1
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Singh S, Nampoothiri S, Narayanan DL, Chaudhry C, Salvankar S, Girisha KM. Biallelic loss of function variants in FUZ result in an orofaciodigital syndrome. Eur J Hum Genet 2024:10.1038/s41431-024-01619-6. [PMID: 38702430 DOI: 10.1038/s41431-024-01619-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2023] [Revised: 04/03/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Orofaciodigital syndrome is a distinctive subtype of skeletal ciliopathies. Disease-causing variants in the genes encoding the CPLANE complex result in a wide variety of skeletal dysplasia with disturbed ciliary functions. The phenotypic spectrum includes orofaciodigital syndrome and short rib polydactyly syndrome. FUZ, as a part of the CPLANE complex, is involved in intraflagellar vesicular trafficking within primary cilia. Previously, the variants, c.98_111+9del and c.851G>T in FUZ were identified in two individuals with a skeletal ciliopathy, manifesting digital anomalies (polydactyly, syndactyly), orofacial cleft, short ribs and cardiac defects. Here, we present two novel variants, c.601G>A and c.625_636del in biallelic state, in two additional subjects exhibiting phenotypic overlap with the previously reported cases. Our findings underscore the association between biallelic loss of function variants in FUZ and skeletal ciliopathy akin to orofaciodigital syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Swati Singh
- Department of Medical Genetics, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India
| | - Sheela Nampoothiri
- Department of Paediatric Genetics, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre, Kochi, India
| | - Dhanya Lakshmi Narayanan
- Department of Medical Genetics, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India
| | | | | | - Katta M Girisha
- Department of Medical Genetics, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India.
- Suma Genomics Private Limited, Manipal, India.
- Department of Genetics, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman.
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2
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Caiaffa CD, Ambekar YS, Singh M, Lin YL, Wlodarczyk B, Aglyamov SR, Scarcelli G, Larin KV, Finnell RH. Disruption of Fuz in mouse embryos generates hypoplastic hindbrain development and reduced cranial nerve ganglia. Dev Dyn 2024. [PMID: 38501709 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Revised: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The brain and spinal cord formation is initiated in the earliest stages of mammalian pregnancy in a highly organized process known as neurulation. Environmental or genetic interferences can impair neurulation, resulting in clinically significant birth defects known collectively as neural tube defects. The Fuz gene encodes a subunit of the CPLANE complex, a macromolecular planar polarity effector required for ciliogenesis. Ablation of Fuz in mouse embryos results in exencephaly and spina bifida, including dysmorphic craniofacial structures due to defective cilia formation and impaired Sonic Hedgehog signaling. RESULTS We demonstrate that knocking Fuz out during embryonic mouse development results in a hypoplastic hindbrain phenotype, displaying abnormal rhombomeres with reduced length and width. This phenotype is associated with persistent reduction of ventral neuroepithelial stiffness in a notochord adjacent area at the level of the rhombomere 5. The formation of cranial and paravertebral ganglia is also impaired in these embryos. CONCLUSIONS This study reveals that hypoplastic hindbrain development, identified by abnormal rhombomere morphology and persistent loss of ventral neuroepithelial stiffness, precedes exencephaly in Fuz ablated murine mutants, indicating that the gene Fuz has a critical function sustaining normal neural tube development and neuronal differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlo Donato Caiaffa
- Center for Precision Environmental Health, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Dell Pediatric Research Institute, University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Yogeshwari S Ambekar
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Manmohan Singh
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Ying Linda Lin
- Center for Precision Environmental Health, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Bogdan Wlodarczyk
- Center for Precision Environmental Health, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Salavat R Aglyamov
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Giuliano Scarcelli
- Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Kirill V Larin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Richard H Finnell
- Center for Precision Environmental Health, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Molecular and Human Genetics and Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
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3
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Sharma R, Kalot R, Levin Y, Babayeva S, Kachurina N, Chung CF, Liu KJ, Bouchard M, Torban E. The CPLANE protein Fuzzy regulates ciliogenesis by suppressing actin polymerization at the base of the primary cilium via p190A RhoGAP. Development 2024; 151:dev202322. [PMID: 38546045 PMCID: PMC11006408 DOI: 10.1242/dev.202322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
The primary cilium decorates most eukaryotic cells and regulates tissue morphogenesis and maintenance. Structural or functional defects of primary cilium result in ciliopathies, congenital human disorders affecting multiple organs. Pathogenic variants in the ciliogenesis and planar cell polarity effectors (CPLANE) genes FUZZY, INTU and WDPCP disturb ciliogenesis, causing severe ciliopathies in humans and mice. Here, we show that the loss of Fuzzy in mice results in defects of primary cilia, accompanied by increased RhoA activity and excessive actin polymerization at the basal body. We discovered that, mechanistically, Fuzzy interacts with and recruits the negative actin regulator ARHGAP35 (also known as p190A RhoGAP) to the basal body. We identified genetic interactions between the two genes and found that a mutant ArhGAP35 allele increases the severity of phenotypic defects observed in Fuzzy-/- mice. Based on our findings, we propose that Fuzzy regulates ciliogenesis by recruiting ARHGAP35 to the basal body, where the latter likely restricts actin polymerization and modifies the actin network. Our study identifies a mechanism whereby CPLANE proteins control both actin polymerization and primary cilium formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rhythm Sharma
- Department of Medicine and Department of Physiology, McGill University, Montreal H4A 3J1, QC, Canada
| | - Rita Kalot
- Department of Medicine and Department of Physiology, McGill University, Montreal H4A 3J1, QC, Canada
| | - Yossef Levin
- Department of Medicine and Department of Physiology, McGill University, Montreal H4A 3J1, QC, Canada
| | - Sima Babayeva
- Metabolic Disorders and Complications Program, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, McGill University, Montreal H4A 3J1, QC, Canada
| | - Nadezda Kachurina
- Metabolic Disorders and Complications Program, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, McGill University, Montreal H4A 3J1, QC, Canada
| | - Chen-Feng Chung
- Department of Medicine and Department of Physiology, McGill University, Montreal H4A 3J1, QC, Canada
| | - Karen J. Liu
- Centre for Craniofacial and Regenerative Biology, King's College London, London SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Maxime Bouchard
- Rosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Institute, Department of Medicine of the McGill University,McGill University, Montreal H3A 1A3, QC, Canada
| | - Elena Torban
- Department of Medicine and Department of Physiology, McGill University, Montreal H4A 3J1, QC, Canada
- Metabolic Disorders and Complications Program, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, McGill University, Montreal H4A 3J1, QC, Canada
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4
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Lodge EJ, Barrell WB, Liu KJ, Andoniadou CL. The Fuzzy planar cell polarity protein (FUZ), necessary for primary cilium formation, is essential for pituitary development. J Anat 2024; 244:358-367. [PMID: 37794731 PMCID: PMC10780146 DOI: 10.1111/joa.13961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Revised: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The primary cilium is an essential organelle that is important for normal cell signalling during development and homeostasis but its role in pituitary development has not been reported. The primary cilium facilitates signal transduction for multiple pathways, the best-characterised being the SHH pathway, which is known to be necessary for correct pituitary gland development. FUZ is a planar cell polarity (PCP) effector that is essential for normal ciliogenesis, where the primary cilia of Fuz-/- mutants are shorter or non-functional. FUZ is part of a group of proteins required for recruiting retrograde intraflagellar transport proteins to the base of the organelle. Previous work has reported ciliopathy phenotypes in Fuz-/- homozygous null mouse mutants, including neural tube defects, craniofacial abnormalities, and polydactyly, alongside PCP defects including kinked/curly tails and heart defects. Interestingly, the pituitary gland was reported to be missing in Fuz-/- mutants at 14.5 dpc but the mechanisms underlying this phenotype were not investigated. Here, we have analysed the pituitary development of Fuz-/- mutants. Histological analyses reveal that Rathke's pouch (RP) is initially induced normally but is not specified and fails to express LHX3, resulting in hypoplasia and apoptosis. Characterisation of SHH signalling reveals reduced pathway activation in Fuz-/- mutant relative to control embryos, leading to deficient specification of anterior pituitary fate. Analyses of the key developmental signals FGF8 and BMP4, which are influenced by SHH, reveal abnormal patterning in the ventral diencephalon, contributing further to abnormal RP development. Taken together, our analyses suggest that primary cilia are required for normal pituitary specification through SHH signalling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily J. Lodge
- Centre for Craniofacial and Regenerative BiologyKing's College LondonLondonUK
| | - William B. Barrell
- Centre for Craniofacial and Regenerative BiologyKing's College LondonLondonUK
| | - Karen J. Liu
- Centre for Craniofacial and Regenerative BiologyKing's College LondonLondonUK
| | - Cynthia L. Andoniadou
- Centre for Craniofacial and Regenerative BiologyKing's College LondonLondonUK
- Department of Medicine IIIUniversity Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität DresdenDresdenGermany
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Kalot R, Sentell Z, Kitzler TM, Torban E. Primary cilia and actin regulatory pathways in renal ciliopathies. FRONTIERS IN NEPHROLOGY 2024; 3:1331847. [PMID: 38292052 PMCID: PMC10824913 DOI: 10.3389/fneph.2023.1331847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
Ciliopathies are a group of rare genetic disorders caused by defects to the structure or function of the primary cilium. They often affect multiple organs, leading to brain malformations, congenital heart defects, and anomalies of the retina or skeletal system. Kidney abnormalities are among the most frequent ciliopathic phenotypes manifesting as smaller, dysplastic, and cystic kidneys that are often accompanied by renal fibrosis. Many renal ciliopathies cause chronic kidney disease and often progress to end-stage renal disease, necessitating replacing therapies. There are more than 35 known ciliopathies; each is a rare hereditary condition, yet collectively they account for a significant proportion of chronic kidney disease worldwide. The primary cilium is a tiny microtubule-based organelle at the apex of almost all vertebrate cells. It serves as a "cellular antenna" surveying environment outside the cell and transducing this information inside the cell to trigger multiple signaling responses crucial for tissue morphogenesis and homeostasis. Hundreds of proteins and unique cellular mechanisms are involved in cilia formation. Recent evidence suggests that actin remodeling and regulation at the base of the primary cilium strongly impacts ciliogenesis. In this review, we provide an overview of the structure and function of the primary cilium, focusing on the role of actin cytoskeleton and its regulators in ciliogenesis. We then describe the key clinical, genetic, and molecular aspects of renal ciliopathies. We highlight what is known about actin regulation in the pathogenesis of these diseases with the aim to consider these recent molecular findings as potential therapeutic targets for renal ciliopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rita Kalot
- Department of Medicine and Department of Physiology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Zachary Sentell
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Thomas M. Kitzler
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- McGill University Health Center, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Elena Torban
- Department of Medicine and Department of Physiology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, Montreal, QC, Canada
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Kim SE, Kim HY, Wlodarczyk BJ, Finnell RH. The novel linkage between Fuz and Gpr161 genes regulates sonic hedgehog signaling during mouse embryonic development. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.11.575263. [PMID: 38260275 PMCID: PMC10802560 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.11.575263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Sonic hedgehog (Shh) signaling regulates embryonic morphogenesis utilizing primary cilia, the cell antenna acting as a signaling hub. Fuz, an effector of planar cell polarity (PCP) signaling, involves Shh signaling via cilia formation, while the G protein-coupled receptor 161 (Gpr161) is a negative regulator of Shh signaling. The range of phenotypic malformations observed in mice bearing mutations in either of these two genes is similar; however, their functional relations have not been previously explored. This study identified the genetic and biochemical link between Fuz and Gpr161 in mouse embryonic development. Fuz was genetically epistatic to Gpr161 via Shh signaling during mouse embryonic development. The FUZ biochemically interacted with GPR161, and Fuz regulated Gpr161 ciliary trafficking via β-arrestin2. Our study suggested the novel Gpr161-Fuz axis that regulates Shh signaling during mouse embryonic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sung-Eun Kim
- Department of Pediatrics, Dell Pediatric Research Institute, The University of Texas at Austin/Dell Medical School, Austin, TX, 78723, USA
| | | | - Bogdan J. Wlodarczyk
- Departments of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Molecular and Human Genetics, and Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Richard H. Finnell
- Department of Pediatrics, Dell Pediatric Research Institute, The University of Texas at Austin/Dell Medical School, Austin, TX, 78723, USA
- Departments of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Molecular and Human Genetics, and Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
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7
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Chen ZS, Ou M, Taylor S, Dafinca R, Peng SI, Talbot K, Chan HYE. Mutant GGGGCC RNA prevents YY1 from binding to Fuzzy promoter which stimulates Wnt/β-catenin pathway in C9ALS/FTD. Nat Commun 2023; 14:8420. [PMID: 38110419 PMCID: PMC10728118 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44215-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 12/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The GGGGCC hexanucleotide repeat expansion mutation in the chromosome 9 open reading frame 72 (C9orf72) gene is a major genetic cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia (C9ALS/FTD). In this study, we demonstrate that the zinc finger (ZF) transcriptional regulator Yin Yang 1 (YY1) binds to the promoter region of the planar cell polarity gene Fuzzy to regulate its transcription. We show that YY1 interacts with GGGGCC repeat RNA via its ZF and that this interaction compromises the binding of YY1 to the FuzzyYY1 promoter sites, resulting in the downregulation of Fuzzy transcription. The decrease in Fuzzy protein expression in turn activates the canonical Wnt/β-catenin pathway and induces synaptic deficits in C9ALS/FTD neurons. Our findings demonstrate a C9orf72 GGGGCC RNA-initiated perturbation of YY1-Fuzzy transcriptional control that implicates aberrant Wnt/β-catenin signalling in C9ALS/FTD-associated neurodegeneration. This pathogenic cascade provides a potential new target for disease-modifying therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhefan Stephen Chen
- School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China
- Oxford Motor Neuron Disease Centre, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Mingxi Ou
- School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Stephanie Taylor
- Oxford Motor Neuron Disease Centre, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Ruxandra Dafinca
- Oxford Motor Neuron Disease Centre, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DU, UK
- Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford, Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin Building, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Shaohong Isaac Peng
- School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Kevin Talbot
- Oxford Motor Neuron Disease Centre, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DU, UK.
- Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford, Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin Building, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK.
| | - Ho Yin Edwin Chan
- School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China.
- Gerald Choa Neuroscience Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China.
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8
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Caiaffa CD, Ambekar YS, Singh M, Lin YL, Wlodarczyk B, Aglyamov SR, Scarcelli G, Larin KV, Finnell R. Disruption of Fuz in mouse embryos generates hypoplastic hindbrain development and reduced cranial nerve ganglia. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.04.552068. [PMID: 37577618 PMCID: PMC10418252 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.04.552068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
The formation of the brain and spinal cord is initiated in the earliest stages of mammalian pregnancy in a highly organized process known as neurulation. Convergent and extension movements transforms a flat sheet of ectodermal cells into a narrow and elongated line of neuroepithelia, while a major source of Sonic Hedgehog signaling from the notochord induces the overlying neuroepithelial cells to form two apposed neural folds. Afterward, neural tube closure occurs by synchronized coordination of the surface ectoderm and adjacent neuroepithelial walls at specific axial regions known as neuropores. Environmental or genetic interferences can impair neurulation resulting in neural tube defects. The Fuz gene encodes a subunit of the CPLANE complex, which is a macromolecular planar polarity effector required for ciliogenesis. Ablation of Fuz in mouse embryos results in exencephaly and spina bifida, including dysmorphic craniofacial structures due to defective cilia formation and impaired Sonic Hedgehog signaling. In this work, we demonstrate that knocking Fuz out during embryonic mouse development results in a hypoplastic hindbrain phenotype, displaying abnormal rhombomeres with reduced length and width. This phenotype is associated with persistent loss of ventral neuroepithelial stiffness, in a notochord adjacent area at the level of the rhombomere 5, preceding the development of exencephaly in Fuz ablated mutants. The formation of cranial and paravertebral ganglia is also impaired in these embryos, indicating that Fuz has a critical function sustaining normal neural tube development and neuronal differentiation. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Neural tube defects (NTDs) are a common cause of disability in children, representing the second most common congenital structural malformation in humans following only congenital cardiovascular malformations. NTDs affect approximately 1 to 2 pregnancies per 1000 births every year worldwide, when the mechanical forces folding the neural plate fails to close at specific neuropores located anteriorly (cranial) or posteriorly (caudal) along the neural tube, in a process known as neurulation, which happens throughout the third and fourth weeks of human pregnancy.
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Shi DL. Wnt/planar cell polarity signaling controls morphogenetic movements of gastrulation and neural tube closure. Cell Mol Life Sci 2022; 79:586. [PMID: 36369349 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-022-04620-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Revised: 10/25/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Gastrulation and neurulation are successive morphogenetic processes that play key roles in shaping the basic embryonic body plan. Importantly, they operate through common cellular and molecular mechanisms to set up the three spatially organized germ layers and to close the neural tube. During gastrulation and neurulation, convergent extension movements driven by cell intercalation and oriented cell division generate major forces to narrow the germ layers along the mediolateral axis and elongate the embryo in the anteroposterior direction. Apical constriction also makes an important contribution to promote the formation of the blastopore and the bending of the neural plate. Planar cell polarity proteins are major regulators of asymmetric cell behaviors and critically involved in a wide variety of developmental processes, from gastrulation and neurulation to organogenesis. Mutations of planar cell polarity genes can lead to general defects in the morphogenesis of different organs and the co-existence of distinct congenital diseases, such as spina bifida, hearing deficits, kidney diseases, and limb elongation defects. This review outlines our current understanding of non-canonical Wnt signaling, commonly known as Wnt/planar cell polarity signaling, in regulating morphogenetic movements of gastrulation and neural tube closure during development and disease. It also attempts to identify unanswered questions that deserve further investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- De-Li Shi
- Institute of Medical Research, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China. .,Laboratory of Developmental Biology, CNRS-UMR7622, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine (IBPS), Sorbonne University, Paris, France.
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10
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Martín-Salazar JE, Valverde D. CPLANE Complex and Ciliopathies. Biomolecules 2022; 12:biom12060847. [PMID: 35740972 PMCID: PMC9221175 DOI: 10.3390/biom12060847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Revised: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Primary cilia are non-motile organelles associated with the cell cycle, which can be found in most vertebrate cell types. Cilia formation occurs through a process called ciliogenesis, which involves several mechanisms including planar cell polarity (PCP) and the Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway. Some gene complexes, such as BBSome or CPLANE (ciliogenesis and planar polarity effector), have been linked to ciliogenesis. CPLANE complex is composed of INTU, FUZ and WDPCP, which bind to JBTS17 and RSG1 for cilia formation. Defects in these genes have been linked to a malfunction of intraflagellar transport and defects in the planar cell polarity, as well as defective activation of the Hedgehog signalling pathway. These faults lead to defective cilium formation, resulting in ciliopathies, including orofacial-digital syndrome (OFDS) and Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS). Considering the close relationship, between the CPLANE complex and cilium formation, it can be expected that defects in the genes that encode subunits of the CPLANE complex may be related to other ciliopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Diana Valverde
- CINBIO, Biomedical Research Centre, University of Vigo, 36310 Vigo, Spain;
- Galicia Sur Health Research Institute (IIS-GS), 36310 Vigo, Spain
- Correspondence:
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11
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Spina Bifida: A Review of the Genetics, Pathophysiology and Emerging Cellular Therapies. J Dev Biol 2022; 10:jdb10020022. [PMID: 35735913 PMCID: PMC9224552 DOI: 10.3390/jdb10020022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Revised: 05/13/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Spina bifida is the most common congenital defect of the central nervous system which can portend lifelong disability to those afflicted. While the complete underpinnings of this disease are yet to be fully understood, there have been great advances in the genetic and molecular underpinnings of this disease. Moreover, the treatment for spina bifida has made great advancements, from surgical closure of the defect after birth to the now state-of-the-art intrauterine repair. This review will touch upon the genetics, embryology, and pathophysiology and conclude with a discussion on current therapy, as well as the first FDA-approved clinical trial utilizing stem cells as treatment for spina bifida.
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12
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Cilia and their role in neural tube development and defects. REPRODUCTIVE AND DEVELOPMENTAL MEDICINE 2022. [DOI: 10.1097/rd9.0000000000000014] [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] Open
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13
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Abstract
Primary cilia play a key role in the ability of cells to respond to extracellular stimuli, such as signaling molecules and environmental cues. These sensory organelles are crucial to the development of many organ systems, and defects in primary ciliogenesis lead to multisystemic genetic disorders, known as ciliopathies. Here, we review recent advances in the understanding of several key aspects of the regulation of ciliogenesis. Primary ciliogenesis is thought to take different pathways depending on cell type, and some recent studies shed new light on the cell-type-specific mechanisms regulating ciliogenesis at the apical surface in polarized epithelial cells, which are particularly relevant for many ciliopathies. Furthermore, recent findings have demonstrated the importance of actin cytoskeleton dynamics in positively and negatively regulating multiple stages of ciliogenesis, including the vesicular trafficking of ciliary components and the positioning and docking of the basal body. Finally, studies on the formation of motile cilia in multiciliated epithelial cells have revealed requirements for actin remodeling in this process too, as well as showing evidence of an additional alternative ciliogenesis pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huxley K Hoffman
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Rytis Prekeris
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
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14
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Langousis G, Cavadini S, Boegholm N, Lorentzen E, Kempf G, Matthias P. Structure of the ciliogenesis-associated CPLANE complex. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabn0832. [PMID: 35427153 PMCID: PMC9012472 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abn0832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Dysfunctional cilia cause pleiotropic human diseases termed ciliopathies. These hereditary maladies are often caused by defects in cilia assembly, a complex event that is regulated by the ciliogenesis and planar polarity effector (CPLANE) proteins Wdpcp, Inturned, and Fuzzy. CPLANE proteins are essential for building the cilium and are mutated in multiple ciliopathies, yet their structure and molecular functions remain elusive. Here, we show that mammalian CPLANE proteins comprise a bona fide complex and report the near-atomic resolution structures of the human Wdpcp-Inturned-Fuzzy complex and of the mouse Wdpcp-Inturned-Fuzzy complex bound to the small guanosine triphosphatase Rsg1. Notably, the crescent-shaped CPLANE complex binds phospholipids such as phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate via multiple modules and a CPLANE ciliopathy mutant exhibits aberrant lipid binding. Our study provides critical structural and functional insights into an enigmatic ciliogenesis-associated complex as well as unexpected molecular rationales for ciliopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerasimos Langousis
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Simone Cavadini
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Niels Boegholm
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Gustav Wieds Vej 10c, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Esben Lorentzen
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Gustav Wieds Vej 10c, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Georg Kempf
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Patrick Matthias
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
- Faculty of Sciences, University of Basel, 4031 Basel, Switzerland
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15
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Wallmeier J, Dallmayer M, Omran H. The role of cilia for hydrocephalus formation. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF MEDICAL GENETICS. PART C, SEMINARS IN MEDICAL GENETICS 2022; 190:47-56. [PMID: 35470956 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.c.31972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Revised: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Hydrocephalus is a common finding in newborns. In most cases, it is caused by intraventricular hemorrhage associated with prematurity, whereas in some patients the cause of hydrocephalus can be traced back to genetic changes, associated with disease syndromes such as RASopathies, lysosomal storage diseases, dystroglycanopathies, craniosynostosis but also ciliopathies. Ciliopathies are a group of diseases that can affect multiple organ systems due to dysfunction or the absence of cilia. Cilia are small organelles, extending from the cell surface. Nonmotile monocilia are ubiquitously present during cell development fulfilling chemosensory functions, whereas specialized epithelia such as the ependyma, lining the inner surface of the brain ventricles, exhibit multiciliated cells propelling fluids along the cell surface. This review highlights ciliopathies and their pathophysiology in congenital hydrocephalus. While nonmotile ciliopathies are often associated with severe prenatal hydrocephalus combined with other severe congenital brain malformations, motile ciliopathies, especially those associated with defects in multiciliogenesis can cause hydrocephalus and chronic lung disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Wallmeier
- Department of General Pediatrics, University Clinic Muenster, Münster, Germany
| | - Marlene Dallmayer
- Department of General Pediatrics, University Clinic Muenster, Münster, Germany
| | - Heymut Omran
- Department of General Pediatrics, University Clinic Muenster, Münster, Germany
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16
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Barrell WB, Adel Al-Lami H, Goos JAC, Swagemakers SMA, van Dooren M, Torban E, van der Spek PJ, Mathijssen IMJ, Liu KJ. Identification of a novel variant of the ciliopathic gene FUZZY associated with craniosynostosis. Eur J Hum Genet 2022; 30:282-290. [PMID: 34719684 PMCID: PMC8904458 DOI: 10.1038/s41431-021-00988-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2021] [Revised: 10/04/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Craniosynostosis is a birth defect occurring in approximately one in 2000 live births, where premature fusion of the cranial bones inhibits growth of the skull during critical periods of brain development. The resulting changes in skull shape can lead to compression of the brain, causing severe complications. While we have some understanding of the molecular pathology of craniosynostosis, a large proportion of cases are of unknown genetic aetiology. Based on studies in mouse, we previously proposed that the ciliopathy gene Fuz should be considered a candidate craniosynostosis gene. Here, we report a novel variant of FUZ (c.851 G > C, p.(Arg284Pro)) found in monozygotic twins presenting with craniosynostosis. To investigate whether Fuz has a direct role in regulating osteogenic fate and mineralisation, we cultured primary osteoblasts and mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) from Fuz mutant mice. Loss of Fuz resulted in increased osteoblastic mineralisation. This suggests that FUZ protein normally acts as a negative regulator of osteogenesis. We then used Fuz mutant MEFs, which lose functional primary cilia, to test whether the FUZ p.(Arg284Pro) variant could restore FUZ function during ciliogenesis. We found that expression of the FUZ p.(Arg284Pro) variant was sufficient to partially restore cilia numbers, but did not mediate a comparable response to Hedgehog pathway activation. Together, this suggests the osteogenic effects of FUZ p.(Arg284Pro) do not depend upon initiation of ciliogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- William B Barrell
- Centre for Craniofacial and Regenerative Biology, King's College London, London, SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Hadeel Adel Al-Lami
- Centre for Craniofacial and Regenerative Biology, King's College London, London, SE1 9RT, UK
- Department of Orthodontics, College of Dentistry, University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq
| | - Jacqueline A C Goos
- Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and Hand Surgery, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Sigrid M A Swagemakers
- Department of Bioinformatics, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Marieke van Dooren
- Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and Hand Surgery, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Elena Torban
- Department of Medicine, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Canada
| | - Peter J van der Spek
- Department of Bioinformatics, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Irene M J Mathijssen
- Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and Hand Surgery, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Karen J Liu
- Centre for Craniofacial and Regenerative Biology, King's College London, London, SE1 9RT, UK.
