Concomitant deletion of chromosome 16p13.11 and triplication of chromosome 19p13.3 in a child with developmental disorders, intellectual disability, and epilepsy

Nomo1 deficiency causes autism-like behavior in zebrafish

Patients with neuropsychiatric disorders often exhibit a combination of clinical symptoms such as autism, epilepsy, or schizophrenia, complicating diagnosis and development of therapeutic strategies. Functional studies of novel genes associated with co-morbidities can provide clues to understand the pathogenic mechanisms and interventions. NOMO1 is one of the candidate genes located at 16p13.11, a hotspot of neuropsychiatric diseases. Here, we generate nomo1-/- zebrafish to get further insight into the function of NOMO1. Nomo1 mutants show abnormal brain and neuronal development and activation of apoptosis and inflammation-related pathways in the brain. Adult Nomo1-deficient zebrafish exhibit multiple neuropsychiatric behaviors such as hyperactive locomotor activity, social deficits, and repetitive stereotypic behaviors. The Habenular nucleus and the pineal gland in the telencephalon are affected, and the melatonin level of nomo1-/- is reduced. Melatonin treatment restores locomotor activity, reduces repetitive stereotypic behaviors, and rescues the noninfectious brain inflammatory responses caused by nomo1 deficiency. These results suggest melatonin supplementation as a potential therapeutic regimen for neuropsychiatric disorders caused by NOMO1 deficiency.

Biological Role of Nodal Modulator: A Comprehensive Review of the Last Two Decades

Nodal modulator (NOMO) is a type I transmembrane protein that is conserved in various human tissues. Humans have three highly similar NOMO proteins, namely NOMO1, NOMO2, and NOMO3. These three proteins are closely related and may have similar functions. NOMO has been identified as a part of a protein complex that mediates a wide range of biological processes such as tumor formation, bone and cartilage formation, embryo formation, facial asymmetry, and development of congenital heart disease. To date, a few studies have focused on the role of NOMO; however, the mechanism underlying its effects remains unknown. To improve our understanding regarding NOMO, we reviewed the role of NOMO in different diseases and investigated the mechanism underlying its effects.

Cloning of the promoter of NDE1, a gene implicated in psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders through copy number variation

Copy number variation at 16p13.11 has been associated with a range of neurodevelopmental and psychiatric conditions, with duplication of this region being more common in individuals with schizophrenia. A prominent candidate gene within this locus is NDE1 (Nuclear Distribution Element 1) given its known importance for neurodevelopment, previous associations with mental illness and its well characterized interaction with the Disrupted in Schizophrenia 1 (DISC1) protein. In order to accurately model the effect of NDE1 duplication, it is important to first gain an understanding of how the gene is expressed. The complex promoter system of NDE1, which produces three distinct transcripts, each encoding for the same full-length NDE1 protein (also known as NudE), was therefore cloned and tested in human cell lines. The promoter for the longest of these three NDE1 transcripts was found to be responsible for the majority of expression in these systems, with its extended 5' untranslated region (UTR) having a limiting effect on its expression. These results thus highlight and clone the promoter elements required to generate systems in which the NDE1 protein is exogenously expressed under its native promoter, providing a biologically relevant model of 16p13.11 duplication in major mental illness.