7q36. We have shown previously that the 7q36 breakpoint maps 15 kb telomeric to the 5' end of SHH, which explains the patient's HPE phenotype. Now, using fluorescence in situ hybridization, we have identified a P1 artificial chromosome clone 800 kb upstream of CBFA1/RUNX2 that spans the 6p breakpoint. We propose that the proband's complex phenotype is due to two position-effect (PE) mutations, one at each translocation breakpoint, which have altered the expression of the SHH and CBFA1/RUNX2 genes. The role of PE mutations in human disease is also reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
- B A Fernandez
- Discipline of Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St John's, NL, Canada.
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27
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Ahituv N, Prabhakar S, Poulin F, Rubin EM, Couronne O. Mapping cis-regulatory domains in the human genome using multi-species conservation of synteny. Hum Mol Genet 2005; 14:3057-63. [PMID: 16155111 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddi338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Our inability to associate distant regulatory elements with the genes they regulate has largely precluded their examination for sequence alterations contributing to human disease. One major obstacle is the large genomic space surrounding targeted genes in which such elements could potentially reside. In order to delineate gene regulatory boundaries, we used whole-genome human-mouse-chicken (HMC) and human-mouse-frog (HMF) multiple alignments to compile conserved blocks of synteny (CBSs), under the hypothesis that these blocks have been kept intact throughout evolution at least in part by the requirement of regulatory elements to stay linked to the genes they regulate. A total of 2116 and 1942 CBSs >200 kb were assembled for HMC and HMF, respectively, encompassing 1.53 and 0.86 Gb of human sequence. To support the existence of complex long-range regulatory domains within these CBSs, we analyzed the prevalence and distribution of chromosomal aberrations leading to position effects (disruption of a gene's regulatory environment), observing a clear bias not only for mapping onto CBS but also for longer CBS size. Our results provide an extensive data set characterizing the regulatory domains of genes and the conserved regulatory elements within them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadav Ahituv
- Genomics Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, CA 94720, USA
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28
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Discussion. Plast Reconstr Surg 2005. [DOI: 10.1097/01.prs.0000164498.44343.6a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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29
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Oram KF, Gridley T. Mutations in snail family genes enhance craniosynostosis of Twist1 haplo-insufficient mice: implications for Saethre-Chotzen Syndrome. Genetics 2005; 170:971-4. [PMID: 15802514 PMCID: PMC1450388 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.105.041277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In Drosophila, mutations in the Twist gene interact with mutations in the Snail gene. We show that the mouse Twist1 mutation interacts with Snai1 and Snai2 mutations to enhance aberrant cranial suture fusion, demonstrating that genetic interactions between genes of the Twist and Snail families have been conserved during evolution.
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30
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Dermitzakis ET, Reymond A, Antonarakis SE. Conserved non-genic sequences — an unexpected feature of mammalian genomes. Nat Rev Genet 2005; 6:151-7. [PMID: 15716910 DOI: 10.1038/nrg1527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 211] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Mammalian genomes contain highly conserved sequences that are not functionally transcribed. These sequences are single copy and comprise approximately 1-2% of the human genome. Evolutionary analysis strongly supports their functional conservation, although their potentially diverse, functional attributes remain unknown. It is likely that genomic variation in conserved non-genic sequences is associated with phenotypic variability and human disorders. So how might their function and contribution to human disorders be examined?
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanouil T Dermitzakis
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SA, UK.
