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Hayashi Y, Okumura H, Arioka Y, Kushima I, Mori D, Lo T, Otgonbayar G, Kato H, Nawa Y, Kimura H, Aleksic B, Ozaki N. Analysis of human neuronal cells carrying ASTN2 deletion associated with psychiatric disorders. Transl Psychiatry 2024; 14:236. [PMID: 38830862 PMCID: PMC11148150 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-024-02962-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 05/19/2024] [Accepted: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Recent genetic studies have found common genomic risk variants among psychiatric disorders, strongly suggesting the overlaps in their molecular and cellular mechanism. Our research group identified the variant in ASTN2 as one of the candidate risk factors across these psychiatric disorders by whole-genome copy number variation analysis. However, the alterations in the human neuronal cells resulting from ASTN2 variants identified in patients remain unknown. To address this, we used patient-derived and genome-edited iPS cells with ASTN2 deletion; cells were further differentiated into neuronal cells. A comprehensive gene expression analysis using genome-edited iPS cells with variants on both alleles revealed that the expression level of ZNF558, a gene specifically expressed in human forebrain neural progenitor cells, was greatly reduced in ASTN2-deleted neuronal cells. Furthermore, the expression of the mitophagy-related gene SPATA18, which is repressed by ZNF558, and mitophagy activity were increased in ASTN2-deleted neuronal cells. These phenotypes were also detected in neuronal cells differentiated from patient-derived iPS cells with heterozygous ASTN2 deletion. Our results suggest that ASTN2 deletion is related to the common pathogenic mechanism of psychiatric disorders by regulating mitophagy via ZNF558.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Hayashi
- Department of Psychiatry, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Hiroki Okumura
- Department of Hospital Pharmacy, Nagoya University Hospital, Nagoya, Japan
- Pathophysiology of Mental Disorders, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Yuko Arioka
- Pathophysiology of Mental Disorders, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan.
- Center for Advanced Medicine and Clinical Research, Nagoya University Hospital, Nagoya, Japan.
| | - Itaru Kushima
- Department of Psychiatry, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
- Pathophysiology of Mental Disorders, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
- Medical Genomics Center, Nagoya University Hospital, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Daisuke Mori
- Pathophysiology of Mental Disorders, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
- Brain and Mind Research Center, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Tzuyao Lo
- Department of Psychiatry, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Gantsooj Otgonbayar
- Department of Psychiatry, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Hidekazu Kato
- Department of Psychiatry, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Yoshihiro Nawa
- Department of Psychiatry, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Hiroki Kimura
- Department of Psychiatry, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Branko Aleksic
- Department of Psychiatry, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Norio Ozaki
- Pathophysiology of Mental Disorders, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
- Institute for Glyco-core Research (iGCORE), Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
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Chen H, Ferguson CJ, Mitchell DC, Titus A, Paulo JA, Hwang A, Lin TH, Yano H, Gu W, Song SK, Yuede CM, Gygi SP, Bonni A, Kim AH. The Hao-Fountain syndrome protein USP7 regulates neuronal connectivity in the brain via a novel p53-independent ubiquitin signaling pathway. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.10.24.563880. [PMID: 37961719 PMCID: PMC10634808 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.24.563880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Precise control of protein ubiquitination is essential for brain development, and hence, disruption of ubiquitin signaling networks can lead to neurological disorders. Mutations of the deubiquitinase USP7 cause the Hao-Fountain syndrome (HAFOUS), characterized by developmental delay, intellectual disability, autism, and aggressive behavior. Here, we report that conditional deletion of USP7 in excitatory neurons in the mouse forebrain triggers diverse phenotypes including sensorimotor deficits, learning and memory impairment, and aggressive behavior, resembling clinical features of HAFOUS. USP7 deletion induces neuronal apoptosis in a manner dependent of the tumor suppressor p53. However, most behavioral abnormalities in USP7 conditional mice persist despite p53 loss. Strikingly, USP7 deletion in the brain perturbs the synaptic proteome and dendritic spine morphogenesis independently of p53. Integrated proteomics analysis reveals that the neuronal USP7 interactome is enriched for proteins implicated in neurodevelopmental disorders and specifically identifies the RNA splicing factor Ppil4 as a novel neuronal substrate of USP7. Knockdown of Ppil4 in cortical neurons impairs dendritic spine morphogenesis, phenocopying the effect of USP7 loss on dendritic spines. These findings reveal a novel USP7-Ppil4 ubiquitin signaling link that regulates neuronal connectivity in the developing brain, with implications for our understanding of the pathogenesis of HAFOUS and other neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Soueid J, Hamze Z, Bedran J, Chahrour M, Boustany RM. A novel autism-associated UBLCP1 mutation impacts proteasome regulation/activity. Transl Psychiatry 2023; 13:404. [PMID: 38129378 PMCID: PMC10739866 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-023-02702-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The landscape of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in Lebanon is unique because of high rates of consanguinity, shared ancestry, and increased remote consanguinity. ASD prevalence in Lebanon is 1 in 68 with a male-to-female ratio of 2:1. This study aims to investigate the impact of an inherited deletion in UBLCP1 (Ubiquitin-Like Domain-Containing CTD Phosphatase 1) on the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) and proteolysis. Whole exome sequencing in a Lebanese family with ASD without pathogenic copy number variations (CNVs) uncovered a deletion in UBLCP1. Functional evaluation of the identified variant is described in fibroblasts from the affected. The deletion in UBLCP1 exon 10 (g.158,710,261CAAAG > C) generates a premature stop codon interrupting the phosphatase domain and is predicted as pathogenic. It is absent from databases of normal variation worldwide and in Lebanon. Wild-type UBLCP1 is widely expressed in mouse brains. The mutation results in decreased UBLCP1 protein expression in patient-derived fibroblasts from the autistic patient compared to controls. The truncated UBLCP1 protein results in increased proteasome activity decreased ubiquitinated protein levels, and downregulation in expression of other proteasome subunits in samples from the affected compared to controls. Inhibition of the proteasome by using MG132 in proband cells reverses alterations in gene expression due to the restoration of protein levels of the common transcription factor, NRF1. Finally, treatment with gentamicin, which promotes premature termination codon read-through, restores UBLCP1 expression and function. Discovery of an ASD-linked mutation in UBLCP1 leading to overactivation of cell proteolysis is reported. This, in turn, leads to dysregulation of proteasome subunit transcript levels as a compensatory response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jihane Soueid
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, American university of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Zeinab Hamze
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, American university of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Joe Bedran
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, American university of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Maria Chahrour
- Eugene McDermott Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
- Center for the Genetics of Host Defense, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
- Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
| | - Rose-Mary Boustany
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, American university of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon.
- Departments of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, American University of Beirut Medical Center Special Kids Clinic, Neurogenetics Program and Division of Pediatric Neurology, Beirut, Lebanon.
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Tuncay IO, DeVries D, Gogate A, Kaur K, Kumar A, Xing C, Goodspeed K, Seyoum-Tesfa L, Chahrour MH. The genetics of autism spectrum disorder in an East African familial cohort. CELL GENOMICS 2023; 3:100322. [PMID: 37492102 PMCID: PMC10363748 DOI: 10.1016/j.xgen.2023.100322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Revised: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 04/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/27/2023]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a group of complex neurodevelopmental conditions affecting communication and social interaction in 2.3% of children. Studies that demonstrated its complex genetic architecture have been mainly performed in populations of European ancestry. We investigate the genetics of ASD in an East African cohort (129 individuals) from a population with higher prevalence (5%). Whole-genome sequencing identified 2.13 million private variants in the cohort and potentially pathogenic variants in known ASD genes (including CACNA1C, CHD7, FMR1, and TCF7L2). Admixture analysis demonstrated that the cohort comprises two ancestral populations, African and Eurasian. Admixture mapping discovered 10 regions that confer ASD risk on the African haplotypes, containing several known ASD genes. The increased ASD prevalence in this population suggests decreased heterogeneity in the underlying genetic etiology, enabling risk allele identification. Our approach emphasizes the power of African genetic variation and admixture analysis to inform the architecture of complex disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Islam Oguz Tuncay
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Darlene DeVries
- Eugene McDermott Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Ashlesha Gogate
- Eugene McDermott Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Kiran Kaur
- Eugene McDermott Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Ashwani Kumar
- Eugene McDermott Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Chao Xing
- Eugene McDermott Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
- Department of Population and Data Sciences, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
- Lyda Hill Department of Bioinformatics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Kimberly Goodspeed
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | | | - Maria H Chahrour
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
- Eugene McDermott Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
- Center for the Genetics of Host Defense, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
- Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
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Victor AK, Hedgecock T, Donaldson M, Johnson D, Rand CM, Weese-Mayer DE, Reiter LT. Analysis and comparisons of gene expression changes in patient- derived neurons from ROHHAD, CCHS, and PWS. Front Pediatr 2023; 11:1090084. [PMID: 37234859 PMCID: PMC10206321 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2023.1090084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Rapid-onset obesity with hypothalamic dysfunction, hypoventilation, and autonomic dysregulation (ROHHAD) syndrome is an ultra-rare neurocristopathy with no known genetic or environmental etiology. Rapid-onset obesity over a 3-12 month period with onset between ages 1.5-7 years of age is followed by an unfolding constellation of symptoms including severe hypoventilation that can lead to cardiorespiratory arrest in previously healthy children if not identified early and intervention provided. Congenital Central Hypoventilation syndrome (CCHS) and Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) have overlapping clinical features with ROHHAD and known genetic etiologies. Here we compare patient neurons from three pediatric syndromes (ROHHAD, CCHS, and PWS) and neurotypical control subjects to identify molecular overlap that may explain the clinical similarities. Methods Dental pulp stem cells (DPSC) from neurotypical control, ROHHAD, and CCHS subjects were differentiated into neuronal cultures for RNA sequencing (RNAseq). Differential expression analysis identified transcripts variably regulated in ROHHAD and CCHS vs. neurotypical control neurons. In addition, we used previously published PWS transcript data to compare both groups to PWS patient-derived DPSC neurons. Enrichment analysis was performed on RNAseq data and downstream protein expression analysis was performed using immunoblotting. Results We identified three transcripts differentially regulated in all three syndromes vs. neurotypical control subjects. Gene ontology analysis on the ROHHAD dataset revealed enrichments in several molecular pathways that may contribute to disease pathology. Importantly, we found 58 transcripts differentially expressed in both ROHHAD and CCHS patient neurons vs. control neurons. Finally, we validated transcript level changes in expression of ADORA2A, a gene encoding for an adenosine receptor, at the protein level in CCHS neurons and found variable, although significant, changes in ROHHAD neurons. Conclusions The molecular overlap between CCHS and ROHHAD neurons suggests that the clinical phenotypes in these syndromes likely arise from or affect similar transcriptional pathways. Further, gene ontology analysis identified enrichments in ATPase transmembrane transporters, acetylglucosaminyltransferases, and phagocytic vesicle membrane proteins that may contribute to the ROHHAD phenotype. Finally, our data imply that the rapid-onset obesity seen in both ROHHAD and PWS likely arise from different molecular mechanisms. The data presented here describes important preliminary findings that warrant further validation.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. Kaitlyn Victor
- IPBS Program, Neuroscience Institute, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, United States
- Department of Neurology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, United States
| | - Tayler Hedgecock
- IPBS Program, Neuroscience Institute, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, United States
- Department of Neurology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, United States
| | - Martin Donaldson
- Department of Pediatric Dentistry and Community Oral Health, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, United States
| | - Daniel Johnson
- Molecular Bioinformatics Core, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, United States
| | - Casey M. Rand
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Autonomic Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and Stanley Manne Children’s Research Institute, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Debra E. Weese-Mayer
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Autonomic Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and Stanley Manne Children’s Research Institute, Chicago, IL, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Lawrence T. Reiter
- Department of Neurology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, United States
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, United States
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6
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Zhang Q, Sterling K, Xu L, Xing M, Cai F, Yu S, Bestard-Lorigados I, Song W. CNTNAP2 Protein Is Degraded by the Ubiquitin-Proteasome System and the Macroautophagy-Lysosome Pathway. Mol Neurobiol 2023; 60:2455-2469. [PMID: 36658382 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-023-03227-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Contactin-associated protein-like 2 (CNTNAP2) gene, located on chromosome 7q35, is one of the largest genes in the human genome. CNTNAP2 protein is a type-I transmembrane protein specifically expressed in the nervous system, with versatile roles in the axonal organization, synaptic functions, neuronal migration, and functional connectivity. CNTNAP2 has been widely investigated as a risk gene for autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and recent studies also implicated CNTNAP2 in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Knowledge of the regulations on CNTNAP2's life cycle is necessary for understanding the related physiological functions and pathological conditions. However, the mechanisms underlying CNTNAP2 protein degradation remain elusive. Therefore, we systematically investigated the half-life and degradation pathway of the human CNTNAP2 protein. We discovered that CNTNAP2 has C-terminal fragments (CTF), which may have essential physiological functions. Our results demonstrated that CNTNAP2 full-length protein and CTF have a short half-life of about 3-4 h. CNTNAP2 proteins are degraded by the ubiquitin-proteasome system and the macroautophagy-lysosome pathway, while the lysosome pathway is more common for CNTNAP2 degradation. This study will provide novel insights and valuable tools for CNTNAP2 functional research in physiological and pathological scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing Zhang
- Townsend Family Laboratories, Department of Psychiatry, Brain Research Center, The University of British Columbia, 2255 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Keenan Sterling
- Townsend Family Laboratories, Department of Psychiatry, Brain Research Center, The University of British Columbia, 2255 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Lu Xu
- Oujiang Laboratory (Zhejiang Lab for Regenerative Medicine, Vision and Brain Health), Institute of Aging, Key Laboratory of Alzheimer's Disease of Zhejiang Province, School of Mental Health and Kangning Hospital, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325035, Zhejiang, China
| | - Mengen Xing
- Oujiang Laboratory (Zhejiang Lab for Regenerative Medicine, Vision and Brain Health), Institute of Aging, Key Laboratory of Alzheimer's Disease of Zhejiang Province, School of Mental Health and Kangning Hospital, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325035, Zhejiang, China
| | - Fang Cai
- Townsend Family Laboratories, Department of Psychiatry, Brain Research Center, The University of British Columbia, 2255 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Sheng Yu
- Townsend Family Laboratories, Department of Psychiatry, Brain Research Center, The University of British Columbia, 2255 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Isabel Bestard-Lorigados
- Townsend Family Laboratories, Department of Psychiatry, Brain Research Center, The University of British Columbia, 2255 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Weihong Song
- Townsend Family Laboratories, Department of Psychiatry, Brain Research Center, The University of British Columbia, 2255 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada.
