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Yang W, Zuo Y, Zhang N, Wang K, Zhang R, Chen Z, He Q. GNAS locus: bone related diseases and mouse models. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2023; 14:1255864. [PMID: 37920253 PMCID: PMC10619756 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1255864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023] Open
Abstract
GNASis a complex locus characterized by multiple transcripts and an imprinting effect. It orchestrates a variety of physiological processes via numerous signaling pathways. Human diseases associated with the GNAS gene encompass fibrous dysplasia (FD), Albright's Hereditary Osteodystrophy (AHO), parathyroid hormone(PTH) resistance, and Progressive Osseous Heteroplasia (POH), among others. To facilitate the study of the GNAS locus and its associated diseases, researchers have developed a range of mouse models. In this review, we will systematically explore the GNAS locus, its related signaling pathways, the bone diseases associated with it, and the mouse models pertinent to these bone diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wan Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Stomatology, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yiyi Zuo
- State Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Stomatology, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Nuo Zhang
- School and Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Kangning Wang
- School and Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Runze Zhang
- School and Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Ziyi Chen
- School and Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Qing He
- State Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Stomatology, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
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McMullan P, Maye P, Yang Q, Rowe DW, Germain‐Lee EL. Parental Origin of
Gsα
Inactivation Differentially Affects Bone Remodeling in a Mouse Model of Albright Hereditary Osteodystrophy. JBMR Plus 2021; 6:e10570. [PMID: 35079678 PMCID: PMC8771002 DOI: 10.1002/jbm4.10570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2021] [Revised: 09/25/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Albright hereditary osteodystrophy (AHO) is caused by heterozygous inactivation of GNAS, a complex locus that encodes the alpha‐stimulatory subunit of heterotrimeric G proteins (Gsα) in addition to NESP55 and XLαs due to alternative first exons. AHO skeletal manifestations include brachydactyly, brachymetacarpia, compromised adult stature, and subcutaneous ossifications. AHO patients with maternally‐inherited GNAS mutations develop pseudohypoparathyroidism type 1A (PHP1A) with resistance to multiple hormones that mediate their actions through G protein‐coupled receptors (GPCRs) requiring Gsα (eg, parathyroid hormone [PTH], thyroid‐stimulating hormone [TSH], growth hormone–releasing hormone [GHRH], calcitonin) and severe obesity. Paternally‐inherited GNAS mutations cause pseudopseudohypoparathyroidism (PPHP), in which patients have AHO skeletal features but do not develop hormonal resistance or marked obesity. These differences between PHP1A and PPHP are caused by tissue‐specific reduction of paternal Gsα expression. Previous reports in mice have shown loss of Gsα causes osteopenia due to impaired osteoblast number and function and suggest that AHO patients could display evidence of reduced bone mineral density (BMD). However, we previously demonstrated PHP1A patients display normal‐increased BMD measurements without any correlation to body mass index or serum PTH. Due to these observed differences between PHP1A and PPHP, we utilized our laboratory's AHO mouse model to address whether Gsα heterozygous inactivation differentially affects bone remodeling based on the parental inheritance of the mutation. We identified fundamental distinctions in bone remodeling between mice with paternally‐inherited (GnasE1+/−p) versus maternally‐inherited (GnasE1+/−m) mutations, and these findings were observed predominantly in female mice. Specifically, GnasE1+/−p mice exhibited reduced bone parameters due to impaired bone formation and enhanced bone resorption. GnasE1+/−m mice, however, displayed enhanced bone parameters due to both increased osteoblast activity and normal bone resorption. These in vivo distinctions in bone remodeling between GnasE1+/−p and GnasE1+/−m mice could potentially be related to changes in the bone microenvironment driven by calcitonin‐resistance within GnasE1+/−m osteoclasts. Further studies are warranted to assess how Gsα influences osteoblast–osteoclast coupling. © 2021 The Authors. JBMR Plus published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick McMullan
- Department of Pediatrics University of Connecticut School of Medicine Farmington CT USA
- Department of Reconstructive Sciences University of Connecticut School of Dental Medicine Farmington CT USA
- Center for Regenerative Medicine and Skeletal Development University of Connecticut School of Dental Medicine Farmington CT USA
| | - Peter Maye