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31
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Trembath DG, Semina EV, Jones DH, Patil SR, Qian Q, Amendt BA, Russo AF, Murray JC. Analysis of two translocation breakpoints and identification of a negative regulatory element in patients with Rieger's syndrome. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2004; 70:82-91. [PMID: 14991915 DOI: 10.1002/bdra.10154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Rieger's syndrome is an autosomal dominant disorder characterized by eye, tooth, and umbilical anomalies. A gene responsible for Rieger's syndrome, PITX2, has previously been cloned using two patients with balanced translocations, t(4;16) and t(4;11), with breakpoints that lie near the gene, but which do not interrupt it. METHODS We sequenced both breakpoint regions on chromosome 4 and screened this area for novel genes. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) was used to determine if PITX2 was still present on the 4:16 chromosome. Both the chromosome 16 and chromosome 11 breakpoints were cloned and sequenced using panhandle polymerase chain reaction (PHPCR). Transient transfection studies were performed to compare effects on a reporter gene between native chromosome 4 sequence and chromosome 11 sequence. RESULTS The region surrounding PITX2 on chromosome 4 is rich in repetitive elements, but no novel genes were identified. FISH demonstrated that PITX2 was intact on the 4:16 translocation chromosome. The PHPCR experiments demonstrated that the translocated regions of chromosomes 16 and 11 were repeat-rich, and transfection studies revealed a slight enhancer effect with the chromosome 4 sequence, and a strong silencer effect when the chromosome 11 sequence was present. CONCLUSIONS Given the lack of any novel genes near either breakpoint, changes in potential regulatory elements may be the best model to explain the loss of PITX2 expression in these patients and hence the Rieger's syndrome phenotype.
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MESH Headings
- Abnormalities, Multiple/genetics
- Cells, Cultured
- Chromosome Breakage/genetics
- Chromosomes, Human, Pair 11/genetics
- Chromosomes, Human, Pair 16/genetics
- Chromosomes, Human, Pair 4/genetics
- Cloning, Molecular
- Contig Mapping
- Genes, Reporter/genetics
- Humans
- In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence
- Polymerase Chain Reaction
- Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid/genetics
- Sequence Analysis, DNA
- Syndrome
- Transfection
- Translocation, Genetic/genetics
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Affiliation(s)
- Dimitri G Trembath
- Department of Pediatrics, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242, USA
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32
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Funato N. Basic Helix-Loop-Helix (bHLH) Factors in Osteoblast Differentiation. J Oral Biosci 2004. [DOI: 10.1016/s1349-0079(04)80002-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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33
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Sáez-Hernández L, Peral B, Sanz R, Gómez-Garre P, Ramos C, Ayuso C, Serratosa JM. Characterization of a 6p21 translocation breakpoint in a family with idiopathic generalized epilepsy. Epilepsy Res 2004; 56:155-63. [PMID: 14643000 DOI: 10.1016/j.eplepsyres.2003.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
The idiopathic generalized epilepsies (IGE), for which a genetic cause is widely accepted, account for 20-30% of all epilepsies. Mapping these epilepsies is difficult, but progress in the positional cloning of idiopathic epilepsy genes responsible for monogenic forms provide emerging evidence that many idiopathic epilepsies are caused by mutations in genes coding for ion channels. Here, we show the characterization of a balanced translocation present in three members of a nuclear family, two of them affected with IGE. The translocation involved chromosome 6p21 [t(4;6) (q35;p21)], a region in which a susceptibility locus for IGE (EJM1) has been reported. Fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis with YACs and PACs resulted in the identification of a PAC clone that included the 6p21 translocation breakpoint. The genomic sequence of this PAC clone contains two 2-pore potassium channel genes, TALK-1 and TALK-2. We characterized the genomic organization of both genes, including three different isoforms of TALK-1, and investigated them in IGE patients, finding some polymorphisms in the coding sequence of TALK-1A.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Sáez-Hernández
- Laboratorio de Neurología, Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Avda. Reyes Católicos 2, Madrid 28040, Spain
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34