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17
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Wang IY, Chung CF, Babayeva S, Sogomonian T, Torban E. Loss of Planar Cell Polarity Effector Fuzzy Causes Renal Hypoplasia by Disrupting Several Signaling Pathways. J Dev Biol 2021; 10:jdb10010001. [PMID: 35076510 PMCID: PMC8788523 DOI: 10.3390/jdb10010001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2021] [Revised: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In vertebrates, the planar cell polarity (PCP) pathway regulates tissue morphogenesis during organogenesis, including the kidney. Mutations in human PCP effector proteins have been associated with severe syndromic ciliopathies. Importantly, renal hypoplasia has been reported in some patients. However, the developmental disturbance that causes renal hypoplasia is unknown. Here, we describe the early onset of profound renal hypoplasia in mice homozygous for null mutation of the PCP effector gene, Fuzzy. We found that this phenotype is caused by defective branching morphogenesis of the ureteric bud (UB) in the absence of defects in nephron progenitor specification or in early steps of nephrogenesis. By using various experimental approaches, we show that the loss of Fuzzy affects multiple signaling pathways. Specifically, we found mild involvement of GDNF/c-Ret pathway that drives UB branching. We noted the deficient expression of molecules belonging to the Bmp, Fgf and Shh pathways. Analysis of the primary cilia in the UB structures revealed a significant decrease in ciliary length. We conclude that renal hypoplasia in the mouse Fuzzy mutants is caused by defective UB branching associated with dysregulation of ciliary and non-ciliary signaling pathways. Our work suggests a PCP effector-dependent pathogenetic mechanism that contributes to renal hypoplasia in mice and humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene-Yanran Wang
- Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC H4A 3J1, Canada; (I.-Y.W.); (C.-F.C.); (S.B.); (T.S.)
- McGill University Health Center Research Institute, Montreal, QC H4A 3J1, Canada
| | - Chen-Fang Chung
- Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC H4A 3J1, Canada; (I.-Y.W.); (C.-F.C.); (S.B.); (T.S.)
- McGill University Health Center Research Institute, Montreal, QC H4A 3J1, Canada
| | - Sima Babayeva
- Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC H4A 3J1, Canada; (I.-Y.W.); (C.-F.C.); (S.B.); (T.S.)
- McGill University Health Center Research Institute, Montreal, QC H4A 3J1, Canada
| | - Tamara Sogomonian
- Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC H4A 3J1, Canada; (I.-Y.W.); (C.-F.C.); (S.B.); (T.S.)
- McGill University Health Center Research Institute, Montreal, QC H4A 3J1, Canada
| | - Elena Torban
- Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC H4A 3J1, Canada; (I.-Y.W.); (C.-F.C.); (S.B.); (T.S.)
- McGill University Health Center Research Institute, Montreal, QC H4A 3J1, Canada
- Correspondence:
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18
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Arrigo AB, Lin JHI. Endocytic Protein Defects in the Neural Crest Cell Lineage and Its Pathway Are Associated with Congenital Heart Defects. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22168816. [PMID: 34445520 PMCID: PMC8396181 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22168816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2021] [Revised: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Endocytic trafficking is an under-appreciated pathway in cardiac development. Several genes related to endocytic trafficking have been uncovered in a mutagenic ENU screen, in which mutations led to congenital heart defects (CHDs). In this article, we review the relationship between these genes (including LRP1 and LRP2) and cardiac neural crest cells (CNCCs) during cardiac development. Mice with an ENU-induced Lrp1 mutation exhibit a spectrum of CHDs. Conditional deletion using a floxed Lrp1 allele with different Cre drivers showed that targeting neural crest cells with Wnt1-Cre expression replicated the full cardiac phenotypes of the ENU-induced Lrp1 mutation. In addition, LRP1 function in CNCCs is required for normal OFT lengthening and survival/expansion of the cushion mesenchyme, with other cell lineages along the NCC migratory path playing an additional role. Mice with an ENU-induced and targeted Lrp2 mutation demonstrated the cardiac phenotype of common arterial trunk (CAT). Although there is no impact on CNCCs in Lrp2 mutants, the loss of LRP2 results in the depletion of sonic hedgehog (SHH)-dependent cells in the second heart field. SHH is known to be crucial for CNCC survival and proliferation, which suggests LRP2 has a non-autonomous role in CNCCs. In this article, other endocytic trafficking proteins that are associated with CHDs that may play roles in the NCC pathway during development, such as AP1B1, AP2B1, FUZ, MYH10, and HECTD1, are reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angelo B. Arrigo
- Department of Developmental Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15224, USA;
| | - Jiuann-Huey Ivy Lin
- Department of Developmental Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15224, USA;
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15224, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-412-692-7366; Fax: +1-412-692-5169
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19
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Torban E, Sokol SY. Planar cell polarity pathway in kidney development, function and disease. Nat Rev Nephrol 2021; 17:369-385. [PMID: 33547419 PMCID: PMC8967065 DOI: 10.1038/s41581-021-00395-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Planar cell polarity (PCP) refers to the coordinated orientation of cells in the tissue plane. Originally discovered and studied in Drosophila melanogaster, PCP is now widely recognized in vertebrates, where it is implicated in organogenesis. Specific sets of PCP genes have been identified. The proteins encoded by these genes become asymmetrically distributed to opposite sides of cells within a tissue plane and guide many processes that include changes in cell shape and polarity, collective cell movements or the uniform distribution of cell appendages. A unifying characteristic of these processes is that they often involve rearrangement of actomyosin. Mutations in PCP genes can cause malformations in organs of many animals, including humans. In the past decade, strong evidence has accumulated for a role of the PCP pathway in kidney development including outgrowth and branching morphogenesis of ureteric bud and podocyte development. Defective PCP signalling has been implicated in the pathogenesis of developmental kidney disorders of the congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract spectrum. Understanding the origins, molecular constituents and cellular targets of PCP provides insights into the involvement of PCP molecules in normal kidney development and how dysfunction of PCP components may lead to kidney disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Torban
- McGill University and McGill University Health Center Research Institute, 1001 Boulevard Decarie, Block E, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H4A3J1.,Corresponding authors: Elena Torban (); Sergei Sokol ()
| | - Sergei Y. Sokol
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave Levy Place, New York, 10029, USA,Corresponding authors: Elena Torban (); Sergei Sokol ()
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20
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Tamkeen N, AlOmar SY, Alqahtani SAM, Al-Jurayyan A, Farooqui A, Tazyeen S, Ahmad N, Ishrat R. Identification of the Key Regulators of Spina Bifida Through Graph-Theoretical Approach. Front Genet 2021; 12:597983. [PMID: 33889172 PMCID: PMC8056047 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.597983] [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: 08/24/2020] [Accepted: 02/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Spina Bifida (SB) is a congenital spinal cord malformation. Efforts to discern the key regulators (KRs) of the SB protein-protein interaction (PPI) network are requisite for developing its successful interventions. The architecture of the SB network, constructed from 117 manually curated genes was found to self-organize into a scale-free fractal state having a weak hierarchical organization. We identified three modules/motifs consisting of ten KRs, namely, TNIP1, TNF, TRAF1, TNRC6B, KMT2C, KMT2D, NCOA3, TRDMT1, DICER1, and HDAC1. These KRs serve as the backbone of the network, they propagate signals through the different hierarchical levels of the network to conserve the network’s stability while maintaining low popularity in the network. We also observed that the SB network exhibits a rich-club organization, the formation of which is attributed to our key regulators also except for TNIP1 and TRDMT1. The KRs that were found to ally with each other and emerge in the same motif, open up a new dimension of research of studying these KRs together. Owing to the multiple etiology and mechanisms of SB, a combination of several biomarkers is expected to have higher diagnostic accuracy for SB as compared to using a single biomarker. So, if all the KRs present in a single module/motif are targetted together, they can serve as biomarkers for the diagnosis of SB. Our study puts forward some novel SB-related genes that need further experimental validation to be considered as reliable future biomarkers and therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naaila Tamkeen
- Department of Biosciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India.,Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Sciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India
| | - Suliman Yousef AlOmar
- Doping Research Chair, Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | | | - Abdullah Al-Jurayyan
- Immunology and HLA Section, Pathology and Clinical Laboratory Medicine, King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Anam Farooqui
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Sciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India
| | - Safia Tazyeen
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Sciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India
| | - Nadeem Ahmad
- Department of Biosciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India
| | - Romana Ishrat
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Sciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India
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21
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Chen ZS, Lin X, Chan TF, Chan HYE. Pan-cancer investigation reveals mechanistic insights of planar cell polarity gene Fuz in carcinogenesis. Aging (Albany NY) 2021; 13:7259-7283. [PMID: 33658400 PMCID: PMC7993721 DOI: 10.18632/aging.202582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2020] [Accepted: 01/13/2021] [Indexed: 04/14/2023]
Abstract
The fuzzy planar cell polarity protein (Fuz) is an effector component of the planar cell polarity (PCP) signaling. Together with other core and effector proteins, the PCP pathway controls polarized cell movements. Fuz was also reported as a negative regulator of cell survival. In this study, we performed a pan-cancer survey to demonstrate the role of Fuz in multiple types of cancer. In head-neck squamous cell carcinoma and lung adenocarcinoma tumor samples, a reduction of Fuz transcript expression was detected. This coincides with the poor overall survival probabilities of these patients. We further showed that Fuz promoter hypermethylation contributes to its transcriptional downregulation. Meanwhile, we also identified a relatively higher mutation frequency at the 404th arginine amino acid residue in the coding sequence of Fuz locus, and further demonstrated that mutant Fuz proteins perturb the pro-apoptotic function of Fuz. In summary, our study unveiled an intriguing relationship between Fuz dysregulation and cancer prognosis, and further provides mechanistic insights of Fuz's involvement in carcinogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhefan Stephen Chen
- Nexus of Rare Neurodegenerative Diseases, School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China
- School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Xiao Lin
- School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Ting-Fung Chan
- School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China
- Gerald Choa Neuroscience Centre, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Ho Yin Edwin Chan
- Nexus of Rare Neurodegenerative Diseases, School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China
- School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China
- Gerald Choa Neuroscience Centre, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China
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22
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Provenzano A, La Barbera A, Scagnet M, Pagliazzi A, Traficante G, Pantaleo M, Tiberi L, Vergani D, Kurtas NE, Guarducci S, Bargiacchi S, Forzano G, Artuso R, Palazzo V, Kura A, Giordano F, di Feo D, Mortilla M, De Filippi C, Mattei G, Garavelli L, Giusti B, Genitori L, Zuffardi O, Giglio S. Chiari 1 malformation and exome sequencing in 51 trios: the emerging role of rare missense variants in chromatin-remodeling genes. Hum Genet 2020; 140:625-647. [PMID: 33337535 PMCID: PMC7981314 DOI: 10.1007/s00439-020-02231-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Type 1 Chiari malformation (C1M) is characterized by cerebellar tonsillar herniation of 3–5 mm or more, the frequency of which is presumably much higher than one in 1000 births, as previously believed. Its etiology remains undefined, although a genetic basis is strongly supported by C1M presence in numerous genetic syndromes associated with different genes. Whole-exome sequencing (WES) in 51 between isolated and syndromic pediatric cases and their relatives was performed after confirmation of the defect by brain magnetic resonance image (MRI). Moreover, in all the cases showing an inherited candidate variant, brain MRI was performed in both parents and not only in the carrier one to investigate whether the defect segregated with the variant. More than half of the variants were Missense and belonged to the same chromatin-remodeling genes whose protein truncation variants are associated with severe neurodevelopmental syndromes. In the remaining cases, variants have been detected in genes with a role in cranial bone sutures, microcephaly, neural tube defects, and RASopathy. This study shows that the frequency of C1M is widely underestimated, in fact many of the variants, in particular those in the chromatin-remodeling genes, were inherited from a parent with C1M, either asymptomatic or with mild symptoms. In addition, C1M is a Mendelian trait, in most cases inherited as dominant. Finally, we demonstrate that modifications of the genes that regulate chromatin architecture can cause localized anatomical alterations, with symptoms of varying degrees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aldesia Provenzano
- Medical Genetics Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Biomedical Sciences "Mario Serio", University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
| | - Andrea La Barbera
- Medical Genetics Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Biomedical Sciences "Mario Serio", University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Mirko Scagnet
- Department of Neurosurgery, "A. Meyer" Children Hospital of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Angelica Pagliazzi
- Medical Genetics Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Biomedical Sciences "Mario Serio", University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Giovanna Traficante
- Medical Genetics Unit, "A. Meyer" Children Hospital of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Marilena Pantaleo
- Medical Genetics Unit, "A. Meyer" Children Hospital of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Lucia Tiberi
- Medical Genetics Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Biomedical Sciences "Mario Serio", University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Debora Vergani
- Medical Genetics Unit, "A. Meyer" Children Hospital of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Nehir Edibe Kurtas
- Medical Genetics Unit, "A. Meyer" Children Hospital of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Silvia Guarducci
- Medical Genetics Unit, "A. Meyer" Children Hospital of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Sara Bargiacchi
- Medical Genetics Unit, "A. Meyer" Children Hospital of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Giulia Forzano
- Medical Genetics Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Biomedical Sciences "Mario Serio", University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Rosangela Artuso
- Medical Genetics Unit, "A. Meyer" Children Hospital of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Viviana Palazzo
- Medical Genetics Unit, "A. Meyer" Children Hospital of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Ada Kura
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Atherothrombotic Diseases Center, University of Florence, Careggi Hospital, Florence, Italy
| | - Flavio Giordano
- Department of Neurosurgery, "A. Meyer" Children Hospital of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Daniele di Feo
- Department of Radiology, "A. Meyer" Children Hospital of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Marzia Mortilla
- Department of Radiology, "A. Meyer" Children Hospital of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Claudio De Filippi
- Department of Radiology, "A. Meyer" Children Hospital of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Gianluca Mattei
- Department of Information Engineering, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Livia Garavelli
- Medical Genetics Unit, Department of Mother and Child, Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale-IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | - Betti Giusti
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Atherothrombotic Diseases Center, University of Florence, Careggi Hospital, Florence, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Genitori
- Department of Neurosurgery, "A. Meyer" Children Hospital of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Orsetta Zuffardi
- Unit of Medical Genetics, Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Sabrina Giglio
- Medical Genetics Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Biomedical Sciences "Mario Serio", University of Florence, Florence, Italy.,Medical Genetics Unit, "A. Meyer" Children Hospital of Florence, Florence, Italy
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23