- Department of Reconstructive Sciences University of Connecticut School of Dental Medicine Farmington CT USA
- Center for Regenerative Medicine and Skeletal Development University of Connecticut School of Dental Medicine Farmington CT USA
| | - Qingfen Yang
- Department of Pediatrics University of Connecticut School of Medicine Farmington CT USA
- Department of Reconstructive Sciences University of Connecticut School of Dental Medicine Farmington CT USA
- Center for Regenerative Medicine and Skeletal Development University of Connecticut School of Dental Medicine Farmington CT USA
| | - David W. Rowe
- Department of Reconstructive Sciences University of Connecticut School of Dental Medicine Farmington CT USA
- Center for Regenerative Medicine and Skeletal Development University of Connecticut School of Dental Medicine Farmington CT USA
| | - Emily L. Germain‐Lee
- Department of Pediatrics University of Connecticut School of Medicine Farmington CT USA
- Department of Reconstructive Sciences University of Connecticut School of Dental Medicine Farmington CT USA
- Center for Regenerative Medicine and Skeletal Development University of Connecticut School of Dental Medicine Farmington CT USA
- Albright Center, Division of Pediatric Endocrinology Connecticut Children's Farmington CT USA
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Xu R, Hu J, Zhou X, Yang Y. Heterotopic ossification: Mechanistic insights and clinical challenges. Bone 2018; 109:134-142. [PMID: 28855144 DOI: 10.1016/j.bone.2017.08.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2017] [Accepted: 08/26/2017] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Bone formation is exquisitely controlled both spatially and temporally. Heterotopic ossification (HO) is pathological bone formation in soft tissues that often leads to deleterious outcomes. Inherited genetic forms of HO can be life-threatening and can happen as early as in infancy. However, there is currently no effective treatment for HO as the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms have not been completely elucidated. Trauma-induced non-genetic forms of HO often occur as a common complication after surgeries or accidents, and the location of HO occurrence largely determines the symptom and outcome. While it has been difficult to determine the complicated factors causing HO, recent advancement in identifying cellular and molecular mechanism causing the genetic forms of HO may provide important insights in all HO. Here in this review, we summarize recent studies on HO to provide a current status of both clinical options of HO treatments and mechanical understanding of HO.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruoshi Xu
- Department of Developmental Biology, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, 188 Longwood Ave. Boston, MA 02215, USA; State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & Dept. of Cariology and Endodonics West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, No. 14, Section 3, South Renmin Rd., Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Jiajie Hu
- Department of Developmental Biology, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, 188 Longwood Ave. Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Xuedong Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & Dept. of Cariology and Endodonics West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, No. 14, Section 3, South Renmin Rd., Chengdu, 610041, China.
| | - Yingzi Yang
- Department of Developmental Biology, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, 188 Longwood Ave. Boston, MA 02215, USA.
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DNA methylation changes in the placenta are associated with fetal manganese exposure. Reprod Toxicol 2015; 57:43-9. [PMID: 25982381 DOI: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2015.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2014] [Revised: 04/13/2015] [Accepted: 05/07/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Adequate micronutrient intake, including manganese (Mn), is important for fetal development. Both Mn deficiencies and excess exposures are associated with later-life disease, and Mn accumulates in the placenta. Placental functional alterations may alter fetal programming and lifelong health, and we hypothesized that prenatal exposures to Mn may alter placental function through epigenetic mechanisms. Using Illumina's HumanMethylation450 BeadArray, DNA methylation of >485,000 CpG loci genome-wide was interrogated in 61 placental samples and Mn associations assessed genome-wide via omnibus test (p=0.045). 713 loci were associated with Mn exposure (p<0.0001). Five significantly differentially-methylated (p<1.3×10(-7)) loci reside in neurodevelopmental, fetal growth and cancer-related genes. cg22284422, within the uncharacterized LOC284276 gene, was associated with birth weight; for every 10% increase in methylation, lower birth weights were observed, with an average decrease of 293.44g. Our observations suggest a link between prenatal micronutrient levels, placental epigenetic status and birth weight, although these preliminary results require validation.