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Cai J, Goodman BK, Patel AS, Mulliken JB, Van Maldergem L, Hoganson GE, Paznekas WA, Ben-Neriah Z, Sheffer R, Cunningham ML, Daentl DL, Jabs EW. Increased risk for developmental delay in Saethre-Chotzen syndrome is associated with TWIST deletions: an improved strategy for TWIST mutation screening. Hum Genet 2003; 114:68-76. [PMID: 14513358 DOI: 10.1007/s00439-003-1012-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2003] [Accepted: 07/18/2003] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The majority of patients with Saethre-Chotzen syndrome have mutations in the TWIST gene, which codes for a basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor. Of the genetic alterations identified in TWIST, nonsense mutations, frameshifts secondary to small deletions or insertions, and large deletions implicate haploinsufficiency as the pathogenic mechanism. We identified three novel intragenic mutations and six deletions in our patients by using a new strategy to screen for TWIST mutations. We used polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification with subsequent sequencing to identify point mutations and small insertions or deletions in the coding region, and real-time PCR-based gene dosage analysis to identify large deletions encompassing the gene, with confirmation by microsatellite and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analyses. The size of the deletions can also be analyzed by using the gene dosage assay with "PCR walking" across the critical region. In 55 patients with features of Saethre-Chotzen syndrome, 11% were detected to have deletions by real-time gene dosage analysis. Two patients had a translocation or inversion at least 260 kb 3' of the gene, suggesting they had position-effect mutations. Of the 37 patients with classic features of Saethre-Chotzen syndrome, the overall detection rate for TWIST mutations was 68%. The risk for developmental delay in patients with deletions involving the TWIST gene is approximately 90% or eight times more common than in patients with intragenic mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juanliang Cai
- Department of Pediatrics, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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35
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Stefanova M, Atanassov D, Krastev T, Fuchs S, Kutsche K. Zimmermann-Laband syndrome associated with a balanced reciprocal translocation t(3;8)(p21.2;q24.3) in mother and daughter: molecular cytogenetic characterization of the breakpoint regions. Am J Med Genet A 2003; 117A:289-94. [PMID: 12599195 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.a.10174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Zimmermann-Laband syndrome (ZLS) is a rare disorder characterized by gingival fibromatosis, abnormalities of the nose and/or ears, and absence or hypoplasia of nails or terminal phalanges of hands and feet. Other more variable features include hyperextensibility of joints, hepatosplenomegaly, mild hirsutism, and mental retardation. The genetic basis of ZLS is unknown; autosomal dominant inheritance has been suggested. We report an apparently balanced chromosomal aberration, 46,XX, t(3;8)(p13-p21.2;q24.1-q24.3), in a family with an affected mother and daughter. Using fluorescence in situ hybridization with BAC clones, we refined the breakpoints to 3p21.2 and 8q24.3 and, thereby, narrowed down both breakpoint regions to approximately 1.5 Mb. Our data provide additional support to the assumption that ZLS follows autosomal dominant inheritance. The 3;8 translocation described here represents a powerful resource to identify the causative gene for ZLS that maps most likely to one of the breakpoints.
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MESH Headings
- Abnormalities, Multiple/genetics
- Abnormalities, Multiple/pathology
- Child, Preschool
- Chromosome Banding
- Chromosome Breakage/genetics
- Chromosome Disorders/genetics
- Chromosome Disorders/pathology
- Chromosomes, Human, Pair 3/genetics
- Chromosomes, Human, Pair 8/genetics
- Facial Bones/abnormalities
- Family Health
- Female
- Fibromatosis, Gingival/pathology
- Fingers/abnormalities
- Humans
- In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence
- Pedigree
- Syndrome
- Translocation, Genetic
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36
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Hoover-Fong JE, Cai J, Cargile CB, Thomas GH, Patel A, Griffin CA, Jabs EW, Hamosh A. Facial dysgenesis: a novel facial syndrome with chromosome 7 deletion p15.1-21.1. Am J Med Genet A 2003; 117A:47-56. [PMID: 12548740 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.a.10046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
We describe a female neonate with a unique constellation of features including anophthalmia and cryptophthalmos, temporal remnant "eye tags," bilateral cleft lip, unilateral cleft palate, a proboscis with absent nasal septum, choanal atresia, micrognathia, square stoma, and bilateral external auditory canal atresia. Gross brain structure, pituitary function, limbs, trunk, and genitalia were normal. Skeletal survey, echocardiogram and abdominal viscera were unremarkable except for a split central sinus of the right kidney. BAER exam indicated she could hear and temporal CT confirmed the presence of cochlea and possible ossicles. Cytogenetic evaluation revealed an interstitial deletion at chromosome 7p15.1-21.1. TWIST, a gene encoding a transcription factor involved in craniofacial development, is deleted by FISH analysis. The absence of a mutation on the non-deleted allele of TWIST as determined by sequencing virtually eliminates complete loss of the TWIST gene as the cause of this patient's severe phenotype. The HOXA gene cluster also encodes transcription factors that are crucial for directing cephalad to caudad somatic fetal development. HOXA1, the most telomeric of the 13 members of the HOXA gene cluster, is located at the centromeric boundary of the patient's chromosome 7 deletion. By FISH analysis, neither allele of HOXA1 is deleted and sequencing reveals no mutations. Haploinsufficiency or complete loss of the HOXA1 gene also does not appear to cause this patient's severe phenotype. Previous reports of chromosome 7p15-21 deletions do not have phenotypes similar to this patient.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie E Hoover-Fong
- McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21287, USA.