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Hebert L, Hillman P, Baker C, Brown M, Ashley-Koch A, Hixson JE, Morrison AC, Northrup H, Au KS. Burden of rare deleterious variants in WNT signaling genes among 511 myelomeningocele patients. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0239083. [PMID: 32970752 PMCID: PMC7514064 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0239083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2020] [Accepted: 08/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Genes in the noncanonical WNT signaling pathway controlling planar cell polarity have been linked to the neural tube defect myelomeningocele. We hypothesized that some genes in the WNT signaling network have a higher mutational burden in myelomeningocele subjects than in reference subjects in gnomAD. Exome sequencing data from 511 myelomeningocele subjects was obtained in-house and data from 29,940 ethnically matched subjects was provided by version 2 of the publicly available Genome Aggregation Database. To compare mutational burden, we collapsed rare deleterious variants across each of 523 human WNT signaling genes in case and reference populations. Ten WNT signaling genes were disrupted with a higher mutational burden among Mexican American myelomeningocele subjects compared to reference subjects (Fishers exact test, P ≤ 0.05) and seven different genes were disrupted among individuals of European ancestry compared to reference subjects. Gene ontology enrichment analyses indicate that genes disrupted only in the Mexican American population play a role in planar cell polarity whereas genes identified in both populations are important for the regulation of canonical WNT signaling. In summary, evidence for WNT signaling genes that may contribute to myelomeningocele in humans is presented and discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke Hebert
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Medical Genetics, McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Paul Hillman
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Medical Genetics, McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Craig Baker
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Medical Genetics, McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Michael Brown
- Human Genetics Center, Department of Epidemiology, Human Genetics and Environmental Sciences, School of Public Health at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Allison Ashley-Koch
- Department of Medicine and Duke Molecular Physiology Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States of America
| | - James E. Hixson
- Human Genetics Center, Department of Epidemiology, Human Genetics and Environmental Sciences, School of Public Health at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Alanna C. Morrison
- Human Genetics Center, Department of Epidemiology, Human Genetics and Environmental Sciences, School of Public Health at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Hope Northrup
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Medical Genetics, McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Kit Sing Au
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Medical Genetics, McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), Houston, TX, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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24
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Liu L, Liu W, Shi Y, Li L, Gao Y, Lei Y, Finnell R, Zhang T, Zhang F, Jin L, Li H, Tao W, Wang H. DVL mutations identified from human neural tube defects and Dandy-Walker malformation obstruct the Wnt signaling pathway. J Genet Genomics 2020; 47:301-310. [PMID: 32900645 DOI: 10.1016/j.jgg.2020.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2019] [Revised: 06/18/2020] [Accepted: 06/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Wnt signaling pathways, including the canonical Wnt/β-catenin pathway, planar cell polarity pathway, and Wnt/Ca2+ signaling pathway, play important roles in neural development during embryonic stages. The DVL genes encode the hub proteins for Wnt signaling pathways. The mutations in DVL2 and DVL3 were identified from patients with neural tube defects (NTDs), but their functions in the pathogenesis of human neural diseases remain elusive. Here, we sequenced the coding regions of three DVL genes in 176 stillborn or miscarried fetuses with NTDs or Dandy-Walker malformation (DWM) and 480 adult controls from a Han Chinese population. Four rare mutations were identified: DVL1 p.R558H, DVL1 p.R606C, DVL2 p.R633W, and DVL3 p.R222Q. To assess the effect of these mutations on NTDs and DWM, various functional analyses such as luciferase reporter assay, stress fiber formation, and in vivo teratogenic assay were performed. The results showed that the DVL2 p.R633W mutation destabilized DVL2 protein and upregulated activities for all three Wnt signalings (Wnt/β-catenin signaling, Wnt/planar cell polarity signaling, and Wnt/Ca2+ signaling) in mammalian cells. In contrast, DVL1 mutants (DVL1 p.R558H and DVL1 p.R606C) decreased canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling but increased the activity of Wnt/Ca2+ signaling, and DVL3 p.R222Q only decreased the activity of Wnt/Ca2+ signaling. We also found that only the DVL2 p.R633W mutant displayed more severe teratogenicity in zebrafish embryos than wild-type DVL2. Our study demonstrates that these four rare DVL mutations, especially DVL2 p.R633W, may contribute to human neural diseases such as NTDs and DWM by obstructing Wnt signaling pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingling Liu
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering at School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200011, China; NHC Key Lab of Reproduction (Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research), Institute of Reproduction and Development, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Weiqi Liu
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering at School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200011, China; NHC Key Lab of Reproduction (Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research), Institute of Reproduction and Development, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Yan Shi
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering at School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200011, China
| | - Ling Li
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering at School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200011, China
| | - Yunqian Gao
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering at School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200011, China
| | - Yunping Lei
- Departments of Molecular and Cellular Biology and Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Richard Finnell
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering at School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200011, China; Departments of Molecular and Cellular Biology and Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Ting Zhang
- Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing, 100020, China
| | - Feng Zhang
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering at School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200011, China; NHC Key Lab of Reproduction (Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research), Institute of Reproduction and Development, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Li Jin
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering at School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200011, China; NHC Key Lab of Reproduction (Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research), Institute of Reproduction and Development, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Huili Li
- Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA.
| | - Wufan Tao
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering at School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200011, China; Insititute of Developmental Biology and Molecular Medicine, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China.
| | - Hongyan Wang
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering at School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200011, China; NHC Key Lab of Reproduction (Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research), Institute of Reproduction and Development, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China; Children's Hospital and Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
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25
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Abstract
During embryonic development, the central nervous system forms as the neural plate and then rolls into a tube in a complex morphogenetic process known as neurulation. Neural tube defects (NTDs) occur when neurulation fails and are among the most common structural birth defects in humans. The frequency of NTDs varies greatly anywhere from 0.5 to 10 in 1000 live births, depending on the genetic background of the population, as well as a variety of environmental factors. The prognosis varies depending on the size and placement of the lesion and ranges from death to severe or moderate disability, and some NTDs are asymptomatic. This chapter reviews how mouse models have contributed to the elucidation of the genetic, molecular, and cellular basis of neural tube closure, as well as to our understanding of the causes and prevention of this devastating birth defect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene E Zohn
- Center for Genetic Medicine, Children's Research Institute, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA.
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26
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Rosenfeld CS, Hekman JP, Johnson JL, Lyu Z, Ortega MT, Joshi T, Mao J, Vladimirova AV, Gulevich RG, Kharlamova AV, Acland GM, Hecht EE, Wang X, Clark AG, Trut LN, Behura SK, Kukekova AV. Hypothalamic transcriptome of tame and aggressive silver foxes (Vulpes vulpes) identifies gene expression differences shared across brain regions. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2019; 19:e12614. [PMID: 31605445 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2019] [Revised: 10/02/2019] [Accepted: 10/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The underlying neurological events accompanying dog domestication remain elusive. To reconstruct the domestication process in an experimental setting, silver foxes (Vulpes vulpes) have been deliberately bred for tame vs aggressive behaviors for more than 50 generations at the Institute for Cytology and Genetics in Novosibirsk, Russia. The hypothalamus is an essential part of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and regulates the fight-or-flight response, and thus, we hypothesized that selective breeding for tameness/aggressiveness has shaped the hypothalamic transcriptomic profile. RNA-seq analysis identified 70 differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Seven of these genes, DKKL1, FBLN7, NPL, PRIMPOL, PTGRN, SHCBP1L and SKIV2L, showed the same direction expression differences in the hypothalamus, basal forebrain and prefrontal cortex. The genes differentially expressed across the three tissues are involved in cell division, differentiation, adhesion and carbohydrate processing, suggesting an association of these processes with selective breeding. Additionally, 159 transcripts from the hypothalamus demonstrated differences in the abundance of alternative spliced forms between the tame and aggressive foxes. Weighted gene coexpression network analyses also suggested that gene modules in hypothalamus were significantly associated with tame vs aggressive behavior. Pathways associated with these modules include signal transduction, interleukin signaling, cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction and peptide ligand-binding receptors (eg, G-protein coupled receptor [GPCR] ligand binding). Current studies show the selection for tameness vs aggressiveness in foxes is associated with unique hypothalamic gene profiles partly shared with other brain regions and highlight DEGs involved in biological processes such as development, differentiation and immunological responses. The role of these processes in fox and dog domestication remains to be determined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheryl S Rosenfeld
- Bond Life Sciences Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri.,Biomedical Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri.,Thompson Center for Autism and Neurobehavioral Disorders, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri.,MU Informatics Institute, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri
| | - Jessica P Hekman
- Department of Animal Sciences, College of Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois.,The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Jennifer L Johnson
- Department of Animal Sciences, College of Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois
| | - Zhen Lyu
- Department of Computer Science, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri
| | - Madison T Ortega
- Bond Life Sciences Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri.,Biomedical Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri
| | - Trupti Joshi
- Bond Life Sciences Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri.,MU Informatics Institute, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri.,Department of Computer Science, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri.,Department of Health Management and Informatics, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri
| | - Jiude Mao
- Bond Life Sciences Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri.,Biomedical Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri
| | - Anastasiya V Vladimirova
- The Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics, Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Rimma G Gulevich
- The Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics, Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Anastasiya V Kharlamova
- The Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics, Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Gregory M Acland
- Baker Institute for Animal Health, Cornell University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Ithaca, New York
| | - Erin E Hecht
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Xu Wang
- Department of Pathobiology, Auburn University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn, Alabama
| | - Andrew G Clark
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
| | - Lyudmila N Trut
- The Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics, Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Susanta K Behura
- MU Informatics Institute, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri.,Division of Animal Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri
| | - Anna V Kukekova
- Department of Animal Sciences, College of Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois
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27
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Wang L, Ren A, Tian T, Li N, Cao X, Zhang P, Jin L, Li Z, Shen Y, Zhang B, Finnell RH, Lei Y. Whole-Exome Sequencing Identifies Damaging de novo Variants in Anencephalic Cases. Front Neurosci 2019; 13:1285. [PMID: 31849593 PMCID: PMC6896715 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.01285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2019] [Accepted: 11/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Anencephaly is a lethal neural tube defect (NTD). Although variants in several genes have been implicated in the development of anencephaly, a more complete picture of variants in the genome, especially de novo variants (DNVs), remains unresolved. We aim to identify DNVs that play an important role in the development of anencephaly by performing whole-exome DNA sequencing (WES) of proband-parent trios. RESULTS A total of 13 DNVs were identified in 8 anencephaly trios by WES, including two loss of function (LoF) variants detected in pLI > 0.9 genes (SPHKAP, c.2629_2633del, and NCOR1, p.Y1907X). Damaging DNVs were identified in 61.5% (8/13) of the anencephalic cases. Independent validation was conducted in an additional 502 NTD cases. Gene inactivation using targeted morpholino antisense oligomers and rescue assays were conducted in zebrafish, and transfection expression in HEK293T cells. Four DNVs in four cases were identified and predicted to alter protein function, including p.R328Q in WD repeat domain phosphoinositide-interacting 1 (WIPI1). Three variants, p.G313R, p.T418M, and p.L406P, in the WIPI1 gene were identified from the independent replication cohort consisting of 502 cases. Functional analysis suggested that the wipi1 p.L406P and p.R328Q variants most likely displayed loss-of-function effects during embryonic development. CONCLUSION De novo damaging variants are the main culprit for majority of anencephalic cases. Missense variants in WIPI1 may play a role in the genetic etiology of anencephaly, and LoF variants in SPHKAP and NCOR1 may also contribute to anencephaly. These findings add to our existing understanding of the genetic mechanisms of NTD formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linlin Wang
- Institute of Reproductive and Child Health, National Health Commission Health Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China
| | - Aiguo Ren
- Institute of Reproductive and Child Health, National Health Commission Health Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China
| | - Tian Tian
- Institute of Reproductive and Child Health, National Health Commission Health Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China
| | - Nan Li
- Institute of Reproductive and Child Health, National Health Commission Health Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China
| | - Xuanye Cao
- Center for Precision Environmental Health, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Peng Zhang
- Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Lei Jin
- Institute of Reproductive and Child Health, National Health Commission Health Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China
| | - Zhiwen Li
- Institute of Reproductive and Child Health, National Health Commission Health Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China
| | - Yan Shen
- Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Differentiation of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Bo Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Differentiation of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Richard H. Finnell
- Center for Precision Environmental Health, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Yunping Lei
- Center for Precision Environmental Health, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
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28