- Oujiang Laboratory (Zhejiang Lab for Regenerative Medicine, Vision and Brain Health), Institute of Aging, Key Laboratory of Alzheimer's Disease of Zhejiang Province, School of Mental Health and Kangning Hospital, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325035, Zhejiang, China.
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Pollina EA, Gilliam DT, Landau AT, Lin C, Pajarillo N, Davis CP, Harmin DA, Yap EL, Vogel IR, Griffith EC, Nagy MA, Ling E, Duffy EE, Sabatini BL, Weitz CJ, Greenberg ME. A NPAS4-NuA4 complex couples synaptic activity to DNA repair. Nature 2023; 614:732-741. [PMID: 36792830 PMCID: PMC9946837 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-05711-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023]
Abstract
Neuronal activity is crucial for adaptive circuit remodelling but poses an inherent risk to the stability of the genome across the long lifespan of postmitotic neurons1-5. Whether neurons have acquired specialized genome protection mechanisms that enable them to withstand decades of potentially damaging stimuli during periods of heightened activity is unknown. Here we identify an activity-dependent DNA repair mechanism in which a new form of the NuA4-TIP60 chromatin modifier assembles in activated neurons around the inducible, neuronal-specific transcription factor NPAS4. We purify this complex from the brain and demonstrate its functions in eliciting activity-dependent changes to neuronal transcriptomes and circuitry. By characterizing the landscape of activity-induced DNA double-strand breaks in the brain, we show that NPAS4-NuA4 binds to recurrently damaged regulatory elements and recruits additional DNA repair machinery to stimulate their repair. Gene regulatory elements bound by NPAS4-NuA4 are partially protected against age-dependent accumulation of somatic mutations. Impaired NPAS4-NuA4 signalling leads to a cascade of cellular defects, including dysregulated activity-dependent transcriptional responses, loss of control over neuronal inhibition and genome instability, which all culminate to reduce organismal lifespan. In addition, mutations in several components of the NuA4 complex are reported to lead to neurodevelopmental and autism spectrum disorders. Together, these findings identify a neuronal-specific complex that couples neuronal activity directly to genome preservation, the disruption of which may contribute to developmental disorders, neurodegeneration and ageing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A Pollina
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Daniel T Gilliam
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Andrew T Landau
- Department of Neurobiology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Cindy Lin
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Naomi Pajarillo
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - David A Harmin
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ee-Lynn Yap
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ian R Vogel
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Eric C Griffith
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - M Aurel Nagy
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Emi Ling
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Erin E Duffy
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Bernardo L Sabatini
- Department of Neurobiology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Charles J Weitz
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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Vashisth S, Chahrour MH. Genomic strategies to untangle the etiology of autism: A primer. Autism Res 2023; 16:31-39. [PMID: 36415077 PMCID: PMC10615252 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2844] [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: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in communication, diminished social skills, and restrictive and repetitive behaviors and interests. ASD affects approximately 2.3% of the population and is highly heterogeneous, both phenotypically and genetically. As genomic technologies advance, our understanding of the genetic architecture of ASD is becoming clearer, encompassing spontaneous and inherited alterations throughout the genome, and delineating alterations that are either rare or common in the population. This commentary provides an overview of the genomic strategies and resulting major findings of genetic alterations associated with ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shayal Vashisth
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Maria H. Chahrour
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
- Eugene McDermott Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
- Center for the Genetics of Host Defense, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
- Peter O’Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
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9
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Kane E, Beasley S, Schafer J, Bohl J, Lee Y, Rich K, Bosia E, Spratt D. Redefining the catalytic HECT domain boundaries for the HECT E3 ubiquitin ligase family. Biosci Rep 2022; 42:BSR20221036. [PMID: 36111624 PMCID: PMC9547173 DOI: 10.1042/bsr20221036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Revised: 09/07/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
There are 28 unique human members of the homologous to E6AP C-terminus (HECT) E3 ubiquitin ligase family. Each member of the HECT E3 ubiquitin ligases contains a conserved bilobal HECT domain of approximately 350 residues found near their C-termini that is responsible for their respective ubiquitylation activities. Recent studies have begun to elucidate specific roles that each HECT E3 ubiquitin ligase has in various cancers, age-induced neurodegeneration, and neurological disorders. New structural models have been recently released for some of the HECT E3 ubiquitin ligases, but many HECT domain structures have yet to be examined due to chronic insolubility and/or protein folding issues. Building on these recently published structural studies coupled with our in-house experiments discussed in the present study, we suggest that the addition of ∼50 conserved residues preceding the N-terminal to the current UniProt defined boundaries of the HECT domain are required for isolating soluble, stable, and active HECT domains. We show using in silico bioinformatic analyses coupled with secondary structural prediction software that this predicted N-terminal α-helix found in all 28 human HECT E3 ubiquitin ligases forms an obligate amphipathic α-helix that binds to a hydrophobic pocket found within the HECT N-terminal lobe. The present study brings forth the proposal to redefine the residue boundaries of the HECT domain to include this N-terminal extension that will likely be critical for future biochemical, structural, and therapeutic studies on the HECT E3 ubiquitin ligase family.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma I. Kane
- Gustaf H. Carlson School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Clark University, 950 Main Street, Worcester, MA 01610, U.S.A
| | - Steven A. Beasley
- Gustaf H. Carlson School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Clark University, 950 Main Street, Worcester, MA 01610, U.S.A
| | - Johanna M. Schafer
- Gustaf H. Carlson School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Clark University, 950 Main Street, Worcester, MA 01610, U.S.A
| | - Justine E. Bohl
- Gustaf H. Carlson School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Clark University, 950 Main Street, Worcester, MA 01610, U.S.A
| | - Young Sun Lee
- Gustaf H. Carlson School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Clark University, 950 Main Street, Worcester, MA 01610, U.S.A
| | - Kayla J. Rich
- Gustaf H. Carlson School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Clark University, 950 Main Street, Worcester, MA 01610, U.S.A
| | - Elizabeth F. Bosia
- Gustaf H. Carlson School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Clark University, 950 Main Street, Worcester, MA 01610, U.S.A
| | - Donald E. Spratt
- Gustaf H. Carlson School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Clark University, 950 Main Street, Worcester, MA 01610, U.S.A
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10
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Christensen MB, Levy AM, Mohammadi NA, Niceta M, Kaiyrzhanov R, Dentici ML, Alam CA, Alesi V, Benoit V, Bhatia KP, Bierhals T, Boßelmann CM, Buratti J, Callewaert B, Ceulemans B, Charles P, De Wachter M, Dehghani M, D'haenens E, Doco-Fenzy M, Geßner M, Gobert C, Guliyeva U, Haack TB, Hammer TB, Heinrich T, Hempel M, Herget T, Hoffmann U, Horvath J, Houlden H, Keren B, Kresge C, Kumps C, Lederer D, Lermine A, Magrinelli F, Maroofian R, Mehrjardi MYV, Moudi M, Müller AJ, Oostra AJ, Pletcher BA, Ros-Pardo D, Samarasekera S, Tartaglia M, Van Schil K, Vogt J, Wassmer E, Winkelmann J, Zaki MS, Zech M, Lerche H, Radio FC, Gomez-Puertas P, Møller RS, Tümer Z. Biallelic variants in ZNF142 lead to a syndromic neurodevelopmental disorder. Clin Genet 2022; 102:98-109. [PMID: 35616059 PMCID: PMC9546172 DOI: 10.1111/cge.14165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Revised: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Biallelic variants of the gene encoding for the zinc-finger protein 142 (ZNF142) have recently been associated with intellectual disability (ID), speech impairment, seizures, and movement disorders in nine individuals from five families. In this study, we obtained phenotype and genotype information of 26 further individuals from 16 families. Among the 27 different ZNF142 variants identified in the total of 35 individuals only four were missense. Missense variants may give a milder phenotype by changing the local structure of ZF motifs as suggested by protein modelling; but this correlation should be validated in larger cohorts and pathogenicity of the missense variants should be investigated with functional studies. Clinical features of the 35 individuals suggest that biallelic ZNF142 variants lead to a syndromic neurodevelopmental disorder with mild to moderate ID, varying degrees of delay in language and gross motor development, early onset seizures, hypotonia, behavioral features, movement disorders, and facial dysmorphism. The differences in symptom frequencies observed in the unpublished individuals compared to those of published, and recognition of previously underemphasized facial features are likely to be due to the small sizes of the previous cohorts, which underlines the importance of larger cohorts for the phenotype descriptions of rare genetic disorders. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria B Christensen
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Amanda M Levy
- Kennedy Center, Department of Clinical Genetics, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Nazanin A Mohammadi
- Department of Epilepsy Genetics and Personalized Treatment, The Danish Epilepsy Centre, Dianalund, Denmark.,Department of Regional Health Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Marcello Niceta
- Genetics and Rare Diseases Research Division, Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Rauan Kaiyrzhanov
- Department of Neuromuscular Disorders, University College London Institute of Neurology, London, United Kingdom
| | - Maria Lisa Dentici
- Genetics and Rare Diseases Research Division, Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, IRCCS, Rome, Italy.,Medical Genetics Unit, Academic Department of Pediatrics, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Chadi Al Alam
- Pediatric Neurology department, American center for Psychiatry and Neurology, Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, United Arab Emirates.,Pediatric Neurology department, Haykel Hospital, El Koura, Lebanon
| | - Viola Alesi
- Translational Cytogenomics Research Unit, Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Kailash P Bhatia
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Tatjana Bierhals
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Christian M Boßelmann
- Department of Neurology and Epileptology, Hertie-Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Julien Buratti
- Department of Medical Genetics, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, AP- HP, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Bert Callewaert
- Center for Medical Genetics, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium.,Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Berten Ceulemans
- Department of Pediatric Neurology, Antwerp University Hospital, University of Antwerp, Edegem, Belgium
| | - Perrine Charles
- Department of Medical Genetics, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, AP- HP, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Matthias De Wachter
- Department of Pediatric Neurology, Antwerp University Hospital, University of Antwerp, Edegem, Belgium
| | - Mohammadreza Dehghani
- Medical Genetics Research Center, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
| | - Erika D'haenens
- Center for Medical Genetics, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Martine Doco-Fenzy
- SFR CAP SANTE, HMB2 CHU, Reims, France.,CHU de Nantes, service de génétique médicale, Nantes, France
| | - Michaela Geßner
- KfH-Board of Trustees for Dialysis and Kidney Transplantation (KfH-Kuratorium für Dialyse und Nierentransplantation e.V.), Neu Isenburg, Germany
| | - Cyrielle Gobert
- Neuropediatric department, Centre Hospitalier Neurologique William Lennox, Ottignies, Belgium
| | | | - Tobias B Haack