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37
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Carver EA, Oram KF, Gridley T. Craniosynostosis in Twist heterozygous mice: a model for Saethre-Chotzen syndrome. THE ANATOMICAL RECORD 2002; 268:90-2. [PMID: 12221714 DOI: 10.1002/ar.10124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Saethre-Chotzen syndrome is a common autosomal dominant form of craniosynostosis, the premature fusion of the sutures of the calvarial bones of the skull. Most Saethre-Chotzen syndrome cases are caused by haploinsufficiency for the TWIST gene. Mice heterozygous for a null mutation of the Twist gene replicate certain features of Saethre-Chotzen syndrome, but have not been reported to exhibit craniosynostosis. We demonstrate that Twist heterozygous mice exhibit fusions of the coronal suture and other cranial suture abnormalities, indicating that Twist heterozygous mice constitute a better animal model for Saethre-Chotzen syndrome than was previously appreciated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ethan A Carver
- Jackson Laboratory, 600 Main Street, Bar Harbor, ME 04609, USA
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38
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Corsi AK, Brodigan TM, Jorgensen EM, Krause M. Characterization of a dominant negativeC. elegansTwist mutant protein with implications for human Saethre-Chotzen syndrome. Development 2002; 129:2761-72. [PMID: 12015302 DOI: 10.1242/dev.129.11.2761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Twist is a transcription factor that is required for mesodermal cell fates in all animals studied to date. Mutations of this locus in humans have been identified as the cause of the craniofacial disorder Saethre-Chotzen syndrome. The Caenorhabditis elegans Twist homolog is required for the development of a subset of the mesoderm. A semidominant allele of the gene that codes for CeTwist, hlh-8, has defects that occur earlier in the mesodermal lineage than a previously studied null allele of the gene. The semidominant allele has a charge change (E29K) in the basic DNA-binding domain of CeTwist. Surprisingly, the mutant protein retains DNA-binding activity as both a homodimer and a heterodimer with its partner E/Daughterless (CeE/DA). However, the mutant protein blocks the activation of the promoter of a target gene. Therefore, the mutant CeTwist may cause cellular defects as a dominant negative protein by binding to target promoters as a homo- or heterodimer and then blocking transcription. Similar phenotypes as those caused by the E29K mutation were observed when amino acid substitutions in the DNA-binding domain that are associated with the human Saethre-Chotzen syndrome were engineered into the C. elegans protein. These data suggest that Saethre-Chotzen syndrome may be caused, in some cases, by dominant negative proteins, rather than by haploinsufficiency of the locus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann K Corsi
- Department of Biology, The Catholic University of America, Washington, DC 20064, USA.