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Kim SE, Lei Y, Hwang SH, Wlodarczyk BJ, Mukhopadhyay S, Shaw GM, Ross ME, Finnell RH. Dominant negative GPR161 rare variants are risk factors of human spina bifida. Hum Mol Genet 2019; 28:200-208. [PMID: 30256984 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddy339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2018] [Accepted: 09/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Spina bifida (SB) is a complex disorder of failed neural tube closure during the first month of human gestation, with a suspected etiology involving multiple gene and environmental interactions. GPR161 is a ciliary G-protein coupled receptor that regulates Sonic Hedgehog (Shh) signaling. Gpr161 null and hypomorphic mutations cause neural tube defects (NTDs) in mouse models. Herein we show that several genes involved in Shh and Wnt signaling were differentially expressed in the Gpr161 null embryos using RNA-seq analysis. To determine whether there exists an association between GPR161 and SB in humans, we performed direct Sanger sequencing on the GPR161 gene in a cohort of 384 SB patients and 190 healthy controls. We identified six rare variants of GPR161 in six SB cases, of which two of the variants were novel and did not exist in any databases. Both of these variants were predicted to be damaging by SIFT and/or PolyPhen analysis. The novel GPR161 rare variants mislocalized to the primary cilia, dysregulated Shh and Wnt signaling and inhibited cell proliferation in vitro. Our results demonstrate that GPR161 mutations cause NTDs via dysregulation of Shh and Wnt signaling in mice, and novel rare variants of GPR161 can be risk factors for SB in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sung-Eun Kim
- Department of Pediatrics, Dell Pediatric Research Institute, University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Yunping Lei
- Department of Pediatrics, Dell Pediatric Research Institute, University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School, Austin, TX, USA.,Departments of Molecular and Cellular Biology and Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Sun-Hee Hwang
- Department of Cell Biology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Bogdan J Wlodarczyk
- Department of Pediatrics, Dell Pediatric Research Institute, University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School, Austin, TX, USA.,Departments of Molecular and Cellular Biology and Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | | | - Gary M Shaw
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - M Elizabeth Ross
- Center for Neurogenetics, Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Richard H Finnell
- Department of Pediatrics, Dell Pediatric Research Institute, University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School, Austin, TX, USA.,Departments of Molecular and Cellular Biology and Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
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29
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Lei Y, Kim S, Chen Z, Cao X, Zhu H, Yang W, Shaw GM, Zheng Y, Zhang T, Wang H, Finnell RH. Variants identified in PTK7 associated with neural tube defects. Mol Genet Genomic Med 2019; 7:e00584. [PMID: 30689296 PMCID: PMC6465732 DOI: 10.1002/mgg3.584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2018] [Revised: 11/21/2018] [Accepted: 12/31/2018] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Variants in planar cell polarity (PCP) pathway genes have been repeatedly implicated in the pathogenesis of NTDs in both mouse models and in human cohorts. Mouse models indicate that the homogenous disruption of the Ptk7 gene, a PCP regulator, results in craniorachischisis; while embryos that are doubly heterozygous for Ptk7XST87 and Vangl2Lp mutations present with spina bifida. METHODS In this study, we initially sequenced exons of the human PTK7 gene in 192 spina bifida patients and 190 controls from a California population. A phase II validation study was performed in 343 Chinese NTD cohort. Functional assays including immunoblotting and immunoprecipitation were used to study identified variants effect on PTK7 function. RESULTS We identified three rare (MAF <0.001) missense heterozygous PTK7 variants (NM_001270398.1:c.581C>T, p.Arg630Ser and p.Tyr725Phe) in the spina bifida patients. In our functional analyses, p.Arg630Ser affected PTK7 mutant protein stability and increased interaction with Dvl2, while the p.Thr186Met variant decreased PTK7 interactions with Dvl2. No novel predicted-to-be-damaging variant or function-disrupted PTK7 variant was identified among the control subjects. We subsequently re-sequenced the PTK7 CDS region in 343 NTDs from China to validate the association between PTK7 and NTDs. The frequency of PTK7 rare missense variants in the Chinese NTD samples is significantly higher than in gnomAD controls. CONCLUSION Our study suggests that rare missense variants in PTK7 contribute to the genetic risk of NTDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunping Lei
- Department of Nutritional SciencesDell Pediatric Research Institute, University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical SchoolAustinTexas
- Present address:
Center for Precision Environmental Health, Departments of Molecular and Cellular Biology and MedicineBaylor College of MedicineHoustonTexas77030
| | - Sung‐Eun Kim
- Department of Nutritional SciencesDell Pediatric Research Institute, University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical SchoolAustinTexas
| | - Zhongzhong Chen
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering at School of Life Sciences, Institute of Reproduction and DevelopmentFudan UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Xuanye Cao
- Departments of Molecular and Cellular Biology and MedicineBaylor College of MedicineHoustonTexas
| | - Huiping Zhu
- Department of Nutritional SciencesDell Pediatric Research Institute, University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical SchoolAustinTexas
- Present address:
Asuragen Inc.2150 Woodward St #100AustinTX78744
| | - Wei Yang
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of NeonatologyStanford University School of MedicineStanfordCalifornia
| | - Gary M. Shaw
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of NeonatologyStanford University School of MedicineStanfordCalifornia
| | - Yufang Zheng
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering at School of Life Sciences, Institute of Reproduction and DevelopmentFudan UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Ting Zhang
- Beijing Municipal Key Laboratory of Child Development and NutriomicsCapital Institute of PediatricsBeijingChina
| | - Hong‐Yan Wang
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering at School of Life Sciences, Institute of Reproduction and DevelopmentFudan UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Richard H. Finnell
- Department of Nutritional SciencesDell Pediatric Research Institute, University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical SchoolAustinTexas
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Genetics & Development, School of Life SciencesFudan UniversityShanghaiChina
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30
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Chen ZS, Chan HYE. Transcriptional dysregulation in neurodegenerative diseases: Who tipped the balance of Yin Yang 1 in the brain? Neural Regen Res 2019; 14:1148-1151. [PMID: 30804239 PMCID: PMC6425841 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.251193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Yin Yang 1 (YY1) is a multi-functional transcription factor that regulates gene expression in a range of cell types, including neurons. It controls neuronal differentiation, as well as neuronal specification and migration during the development of the mammalian nervous system. Besides, YY1 also mediates the transcription of genes that are required for neuronal survival. An impairment of the transcriptional function of YY1 causes neuronal death. This review summarizes recent research findings that unveil the dysfunction of YY1 in multiple neurodegenerative disorders. The expression of disease proteins perturbs the function of YY1 via distinct molecular mechanisms, including recruitment to protein aggregates, protein degradation and aberrant nuclear/cytoplasmic shuttling. Understanding the pathogenic roles of YY1 will further broaden our knowledge of the disease mechanisms in distinct neurodegenerative disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhefan Stephen Chen
- School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administration Region, China
| | - Ho Yin Edwin Chan
- School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science; Gerald Choa Neuroscience Centre, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administration Region, China
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31
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Abstract
Disorders of the developing nervous system may be of genetic origin, comprising congenital malformations of spine and brain as well as metabolic or vascular disorders that affect normal brain development. Acquired causes include congenital infections, hypoxic-ischemic or traumatic brain injury, and a number of rare neoplasms. This chapter focuses on the clinical presentation and workup of neurogenetic disorders presenting in the fetal or neonatal period. After a summary of the most frequent clinical presentations, clues from history taking and clinical examination are illustrated with short case reports. This is followed by a discussion of the different tools available for the workup of neurogenetic disorders, including the various genetic techniques with their advantages and disadvantages. The implications of a molecular genetic diagnosis for the patient and family are addressed in the section on counseling. The chapter concludes with a proposed workflow that may help the clinician when confronted with a potential neurogenetic disorder in the fetal or neonatal period.
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32
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Chen ZS, Li L, Peng S, Chen FM, Zhang Q, An Y, Lin X, Li W, Koon AC, Chan TF, Lau KF, Ngo JCK, Wong WT, Kwan KM, Chan HYE. Planar cell polarity gene Fuz triggers apoptosis in neurodegenerative disease models. EMBO Rep 2018; 19:embr.201745409. [PMID: 30026307 DOI: 10.15252/embr.201745409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2017] [Revised: 06/15/2018] [Accepted: 06/22/2018] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Planar cell polarity (PCP) describes a cell-cell communication process through which individual cells coordinate and align within the plane of a tissue. In this study, we show that overexpression of Fuz, a PCP gene, triggers neuronal apoptosis via the dishevelled/Rac1 GTPase/MEKK1/JNK/caspase signalling axis. Consistent with this finding, endogenous Fuz expression is upregulated in models of polyglutamine (polyQ) diseases and in fibroblasts from spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3) patients. The disruption of this upregulation mitigates polyQ-induced neurodegeneration in Drosophila We show that the transcriptional regulator Yin Yang 1 (YY1) associates with the Fuz promoter. Overexpression of YY1 promotes the hypermethylation of Fuz promoter, causing transcriptional repression of Fuz Remarkably, YY1 protein is recruited to ATXN3-Q84 aggregates, which reduces the level of functional, soluble YY1, resulting in Fuz transcriptional derepression and induction of neuronal apoptosis. Furthermore, Fuz transcript level is elevated in amyloid beta-peptide, Tau and α-synuclein models, implicating its potential involvement in other neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Taken together, this study unveils a generic Fuz-mediated apoptotic cell death pathway in neurodegenerative disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhefan Stephen Chen
- Laboratory of Drosophila Research, School of Life Sciences Faculty of Science The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China.,Biochemistry Program, School of Life Sciences Faculty of Science The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Li Li
- Laboratory of Drosophila Research, School of Life Sciences Faculty of Science The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China.,Biochemistry Program, School of Life Sciences Faculty of Science The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Shaohong Peng
- Laboratory of Drosophila Research, School of Life Sciences Faculty of Science The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China.,Biochemistry Program, School of Life Sciences Faculty of Science The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Francis M Chen
- Cell and Molecular Biology Program, School of Life Sciences Faculty of Science The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Qian Zhang
- Laboratory of Drosophila Research, School of Life Sciences Faculty of Science The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China.,Biochemistry Program, School of Life Sciences Faculty of Science The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Ying An
- Laboratory of Drosophila Research, School of Life Sciences Faculty of Science The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China.,Biochemistry Program, School of Life Sciences Faculty of Science The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Xiao Lin
- Biochemistry Program, School of Life Sciences Faculty of Science The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Wen Li
- Biochemistry Program, School of Life Sciences Faculty of Science The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Alex Chun Koon
- Laboratory of Drosophila Research, School of Life Sciences Faculty of Science The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China.,Biochemistry Program, School of Life Sciences Faculty of Science The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Ting-Fung Chan
- Biochemistry Program, School of Life Sciences Faculty of Science The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China.,Cell and Molecular Biology Program, School of Life Sciences Faculty of Science The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China.,Molecular Biotechnology Program, School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China.,Gerald Choa Neuroscience Centre, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Kwok-Fai Lau
- Biochemistry Program, School of Life Sciences Faculty of Science The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China.,Cell and Molecular Biology Program, School of Life Sciences Faculty of Science The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China.,Molecular Biotechnology Program, School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Jacky Chi Ki Ngo
- Biochemistry Program, School of Life Sciences Faculty of Science The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China.,Cell and Molecular Biology Program, School of Life Sciences Faculty of Science The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Wing Tak Wong
- Cell and Molecular Biology Program, School of Life Sciences Faculty of Science The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Kin Ming Kwan
- Cell and Molecular Biology Program, School of Life Sciences Faculty of Science The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China.,Partner State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology (CUHK), The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China.,Centre for Cell and Developmental Biology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Ho Yin Edwin Chan
- Laboratory of Drosophila Research, School of Life Sciences Faculty of Science The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China .,Biochemistry Program, School of Life Sciences Faculty of Science The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China.,Cell and Molecular Biology Program, School of Life Sciences Faculty of Science The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China.,Molecular Biotechnology Program, School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China.,Gerald Choa Neuroscience Centre, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China
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33
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Wang L, Xiao Y, Tian T, Jin L, Lei Y, Finnell RH, Ren A. Digenic variants of planar cell polarity genes in human neural tube defect patients. Mol Genet Metab 2018; 124:94-100. [PMID: 29573971 PMCID: PMC5966321 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymgme.2018.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2018] [Revised: 03/15/2018] [Accepted: 03/15/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Neural tube defects (NTDs) are considered to be a complex genetic disorder, although the identity of the genetic factors remains largely unknown. Mouse model studies suggest a multifactorial oligogenic pattern of inheritance for NTDs, yet evidence from published human studies is surprisingly absent. In the present study, targeted next-generation sequencing was performed to screen for DNA variants in the entire coding regions and intron-exon boundaries of targeted genes using DNA samples from 510 NTD cases. These candidate genes were PCP genes, including VANGL1, VANGL2, CELSR1, SCRIB, DVL2, DVL3 and PTK7. Candidate variants were validated using Sanger sequencing. A total of 397 single nucleotide variants(SNVs) were identified with a mean depth of approximately 570×. Of these identified SNVs, 74 were predicted to affect protein function and had a minor allele frequency of <0.01 or unknown. Among these 74 missense SNVs, 10 were identified from six NTD cases that carried two mutated genes. Of the six NTD cases, three spina bifida cases and one anencephaly case carried digenic variants in the CELSR1 and SCRIB gene; one anencephaly case carried variants in the CELSR1 and DVL3 gene; and one spina bifida case carried variants in the PTK7 and SCRIB genes. Three cases that parental samples were available were confirmed to be compound heterozygous. None of the digenic variants were found in the 1000 genome database. The findings imply that genetic variation might interact in a digenic fashion to generate the visible NTD phenotypes and emphasize the importance of these genetic interactions in the development of NTDs in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linlin Wang
- Institute of Reproductive and Child Health, Ministry of Health Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China
| | - Yanhui Xiao
- Institute of Reproductive and Child Health, Ministry of Health Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China
| | - Tian Tian
- Institute of Reproductive and Child Health, Ministry of Health Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China
| | - Lei Jin
- Institute of Reproductive and Child Health, Ministry of Health Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China
| | - Yunping Lei
- Departments of Molecular and Cellular Biology and Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
| | - Richard H Finnell
- Departments of Molecular and Cellular Biology and Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Aiguo Ren
- Institute of Reproductive and Child Health, Ministry of Health Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China.