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Centre for Rare Diseases, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Trine B Hammer
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Department of Epilepsy Genetics and Personalized Treatment, The Danish Epilepsy Centre, Dianalund, Denmark
| | - Tilman Heinrich
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,MVZ Humangenetik und Molekularpathologie GmbH, Rostock, Germany
| | - Maja Hempel
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Theresia Herget
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | | | - Judit Horvath
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Henry Houlden
- Department of Neuromuscular Disorders, University College London Institute of Neurology, London, United Kingdom
| | - Boris Keren
- Department of Medical Genetics, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, AP- HP, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | | | - Candy Kumps
- Center for Medical Genetics, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium.,Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | | | | | - Francesca Magrinelli
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Reza Maroofian
- Department of Neuromuscular Disorders, University College London Institute of Neurology, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Mahdiyeh Moudi
- Department of Genetics, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
| | - Amelie J Müller
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Anna J Oostra
- Neuropediatric department, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium.,Centre for Developmental disorders, Ghent, Belgium
| | | | - David Ros-Pardo
- Molecular Modeling Group, Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, CBMSO (CSIC-UAM), Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Marco Tartaglia
- Genetics and Rare Diseases Research Division, Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Kristof Van Schil
- Department of Medical Genetics, Antwerp University Hospital, University of Antwerp, Edegem, Belgium
| | - Julie Vogt
- West Midlands Regional Genetics Service, Birmingham Women's and Children's Hospital, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Evangeline Wassmer
- Birmingham Women and Children's Hospital, Birmingham, United Kingdom.,Institute of Health and Neurodevelopment, Aston University, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Juliane Winkelmann
- Institute of Human Genetics, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.,Institute of Neurogenomics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Munich, Germany
| | - Maha S Zaki
- Clinical Genetics Department, Human Genetics and Genome Research Institute, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt.,Genetics Department, Armed Forces College of Medicine (AFCM), Cairo, Egypt
| | - Michael Zech
- Institute of Human Genetics, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.,Institute of Neurogenomics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Munich, Germany
| | - Holger Lerche
- Department of Neurology and Epileptology, Hertie-Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | | | - Paulino Gomez-Puertas
- Molecular Modeling Group, Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, CBMSO (CSIC-UAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Rikke S Møller
- Department of Epilepsy Genetics and Personalized Treatment, The Danish Epilepsy Centre, Dianalund, Denmark.,Department of Regional Health Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Zeynep Tümer
- Kennedy Center, Department of Clinical Genetics, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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11
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Analysis of recent shared ancestry in a familial cohort identifies coding and noncoding autism spectrum disorder variants. NPJ Genom Med 2022; 7:13. [PMID: 35190550 PMCID: PMC8861044 DOI: 10.1038/s41525-022-00284-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a collection of neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by deficits in social communication and restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior or interests. ASD is highly heritable, but genetically and phenotypically heterogeneous, reducing the power to identify causative genes. We performed whole genome sequencing (WGS) in an ASD cohort of 68 individuals from 22 families enriched for recent shared ancestry. We identified an average of 3.07 million variants per genome, of which an average of 112,512 were rare. We mapped runs of homozygosity (ROHs) in affected individuals and found an average genomic homozygosity of 9.65%, consistent with expectations for multiple generations of consanguineous unions. We identified potentially pathogenic rare exonic or splice site variants in 12 known (including KMT2C, SCN1A, SPTBN1, SYNE1, ZNF292) and 12 candidate (including CHD5, GRB10, PPP1R13B) ASD genes. Furthermore, we annotated noncoding variants in ROHs with brain-specific regulatory elements and identified putative disease-causing variants within brain-specific promoters and enhancers for 5 known ASD and neurodevelopmental disease genes (ACTG1, AUTS2, CTNND2, CNTNAP4, SPTBN4). We also identified copy number variants in two known ASD and neurodevelopmental disease loci in two affected individuals. In total we identified potentially etiological variants in known ASD or neurodevelopmental disease genes for ~61% (14/23) of affected individuals. We combined WGS with homozygosity mapping and regulatory element annotations to identify candidate ASD variants. Our analyses add to the growing number of ASD genes and variants and emphasize the importance of leveraging recent shared ancestry to map disease variants in complex neurodevelopmental disorders.
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12
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Çelik G, Tuncalı T. ROHMM-A flexible hidden Markov model framework to detect runs of homozygosity from genotyping data. Hum Mutat 2021; 43:158-168. [PMID: 34923717 DOI: 10.1002/humu.24316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2021] [Revised: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Runs of long homozygous (ROH) stretches are considered to be the result of consanguinity and usually contain recessive deleterious disease-causing mutations. Several algorithms have been developed to detect ROHs. Here, we developed a simple alternative strategy by examining X chromosome non-pseudoautosomal region to detect the ROHs from next-generation sequencing data utilizing the genotype probabilities and the hidden Markov model algorithm as a tool, namely ROHMM. It is implemented purely in java and contains both a command line and a graphical user interface. We tested ROHMM on simulated data as well as real population data from the 1000G Project and a clinical sample. Our results have shown that ROHMM can perform robustly producing highly accurate homozygosity estimations under all conditions thereby meeting and even exceeding the performance of its natural competitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gökalp Çelik
- Health Sciences Institute, Department of Medical Genetics, Ankara Yildirim Beyazit University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Timur Tuncalı
- Department of Medical Genetics, Ankara University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey
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13
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Ambrozkiewicz MC, Borisova E, Schwark M, Ripamonti S, Schaub T, Smorodchenko A, Weber AI, Rhee HJ, Altas B, Yilmaz R, Mueller S, Piepkorn L, Horan ST, Straussberg R, Zaqout S, Jahn O, Dere E, Rosário M, Boehm-Sturm P, Borck G, Willig KI, Rhee J, Tarabykin V, Kawabe H. The murine ortholog of Kaufman oculocerebrofacial syndrome protein Ube3b regulates synapse number by ubiquitinating Ppp3cc. Mol Psychiatry 2021; 26:1980-1995. [PMID: 32249816 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-020-0714-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2019] [Revised: 02/21/2020] [Accepted: 03/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Kaufman oculocerebrofacial syndrome (KOS) is a severe autosomal recessive disorder characterized by intellectual disability, developmental delays, microcephaly, and characteristic dysmorphisms. Biallelic mutations of UBE3B, encoding for a ubiquitin ligase E3B are causative for KOS. In this report, we characterize neuronal functions of its murine ortholog Ube3b and show that Ube3b regulates dendritic branching in a cell-autonomous manner. Moreover, Ube3b knockout (KO) neurons exhibit increased density and aberrant morphology of dendritic spines, altered synaptic physiology, and changes in hippocampal circuit activity. Dorsal forebrain-specific Ube3b KO animals show impaired spatial learning, altered social interactions, and repetitive behaviors. We further demonstrate that Ube3b ubiquitinates the catalytic γ-subunit of calcineurin, Ppp3cc, the overexpression of which phenocopies Ube3b loss with regard to dendritic spine density. This work provides insights into the molecular pathologies underlying intellectual disability-like phenotypes in a genetically engineered mouse model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mateusz C Ambrozkiewicz
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hermann-Rein-Str. 3, 37075, Göttingen, Germany. .,International Max Planck Research School for Neurosciences, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Griesebachstr. 5, 37077, Göttingen, Germany. .,Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Ekaterina Borisova
- Institute of Neuroscience, Lobachevsky University of Nizhny Novgorod, pr. Gagarina 24, Nizhny Novgorod, Russian Federation
| | - Manuela Schwark
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hermann-Rein-Str. 3, 37075, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Silvia Ripamonti
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hermann-Rein-Str. 3, 37075, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Theres Schaub
- Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Alina Smorodchenko
- Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - A Ioana Weber
- Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Hong Jun Rhee
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hermann-Rein-Str. 3, 37075, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Bekir Altas
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hermann-Rein-Str. 3, 37075, Göttingen, Germany.,International Max Planck Research School for Neurosciences, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Griesebachstr. 5, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Rüstem Yilmaz
- Center for Rare Diseases (ZSE Ulm), Ulm University Hospital, Eythstraße 24, 89075, Ulm, Germany
| | - Susanne Mueller
- Department of Experimental Neurology and Center for Stroke Research, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany.,NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence and Charité Core Facility 7T Experimental MRIs, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Lars Piepkorn
- Proteomics Group, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hermann-Rein-Str. 3, 37075, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Stephen T Horan
- Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Rachel Straussberg
- Institute of Child Neurology, Schneider's Children Medical Center, Petah Tikvah, Israel.,Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel
| | - Sami Zaqout
- Basic Medical Science Department, College of Medicine, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Olaf Jahn
- Proteomics Group, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hermann-Rein-Str. 3, 37075, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Ekrem Dere
- Clinical Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hermann-Rein-Str. 3, 37075, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Marta Rosário
- Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Philipp Boehm-Sturm
- Department of Experimental Neurology and Center for Stroke Research, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany.,NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence and Charité Core Facility 7T Experimental MRIs, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Guntram Borck
- Center for Rare Diseases (ZSE Ulm), Ulm University Hospital, Eythstraße 24, 89075, Ulm, Germany
| | - Katrin I Willig
- Center for Nanoscale Microscopy and Molecular Physiology of the Brain, University Medical Center Göttingen, Robert-Koch-Str. 40, 37075, Göttingen, Germany.,Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, Göttingen, Germany
| | - JeongSeop Rhee
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hermann-Rein-Str. 3, 37075, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Victor Tarabykin
- Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany.,Institute of Neuroscience, Lobachevsky University of Nizhny Novgorod, pr. Gagarina 24, Nizhny Novgorod, Russian Federation
| | - Hiroshi Kawabe
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hermann-Rein-Str. 3, 37075, Göttingen, Germany. .,Division of Pathogenetic Signaling, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-5-6 Minatojima-minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, 650-0047, Japan. .,Department of Gerontology, Laboratory of Molecular Life Science, Institute of Biomedical Research and Innovation, Foundation for Biomedical Research and Innovation at Kobe, 2-2 Minatojima-minamimachi Chuo-ku, Kobe, 650-0047, Japan.