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39
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Funato N, Ohtani K, Ohyama K, Kuroda T, Nakamura M. Common regulation of growth arrest and differentiation of osteoblasts by helix-loop-helix factors. Mol Cell Biol 2001; 21:7416-28. [PMID: 11585922 PMCID: PMC99914 DOI: 10.1128/mcb.21.21.7416-7428.2001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Cellular differentiation entails the coordination of cell cycle arrest and tissue-specific gene expression. We investigated the involvement of basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) factors in differentiation of osteoblasts using the human osteoblastic cell line MG63. Serum starvation induced growth arrest at G1 phase, accompanied by expression of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21(WAF1/Cip1). Reporter assays with the p21 gene promoter demonstrated that the combination of E2A (E12 or E47) and coactivator CBP was responsible for p21 induction independent of p53. Twist inhibited E2A-CBP-dependent activation of the exogenous and endogenous p21 promoters. Ids similarly inhibited the exogenously transfected p21 promoter; however less antagonistic effect on the endogenous p21 promoter was observed. Twist was predominantly present in nuclei in MG63 cells growing in complete medium, while it localized mainly in the cytoplasm after serum starvation. The fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 gene (FGFR3), which generates signals leading to differentiation of osteoblasts, was found to be controlled by the same transcriptional regulation as the p21 gene. E2A and Twist influenced alkaline phosphatase expression, a consensus marker of osteoblast differentiation. Expression of E2A and FGFR3 was seen at the location of osteoblast differentiation in the calvaria of mouse embryos, implicating bHLH molecules in physiological osteoblast differentiation. These results demonstrate that a common regulatory system is involved in at least two distinct steps in osteoblastic differentiation. Our results also provide the molecular basis of Saethre-Chotzen syndrome, caused by mutations of the TWIST and FGFR3 genes.
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MESH Headings
- Alkaline Phosphatase/metabolism
- Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors
- Blotting, Western
- Bromodeoxyuridine/metabolism
- Cell Differentiation
- Cell Division
- Cell Line
- Culture Media, Serum-Free/pharmacology
- Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21
- Cyclins/genetics
- Cyclins/metabolism
- Cytoplasm/metabolism
- DNA-Binding Proteins/chemistry
- DNA-Binding Proteins/metabolism
- G1 Phase
- Genes, Reporter
- Helix-Loop-Helix Motifs
- Humans
- Immunohistochemistry
- Microscopy, Fluorescence
- Models, Biological
- Models, Genetic
- Mutation
- Nuclear Proteins/metabolism
- Osteoblasts/cytology
- Osteoblasts/metabolism
- Plasmids/metabolism
- Promoter Regions, Genetic
- Protein Binding
- Protein-Tyrosine Kinases
- Receptor, Fibroblast Growth Factor, Type 3
- Receptors, Fibroblast Growth Factor/metabolism
- Signal Transduction
- Skull/embryology
- Skull/pathology
- Transcription Factors/chemistry
- Transcription Factors/metabolism
- Transcription, Genetic
- Transfection
- Twist-Related Protein 1
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Affiliation(s)
- N Funato
- Human Gene Sciences Center, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8510, Japan
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40
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Stankiewicz P, Thiele H, Baldermann C, Krüger A, Giannakudis I, Dörr S, Werner N, Kunz J, Rappold GA, Hansmann I. Phenotypic findings due to trisomy 7p15.3-pter including the TWIST locus. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF MEDICAL GENETICS 2001; 103:56-62. [PMID: 11562935 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.1512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
We report on a three-month-old boy with a 46,XY,der(Y)t(Y;7)(p11.32;p15.3) karyotype and growth deficiency, postnatal microcephaly with large fontanels, wide sagittal and metopic sutures, hypertelorism, choanal stenosis, micrognathia, bilateral cryptorchidism, hypospadias, abnormal fingers and toes, and severe developmental delay. FISH studies showed partial trisomy 7p resulting from a de novo unbalanced translocation. The application of molecular probes from the TWIST gene region (7p15.3-p21.1) and probes from the pseudoautosomal region (PAR) demonstrated that the 7p15.3-pter fragment was translocated onto Yp with the breakpoint within approximately 20 kb from the Yp telomere. We discuss the possible role of the TWIST gene in abnormal skull development and suggest that trisomy 7p cases with delayed closure of fontanels can be a result of TWIST gene dosage effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Stankiewicz
- Institute of Human Genetics and Medical Biology, University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle/S, Germany.