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34
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Vangl2 regulates spermatid planar cell polarity through microtubule (MT)-based cytoskeleton in the rat testis. Cell Death Dis 2018; 9:340. [PMID: 29497043 PMCID: PMC5832773 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-018-0339-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2017] [Revised: 01/15/2018] [Accepted: 01/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
During spermatogenesis, developing elongating/elongated spermatids are highly polarized cells, displaying unique apico-basal polarity. For instance, the heads of spermatids align perpendicular to the basement membrane with their tails pointing to the tubule lumen. Thus, the maximal number of spermatids are packed within the limited space of the seminiferous epithelium to support spermatogenesis. Herein, we reported findings that elongating/elongated spermatids displayed planar cell polarity (PCP) in adult rat testes in which the proximal end of polarized spermatid heads were aligned uniformly across the plane of the seminiferous epithelium based on studies using confocal microscopy and 3-dimensional (D) reconstruction of the seminiferous tubules. We also discovered that spermatid PCP was regulated by PCP protein Vangl2 (Van Gogh-like protein 2) since Vangl2 knockdown by RNAi was found to perturb spermatid PCP. More important, Vangl2 exerted its regulatory effects through changes in the organization of the microtubule (MT)-based cytoskeleton in the seminiferous epithelium. These changes were mediated via the downstream signaling proteins atypical protein kinase C ξ (PKCζ) and MT-associated protein (MAP)/microtubule affinity-regulating kinase 2 (MARK2). These findings thus provide new insights regarding the biology of spermatid PCP during spermiogenesis.
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35
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Agbu SO, Liang Y, Liu A, Anderson KV. The small GTPase RSG1 controls a final step in primary cilia initiation. J Cell Biol 2017; 217:413-427. [PMID: 29038301 PMCID: PMC5748968 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.201604048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2016] [Revised: 08/18/2016] [Accepted: 09/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Primary cilia are essential for normal development and tissue homeostasis, but the mechanisms that remodel the centriole to promote cilia initiation are not well understood. Agbu et al. report that mouse RSG1, a small GTPase, regulates a late step in cilia initiation, downstream of TTBK2 and the CPLANE protein INTU. Primary cilia, which are essential for normal development and tissue homeostasis, are extensions of the mother centriole, but the mechanisms that remodel the centriole to promote cilia initiation are poorly understood. Here we show that mouse embryos that lack the small guanosine triphosphatase RSG1 die at embryonic day 12.5, with developmental abnormalities characteristic of decreased cilia-dependent Hedgehog signaling. Rsg1 mutant embryos have fewer primary cilia than wild-type embryos, but the cilia that form are of normal length and traffic Hedgehog pathway proteins within the cilium correctly. Rsg1 mother centrioles recruit proteins required for cilia initiation and dock onto ciliary vesicles, but axonemal microtubules fail to elongate normally. RSG1 localizes to the mother centriole in a process that depends on tau tubulin kinase 2 (TTBK2), the CPLANE complex protein Inturned (INTU), and its own GTPase activity. The data suggest a specific role for RSG1 in the final maturation of the mother centriole and ciliary vesicle that allows extension of the ciliary axoneme.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie O Agbu
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY.,Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology Program, Weill Graduate School of Medical Sciences of Cornell University, New York, NY
| | - Yinwen Liang
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Aimin Liu
- Department of Biology, Eberly College of Science, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
| | - Kathryn V Anderson
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
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36
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Butler MT, Wallingford JB. Planar cell polarity in development and disease. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2017; 18:375-388. [PMID: 28293032 DOI: 10.1038/nrm.2017.11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 339] [Impact Index Per Article: 48.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Planar cell polarity (PCP) is an essential feature of animal tissues, whereby distinct polarity is established within the plane of a cell sheet. Tissue-wide establishment of PCP is driven by multiple global cues, including gradients of gene expression, gradients of secreted WNT ligands and anisotropic tissue strain. These cues guide the dynamic, subcellular enrichment of PCP proteins, which can self-assemble into mutually exclusive complexes at opposite sides of a cell. Endocytosis, endosomal trafficking and degradation dynamics of PCP components further regulate planar tissue patterning. This polarization propagates throughout the whole tissue, providing a polarity axis that governs collective morphogenetic events such as the orientation of subcellular structures and cell rearrangements. Reflecting the necessity of polarized cellular behaviours for proper development and function of diverse organs, defects in PCP have been implicated in human pathologies, most notably in severe birth defects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mitchell T Butler
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Patterson Labs, 2401 Speedway, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
| | - John B Wallingford
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Patterson Labs, 2401 Speedway, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
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37
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Chen X, An Y, Gao Y, Guo L, Rui L, Xie H, Sun M, Lam Hung S, Sheng X, Zou J, Bao Y, Guan H, Niu B, Li Z, Finnell RH, Gusella JF, Wu BL, Zhang T. Rare Deleterious PARD3 Variants in the aPKC-Binding Region are Implicated in the Pathogenesis of Human Cranial Neural Tube Defects Via Disrupting Apical Tight Junction Formation. Hum Mutat 2017; 38:378-389. [PMID: 27925688 DOI: 10.1002/humu.23153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2016] [Accepted: 11/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Increasing evidence that mutation of planar cell polarity (PCP) genes contributes to human cranial neural tube defect (NTD) susceptibility prompted us to hypothesize that rare variants of genes in the core apical-basal polarity (ABP) pathway are risk factors for cranial NTDs. In this study, we screened for rare genomic variation of PARD3 in 138 cranial NTD cases and 274 controls. Overall, the rare deleterious variants of PARD3 were significantly associated with increased risk for cranial NTDs (11/138 vs.7/274, P < 0.05, OR = 3.3). These NTD-specific variants were significantly enriched in the aPKC-binding region (6/138 vs. 0/274, P < 0.01). The East Asian cohort in the ExAC database and another Chinese normal cohort further supported this association. Over-expression analysis in HEK293T and MDCK cells confirmed abnormal aPKC binding or interaction for two PARD3 variants (p.P913Q and p.D783G), resulting in defective tight junction formation via disrupted aPKC binding. Functional analysis in human neural progenitor cells and chick embryos revealed that PARD3 knockdown gave rise to abnormal cell polarity and compromised the polarization process of neuroepithelial tissue. Our studies suggest that rare deleterious variants of PARD3 in the aPKC-binding region contribute to human cranial NTDs, possibly by disrupting apical tight junction formation and subsequent polarization process of the neuroepithelium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoli Chen
- Beijing Municipal Key Laboratory of Child Development and Nutriomics, Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing, China
| | - Yu An
- Children's Hospital of Fudan University and Institutes of Biomedical Science, Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yonghui Gao
- Beijing Municipal Key Laboratory of Child Development and Nutriomics, Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing, China.,Institute of Acu-moxibustion, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Liu Guo
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Children's Hospital of Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing, China
| | - Lei Rui
- State Key Laboratories for Agrobiotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Hua Xie
- Beijing Municipal Key Laboratory of Child Development and Nutriomics, Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing, China
| | - Mei Sun
- Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Siv Lam Hung
- Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Xiaoming Sheng
- Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Jizhen Zou
- Department of Pathology, Affiliated Children's Hospital of Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing, China
| | - Yihua Bao
- Beijing Municipal Key Laboratory of Child Development and Nutriomics, Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing, China
| | - Hongyan Guan
- Department of Integrated Early Childhood Development, Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing, China
| | - Bo Niu
- Department of Biotechnology, Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing, China
| | - Zandong Li
- State Key Laboratories for Agrobiotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Richard H Finnell
- Dell Pediatric Research Institute, Department of Nutritional Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
| | - James F Gusella
- Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.,Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Bai-Lin Wu
- Children's Hospital of Fudan University and Institutes of Biomedical Science, Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Ting Zhang
- Beijing Municipal Key Laboratory of Child Development and Nutriomics, Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing, China
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38
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Adler PN, Wallingford JB. From Planar Cell Polarity to Ciliogenesis and Back: The Curious Tale of the PPE and CPLANE proteins. Trends Cell Biol 2017; 27:379-390. [PMID: 28153580 DOI: 10.1016/j.tcb.2016.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2016] [Revised: 11/28/2016] [Accepted: 12/23/2016] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Why some genes are more popular than others remains an open question, but one example of this phenomenon involves the genes controlling planar cell polarity (PCP), the polarization of cells within a plane of a tissue. Indeed, the so-called 'core' PCP genes such as dishevelled, frizzled, and prickle have been extensively studied both in animal models and by human genetics. By contrast, other genes that influence PCP signaling have received far less attention. Among the latter are inturned, fuzzy, and fritz, but recent work should bring these once obscure regulators into the limelight. We provide here a brief history of planar polarity effector (PPE) and CPLANE (ciliogenesis and planar polarity effector) proteins, discuss recent advances in understanding their molecular mechanisms of action, and describe their roles in human disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul N Adler
- Departments of Biology and Cell Biology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA
| | - John B Wallingford
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
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39
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Luxenburg C, Geiger B. Multiscale View of Cytoskeletal Mechanoregulation of Cell and Tissue Polarity. Handb Exp Pharmacol 2017; 235:263-284. [PMID: 27807694 DOI: 10.1007/164_2016_34] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The ability of cells to generate, maintain, and repair tissues with complex architecture, in which distinct cells function as coherent units, relies on polarity cues. Polarity can be described as an asymmetry along a defined axis, manifested at the molecular, structural, and functional levels. Several types of cell and tissue polarities were described in the literature, including front-back, apical-basal, anterior-posterior, and left-right polarity. Extensive research provided insights into the specific regulators of each polarization process, as well as into generic elements that affect all types of polarities. The actin cytoskeleton and the associated adhesion structures are major regulators of most, if not all, known forms of polarity. Actin filaments exhibit intrinsic polarity and their ability to bind many proteins including the mechanosensitive adhesion and motor proteins, such as myosins, play key roles in cell polarization. The actin cytoskeleton can generate mechanical forces and together with the associated adhesions, probe the mechanical, structural, and chemical properties of the environment, and transmit signals that impact numerous biological processes, including cell polarity. In this article we highlight novel mechanisms whereby the mechanical forces and actin-adhesion complexes regulate cell and tissue polarity in a variety of natural and experimental systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Luxenburg
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel.
| | - Benjamin Geiger
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel.