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14
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Singh S, Ng J, Sivaraman J. Exploring the "Other" subfamily of HECT E3-ligases for therapeutic intervention. Pharmacol Ther 2021; 224:107809. [PMID: 33607149 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2021.107809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2020] [Revised: 12/13/2020] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The HECT E3 ligase family regulates key cellular signaling pathways, with its 28 members divided into three subfamilies: NEDD4 subfamily (9 members), HERC subfamily (6 members) and "Other" subfamily (13 members). Here, we focus on the less-explored "Other" subfamily and discuss the recent findings pertaining to their biological roles. The N-terminal regions preceding the conserved HECT domains are significantly diverse in length and sequence composition, and are mostly unstructured, except for short regions that incorporate known substrate-binding domains. In some of the better-characterized "Other" members (e.g., HUWE1, AREL1 and UBE3C), structure analysis shows that the extended region (~ aa 50) adjacent to the HECT domain affects the stability and activity of the protein. The enzymatic activity is also influenced by interactions with different adaptor proteins and inter/intramolecular interactions. Primarily, the "Other" subfamily members assemble atypical ubiquitin linkages, with some cooperating with E3 ligases from the other subfamilies to form branched ubiquitin chains on substrates. Viruses and pathogenic bacteria target and hijack the activities of "Other" subfamily members to evade host immune responses and cause diseases. As such, these HECT E3 ligases have emerged as potential candidates for therapeutic drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sunil Singh
- Department of Biological Sciences, 14 Science Drive 4, National University of Singapore, 117543, Singapore
| | - Joel Ng
- Department of Biological Sciences, 14 Science Drive 4, National University of Singapore, 117543, Singapore
| | - J Sivaraman
- Department of Biological Sciences, 14 Science Drive 4, National University of Singapore, 117543, Singapore.
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15
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Kim N, Kim KH, Lim WJ, Kim J, Kim SA, Yoo HJ. Whole Exome Sequencing Identifies Novel De Novo Variants Interacting with Six Gene Networks in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Genes (Basel) 2020; 12:genes12010001. [PMID: 33374967 PMCID: PMC7822011 DOI: 10.3390/genes12010001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2020] [Revised: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 12/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a highly heritable condition caused by a combination of environmental and genetic factors such as de novo and inherited variants, as well as rare or common variants among hundreds of related genes. Previous genome-wide association studies have identified susceptibility genes; however, most ASD-associated genes remain undiscovered. This study aimed to examine rare de novo variants to identify genetic risk factors of ASD using whole exome sequencing (WES), functional characterization, and genetic network analyses of identified variants using Korean familial dataset. We recruited children with ASD and their biological parents. The clinical best estimate diagnosis of ASD was made according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5TM), using comprehensive diagnostic instruments. The final analyses included a total of 151 individuals from 51 families. Variants were identified and filtered using the GATK Best Practices for bioinformatics analysis, followed by genome alignments and annotation to the reference genome assembly GRCh37 (liftover to GRCh38), and further annotated using dbSNP 154 build databases. To evaluate allele frequencies of de novo variants, we used the dbSNP, gnomAD exome v2.1.1, and genome v3.0. We used Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA, Qiagen) software to construct networks using all identified de novo variants with known autism-related genes to find probable relationships. We identified 36 de novo variants with potential relations to ASD; 27 missense, two silent, one nonsense, one splice region, one splice site, one 5′ UTR, and one intronic SNV and two frameshift deletions. We identified six networks with functional relationships. Among the interactions between de novo variants, the IPA assay found that the NF-κB signaling pathway and its interacting genes were commonly observed at two networks. The relatively small cohort size may affect the results of novel ASD genes with de novo variants described in our findings. We did not conduct functional experiments in this study. Because of the diversity and heterogeneity of ASD, the primary purpose of this study was to investigate probable causative relationships between novel de novo variants and known autism genes. Additionally, we based functional relationships with known genes on network analysis rather than on statistical analysis. We identified new variants that may underlie genetic factors contributing to ASD in Korean families using WES and genetic network analyses. We observed novel de novo variants that might be functionally linked to ASD, of which the variants interact with six genetic networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Namshin Kim
- Genome Editing Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon 34141, Korea; (N.K.); (K.H.K.); (W.-J.L.)
- Department of Bioinformatics, KRIBB School of Bioscience, Korea University of Science and Technology (UST), Daejeon 34141, Korea
| | - Kyoung Hyoun Kim
- Genome Editing Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon 34141, Korea; (N.K.); (K.H.K.); (W.-J.L.)
- Department of Bioinformatics, KRIBB School of Bioscience, Korea University of Science and Technology (UST), Daejeon 34141, Korea
| | - Won-Jun Lim
- Genome Editing Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon 34141, Korea; (N.K.); (K.H.K.); (W.-J.L.)
- Department of Bioinformatics, KRIBB School of Bioscience, Korea University of Science and Technology (UST), Daejeon 34141, Korea
| | - Jiwoong Kim
- Quantitative Biomedical Research Center, Department of Clinical Sciences, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA;
| | - Soon Ae Kim
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Eulji University, Daejeon 34824, Korea
- Correspondence: (S.A.K.); (H.J.Y.); Tel.: +82-42-259-1672 (S.A.K.); +82-31-787-7436 (H.J.Y.)
| | - Hee Jeong Yoo
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul 03080, Korea
- Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Gyeonggi 13620, Korea
- Correspondence: (S.A.K.); (H.J.Y.); Tel.: +82-42-259-1672 (S.A.K.); +82-31-787-7436 (H.J.Y.)
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16
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Molecular Evolution, Neurodevelopmental Roles and Clinical Significance of HECT-Type UBE3 E3 Ubiquitin Ligases. Cells 2020; 9:cells9112455. [PMID: 33182779 PMCID: PMC7697756 DOI: 10.3390/cells9112455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2020] [Revised: 11/03/2020] [Accepted: 11/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Protein ubiquitination belongs to the best characterized pathways of protein degradation in the cell; however, our current knowledge on its physiological consequences is just the tip of an iceberg. The divergence of enzymatic executors of ubiquitination led to some 600–700 E3 ubiquitin ligases embedded in the human genome. Notably, mutations in around 13% of these genes are causative of severe neurological diseases. Despite this, molecular and cellular context of ubiquitination remains poorly characterized, especially in the developing brain. In this review article, we summarize recent findings on brain-expressed HECT-type E3 UBE3 ligases and their murine orthologues, comprising Angelman syndrome UBE3A, Kaufman oculocerebrofacial syndrome UBE3B and autism spectrum disorder-associated UBE3C. We summarize evolutionary emergence of three UBE3 genes, the biochemistry of UBE3 enzymes, their biology and clinical relevance in brain disorders. Particularly, we highlight that uninterrupted action of UBE3 ligases is a sine qua non for cortical circuit assembly and higher cognitive functions of the neocortex.
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17
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Wang L, Zhang Y, Li K, Wang Z, Wang X, Li B, Zhao G, Fang Z, Ling Z, Luo T, Xia L, Li Y, Guo H, Hu Z, Li J, Sun Z, Xia K. Functional relationships between recessive inherited genes and genes with de novo variants in autism spectrum disorder. Mol Autism 2020; 11:75. [PMID: 33023636 PMCID: PMC7541261 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-020-00382-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Both de novo variants and recessive inherited variants were associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study aimed to use exome data to prioritize recessive inherited genes (RIGs) with biallelically inherited variants in autosomes or X-linked inherited variants in males and investigate the functional relationships between RIGs and genes with de novo variants (DNGs).
Methods We used a bioinformatics pipeline to analyze whole-exome sequencing data from 1799 ASD quads (containing one proband, one unaffected sibling, and their parents) from the Simons Simplex Collection and prioritize candidate RIGs with rare biallelically inherited variants in autosomes or X-linked inherited variants in males. The relationships between RIGs and DNGs were characterized based on different genetic perspectives, including genetic variants, functional networks, and brain expression patterns. Results Among the biallelically or hemizygous constrained genes that were expressed in the brain, ASD probands carried significantly more biallelically inherited protein-truncating variants (PTVs) in autosomes (p = 0.038) and X-linked inherited PTVs in males (p = 0.026) than those in unaffected siblings. We prioritized eight autosomal, and 13 X-linked candidate RIGs, including 11 genes already associated with neurodevelopmental disorders. In total, we detected biallelically inherited variants or X-linked inherited variants of these 21 candidate RIGs in 26 (1.4%) of 1799 probands. We then integrated previously reported known or candidate genes in ASD, ultimately obtaining 70 RIGs and 87 DNGs for analysis. We found that RIGs were less likely to carry multiple recessive inherited variants than DNGs were to carry multiple de novo variants. Additionally, RIGs and DNGs were significantly co-expressed and interacted with each other, forming a network enriched in known functional ASD clusters, although RIGs were less likely to be enriched in these functional clusters compared with DNGs. Furthermore, although RIGs and DNGs presented comparable expression patterns in the human brain, RIGs were less likely to be associated with prenatal brain regions, the middle cortical layers, and excitatory neurons than DNGs. Limitations The RIGs analyzed in this study require functional validation, and the results should be replicated in more patients with ASD. Conclusions ASD RIGs were functionally associated with DNGs; however, they exhibited higher heterogeneity than DNGs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Wang
- Center for Medical Genetics and Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.,Reproductive Medicine Center, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Yi Zhang
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Department of Geriatrics, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Kuokuo Li
- Center for Medical Genetics and Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, No 218 Jixi Road, Hefei, 230022, Anhui, China.,NHC Key Laboratory of Study On Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract (Anhui Medical University), No. 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Zheng Wang
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Department of Geriatrics, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Xiaomeng Wang
- Center for Medical Genetics and Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Bin Li
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Department of Geriatrics, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Guihu Zhao
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Department of Geriatrics, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Zhenghuan Fang
- Center for Medical Genetics and Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Zhengbao Ling
- Center for Medical Genetics and Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Tengfei Luo
- Center for Medical Genetics and Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Lu Xia
- Center for Medical Genetics and Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Yanping Li
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Hui Guo
- Center for Medical Genetics and Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Zhengmao Hu
- Center for Medical Genetics and Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Jinchen Li
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Department of Geriatrics, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
| | - Zhongsheng Sun
- Institute of Genomic Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China. .,Beijing Institutes of Life Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
| | - Kun Xia
- Center for Medical Genetics and Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China. .,CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligences Technology (CEBSIT), Shanghai, China. .,School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
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18
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Brain-Enriched Coding and Long Non-coding RNA Genes Are Overrepresented in Recurrent Neurodevelopmental Disorder CNVs. Cell Rep 2020; 33:108307. [PMID: 33113368 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.108307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2019] [Revised: 03/15/2020] [Accepted: 10/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition with substantial phenotypic and etiological heterogeneity. Although 10%-20% of ASD cases are attributable to copy number variation (CNV), causative genomic loci and constituent genes remain unclarified. We have developed SNATCNV, a tool that outperforms existing tools, to identify 47 recurrent ASD CNV regions from 19,663 cases and 6,479 controls documented in the AutDB database. Analysis of ASD CNV gene content using FANTOM5 shows that constituent coding genes and long non-coding RNAs have brain-enriched patterns of expression. Notably, such enrichment is not observed for regions identified by using other tools. We also find evidence of sexual dimorphism, one locus uniquely comprising a single lncRNA gene, and correlation of CNVs to distinct clinical and behavioral traits. Finally, we analyze a large dataset for schizophrenia to further demonstrate that SNATCNV is an effective, publicly available tool to define genomic loci and causative genes for multiple CNV-associated conditions.