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Liu JJ, Russell E, Zhang D, Kaplan FS, Pignolo RJ, Shore EM. Paternally inherited gsα mutation impairs adipogenesis and potentiates a lean phenotype in vivo. Stem Cells 2012; 30:1477-85. [PMID: 22511293 DOI: 10.1002/stem.1109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Paternally inherited inactivating mutations of the GNAS gene have been associated with a rare and disabling genetic disorder, progressive osseous heteroplasia, in which heterotopic ossification occurs within extraskeletal soft tissues, such as skin, subcutaneous fat, and skeletal muscle. This ectopic bone formation is hypothesized to be caused by dysregulated mesenchymal progenitor cell differentiation that affects a bipotential osteogenic-adipogenic lineage cell fate switch. Interestingly, patients with paternally inherited inactivating mutations of GNAS are uniformly lean. Using a mouse model of Gsα-specific exon 1 disruption, we examined whether heterozygous inactivation of Gnas affects adipogenic differentiation of mesenchymal precursor cells from subcutaneous adipose tissues (fat pad). We found that paternally inherited Gsα inactivation (Gsα(+/p-) ) impairs adipogenic differentiation of adipose-derived stromal cells (ASCs). The Gsα(+/p-) mutation in ASCs also decreased expression of the adipogenic factors CCAAT-enhancer-binding protein (C/EBP)β, C/EBPα, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma, and adipocyte protein 2. Impaired adipocyte differentiation was rescued by an adenylyl cyclase activator, forskolin, and provided evidence that Gsα-cAMP signals are necessary in early stages of this process. Supporting a role for Gnas in adipogenesis in vivo, fat tissue weight and expression of adipogenic genes from multiple types of adipose tissues from Gsα(+/p-) mice were significantly decreased. Interestingly, the inhibition of adipogenesis by paternally inherited Gsα mutation also enhances expression of the osteogenic factors, msh homeobox 2, runt-related transcription factor 2, and osteocalcin. These data support the hypothesis that Gsα plays a critical role in regulating the balance between fat and bone determination in soft tissues, a finding that has important implications for a wide variety of disorders of osteogenesis and adipogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan-jan Liu
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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Pignolo RJ, Xu M, Russell E, Richardson A, Kaplan J, Billings PC, Kaplan FS, Shore EM. Heterozygous inactivation of Gnas in adipose-derived mesenchymal progenitor cells enhances osteoblast differentiation and promotes heterotopic ossification. J Bone Miner Res 2011; 26:2647-55. [PMID: 21812029 PMCID: PMC3584579 DOI: 10.1002/jbmr.481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Human genetic disorders sharing the common feature of subcutaneous heterotopic ossification (HO) are caused by heterozygous inactivating mutations in GNAS, a gene encoding multiple transcripts including two stimulatory G proteins, the α subunit of the stimulatory G protein (G(s)α) of adenylyl cyclase, and the extralong form of G(s)α, XLαs. In one such disorder, progressive osseous heteroplasia (POH), bone formation initiates within subcutaneous fat before progressing to deeper tissues, suggesting that osteogenesis may involve abnormal differentiation of mesenchymal precursors that are present in adipose tissues. We determined by immunohistochemical analysis that GNAS protein expression is limited to G(s)α in bone-lining cells and to G(s)α and XLαs in osteocytes. By contrast, the GNAS proteins G(s)α, XLαs, and NESP55 are detected in adipocytes and in adipose stroma. Although Gnas transcripts, as assessed by quantitative RT-PCR, show no significant changes on osteoblast differentiation of bone-derived precursor cells, the abundance of these transcripts is enhanced by osteoblast differentiation of adipose-derived mesenchymal progenitors. Using a mouse knockout model, we determined that heterozygous inactivation of Gnas (by disruption of the G(s)α-specific exon 1) abrogates upregulation of multiple Gnas transcripts that normally occurs with osteoblast differentiation in wild-type adipose stromal cells. These transcriptional changes in Gnas(+/-) mice are accompanied by accelerated osteoblast differentiation of adipose stromal cells in vitro. In vivo, altered osteoblast differentiation in Gnas(+/-) mice manifests as subcutaneous HO by an intramembranous process. Taken together, these data suggest that Gnas is a key regulator of fate decisions in adipose-derived mesenchymal progenitor cells, specifically those which are involved in bone formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert J Pignolo