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Bina M, Demmon S, Pares-Matos EI. Syndromes associated with Homo sapiens pol II regulatory genes. PROGRESS IN NUCLEIC ACID RESEARCH AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2000; 64:171-219. [PMID: 10697410 DOI: 10.1016/s0079-6603(00)64005-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/15/2023]
Abstract
The molecular basis of human characteristics is an intriguing but an unresolved problem. Human characteristics cover a broad spectrum, from the obvious to the abstract. Obvious characteristics may include morphological features such as height, shape, and facial form. Abstract characteristics may be hidden in processes that are controlled by hormones and the human brain. In this review we examine exaggerated characteristics presented as syndromes. Specifically, we focus on human genes that encode transcription factors to examine morphological, immunological, and hormonal anomalies that result from deletion, insertion, or mutation of genes that regulate transcription by RNA polymerase II (the Pol II genes). A close analysis of abnormal phenotypes can give clues into how sequence variations in regulatory genes and changes in transcriptional control may give rise to characteristics defined as complex traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Bina
- Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47097, USA
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Affiliation(s)
- U Hehr
- Department of Human Genetics and Medical Biology, Martin Luther University of Halle, Germany
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KUNZ JÜRGEN, HUDLER MELANIE, FRITZ BARBARA, GILLESSEN-KAESBACH GABRIELE, PASSARGE EBERHARD. Identification of a frameshift mutation in the gene TWISTin a family affected with Robinow-Sorauf syndrome. J Med Genet 1999. [DOI: 10.1136/jmg.36.8.650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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Zackai EH, Stolle CA. A new twist: some patients with Saethre-Chotzen syndrome have a microdeletion syndrome. Am J Hum Genet 1998; 63:1277-81. [PMID: 9792855 PMCID: PMC1377538 DOI: 10.1086/302125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- E H Zackai
- Division of Human Genetics and Molecular Biology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
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Johnson D, Horsley SW, Moloney DM, Oldridge M, Twigg SR, Walsh S, Barrow M, Njølstad PR, Kunz J, Ashworth GJ, Wall SA, Kearney L, Wilkie AO. A comprehensive screen for TWIST mutations in patients with craniosynostosis identifies a new microdeletion syndrome of chromosome band 7p21.1. Am J Hum Genet 1998; 63:1282-93. [PMID: 9792856 PMCID: PMC1377539 DOI: 10.1086/302122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 133] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations in the coding region of the TWIST gene (encoding a basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor) have been identified in some cases of Saethre-Chotzen syndrome. Haploinsufficiency appears to be the pathogenic mechanism involved. To investigate the possibility that complete deletions of the TWIST gene also contribute to this disorder, we have developed a comprehensive strategy to screen for coding-region mutations and for complete gene deletions. Heterozygous TWIST mutations were identified in 8 of 10 patients with Saethre-Chotzen syndrome and in 2 of 43 craniosynostosis patients with no clear diagnosis. In addition to six coding-region mutations, our strategy revealed four complete TWIST deletions, only one of which associated with a translocation was suspected on the basis of conventional cytogenetic analysis. This case and two interstitial deletions were detectable by analysis of polymorphic microsatellite loci, including a novel (CA)n locus 7.9 kb away from TWIST, combined with FISH; these deletions ranged in size from 3.5 Mb to >11.6 Mb. The remaining, much smaller deletion was detected by Southern blot analysis and removed 2,924 bp, with a 2-bp orphan sequence at the breakpoint. Significant learning difficulties were present in the three patients with megabase-sized deletions, which suggests that haploinsufficiency of genes neighboring TWIST contributes to developmental delay. Our results identify a new microdeletion disorder that maps to chromosome band 7p21.1 and that causes a significant proportion of Saethre-Chotzen syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Johnson
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, Oxford, OX 9DS, UK