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19
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Schmitz-Abe K, Sanchez-Schmitz G, Doan RN, Hill RS, Chahrour MH, Mehta BK, Servattalab S, Ataman B, Lam ATN, Morrow EM, Greenberg ME, Yu TW, Walsh CA, Markianos K. Homozygous deletions implicate non-coding epigenetic marks in Autism spectrum disorder. Sci Rep 2020; 10:14045. [PMID: 32820185 PMCID: PMC7441318 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-70656-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2019] [Accepted: 07/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
More than 98% of the human genome is made up of non-coding DNA, but techniques to ascertain its contribution to human disease have lagged far behind our understanding of protein coding variations. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been mostly associated with coding variations via de novo single nucleotide variants (SNVs), recessive/homozygous SNVs, or de novo copy number variants (CNVs); however, most ASD cases continue to lack a genetic diagnosis. We analyzed 187 consanguineous ASD families for biallelic CNVs. Recessive deletions were significantly enriched in affected individuals relative to their unaffected siblings (17% versus 4%, p < 0.001). Only a small subset of biallelic deletions were predicted to result in coding exon disruption. In contrast, biallelic deletions in individuals with ASD were enriched for overlap with regulatory regions, with 23/28 CNVs disrupting histone peaks in ENCODE (p < 0.009). Overlap with regulatory regions was further demonstrated by comparisons to the 127-epigenome dataset released by the Roadmap Epigenomics project, with enrichment for enhancers found in primary brain tissue and neuronal progenitor cells. Our results suggest a novel noncoding mechanism of ASD, describe a powerful method to identify important noncoding regions in the human genome, and emphasize the potential significance of gene activation and regulation in cognitive and social function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Klaus Schmitz-Abe
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.,Divisions of Newborn Medicine and Manton Center for Orphan Disease Research, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.,Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Guzman Sanchez-Schmitz
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.,Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics and Precision Vaccines Program, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Ryan N Doan
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - R Sean Hill
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Maria H Chahrour
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Bhaven K Mehta
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Sarah Servattalab
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Bulent Ataman
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Anh-Thu N Lam
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Eric M Morrow
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry and Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Brown University, Providence, RI, 02912, USA
| | | | - Timothy W Yu
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA. .,Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
| | - Christopher A Walsh
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA. .,Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA. .,Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, 02115, USA. .,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA. .,Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
| | - Kyriacos Markianos
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA. .,Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA. .,Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, 02115, USA. .,Center for Data and Computational Sciences, Cooperative Studies Program, VA Boston Healthcare system, Boston, MA, 02130, USA.
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20
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Cabej NR. A neural mechanism of nuclear receptor expression and regionalization. Dev Dyn 2020; 249:1172-1181. [PMID: 32406963 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2020] [Revised: 04/11/2020] [Accepted: 04/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Spatially restricted expression of genes by global circulating inducers (hormones, secreted proteins, growth factors, neuromodulators, etc.) was a prerequisite for the evolution of animals. Far from a random occurrence, it is a systematically occurring, certain event, implying that specific information is invested for it to happen. In this minireview, we show for the first time that the expression and regionalization takes place at the level of receptors via a neural mechanism and make an attempt to reconstruct the causal chain from neural signaling to expression of nuclear receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nelson R Cabej
- Department of Biology, University of Tirana, Tirana, Albania
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21
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Wang Y, Argiles-Castillo D, Kane EI, Zhou A, Spratt DE. HECT E3 ubiquitin ligases - emerging insights into their biological roles and disease relevance. J Cell Sci 2020; 133:133/7/jcs228072. [PMID: 32265230 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.228072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Homologous to E6AP C-terminus (HECT) E3 ubiquitin ligases play a critical role in various cellular pathways, including but not limited to protein trafficking, subcellular localization, innate immune response, viral infections, DNA damage responses and apoptosis. To date, 28 HECT E3 ubiquitin ligases have been identified in humans, and recent studies have begun to reveal how these enzymes control various cellular pathways by catalyzing the post-translational attachment of ubiquitin to their respective substrates. New studies have identified substrates and/or interactors with different members of the HECT E3 ubiquitin ligase family, particularly for E6AP and members of the neuronal precursor cell-expressed developmentally downregulated 4 (NEDD4) family. However, there still remains many unanswered questions about the specific roles that each of the HECT E3 ubiquitin ligases have in maintaining cellular homeostasis. The present Review discusses our current understanding on the biological roles of the HECT E3 ubiquitin ligases in the cell and how they contribute to disease development. Expanded investigations on the molecular basis for how and why the HECT E3 ubiquitin ligases recognize and regulate their intracellular substrates will help to clarify the biochemical mechanisms employed by these important enzymes in ubiquitin biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaya Wang
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xi'an University of Science and Technology, Xi'an, Shanxi, China 710054.,Gustaf H. Carlson School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Clark University, 950 Main St., Worcester, MA 01610, USA
| | - Diana Argiles-Castillo
- Gustaf H. Carlson School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Clark University, 950 Main St., Worcester, MA 01610, USA
| | - Emma I Kane
- Gustaf H. Carlson School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Clark University, 950 Main St., Worcester, MA 01610, USA
| | - Anning Zhou
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xi'an University of Science and Technology, Xi'an, Shanxi, China 710054
| | - Donald E Spratt
- Gustaf H. Carlson School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Clark University, 950 Main St., Worcester, MA 01610, USA
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22
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Al-Naama N, Mackeh R, Kino T. C 2H 2-Type Zinc Finger Proteins in Brain Development, Neurodevelopmental, and Other Neuropsychiatric Disorders: Systematic Literature-Based Analysis. Front Neurol 2020; 11:32. [PMID: 32117005 PMCID: PMC7034409 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2020.00032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2019] [Accepted: 01/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) are multifaceted pathologic conditions manifested with intellectual disability, autistic features, psychiatric problems, motor dysfunction, and/or genetic/chromosomal abnormalities. They are associated with skewed neurogenesis and brain development, in part through dysfunction of the neural stem cells (NSCs) where abnormal transcriptional regulation on key genes play significant roles. Recent accumulated evidence highlights C2H2-type zinc finger proteins (C2H2-ZNFs), the largest transcription factor family in humans, as important targets for the pathologic processes associated with NDDs. In this review, we identified their significant accumulation (74 C2H2-ZNFs: ~10% of all human member proteins) in brain physiology and pathology. Specifically, we discuss their physiologic contribution to brain development, particularly focusing on their actions in NSCs. We then explain their pathologic implications in various forms of NDDs, such as morphological brain abnormalities, intellectual disabilities, and psychiatric disorders. We found an important tendency that poly-ZNFs and KRAB-ZNFs tend to be involved in the diseases that compromise gross brain structure and human-specific higher-order functions, respectively. This may be consistent with their characteristic appearance in the course of species evolution and corresponding contribution to these brain activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Njoud Al-Naama
- Laboratory of Molecular and Genomic Endocrinology, Division of Translational Medicine, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar
| | - Rafah Mackeh
- Laboratory of Molecular and Genomic Endocrinology, Division of Translational Medicine, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar
| | - Tomoshige Kino
- Laboratory of Molecular and Genomic Endocrinology, Division of Translational Medicine, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar
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23
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Consanguinity can increase the risk for autosomal recessive conditions, along with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Rarely outside of the genetics community is this discussed. Understanding its impact on the development of ASD and increasing awareness for physicians is important. RECENT FINDINGS ASD is a polygenic multifactorial disorder associated with morbidity and burden of care. Studies have confirmed its heritability, suspecting to an autosomal recessive transmission. Consanguinity increases the risk for uncovering recessive disorder and its role as an independent contributor for the development of ASD should be examined. With consanguinity being a known risk factor for autosomal recessive conditions, clinicians should routinely screen for it when evaluating for ASD, as this is inconsistently done. If suspected, genetic testing should be also recommended. Understanding current risk as well as future risk and providing families with the education to make the most informed decisions is necessary.
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24
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Wang Q, Liu Z, Lin Z, Zhang R, Lu Y, Su W, Li F, Xu X, Tu M, Lou Y, Zhao J, Zheng X. De Novo Germline Mutations in SEMA5A Associated With Infantile Spasms. Front Genet 2019; 10:605. [PMID: 31354784 PMCID: PMC6635550 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2019.00605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2018] [Accepted: 06/07/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Infantile spasm (IS) is an early-onset epileptic encephalopathy that usually presents with hypsarrhythmia on an electroencephalogram with developmental impairment or regression. In this study, whole-exome sequencing was performed to detect potential pathogenic de novo mutations, and finally we identified a novel damaging de novo mutation in SEMA5A and a compound heterozygous mutation in CLTCL1 in three sporadic trios with IS. The expression profiling of SEMA5A in the human brain showed that it was mainly highly expressed in the cerebral cortex, during the early brain development stage (8 to 9 post-conception weeks and 0 to 5 months after birth). In addition, we identified a close protein-protein interaction network between SEMA5A and candidate genes associated with epilepsy, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or intellectual disability. Gene enrichment and function analysis demonstrated that genes interacting with SEMA5A were significantly enriched in several brain regions across early fetal development, including the cortex, cerebellum, striatum and thalamus (q < 0.05), and were involved in axonal, neuronal and synapse-associated processes. Furthermore, SEMA5A and its interacting genes were associated with ASD, epilepsy syndrome and developmental disorders of mental health. Our results provide insightful information indicating that SEMA5A may contribute to the development of the brain and is associated with IS. However, further genetic studies are still needed to evaluate the role of SEMA5A in IS to definitively establish the role of SEMA5A in this disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiongdan Wang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China.,School of Laboratory Medicine and Life Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Zhenwei Liu
- Institute of Genomic Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Zhongdong Lin
- Department of Pediatric Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Ru Zhang
- School of Laboratory Medicine and Life Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Yutian Lu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China.,School of Laboratory Medicine and Life Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Weijue Su
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Feng Li
- Department of Pediatric Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Xi Xu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China.,School of Laboratory Medicine and Life Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Mengyun Tu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China.,School of Laboratory Medicine and Life Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Yongliang Lou
- School of Laboratory Medicine and Life Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medicine, Ministry of Education, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Junzhao Zhao
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Xiaoqun Zheng
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China.,School of Laboratory Medicine and Life Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medicine, Ministry of Education, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
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25
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Doan RN, Lim ET, De Rubeis S, Betancur C, Cutler DJ, Chiocchetti AG, Overman LM, Soucy A, Goetze S, Freitag CM, Daly MJ, Walsh CA, Buxbaum JD, Yu TW. Recessive gene disruptions in autism spectrum disorder. Nat Genet 2019; 51:1092-1098. [PMID: 31209396 PMCID: PMC6629034 DOI: 10.1038/s41588-019-0433-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2018] [Accepted: 05/02/2019] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) affects up to 1 in 59 individuals1. Genome-wide association and large-scale sequencing studies strongly implicate both common variants2-4 and rare de novo variants5-10 in ASD. Recessive mutations have also been implicated11-14 but their contribution remains less well defined. Here we demonstrate an excess of biallelic loss-of-function and damaging missense mutations in a large ASD cohort, corresponding to approximately 5% of total cases, including 10% of females, consistent with a female protective effect. We document biallelic disruption of known or emerging recessive neurodevelopmental genes (CA2, DDHD1, NSUN2, PAH, RARB, ROGDI, SLC1A1, USH2A) as well as other genes not previously implicated in ASD including FEV (FEV transcription factor, ETS family member), which encodes a key regulator of the serotonergic circuitry. Our data refine estimates of the contribution of recessive mutation to ASD and suggest new paths for illuminating previously unknown biological pathways responsible for this condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan N Doan
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Elaine T Lim
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Silvia De Rubeis
- Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Catalina Betancur
- Neuroscience Paris Seine, Institut de Biologie Paris Seine, Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - David J Cutler
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Andreas G Chiocchetti
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Autism Research and Intervention Center of Excellence, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Lynne M Overman
- Human Developmental Biology Resource, Institute of Genetic Medicine, Newcastle University, International Centre for Life, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK
| | - Aubrie Soucy
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Susanne Goetze
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Christine M Freitag
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Autism Research and Intervention Center of Excellence, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Mark J Daly
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Center for Human Genetic Research, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Christopher A Walsh
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Joseph D Buxbaum
- Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Timothy W Yu
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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26
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Analysis of a Protein Network Related to Copy Number Variations in Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Mol Neurosci 2019; 69:140-149. [DOI: 10.1007/s12031-019-01343-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2018] [Accepted: 05/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
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27
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Alagoz M, Kherad N, Gavaz M, Yuksel A. New Genetic Approaches for Early Diagnosis and Treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorders. REVIEW JOURNAL OF AUTISM AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s40489-019-00167-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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28
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The ubiquitin ligase UBE3B, disrupted in intellectual disability and absent speech, regulates metabolic pathways by targeting BCKDK. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:3662-3667. [PMID: 30808755 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1818751116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Kaufman oculocerebrofacial syndrome (KOS) is a recessive neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by intellectual disability and lack of speech. KOS is caused by inactivating mutations in UBE3B, but the underlying biological mechanisms are completely unknown. We found that loss of Ube3b in mice resulted in growth retardation, decreased grip strength, and loss of vocalization. The brains of Ube3b -/- mice had hypoplasia of the corpus callosum, enlarged ventricles, and decreased thickness of the somatosensory cortex. Ube3b -/- cortical neurons had abnormal dendritic morphology and synapses. We identified 22 UBE3B interactors and found that branched-chain α-ketoacid dehydrogenase kinase (BCKDK) is an in vivo UBE3B substrate. Since BCKDK targets several metabolic pathways, we profiled plasma and cortical metabolomes from Ube3b -/- mice. Nucleotide metabolism and the tricarboxylic acid cycle were among the pathways perturbed. Substrate-induced mitochondrial respiration was reduced in skeletal muscle but not in liver of Ube3b -/- mice. To assess the relevance of these findings to humans, we identified three KOS patients who had compound heterozygous UBE3B mutations. We discovered changes in metabolites from similar pathways in plasma from these patients. Collectively, our results implicate a disease mechanism in KOS, suggest that it is a metabolic encephalomyopathy, and provide an entry to targeted therapies.