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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Huso DL, Edie S, Levine MA, Schwindinger W, Wang Y, Jüppner H, Germain-Lee EL. Heterotopic ossifications in a mouse model of albright hereditary osteodystrophy. PLoS One 2011; 6:e21755. [PMID: 21747923 PMCID: PMC3126840 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0021755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2011] [Accepted: 06/06/2011] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Albright hereditary osteodystrophy (AHO) is characterized by short stature, brachydactyly, and often heterotopic ossifications that are typically subcutaneous. Subcutaneous ossifications (SCO) cause considerable morbidity in AHO with no effective treatment. AHO is caused by heterozygous inactivating mutations in those GNAS exons encoding the α-subunit of the stimulatory G protein (Gα(s)). When inherited maternally, these mutations are associated with obesity, cognitive impairment, and resistance to certain hormones that mediate their actions through G protein-coupled receptors, a condition termed pseudohypoparathyroidism type 1a (PHP1a). When inherited paternally, GNAS mutations cause only AHO but not hormonal resistance, termed pseudopseudohypoparathyroidism (PPHP). Mice with targeted disruption of exon 1 of Gnas (Gnas(E1-/+)) replicate human PHP1a or PPHP phenotypically and hormonally. However, SCO have not yet been reported in Gnas(E1+/-) mice, at least not those that had been analyzed by us up to 3 months of age. Here we now show that Gnas(E1-/+) animals develop SCO over time. The ossified lesions increase in number and size and are uniformly detected in adult mice by one year of age. They are located in both the dermis, often in perifollicular areas, and the subcutis. These lesions are particularly prominent in skin prone to injury or pressure. The SCO comprise mature bone with evidence of mineral deposition and bone marrow elements. Superficial localization was confirmed by radiographic and computerized tomographic imaging. In situ hybridization of SCO lesions were positive for both osteonectin and osteopontin. Notably, the ossifications were much more extensive in males than females. Because Gnas(E1-/+) mice develop SCO features that are similar to those observed in AHO patients, these animals provide a model system suitable for investigating pathogenic mechanisms involved in SCO formation and for developing novel therapeutics for heterotopic bone formation. Moreover, these mice provide a model with which to investigate the regulatory mechanisms of bone formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- David L. Huso
- Department of Molecular and Comparative Pathobiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Sarah Edie
- Institute of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Michael A. Levine
- Division of Endocrinology and Diabetes, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and Department of Pediatrics, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - William Schwindinger
- Weis Center for Research, Geisinger Clinic, Danville, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Yingli Wang
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Harald Jüppner
- Endocrine Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Pediatric Nephrology Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Emily L. Germain-Lee
- Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- Albright Clinic, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- Hugo W. Moser Research Institute at Kennedy Krieger, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
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8
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Hsu SC, Groman JD, Merlo CA, Naughton K, Zeitlin PL, Germain-Lee EL, Boyle MP, Cutting GR. Patients with mutations in Gsalpha have reduced activation of a downstream target in epithelial tissues due to haploinsufficiency. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2007; 92:3941-8. [PMID: 17652219 DOI: 10.1210/jc.2007-0271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
CONTEXT Patients with Albright hereditary osteodystrophy (AHO) have defects in stimulatory G protein signaling due to loss of function mutations in GNAS. The mechanism by which these mutations lead to the AHO phenotype has been difficult to establish due to the inaccessibility of the affected tissues. OBJECTIVE The objective of the study was to gain insight into the downstream consequences of abnormal stimulatory G protein signaling in human epithelial tissues. PATIENTS AND DESIGN We assessed transcription of GNAS and Gsalpha-stimulated activation of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) in AHO patients, compared with normal controls and patients with cystic fibrosis. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Relative expression of Gsalpha transcripts from each parental GNAS allele and cAMP measurements from nasal epithelial cells were compared among normal controls and AHO patients. In vivo measurements of CFTR function, pulmonary function, and pancreatic function were assessed in AHO patients. RESULTS GNAS was expressed equally from each allele in normals and two of five AHO patients. cAMP generation was significantly reduced in nasal respiratory epithelial cells from AHO patients, compared with normal controls (0.4 vs. 0.6, P = 0.0008). Activation of CFTR in vivo in nasal (P = 0.0065) and sweat gland epithelia (P = 0.01) of AHO patients was significantly reduced from normal. In three patients, the reduction in activity was comparable with patients with cystic fibrosis due to mutations in CFTR. Yet no AHO patients had pulmonary or pancreatic disease consistent with cystic fibrosis. CONCLUSIONS In humans, haploinsufficiency of GNAS causes a significant reduction in the activation of the downstream target, CFTR, in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie C Hsu
- Department of Pediatric Endocrinology , Johns Hopkins University, 733 North Broadway, Suite 551, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA.