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Toomes C, Dixon MJ. Refinement of a translocation breakpoint associated with blepharophimosis-ptosis-epicanthus inversus syndrome to a 280-kb interval at chromosome 3q23. Genomics 1998; 53:308-14. [PMID: 9799597 DOI: 10.1006/geno.1998.5512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Blepharophimosis syndrome (BPES) is an autosomal dominant disorder of craniofacial development, the features of which include blepharophimosis, ptosis, and epicanthus inversus. Although it has been suggested that BPES is genetically heterogeneous, a major locus for this condition resides at chromosome 3q23. We have previously mapped a translocation breakpoint associated with BPES to the D3S1316-D3S1615 interval. The markers in this region have subsequently been shown to lie in a different order, with the BPES locus mapping to the 1-cM D3S1576 and D3S1316 interval. In the current investigation, a physical map, consisting of 60 yeast artificial chromosome (YAC) clones and 1 bacterial artificial chromosome, that spans this region has been constructed. Ten expressed sequence tags and the cellular retinol-binding protein I locus have been mapped to the contig. YAC end isolation has led to the creation of novel STSs that have been used to reduce the size of the BPES critical region to a 280-kb interval, which has been cloned in two nonchimeric YACs.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Toomes
- Department of Dental Medicine, and Department of Dental Medicine and Surgery, University of Manchester, 3.239, Stopford Building, Manchester, M13 9PT, United Kingdom
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47
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Abstract
Areas where studies of animal models have been vital to the understanding of human malformation syndromes include the dissection of complex genetic mechanisms such as imprinting, the creation of animal models of known human conditions, and the provision of further clues involving gene families and pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- R M Winter
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Institute of Child Health, London, UK.
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48
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Paznekas WA, Cunningham ML, Howard TD, Korf BR, Lipson MH, Grix AW, Feingold M, Goldberg R, Borochowitz Z, Aleck K, Mulliken J, Yin M, Jabs EW. Genetic heterogeneity of Saethre-Chotzen syndrome, due to TWIST and FGFR mutations. Am J Hum Genet 1998; 62:1370-80. [PMID: 9585583 PMCID: PMC1377134 DOI: 10.1086/301855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 182] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Thirty-two unrelated patients with features of Saethre-Chotzen syndrome, a common autosomal dominant condition of craniosynostosis and limb anomalies, were screened for mutations in TWIST, FGFR2, and FGFR3. Nine novel and three recurrent TWIST mutations were found in 12 families. Seven families were found to have the FGFR3 P250R mutation, and one individual was found to have an FGFR2 VV269-270 deletion. To date, our detection rate for TWIST or FGFR mutations is 68% in our Saethre-Chotzen syndrome patients, including our five patients elsewhere reported with TWIST mutations. More than 35 different TWIST mutations are now known in the literature. The most common phenotypic features, present in more than a third of our patients with TWIST mutations, are coronal synostosis, brachycephaly, low frontal hairline, facial asymmetry, ptosis, hypertelorism, broad great toes, and clinodactyly. Significant intra- and interfamilial phenotypic variability is present for either TWIST mutations or FGFR mutations. The overlap in clinical features and the presence, in the same genes, of mutations for more than one craniosynostotic condition-such as Saethre-Chotzen, Crouzon, and Pfeiffer syndromes-support the hypothesis that TWIST and FGFRs are components of the same molecular pathway involved in the modulation of craniofacial and limb development in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- W A Paznekas
- Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287-3914, USA
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Abstract
Major advances have been made in the elucidation of the molecular basis of a number of human dysmorphic syndromes involving abnormalities of craniofacial development. This will lead, in turn, to a greater understanding of the mechanisms that underlie normal craniofacial development.
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Affiliation(s)
- F V Elmslie
- Mothercare Unit of Paediatric Genetics and Fetal Medicine, University College London Medical School, UK.
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Jabs EW. Toward understanding the pathogenesis of craniosynostosis through clinical and molecular correlates. Clin Genet 1998; 53:79-86. [PMID: 9611066 DOI: 10.1111/j.1399-0004.1998.tb02648.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- E W Jabs
- Department of Pediatrics, Medicine, and Surgery, Center for Craniofacial Development and Disorders, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
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