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Risk gene-set and pathways in 22q11.2 deletion-related schizophrenia: a genealogical molecular approach. Transl Psychiatry 2019; 9:15. [PMID: 30710087 PMCID: PMC6358611 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-018-0354-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2018] [Revised: 12/05/2018] [Accepted: 12/10/2018] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The 22q11.2 deletion is a strong, but insufficient, "first hit" genetic risk factor for schizophrenia (SZ). We attempted to identify "second hits" from the entire genome in a unique multiplex 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (DS) family. Bioinformatic analysis of whole-exome sequencing and comparative-genomic hybridization array identified de novo and inherited, rare and damaging variants, including copy number variations, outside the 22q11.2 region. A specific 22q11.2-haplotype was associated with psychosis. The interaction of the identified "second hits" with the 22q11.2 haploinsufficiency may affect neurodevelopmental processes, including neuron projection, cytoskeleton activity, and histone modification in 22q11.2DS-ralated psychosis. A larger load of variants, involved in neurodevelopment, in combination with additional molecular events that affect sensory perception, olfactory transduction and G-protein-coupled receptor signaling may account for the development of 22q11.2DS-related SZ. Comprehensive analysis of multiplex families is a promising approach to the elucidation of the molecular pathophysiology of 22q11.2DS-related SZ with potential relevance to treatment.
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Patowary A, Won SY, Oh SJ, Nesbitt RR, Archer M, Nickerson D, Raskind WH, Bernier R, Lee JE, Brkanac Z. Family-based exome sequencing and case-control analysis implicate CEP41 as an ASD gene. Transl Psychiatry 2019; 9:4. [PMID: 30664616 PMCID: PMC6341097 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-018-0343-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2018] [Accepted: 11/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder with a strong genetic component. Although next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies have been successfully applied to gene identification in de novo ASD, the genetic architecture of familial ASD remains largely unexplored. Our approach, which leverages the high specificity and sensitivity of NGS technology, has focused on rare variants in familial autism. We used NGS exome sequencing in 26 families with distantly related affected individuals to identify genes with private gene disrupting and missense variants of interest (VOI). We found that the genes carrying VOIs were enriched for biological processes related to cell projection organization and neuron development, which is consistent with the neurodevelopmental hypothesis of ASD. For a subset of genes carrying VOIs, we then used targeted NGS sequencing and gene-based variant burden case-control analysis to test for association with ASD. Missense variants in one gene, CEP41, associated significantly with ASD (p = 6.185e-05). Homozygous gene-disrupting variants in CEP41 were initially found to be responsible for recessive Joubert syndrome. Using a zebrafish model, we evaluated the mechanism by which the CEP41 variants might contribute to ASD. We found that CEP41 missense variants affect development of the axonal tract, cranial neural crest migration and social behavior phenotype. Our work demonstrates the involvement of CEP41 heterozygous missense variants in ASD and that biological processes involved in cell projection organization and neuron development are enriched in ASD families we have studied.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashok Patowary
- 0000000122986657grid.34477.33Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA USA
| | - So Yeon Won
- 0000 0001 2181 989Xgrid.264381.aDepartment of Health Sciences and Technology, SAIHST, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Shin Ji Oh
- 0000 0001 2181 989Xgrid.264381.aDepartment of Health Sciences and Technology, SAIHST, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Ryan R Nesbitt
- 0000000122986657grid.34477.33Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA USA
| | - Marilyn Archer
- 0000000122986657grid.34477.33Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA USA
| | - Debbie Nickerson
- 0000000122986657grid.34477.33Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA USA
| | - Wendy H. Raskind
- 0000000122986657grid.34477.33Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA USA ,0000000122986657grid.34477.33Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Genetics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA USA
| | - Raphael Bernier
- 0000000122986657grid.34477.33Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA USA
| | - Ji Eun Lee
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, SAIHST, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, Korea. .,Division of Medical Science Research, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
| | - Zoran Brkanac
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
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Prenatal Neuropathologies in Autism Spectrum Disorder and Intellectual Disability: The Gestation of a Comprehensive Zebrafish Model. J Dev Biol 2018; 6:jdb6040029. [PMID: 30513623 PMCID: PMC6316217 DOI: 10.3390/jdb6040029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2018] [Revised: 11/20/2018] [Accepted: 11/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and intellectual disability (ID) are neurodevelopmental disorders with overlapping diagnostic behaviors and risk factors. These include embryonic exposure to teratogens and mutations in genes that have important functions prenatally. Animal models, including rodents and zebrafish, have been essential in delineating mechanisms of neuropathology and identifying developmental critical periods, when those mechanisms are most sensitive to disruption. This review focuses on how the developmentally accessible zebrafish is contributing to our understanding of prenatal pathologies that set the stage for later ASD-ID behavioral deficits. We discuss the known factors that contribute prenatally to ASD-ID and the recent use of zebrafish to model deficits in brain morphogenesis and circuit development. We conclude by suggesting that a future challenge in zebrafish ASD-ID modeling will be to bridge prenatal anatomical and physiological pathologies to behavioral deficits later in life.
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Hou Q, Wang Y, Li Y, Chen D, Yang F, Wang S. A Developmental Study of Abnormal Behaviors and Altered GABAergic Signaling in the VPA-Treated Rat Model of Autism. Front Behav Neurosci 2018; 12:182. [PMID: 30186123 PMCID: PMC6110947 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2017] [Accepted: 08/02/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Although studies have investigated the role of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic signaling in rodent neural development and behaviors relevant to autism, behavioral ontogeny, as underlain by the changes in GABAergic system, is poorly characterized in different brain regions. Here, we employed a valproic acid (VPA) rat model of autism to investigate the autism-like behaviors and GABAergic glutamic acid decarboxylase 67 (GAD67) expression underlying these altered behaviors in multiple brain areas at different developmental stages from birth to adulthood. We found that VPA-treated rats exhibited behavioral abnormalities relevant to autism, including delayed nervous reflex development, altered motor coordination, delayed sensory development, autistic-like and anxiety behaviors and impaired spatial learning and memory. We also found that VPA rats had the decreased expression of GAD67 in the hippocampus (HC) and cerebellum from childhood to adulthood, while decreased GAD67 expression of the temporal cortex (TC) was only observed in adulthood. Conversely, GAD67 expression was increased in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) from adolescence to adulthood. The dysregulated GAD67 expression could alter the excitatory-inhibitory balance in the cerebral cortex, HC and cerebellum. Our findings indicate an impaired GABAergic system could be a major etiological factor occurring in the cerebral cortex, HC and cerebellum of human cases of autism, which suggests enhancement of GABA signaling would be a promising therapeutic target for its treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qianling Hou
- Cerebrovascular Disease Laboratory, Institute of Neuroscience, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.,Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yan Wang
- Cerebrovascular Disease Laboratory, Institute of Neuroscience, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.,Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yingbo Li
- Cerebrovascular Disease Laboratory, Institute of Neuroscience, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.,Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Di Chen
- Cerebrovascular Disease Laboratory, Institute of Neuroscience, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.,Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Feng Yang
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins University Medical Center, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Shali Wang
- Cerebrovascular Disease Laboratory, Institute of Neuroscience, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.,Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
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33
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Kohlbrenner EA, Shaskan N, Pietersen CY, Sonntag KC, Woo TUW. Gene expression profile associated with postnatal development of pyramidal neurons in the human prefrontal cortex implicates ubiquitin ligase E3 in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia onset. J Psychiatr Res 2018; 102:110-117. [PMID: 29635114 PMCID: PMC6347389 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2018.03.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2017] [Revised: 03/17/2018] [Accepted: 03/25/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a neurodevelopmental disorder with the typical age of onset of overt symptoms and deficits occurring during late adolescence or early adulthood, coinciding with the final maturation of the cortical network involving the prefrontal cortex. These observations have led to the hypothesis that disturbances of the developmental events that take place in the prefrontal cortex during this period, specifically the remodeling of synaptic connectivities between pyramidal neurons, may contribute to the onset of illness. In this context, we investigated the gene expression changes of pyramidal neurons in the human prefrontal cortex during normal periadolescent development in order to gain insight into the possible molecular mechanisms involved in synaptic remodeling of pyramidal neuronal circuitry. Our data suggest that genes associated with the ubiquitination system, which has been implicated in the biology of synaptic plasticity, may play a major role. Among these genes, UBE3B, which encodes the ubiquitin ligase E3, was found to undergo periadolescent increase and was validated at the protein level to be upregulated during periadolescent development. Furthermore, we found that the density of UBE3B-immunoreactive pyramidal neurons was decreased in schizophrenia subjects, consistent with the result of a previous study of decreased UBE3B mRNA expression in pyramidal neurons in this illness. Altogether these findings point to the novel hypothesis that this specific ligase may play a role in the developmental pathogenesis of schizophrenia onset by possibly altering the synaptic remodeling process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily A. Kohlbrenner
- Laboratory for Cellular Neuropathology, Division of Basic Neuroscience, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA 02478,Division of Basic Neuroscience, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA 02478
| | - Noel Shaskan
- Laboratory for Cellular Neuropathology, Division of Basic Neuroscience, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA 02478,Division of Basic Neuroscience, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA 02478
| | - Charmaine Y. Pietersen
- Laboratory for Cellular Neuropathology, Division of Basic Neuroscience, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA 02478,Division of Basic Neuroscience, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA 02478
| | - Kai-C Sonntag
- Division of Basic Neuroscience, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA 02478,Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215
| | - Tsung-Ung W. Woo
- Laboratory for Cellular Neuropathology, Division of Basic Neuroscience, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA 02478,Division of Basic Neuroscience, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA 02478,Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA 02215,Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215
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Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a highly prevalent neurodevelopmental condition with no current treatment available. Although advances in genetics and genomics have identified hundreds of genes associated with ASD, very little is known about the pathophysiology of ASD and the functional contribution of specific genes to ASD phenotypes. Improved understanding of the biological function of ASD-associated genes and how this heterogeneous group of genetic variants leads to the disease is needed in order to develop therapeutic strategies. Here, we review the current state of ASD research related to gene discovery and examples of emerging molecular mechanisms (protein translation and alternative splicing). In addition, we discuss how patient-derived three-dimensional brain organoids might provide an opportunity to model specific genetic variants in order to define molecular and cellular defects that could be amenable for developing and screening personalized therapies related to ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatma Ayhan