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40
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Gao Y, Cheng CY. Does cell polarity matter during spermatogenesis? SPERMATOGENESIS 2016; 6:e1218408. [PMID: 27635303 DOI: 10.1080/21565562.2016.1218408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2016] [Revised: 07/19/2016] [Accepted: 07/26/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Cell polarity is crucial to development since apico-basal polarity conferred by the 3 polarity protein modules (or complexes) is essential during embryogenesis, namely the Par (partition defective)-, the CRB (Crumbs)-, and the Scribble-based polarity protein modules. While these protein complexes and their component proteins have been extensively studied in Drosophila and C. elegans and also other mammalian tissues and/or cells, their presence and physiological significance in the testis remain unexplored until the first paper on the Par-based protein published in 2008. Since then, the Par-, the Scribble- and the CRB-based protein complexes and their component proteins in the testis have been studied. These proteins are known to confer Sertoli and spermatid polarity in the seminiferous epithelium, and they are also integrated components of the tight junction (TJ) and the basal ectoplasmic specialization (ES) at the Sertoli cell-cell interface near the basement membrane, which in turn constitute the blood-testis barrier (BTB). These proteins are also found at the apical ES at the Sertoli-spermatid interface. Thus, these polarity proteins also play a significant role in regulating Sertoli and spermatid adhesion in the testis through their actions on actin-based cytoskeletal function. Recent studies have shown that these polarity proteins are having antagonistic effects on the BTB integrity in which the Par6- and CRB3-based polarity complexes promotes the integrity of the Sertoli cell TJ-permeability barrier, whereas the Scribble-based complex promotes restructuring/remodeling of the Sertoli TJ-barrier function. Herein, we carefully evaluate these findings and provide a hypothetic model regarding their role in the testis in the context of the functions of these polarity proteins in other epithelia, so that better experiments can be designed in future studies to explore their significance in spermatogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Gao
- The Mary M. Wohlford Laboratory for Male Contraceptive Research, Center for Biomedical Research, Population Council , New York, NY, USA
| | - C Yan Cheng
- The Mary M. Wohlford Laboratory for Male Contraceptive Research, Center for Biomedical Research, Population Council , New York, NY, USA
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41
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Francesca LC, Claudia R, Molinario C, Annamaria M, Chiara F, Natalia C, Emanuele A, Valentina P, Giovanni N, Costantino R, Eugenio S, Fiorella G. Variants in TNIP1, a regulator of the NF-kB pathway, found in two patients with neural tube defects. Childs Nerv Syst 2016; 32:1061-7. [PMID: 27125519 DOI: 10.1007/s00381-016-3087-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2016] [Accepted: 04/11/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Neural tube defects (NTDs) occur in 1:1000 births. The etiology is complex, with the influence of environmental and genetic factors. Environmental factors, such as folate deficiency, diabetes, or hypoxia strongly contribute to the occurrence of NTD. Also, there is a strong genetic contribution to NTD, as highlighted by the number of genes so far identified in several different developmental pathways usually altered in NTD. Each gene identified so far accounts for a small percentage of all NTD cases, indicating a very high heterogeneity. METHODS Exome sequencing was performed in seven sporadic patients with severe mielomeningocele. Novel coding variants shared by two or more patients were selected for further analysis. RESULTS We identified in two unrelated patients two different variants in TNIP1, a gene not previously involved in NTD whose main role is downregulation of the NF-kB pathway. One variant, c.1089T>G (p.Phe363Leu), is de novo, whereas the c.1781C>T (p.Pro594Leu) is absent in the mother, but could not be tested in the father, as he was unavailable. The latter variant is a very rare variant in the ExAC database. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that TNIP1 is a new potential predisposing gene to spina bifida (SB) and its pathway needs to be investigated in human NTD in order to confirm its role and to plan appropriate counseling to families.
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Affiliation(s)
- La Carpia Francesca
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Medical Center, Columbia, NY, USA
| | - Rendeli Claudia
- Istituto di Pediatria, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore "A. Gemelli", Rome, Italy
| | - Clelia Molinario
- Istituto di Medicina Genomica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore "A. Gemelli", L.go Francesco Vito 1, 00168, Rome, Italy
| | - Milillo Annamaria
- Istituto di Medicina Genomica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore "A. Gemelli", L.go Francesco Vito 1, 00168, Rome, Italy
| | - Farroni Chiara
- Istituto di Medicina Genomica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore "A. Gemelli", L.go Francesco Vito 1, 00168, Rome, Italy
| | - Cannelli Natalia
- Istituto di Medicina Genomica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore "A. Gemelli", L.go Francesco Vito 1, 00168, Rome, Italy
| | - Ausili Emanuele
- Istituto di Pediatria, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore "A. Gemelli", Rome, Italy
| | - Paolucci Valentina
- Istituto di Pediatria, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore "A. Gemelli", Rome, Italy
| | - Neri Giovanni
- Istituto di Medicina Genomica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore "A. Gemelli", L.go Francesco Vito 1, 00168, Rome, Italy
| | - Romagnoli Costantino
- Istituto di Pediatria, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore "A. Gemelli", Rome, Italy
| | - Sangiorgi Eugenio
- Istituto di Medicina Genomica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore "A. Gemelli", L.go Francesco Vito 1, 00168, Rome, Italy
| | - Gurrieri Fiorella
- Istituto di Medicina Genomica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore "A. Gemelli", L.go Francesco Vito 1, 00168, Rome, Italy.
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42
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Toriyama M, Lee C, Taylor SP, Duran I, Cohn DH, Bruel AL, Tabler JM, Drew K, Kelly MR, Kim S, Park TJ, Braun DA, Pierquin G, Biver A, Wagner K, Malfroot A, Panigrahi I, Franco B, Al-Lami HA, Yeung Y, Choi YJ, Duffourd Y, Faivre L, Rivière JB, Chen J, Liu KJ, Marcotte EM, Hildebrandt F, Thauvin-Robinet C, Krakow D, Jackson PK, Wallingford JB. The ciliopathy-associated CPLANE proteins direct basal body recruitment of intraflagellar transport machinery. Nat Genet 2016; 48:648-56. [PMID: 27158779 PMCID: PMC4978421 DOI: 10.1038/ng.3558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2015] [Accepted: 04/01/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Cilia use microtubule-based intraflagellar transport (IFT) to organize intercellular signaling. Ciliopathies are a spectrum of human diseases resulting from defects in cilia structure or function. The mechanisms regulating the assembly of ciliary multiprotein complexes and the transport of these complexes to the base of cilia remain largely unknown. Combining proteomics, in vivo imaging and genetic analysis of proteins linked to planar cell polarity (Inturned, Fuzzy and Wdpcp), we identified and characterized a new genetic module, which we term CPLANE (ciliogenesis and planar polarity effector), and an extensive associated protein network. CPLANE proteins physically and functionally interact with the poorly understood ciliopathy-associated protein Jbts17 at basal bodies, where they act to recruit a specific subset of IFT-A proteins. In the absence of CPLANE, defective IFT-A particles enter the axoneme and IFT-B trafficking is severely perturbed. Accordingly, mutation of CPLANE genes elicits specific ciliopathy phenotypes in mouse models and is associated with ciliopathies in human patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michinori Toriyama
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Chanjae Lee
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - S Paige Taylor
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA.,Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Ivan Duran
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA.,Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Daniel H Cohn
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Ange-Line Bruel
- EA4271GAD Genetics of Developmental Anomalies, FHU-TRANSLAD, Medecine Faculty, Burgundy University, Dijon, France
| | - Jacqueline M Tabler
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Kevin Drew
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Marcus R Kelly
- Baxter Laboratory, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Sukyoung Kim
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Tae Joo Park
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Daniela A Braun
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | - Armand Biver
- Pediatric Unit, Hospital Center, Luxemburg, Luxembourg
| | - Kerstin Wagner
- Cardiological Pediatric Unit, Hospital Center, Luxemburg, Luxembourg
| | - Anne Malfroot
- Clinic of Pediatric Respiratory Diseases, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel, Brussels, Belgium.,Infectious Diseases, Travel Clinic, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel, Brussels, Belgium.,Cystic Fibrosis Clinic, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Inusha Panigrahi
- Department of Pediatrics Advanced, Pediatric Centre Pigmer, Chandigarh, India
| | - Brunella Franco
- Division of Pediatrics, Department of Medical Translational Sciences, Federico II University of Naples, Naples, Italy.,Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine (TIGEM), Naples, Italy
| | - Hadeel Adel Al-Lami
- Department of Craniofacial and Stem Cell Biology, Dental Institute, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Yvonne Yeung
- Department of Craniofacial and Stem Cell Biology, Dental Institute, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Yeon Ja Choi
- Department of Pathology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA.,Department of Dermatology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
| | | | - Yannis Duffourd
- EA4271GAD Genetics of Developmental Anomalies, FHU-TRANSLAD, Medecine Faculty, Burgundy University, Dijon, France
| | - Laurence Faivre
- EA4271GAD Genetics of Developmental Anomalies, FHU-TRANSLAD, Medecine Faculty, Burgundy University, Dijon, France.,Clinical Genetics Centre, FHU-TRANSLAD, Children Hospital, CHU Dijon, Dijon, France.,Eastern Referral Centre for Developmental Anomalies and Malformative Syndromes, FHU-TRANSLAD, Children Hospital, CHU Dijon, Dijon, France
| | - Jean-Baptiste Rivière
- EA4271GAD Genetics of Developmental Anomalies, FHU-TRANSLAD, Medecine Faculty, Burgundy University, Dijon, France.,Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, FHU-TRANSLAD, PTB, CHU Dijon, Dijon, France
| | - Jiang Chen
- Department of Pathology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA.,Department of Dermatology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
| | - Karen J Liu
- Department of Craniofacial and Stem Cell Biology, Dental Institute, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Edward M Marcotte
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Friedhelm Hildebrandt
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Christel Thauvin-Robinet
- EA4271GAD Genetics of Developmental Anomalies, FHU-TRANSLAD, Medecine Faculty, Burgundy University, Dijon, France.,Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, FHU-TRANSLAD, PTB, CHU Dijon, Dijon, France
| | - Deborah Krakow
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Peter K Jackson
- Baxter Laboratory, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
| | - John B Wallingford
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
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Abstract
Studies of syndromic hydrocephalus have led to the identification of >100 causative genes. Even though this work has illuminated numerous pathways associated with hydrocephalus, it has also highlighted the fact that the genetics underlying this phenotype are more complex than anticipated originally. Mendelian forms of hydrocephalus account for a small fraction of the genetic burden, with clear evidence of background-dependent effects of alleles on penetrance and expressivity of driver mutations in key developmental and homeostatic pathways. Here, we synthesize the currently implicated genes and inheritance paradigms underlying hydrocephalus, grouping causal loci into functional modules that affect discrete, albeit partially overlapping, cellular processes. These in turn have the potential to both inform pathomechanism and assist in the rational molecular classification of a clinically heterogeneous phenotype. Finally, we discuss conceptual methods that can lead to enhanced gene identification and dissection of disease basis, knowledge that will potentially form a foundation for the design of future therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Kousi
- Center for Human Disease Modeling, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina 27701;
| | - Nicholas Katsanis
- Center for Human Disease Modeling, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina 27701;
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44
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Chen H, Mruk DD, Lee WM, Cheng CY. Planar Cell Polarity (PCP) Protein Vangl2 Regulates Ectoplasmic Specialization Dynamics via Its Effects on Actin Microfilaments in the Testes of Male Rats. Endocrinology 2016; 157:2140-59. [PMID: 26990065 PMCID: PMC4870864 DOI: 10.1210/en.2015-1987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Planar cell polarity (PCP) proteins confer polarization of a field of cells (eg, elongating/elongated spermatids) within the plane of an epithelium such as the seminiferous epithelium of the tubule during spermatogenesis. In adult rat testes, Sertoli and germ cells were found to express PCP core proteins (eg, Van Gogh-like 2 [Vangl2]), effectors, ligands, and signaling proteins. Vangl2 expressed predominantly by Sertoli cells was localized at the testis-specific, actin-rich ectoplasmic specialization (ES) at the Sertoli-spermatid interface in the adluminal compartment and also Sertoli-Sertoli interface at the blood-testis barrier (BTB) and structurally interacted with actin, N-cadherin, and another PCP/polarity protein Scribble. Vangl2 knockdown (KD) by RNA interference in Sertoli cells cultured in vitro with an established tight junction-permeability barrier led to BTB tightening, whereas its overexpression using a full-length cDNA construct perturbed the barrier function. These changes were mediated through an alteration on the organization actin microfilaments at the ES in Sertoli cells, involving actin-regulatory proteins, epidermal growth factor receptor pathway substrate 8, actin-related protein 3, and Scribble, which in turn affected the function of adhesion protein complexes at the ES during the epithelial cycle of spermatogenesis. Using Polyplus in vivo-jetPEI reagent as a transfection medium to silence Vangl2 in the testis in vivo by RNA interference with high efficacy, Vangl2 KD led to changes in F-actin organization at the ES in the epithelium, impeding spermatid and phagosome transport and spermatid polarity, meiosis, and BTB dynamics. For instance, step 19 spermatids remained embedded in the epithelium alongside with step 9 and 10 spermatids in stages IX-X tubules. In summary, the PCP protein Vangl2 is an ES regulator through its effects on actin microfilaments in the testis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haiqi Chen
- The Mary M. Wohlford Laboratory for Male Contraceptive Research (H.C., D.D.M., C.Y.C.), Center for Biomedical Research, Population Council, New York, New York 10065; and School of Biological Sciences (W.M.L.), University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
| | - Dolores D Mruk