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Weinstein LS, Xie T, Zhang QH, Chen M. Studies of the regulation and function of the Gs alpha gene Gnas using gene targeting technology. Pharmacol Ther 2007; 115:271-91. [PMID: 17588669 PMCID: PMC2031856 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2007.03.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2007] [Accepted: 03/27/2007] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
The heterotrimeric G protein alpha-subunit G(s)alpha is ubiquitously expressed and mediates receptor-stimulated intracellular cAMP generation. Its gene Gnas is a complex imprinted gene which uses alternative promoters and first exons to generate other gene products, including the G(s)alpha isoform XL alpha s and the chromogranin-like protein NESP55, which are specifically expressed from the paternal and maternal alleles, respectively. G(s)alpha itself is imprinted in a tissue-specific manner, being biallelically expressed in most tissues but paternally silenced in a few tissues. Gene targeting of specific Gnas transcripts demonstrates that heterozygous mutation of G(s)alpha on the maternal (but not the paternal) allele leads to early lethality, perinatal subcutaneous edema, severe obesity, and multihormone resistance, while the paternal mutation leads to only mild obesity and insulin resistance. These parent-of-origin differences are the consequence of tissue-specific G(s)alpha imprinting. XL alpha s deficiency leads to a perinatal suckling defect and a lean phenotype with increased insulin sensitivity. The opposite metabolic effects of G(s)alpha and XL alpha s deficiency are associated with decreased and increased sympathetic nervous system activity, respectively. NESP55 deficiency has no metabolic consequences. Other gene targeting experiments have shown Gnas to have 2 independent imprinting domains controlled by 2 different imprinting control regions. Tissue-specific G(s)alpha knockout models have identified important roles for G(s)alpha signaling pathways in skeletal development, renal function, and glucose and lipid metabolism. Our present knowledge gleaned from various Gnas gene targeting models are discussed in relation to the pathogenesis of human disorders with mutation or abnormal imprinting of the human orthologue GNAS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lee S Weinstein
- Metabolic Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20854, USA.
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10
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Germain-Lee EL, Schwindinger W, Crane JL, Zewdu R, Zweifel LS, Wand G, Huso DL, Saji M, Ringel MD, Levine MA. A mouse model of albright hereditary osteodystrophy generated by targeted disruption of exon 1 of the Gnas gene. Endocrinology 2005; 146:4697-709. [PMID: 16099856 DOI: 10.1210/en.2005-0681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Albright hereditary osteodystrophy is caused by heterozygous inactivating mutations in GNAS, a gene that encodes not only the alpha-chain of Gs (Galphas), but also NESP55 and XLalphas through use of alternative first exons. Patients with GNAS mutations on maternally inherited alleles are resistant to multiple hormones such as PTH, TSH, LH/FSH, GHRH, and glucagon, whose receptors are coupled to Gs. This variant of Albright hereditary osteodystrophy is termed pseudohypoparathyroidism type 1a and is due to presumed tissue-specific paternal imprinting of Galphas. Previous studies have shown that mice heterozygous for a targeted disruption of exon 2 of Gnas, the murine homolog of GNAS, showed unique phenotypes dependent on the parent of origin of the mutated allele. However, hormone resistance occurred only when the disrupted gene was maternally inherited. Because disruption of exon 2 is predicted to inactivate Galphas as well as NESP55 and XLalphas, we created transgenic mice with disruption of exon 1 to investigate the effects of isolated loss of Galphas. Heterozygous mice that inherited the disruption maternally (-m/+) exhibited PTH and TSH resistance, whereas those with paternal inheritance (+/-p) had normal hormone responsiveness. Heterozygous mice were shorter and, when the disrupted allele was inherited maternally, weighed more than wild-type littermates. Galphas protein and mRNA expression was consistent with paternal imprinting in the renal cortex and thyroid, but there was no imprinting in renal medulla, heart, or adipose. These findings confirm the tissue-specific paternal imprinting of GNAS and demonstrate that Galphas deficiency alone is sufficient to account for the hormone resistance of pseudohypoparathyroidism type 1a.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily L Germain-Lee
- Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, Department of Pediatrics, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Park Building, Suite 211, 600 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21287-2520, USA.