- Department of Neuroscience, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, 75390-9111 TX, USA
| | - Genevieve Konopka
- Department of Neuroscience, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, 75390-9111 TX, USA
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35
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Rubinstein M, Patowary A, Stanaway IB, McCord E, Nesbitt RR, Archer M, Scheuer T, Nickerson D, Raskind WH, Wijsman EM, Bernier R, Catterall WA, Brkanac Z. Association of rare missense variants in the second intracellular loop of Na V1.7 sodium channels with familial autism. Mol Psychiatry 2018; 23:231-239. [PMID: 27956748 PMCID: PMC5468514 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2016.222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2016] [Revised: 10/07/2016] [Accepted: 10/17/2016] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder often accompanied by intellectual disability, language impairment and medical co-morbidities. The heritability of autism is high and multiple genes have been implicated as causal. However, most of these genes have been identified in de novo cases. To further the understanding of familial autism, we performed whole-exome sequencing on five families in which second- and third-degree relatives were affected. By focusing on novel and protein-altering variants, we identified a small set of candidate genes. Among these, a novel private missense C1143F variant in the second intracellular loop of the voltage-gated sodium channel NaV1.7, encoded by the SCN9A gene, was identified in one family. Through electrophysiological analysis, we show that NaV1.7C1143F exhibits partial loss-of-function effects, resulting in slower recovery from inactivation and decreased excitability in cultured cortical neurons. Furthermore, for the same intracellular loop of NaV1.7, we found an excess of rare variants in a case-control variant-burden study. Functional analysis of one of these variants, M932L/V991L, also demonstrated reduced firing in cortical neurons. However, although this variant is rare in Caucasians, it is frequent in Latino population, suggesting that genetic background can alter its effects on phenotype. Although the involvement of the SCN1A and SCN2A genes encoding NaV1.1 and NaV1.2 channels in de novo ASD has previously been demonstrated, our study indicates the involvement of inherited SCN9A variants and partial loss-of-function of NaV1.7 channels in the etiology of rare familial ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Rubinstein
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - A Patowary
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - I B Stanaway
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - E McCord
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - R R Nesbitt
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - M Archer
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - T Scheuer
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - D Nickerson
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - W H Raskind
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA,Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - E M Wijsman
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA,Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA,Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - R Bernier
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - W A Catterall
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA,Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA E-mail:
| | - Z Brkanac
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, University of Washington, 1959N.E. Pacific Street, Room BB1526, Seattle, WA 98195-6560, USA. E-mail:
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36
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Hoang N, Cytrynbaum C, Scherer SW. Communicating complex genomic information: A counselling approach derived from research experience with Autism Spectrum Disorder. PATIENT EDUCATION AND COUNSELING 2018; 101:352-361. [PMID: 28803755 DOI: 10.1016/j.pec.2017.07.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2017] [Revised: 07/17/2017] [Accepted: 07/24/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) share characteristics (impairments in socialization and communication, and repetitive interests and behaviour), but differ in their developmental course, pattern of symptoms, and cognitive and language abilities. The development of standardized phenotyping has revealed ASD to clinically be vastly heterogeneous, ranging from milder presentations to more severe forms associated with profound intellectual disability. Some 100 genes have now been implicated in the etiology of ASD, and advances in genome-wide testing continue to yield new data at an unprecedented rate. As the translation of this data is incorporated into clinical care, genetic professionals/counsellors, as well as other health care providers, will benefit from guidelines and tools to effectively communicate such genomic information. Here, we present a model to facilitate communication regarding the complexities of ASD, where clinical and genetic heterogeneity, as well as overlapping neurological conditions are inherent. We outline an approach for counselling families about their genomic results grounded in our direct experience from counselling families participating in an ASD research study, and supported by rationale from the literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ny Hoang
- Department of Genetic Counselling, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada; Autism Research Unit, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada; Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Genetics and Genome Biology, Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada.
| | - Cheryl Cytrynbaum
- Department of Genetic Counselling, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada; Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Genetics and Genome Biology, Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada.
| | - Stephen W Scherer
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Genetics and Genome Biology, Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada; The Centre for Applied Genomics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada; McLaughlin Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
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37
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Cheon S, Dean M, Chahrour M. The ubiquitin proteasome pathway in neuropsychiatric disorders. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2018; 165:106791. [PMID: 29398581 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2018.01.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2017] [Revised: 01/19/2018] [Accepted: 01/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS) is a highly conserved pathway that tightly regulates protein turnover in cells. This process is integral to neuronal development, differentiation, and function. Several members of the UPS are disrupted in neuropsychiatric disorders, highlighting the importance of this pathway in brain development and function. In this review, we discuss some of these pathway members, the molecular processes they regulate, and the potential for targeting the UPS in an effort to develop therapeutic strategies in neuropsychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Solmi Cheon
- Eugene McDermott Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Milan Dean
- Eugene McDermott Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Maria Chahrour
- Eugene McDermott Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA; Departments of Neuroscience and Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA.
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38
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Ceballos FC, Hazelhurst S, Ramsay M. Assessing runs of Homozygosity: a comparison of SNP Array and whole genome sequence low coverage data. BMC Genomics 2018; 19:106. [PMID: 29378520 PMCID: PMC5789638 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-018-4489-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2017] [Accepted: 01/19/2018] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Runs of Homozygosity (ROH) are genomic regions where identical haplotypes are inherited from each parent. Since their first detection due to technological advances in the late 1990s, ROHs have been shedding light on human population history and deciphering the genetic basis of monogenic and complex traits and diseases. ROH studies have predominantly exploited SNP array data, but are gradually moving to whole genome sequence (WGS) data as it becomes available. WGS data, covering more genetic variability, can add value to ROH studies, but require additional considerations during analysis. RESULTS Using SNP array and low coverage WGS data from 1885 individuals from 20 world populations, our aims were to compare ROH from the two datasets and to establish software conditions to get comparable results, thus providing guidelines for combining disparate datasets in joint ROH analyses. By allowing heterozygous SNPs per window, using the PLINK homozygosity function and non-parametric analysis, we were able to obtain non-significant differences in number ROH, mean ROH size and total sum of ROH between data sets using the different technologies for almost all populations. CONCLUSIONS By allowing 3 heterozygous SNPs per ROH when dealing with WGS low coverage data, it is possible to establish meaningful comparisons between data using SNP array and WGS low coverage technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco C Ceballos
- Sydney Brenner Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
| | - Scott Hazelhurst
- Sydney Brenner Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- School of Electrical & Information Engineering, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Michèle Ramsay
- Sydney Brenner Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Division of Human Genetics, School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
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39
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Ceballos FC, Joshi PK, Clark DW, Ramsay M, Wilson JF. Runs of homozygosity: windows into population history and trait architecture. Nat Rev Genet 2018; 19:220-234. [PMID: 29335644 DOI: 10.1038/nrg.2017.109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 350] [Impact Index Per Article: 58.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Long runs of homozygosity (ROH) arise when identical haplotypes are inherited from each parent and thus a long tract of genotypes is homozygous. Cousin marriage or inbreeding gives rise to such autozygosity; however, genome-wide data reveal that ROH are universally common in human genomes even among outbred individuals. The number and length of ROH reflect individual demographic history, while the homozygosity burden can be used to investigate the genetic architecture of complex disease. We discuss how to identify ROH in genome-wide microarray and sequence data, their distribution in human populations and their application to the understanding of inbreeding depression and disease risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco C Ceballos
- Sydney Brenner Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Parktown 2193, Johannesburg, South Africa.,Medical Research Council Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK
| | - Peter K Joshi
- Centre for Global Health Research, Usher Institute of Population Health Sciences and Informatics, University of Edinburgh, Teviot Place, Edinburgh EH8 9AG, UK
| | - David W Clark
- Centre for Global Health Research, Usher Institute of Population Health Sciences and Informatics, University of Edinburgh, Teviot Place, Edinburgh EH8 9AG, UK
| | - Michèle Ramsay
- Sydney Brenner Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Parktown 2193, Johannesburg, South Africa.,Division of Human Genetics, School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Braamfontein 2000, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - James F Wilson
- Medical Research Council Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK.,Centre for Global Health Research, Usher Institute of Population Health Sciences and Informatics, University of Edinburgh, Teviot Place, Edinburgh EH8 9AG, UK
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40
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Genetic analysis of very obese children with autism spectrum disorder. Mol Genet Genomics 2018; 293:725-736. [PMID: 29327328 DOI: 10.1007/s00438-018-1418-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2017] [Accepted: 01/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is defined by the triad of deficits in social interactions, deficits in communication, and repetitive behaviors. Common co-morbidities in syndromic forms of ASD include intellectual disability, seizures, and obesity. We asked whether very obese children with ASD had different behavioral, physical and genetic characteristics compared to children with ASD who were not obese. We found that very obese children with ASD had significantly poorer scores on standardized behavioral tests. Very obese boys with ASD had lower full scale IQ and increased impairments with respect to stereotypies, communication and social skills. Very obese girls with ASD had increased impairments with respect to irritability and oppositional defiant behavior. We identified genetic lesions in a subset of the children with ASD and obesity and attempted to identify enriched biological pathways. Our study demonstrates the value of identifying co-morbidities in children with ASD as we move forward towards understanding the biological processes that contribute to this complex disorder and prepare to design customized treatments that target the diverse genetic lesions present in individuals with ASD.