- The Mary M. Wohlford Laboratory for Male Contraceptive Research (H.C., D.D.M., C.Y.C.), Center for Biomedical Research, Population Council, New York, New York 10065; and School of Biological Sciences (W.M.L.), University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
| | - Will M Lee
- The Mary M. Wohlford Laboratory for Male Contraceptive Research (H.C., D.D.M., C.Y.C.), Center for Biomedical Research, Population Council, New York, New York 10065; and School of Biological Sciences (W.M.L.), University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
| | - C Yan Cheng
- The Mary M. Wohlford Laboratory for Male Contraceptive Research (H.C., D.D.M., C.Y.C.), Center for Biomedical Research, Population Council, New York, New York 10065; and School of Biological Sciences (W.M.L.), University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
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45
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Tully HM, Ishak GE, Rue TC, Dempsey JC, Browd SR, Millen KJ, Doherty D, Dobyns WB. Two Hundred Thirty-Six Children With Developmental Hydrocephalus: Causes and Clinical Consequences. J Child Neurol 2016; 31:309-20. [PMID: 26184484 PMCID: PMC4990005 DOI: 10.1177/0883073815592222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2015] [Accepted: 05/23/2015] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Few systematic assessments of developmental forms of hydrocephalus exist. We reviewed magnetic resonance images (MRIs) and clinical records of patients with infancy-onset hydrocephalus. Among 411 infants, 236 had hydrocephalus with no recognizable extrinsic cause. These children were assigned to 1 of 5 subtypes and compared on the basis of clinical characteristics and developmental and surgical outcomes. At an average age of 5.3 years, 72% of children were walking independently and 87% could eat by mouth; in addition, 18% had epilepsy. Distinct patterns of associated malformations and syndromes were observed within each subtype. On average, children with aqueductal obstruction, cysts, and encephaloceles had worse clinical outcomes than those with other forms of developmental hydrocephalus. Overall, 53% of surgically treated patients experienced at least 1 shunt failure, but hydrocephalus associated with posterior fossa crowding required fewer shunt revisions. We conclude that each subtype of developmental hydrocephalus is associated with distinct clinical characteristics, syndromology, and outcomes, suggesting differences in underlying mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah M Tully
- Department of Neurology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Gisele E Ishak
- Department of Radiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Tessa C Rue
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - Samuel R Browd
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Kathleen J Millen
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Dan Doherty
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - William B Dobyns
- Department of Neurology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
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46
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Gurung N, Grosse G, Draaken M, Hilger AC, Nauman N, Müller A, Gembruch U, Merz WM, Reutter H, Ludwig M. Mutations in PTF1A are not a common cause for human VATER/VACTERL association or neural tube defects mirroring Danforth's short tail mouse. Mol Med Rep 2015; 12:1579-83. [PMID: 25775927 DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2015.3486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2014] [Accepted: 02/27/2015] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Danforth's short tail (Sd) mutant mice exhibit defects of the neural tube and other abnormalities, which are similar to the human vertebral anomalies, anal atresia, cardiac defects, tracheosophageal fistula and/or esophageal atresia, renal and radial abnormalities, and limb defects (VATER/VACTERL) association, including defects of the hindgut. Sd has been shown to underlie ectopic gene expression of murine Ptf1a, which encodes pancreas-specific transcription factor 1A, due to the insertion of a retrotansposon in its 5' regulatory domain. In order to investigate the possible involvement of this gene in human VATER/VACTERL association and human neural tube defects (NTDs), a sequence analysis was performed. DNA samples from 103 patients with VATER/VACTERL and VATER/VACTERL‑like association, all presenting with anorectal malformations, and 72 fetuses with NTDs, where termination of pregnancy had been performed, were included in the current study. The complete PTF1A coding region, splice sites and 1.5 kb of the 5' flanking promotor region was sequenced. However, no pathogenic alterations were detected. The results of the present study do not support the hypothesis that high penetrant mutations in these regions of PTF1A are involved in the development of human VATER/VACTERL association or NTDs, although rare mutations may be detectable in larger patient samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nirmala Gurung
- Department of Clinical Chemistry and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Bonn, Bonn D‑53127, Germany
| | - Greta Grosse
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Bonn, Bonn D‑53127, Germany
| | - Markus Draaken
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Bonn, Bonn D‑53127, Germany
| | - Alina C Hilger
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Bonn, Bonn D‑53127, Germany
| | - Nuzhat Nauman
- Department of Pathology, Holy Family Hospital, Rawalpindi 46000, Pakistan
| | - Andreas Müller
- Department of Neonatology, Children's Hospital, University of Bonn, Bonn D‑53127, Germany
| | - Ulrich Gembruch
- Department of Obstetrics and Prenatal Medicine, University of Bonn, Bonn D‑53127, Germany
| | - Waltraut M Merz
- Department of Obstetrics and Prenatal Medicine, University of Bonn, Bonn D‑53127, Germany
| | - Heiko Reutter
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Bonn, Bonn D‑53127, Germany
| | - Michael Ludwig
- Department of Clinical Chemistry and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Bonn, Bonn D‑53127, Germany
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47
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Merello E, Mascelli S, Raso A, Piatelli G, Consales A, Cama A, Kibar Z, Capra V, Marco PD. Expanding the mutational spectrum associated to neural tube defects: literature revision and description of novel VANGL1 mutations. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014; 103:51-61. [PMID: 25208524 DOI: 10.1002/bdra.23305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2014] [Revised: 07/30/2014] [Accepted: 08/11/2014] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neural Tube Defects (NTD) are a common class of birth defects that occur in approximately 1 in 1000 live births. Both genetic and nongenetic factors are involved in the etiology of NTD. Planar cell polarity (PCP) genes plays a critical role in neural tube closure in model organisms. Studies in humans have identified nonsynonymous mutations in PCP pathway genes, including the VANGL genes, that may play a role as risk factors for NTD. METHODS Here, we present the results of VANGL1 and VANGL2 mutational screening in a series of 53 NTD patients and 27 couples with a previous NTD affected pregnancy. RESULTS We identified three heterozygous missense variants in VANGL1, p.Ala187Val, p.Asp389His, and p.Arg517His, that are absent in controls and predicted to be detrimental on the protein function and, thus, we expanded the mutational spectrum of VANGL1 in NTD cases. We did not identify any new variants having an evident pathogenic effect on protein function in VANGL2. Moreover, we reviewed all the rare nonsynonymous or synonymous variants of VANGL1 and VANGL2 found in patients and controls so far published and re-evaluated them for their pathogenic role by in silico prediction tools. Association tests were performed to demonstrate the enrichment of deleterious variants in reviewed cases versus controls from Exome Variant Server (EVS). CONCLUSION We showed a significant (p = 7.0E-5) association between VANGL1 rare genetic variants, especially missense mutations, and NTDs risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Merello
- Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genova, Italy
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48
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Murdoch JN, Damrau C, Paudyal A, Bogani D, Wells S, Greene NDE, Stanier P, Copp AJ. Genetic interactions between planar cell polarity genes cause diverse neural tube defects in mice. Dis Model Mech 2014; 7:1153-63. [PMID: 25128525 PMCID: PMC4174526 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.016758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Neural tube defects (NTDs) are among the commonest and most severe forms of developmental defect, characterized by disruption of the early embryonic events of central nervous system formation. NTDs have long been known to exhibit a strong genetic dependence, yet the identity of the genetic determinants remains largely undiscovered. Initiation of neural tube closure is disrupted in mice homozygous for mutations in planar cell polarity (PCP) pathway genes, providing a strong link between NTDs and PCP signaling. Recently, missense gene variants have been identified in PCP genes in humans with NTDs, although the range of phenotypes is greater than in the mouse mutants. In addition, the sequence variants detected in affected humans are heterozygous, and can often be detected in unaffected individuals. It has been suggested that interactions between multiple heterozygous gene mutations cause the NTDs in humans. To determine the phenotypes produced in double heterozygotes, we bred mice with all three pairwise combinations of Vangl2(Lp), Scrib(Crc) and Celsr1(Crsh) mutations, the most intensively studied PCP mutants. The majority of double-mutant embryos had open NTDs, with the range of phenotypes including anencephaly and spina bifida, therefore reflecting the defects observed in humans. Strikingly, even on a uniform genetic background, variability in the penetrance and severity of the mutant phenotypes was observed between the different double-heterozygote combinations. Phenotypically, Celsr1(Crsh);Vangl2(Lp);Scrib(Crc) triply heterozygous mutants were no more severe than doubly heterozygous or singly homozygous mutants. We propose that some of the variation between double-mutant phenotypes could be attributed to the nature of the protein disruption in each allele: whereas Scrib(Crc) is a null mutant and produces no Scrib protein, Celsr1(Crsh) and Vangl2(Lp) homozygotes both express mutant proteins, consistent with dominant effects. The variable outcomes of these genetic interactions are of direct relevance to human patients and emphasize the importance of performing comprehensive genetic screens in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer N Murdoch
- Centre for Biomedical Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, TW20 0RD, UK. MRC Harwell, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Oxfordshire, OX11 0RD, UK.
| | - Christine Damrau
- MRC Harwell, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Oxfordshire, OX11 0RD, UK
| | - Anju Paudyal
- MRC Harwell, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Oxfordshire, OX11 0RD, UK
| | - Debora Bogani
- MRC Harwell, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Oxfordshire, OX11 0RD, UK
| | - Sara Wells
- MRC Harwell, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Oxfordshire, OX11 0RD, UK
| | - Nicholas D E Greene
- Newlife Birth Defects Research Centre, Institute of Child Health, University College London, 30 Guilford Street, London, WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Philip Stanier
- Newlife Birth Defects Research Centre, Institute of Child Health, University College London, 30 Guilford Street, London, WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Andrew J Copp
- Newlife Birth Defects Research Centre, Institute of Child Health, University College London, 30 Guilford Street, London, WC1N 1EH, UK
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49
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Tully HM, Dobyns WB. Infantile hydrocephalus: a review of epidemiology, classification and causes. Eur J Med Genet 2014; 57:359-68. [PMID: 24932902 PMCID: PMC4334358 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmg.2014.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 194] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2014] [Accepted: 06/02/2014] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Hydrocephalus is a common but complex condition caused by physical or functional obstruction of CSF flow that leads to progressive ventricular dilatation. Though hydrocephalus was recently estimated to affect 1.1 in 1000 infants, there have been few systematic assessments of the causes of hydrocephalus in this age group, which makes it a challenging condition to approach as a scientist or as a clinician. Here, we review contemporary literature on the epidemiology, classification and pathogenesis of infantile hydrocephalus. We describe the major environmental and genetic causes of hydrocephalus, with the goal of providing a framework to assess infants with hydrocephalus and guide future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah M Tully
- Department of Neurology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | - William B Dobyns
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Genetic Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
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50
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Wang Y, Yan J, Lee H, Lu Q, Adler PN. The proteins encoded by the Drosophila Planar Polarity Effector genes inturned, fuzzy and fritz interact physically and can re-pattern the accumulation of "upstream" Planar Cell Polarity proteins. Dev Biol 2014; 394:156-69. [PMID: 25072625 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2014.07.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2014] [Revised: 07/15/2014] [Accepted: 07/18/2014] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The frizzled/starry night pathway regulates planar cell polarity in a wide variety of tissues in many types of animals. It was discovered and has been most intensively studied in the Drosophila wing where it controls the formation of the array of distally pointing hairs that cover the wing. The pathway does this by restricting the activation of the cytoskeleton to the distal edge of wing cells. This results in hairs initiating at the distal edge and growing in the distal direction. All of the proteins encoded by genes in the pathway accumulate asymmetrically in wing cells. The pathway is a hierarchy with the Planar Cell Polarity (PCP) genes (aka the core genes) functioning as a group upstream of the Planar Polarity Effector (PPE) genes which in turn function as a group upstream of multiple wing hairs. Upstream proteins, such as Frizzled accumulate on either the distal and/or proximal edges of wing cells. Downstream PPE proteins accumulate on the proximal edge under the instruction of the upstream proteins. A variety of types of data support this hierarchy, however, we have found that when over expressed the PPE proteins can alter both the subcellular location and level of accumulation of the upstream proteins. Thus, the epistatic relationship is context dependent. We further show that the PPE proteins interact physically and can modulate the accumulation of each other in wing cells. We also find that over expression of Frtz results in a marked delay in hair initiation suggesting that it has a separate role/activity in regulating the cytoskeleton that is not shared by other members of the group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Wang
- Biology Department and Cell Biology Department, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA
| | - Jie Yan
- Biology Department and Cell Biology Department, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA
| | - Haeryun Lee
- Biology Department and Cell Biology Department, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA
| | - Qiuheng Lu
- Biology Department and Cell Biology Department, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA
| | - Paul N Adler
- Biology Department and Cell Biology Department, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA.
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