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11
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The cAMP-protein kinase A signal transduction pathway modulates ethanol consumption and sedative effects of ethanol. J Neurosci 2001. [PMID: 11438605 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.21-14-05297.2001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Ethanol and other drugs of abuse modulate cAMP-PKA signaling within the mesolimbic reward pathway. To understand the role of the cAMP-PKA signal transduction in mediating the effects of ethanol, we have studied ethanol consumption and the sedative effects of ethanol in three lines of genetically modified mice. We report that mice with the targeted disruption of one Gsalpha allele as well as mice with reduced neuronal PKA activity have decreased alcohol consumption compared with their wild-type littermates. Genetic reduction of cAMP-PKA signaling also makes mice more sensitive to the sedative effects of ethanol, although plasma ethanol concentrations are unaffected. In contrast, mice with increased adenylyl cyclase activity resulting from the transgenic expression of a constitutively active form of Gsalpha in neurons within the forebrain are less sensitive to the sedative effects of ethanol. Thus, the cAMP-PKA signal transduction pathway is critical in modulating sensitivity to the sedative effects of ethanol as well as influencing alcohol consumption.
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Abstract
Progressive osseous heteroplasia (POH) is a recently described genetic disorder of mesenchymal differentiation characterized by dermal ossification during infancy and progressive heterotopic ossification of cutaneous, subcutaneous, and deep connective tissues during childhood. The disorder can be distinguished from fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP) by the presence of cutaneous ossification, the absence of congenital malformations of the skeleton, the absence of inflammatory tumorlike swellings, the asymmetric mosaic distribution of lesions, the absence of predictable regional patterns of heterotopic ossification, and the predominance of intramembranous rather than endochondral ossification. POH can be distinguished from Albright hereditary osteodystrophy (AHO) by the progression of heterotopic ossification from skin and subcutaneous tissue into skeletal muscle, the presence of normal endocrine function, and the absence of a distinctive habitus associated with AHO. Although the genetic basis of POH is unknown, inactivating mutations of the GNAS1 gene are associated with AHO. The report in this issue of the JBMR of 2 patients with combined features of POH and AHO--one with classic AHO, severe POH-like features, and reduced levels of Gsalpha protein and one with mild AHO, severe POH-like features, reduced levels of Gsalpha protein, and a mutation in GNAS1--suggests that classic POH also could be caused by GNAS1 mutations. This possibility is further supported by the identification of a patient with atypical but severe platelike osteoma cutis (POC) and a mutation in GNAS1, indicating that inactivating mutations in GNAS1 may lead to severe progressive heterotopic ossification of skeletal muscle and deep connective tissue independently of AHO characteristics. These observations suggest that POH may lie at one end of a clinical spectrum of ossification disorders mediated by abnormalities in GNAS1 expression and impaired activation of adenylyl cyclase. Analysis of patients with classic POH (with no AHO features) is necessary to determine whether the molecular basis of POH is caused by inactivating mutations in the GNAS1 gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- F S Kaplan
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, The University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, USA
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13
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Offermanns S. Mammalian G-protein function in vivo: new insights through altered gene expression. Rev Physiol Biochem Pharmacol 2000; 140:63-133. [PMID: 10857398 DOI: 10.1007/bfb0035551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- S Offermanns
- Institut für Pharmakologie, Universitätsklinikum Benjamin Franklin, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany
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14
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Fischer JA, Egert F, Werder E, Born W. An inherited mutation associated with functional deficiency of the alpha-subunit of the guanine nucleotide-binding protein Gs in pseudo- and pseudopseudohypoparathyroidism. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1998; 83:935-8. [PMID: 9506752 DOI: 10.1210/jcem.83.3.4656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Pseudohypoparathyroidism type Ia (PSP) is a disorder characterized by Albright's osteodystrophy, secondary hyperparathyroidism, lowered Gs activity, and resistance of the urinary cAMP excretion to exogenous PTH. The patients had raised basal serum levels of TSH and/or excessive TSH response to TRH. Here we have described a 38-bp deletion at the exon 1/intron 1 boundary of one Gs alpha allele in two mothers with pseudo-PSP and in six offsprings with PSP of a kindred with Albright's osteodystrophy. The deletion eliminates the splice donor site of exon 1. The pseudo-PSP patients presented decreased Gs activity, but normal urinary cAMP responses to PTH and normal TSH levels and responses to TRH. As monitored during 22 yr, they had normal serum levels of calcium and PTH. The findings demonstrate the same inherited functional defect of Gs alpha in two female patients with pseudo-PSP and in six of their offspring with PSP. The pathogenesis of clinical hypoparathyroidism remains to be clarified.
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Affiliation(s)
- J A Fischer
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University of Zurich, Switzerland
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