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Li Y, Lai-Han Leung E, Pan H, Yao X, Huang Q, Wu M, Xu T, Wang Y, Cai J, Li R, Liu W, Liu L. Identification of potential genetic causal variants for rheumatoid arthritis by whole-exome sequencing. Oncotarget 2017; 8:111119-111129. [PMID: 29340042 PMCID: PMC5762310 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.22630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2017] [Accepted: 09/23/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a highly prevalent chronic autoimmune disease. However, genetic and environmental factors involved in RA pathogenesis are still remained largely unknown. To identify the genetic causal variants underlying pathogenesis and disease progression of RA patients, we undertook the first comprehensive whole-exome sequencing (WES) study in a total of 124 subjects including 58 RA cases and 66 healthy controls in Han Chinese population. We identified 378 novel genes that were enriched with deleterious variants in RA patients using a gene burden test. The further functional effects of associated genetic genes were classified and assessed, including 21 newly identified genes that were involved in the extracellular matrix (ECM)-receptor interaction, protein digestion and absorption, focal adhesion and glycerophospholipid metabolism pathways relevant to RA pathogenesis. Moreover, six pathogenic variants were investigated and structural analysis predicted their potentially functional alteration by homology modeling. Importantly, five novel and rare homozygous variants (NCR3LG1, RAP1GAP, CHCHD5, HIPK2 and DIAPH2) were identified, which may exhibit more functional impact on RA pathogenesis. Notably, 7 genes involved in the olfactory transduction pathway were enriched and associated with RA disease progression. Therefore, we performed an efficient and powerful technique WES in Chinese RA patients and identified novel, rare and common disease causing genes that alter innate immunity pathways and contribute to the risk of RA. Findings in this study may provide potential diagnostic tools and therapeutic strategies for RA patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Li
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine/Macau Institute for Applied Research in Medicine and Health, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau, China
| | - Elaine Lai-Han Leung
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine/Macau Institute for Applied Research in Medicine and Health, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau, China
| | - Hudan Pan
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine/Macau Institute for Applied Research in Medicine and Health, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau, China
| | - Xiaojun Yao
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine/Macau Institute for Applied Research in Medicine and Health, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau, China
| | - Qingchun Huang
- Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Min Wu
- The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou, China
| | - Ting Xu
- The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou, China
| | - Yuwei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine/Macau Institute for Applied Research in Medicine and Health, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau, China
| | - Jun Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine/Macau Institute for Applied Research in Medicine and Health, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau, China
| | - Runze Li
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine/Macau Institute for Applied Research in Medicine and Health, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau, China
| | - Wei Liu
- The First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Liang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine/Macau Institute for Applied Research in Medicine and Health, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau, China
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42
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Chahrour M, Kleiman RJ, Manzini MC. Translating genetic and preclinical findings into autism therapies. DIALOGUES IN CLINICAL NEUROSCIENCE 2017. [PMID: 29398929 PMCID: PMC5789211 DOI: 10.31887/dcns.2017.19.4/cmanzini] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by social deficits and repetitive/restrictive interests. ASD is associated with multiple comorbidities, including intellectual disability, anxiety, and epilepsy. Evidence that ASD is highly heritable has spurred major efforts to unravel its genetics, revealing possible contributions from hundreds of genes through rare and common variation and through copy-number changes. In this perspective, we provide an overview of the current state of ASD genetics and of how genetic research has spurred the development of in vivo and in vitro models using animals and patient cells to evaluate the impact of genetic mutations on cellular function leading to disease. Efforts to translate these findings into successful therapies have yet to bear fruit. We discuss how the valuable insight into the disorder provided by these new models can be used to better understand ASD and develop future clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Chahrour
- Eugene McDermott Center for Human Growth and Development, Departments of Neuroscience and Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | | | - M Chiara Manzini
- Institute for Neuroscience, Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders Institute, and Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, DC, USA
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43
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Misregulation of an Activity-Dependent Splicing Network as a Common Mechanism Underlying Autism Spectrum Disorders. Mol Cell 2017; 64:1023-1034. [PMID: 27984743 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2016.11.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2016] [Revised: 10/27/2016] [Accepted: 11/22/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
A key challenge in understanding and ultimately treating autism is to identify common molecular mechanisms underlying this genetically heterogeneous disorder. Transcriptomic profiling of autistic brains has revealed correlated misregulation of the neuronal splicing regulator nSR100/SRRM4 and its target microexon splicing program in more than one-third of analyzed individuals. To investigate whether nSR100 misregulation is causally linked to autism, we generated mutant mice with reduced levels of this protein and its target splicing program. Remarkably, these mice display multiple autistic-like features, including altered social behaviors, synaptic density, and signaling. Moreover, increased neuronal activity, which is often associated with autism, results in a rapid decrease in nSR100 and splicing of microexons that significantly overlap those misregulated in autistic brains. Collectively, our results provide evidence that misregulation of an nSR100-dependent splicing network controlled by changes in neuronal activity is causally linked to a substantial fraction of autism cases.
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Giacopuzzi E, Gennarelli M, Minelli A, Gardella R, Valsecchi P, Traversa M, Bonvicini C, Vita A, Sacchetti E, Magri C. Exome sequencing in schizophrenic patients with high levels of homozygosity identifies novel and extremely rare mutations in the GABA/glutamatergic pathways. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0182778. [PMID: 28787007 PMCID: PMC5546675 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0182778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2017] [Accepted: 07/24/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Inbreeding is a known risk factor for recessive Mendelian diseases and previous studies have suggested that it could also play a role in complex disorders, such as psychiatric diseases. Recent inbreeding results in the presence of long runs of homozygosity (ROHs) along the genome, which are also defined as autozygosity regions. Genetic variants in these regions have two alleles that are identical by descent, thus increasing the odds of bearing rare recessive deleterious mutations due to a homozygous state. A recent study showed a suggestive enrichment of long ROHs in schizophrenic patients, suggesting that recent inbreeding could play a role in the disease. To better understand the impact of autozygosity on schizophrenia risk, we selected, from a cohort of 180 Italian patients, seven subjects with extremely high numbers of large ROHs that were likely due to recent inbreeding and characterized the mutational landscape within their ROHs using Whole Exome Sequencing and, gene set enrichment analysis. We identified a significant overlap (17%; empirical p-value = 0.0171) between genes inside ROHs affected by low frequency functional homozygous variants (107 genes) and the group of most promising candidate genes mutated in schizophrenia. Moreover, in four patients, we identified novel and extremely rare damaging mutations in the genes involved in neurodevelopment (MEGF8) and in GABA/glutamatergic synaptic transmission (GAD1, FMN1, ANO2). These results provide insights into the contribution of rare recessive mutations and inbreeding as risk factors for schizophrenia. ROHs that are likely due to recent inbreeding harbor a combination of predisposing low-frequency variants and extremely rare variants that have a high impact on pivotal biological pathways implicated in the disease. In addition, this study confirms that focusing on patients with high levels of homozygosity could be a useful prioritization strategy for discovering new high-impact mutations in genetically complex disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edoardo Giacopuzzi
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Massimo Gennarelli
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
- Genetic Unit, IRCCS Centro S. Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy
| | - Alessandra Minelli
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Rita Gardella
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Paolo Valsecchi
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Neuroscience Section, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
- Department of Mental Health, Spedali Civili Hospital, Brescia, Italy
| | - Michele Traversa
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Cristian Bonvicini
- Genetic Unit, IRCCS Centro S. Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy
| | - Antonio Vita
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Neuroscience Section, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
- Department of Mental Health, Spedali Civili Hospital, Brescia, Italy
| | - Emilio Sacchetti
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Neuroscience Section, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
- Department of Mental Health, Spedali Civili Hospital, Brescia, Italy
| | - Chiara Magri
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
- * E-mail:
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Porter RS, Murata-Nakamura Y, Nagasu H, Kim HG, Iwase S. Transcriptome Analysis Revealed Impaired cAMP Responsiveness in PHF21A-Deficient Human Cells. Neuroscience 2017; 370:170-180. [PMID: 28571721 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2017.05.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2017] [Revised: 05/08/2017] [Accepted: 05/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Potocki-Shaffer Syndrome is a rare neurodevelopmental syndrome associated with microdeletion of a region of Chromosome 11p11.2. Genetic evidence has implicated haploinsufficiency of PHF21A, a gene that encodes a histone-binding protein, as the likely cause of intellectual disability and craniofacial abnormalities in Potocki-Shaffer Syndrome. However, the molecular consequences of reduced PHF21A expression remain elusive. In this study, we analyzed by RNA-Sequencing (RNA-Seq) two patient-derived cell lines with heterozygous loss of PHF21A compared to unaffected individuals and identified 1,885 genes that were commonly misregulated. The patient cells displayed down-regulation of key pathways relevant to learning and memory, including Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate (cAMP)-signaling pathway genes. We found that PHF21A is required for full induction of a luciferase reporter carrying cAMP-responsive elements (CRE) following stimulation by the cAMP analog, forskolin. Finally, PHF21A-deficient patient-derived cells exhibited a delayed induction of immediate early genes following forskolin stimulation. These results suggest that an impaired response to cAMP signaling might be involved in the pathology of PHF21A deficiency. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: [SI: Molecules & Cognition].
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert S Porter
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | | | - Hajime Nagasu
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Hyung-Goo Kim
- Section of Reproductive Endocrinology, Infertility & Genetics, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - Shigeki Iwase
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
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Tong HL, Jiang RY, Zhang WW, Yan YQ. MiR-2425-5p targets RAD9A and MYOG to regulate the proliferation and differentiation of bovine skeletal muscle-derived satellite cells. Sci Rep 2017; 7:418. [PMID: 28341832 PMCID: PMC5428422 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-00470-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2016] [Accepted: 02/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Our group previously identified miR-2425-5p, a unique bovine miRNA; however, its biological function and regulation in muscle-derived satellite cells (MDSCs) remain unclear. Herein, stem-loop RT-PCR results showed that miR-2425-5p increased during MDSCs proliferation, but decreased during differentiation. Cell proliferation was examined using EdU assays, cyclin B1 (CCNB1) and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) western blot (WB) and flow cytometry analysis. These results showed that miR-2425-5p mimics (miR-2425-M) enhanced MDSCs proliferation, whereas, miR-2425-5p inhibitor (miR-2425-I) had opposite effect. Conversely, cell differentiation studies by desmin (DES) immunofluorescence, myotubes formation, and myosin heavy chain 3 (MYH3) WB analyses revealed that miR-2425-M and miR-2425-I blocked and promoted MDSCs differentiation, respectively. Moreover, luciferase reporter, RT-PCR, and WB assays showed that miR-2425-5p directly targeted the 3′-UTR of RAD9 homolog A (RAD9A) and myogenin (MYOG) to regulate their expression. Rescue experiment showed RAD9A inhibited the proliferation of MDSCs through miR-2425-5p. In addition, we found that miR-2425-5p expression was regulated by its host gene NCK associated protein 5-like (NCKAP5L) rather than being transcribed independently as a separate small RNA. Collectively, these data indicate that miR-2425-5p is a novel regulator of bovine MDSCs proliferation and differentiation and provides further insight into the biological functions of miRNA in this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Li Tong
- The Laboratory of Cell and Developmental Biology, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, 150030, China
| | - Run Ying Jiang
- The Laboratory of Cell and Developmental Biology, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, 150030, China
| | - Wei Wei Zhang
- College of Life Sciences and Agriculture & Forestry, Qiqihar University, Qiqihar, Heilongjiang, 161006, China
| | - Yun Qin Yan
- The Laboratory of Cell and Developmental Biology, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, 150030, China.
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McLaughlin RL, Schijven D, van Rheenen W, van Eijk KR, O'Brien M, Kahn RS, Ophoff RA, Goris A, Bradley DG, Al-Chalabi A, van den Berg LH, Luykx JJ, Hardiman O, Veldink JH. Genetic correlation between amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and schizophrenia. Nat Commun 2017; 8:14774. [PMID: 28322246 PMCID: PMC5364411 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms14774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2016] [Accepted: 02/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
We have previously shown higher-than-expected rates of schizophrenia in relatives of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), suggesting an aetiological relationship between the diseases. Here, we investigate the genetic relationship between ALS and schizophrenia using genome-wide association study data from over 100,000 unique individuals. Using linkage disequilibrium score regression, we estimate the genetic correlation between ALS and schizophrenia to be 14.3% (7.05-21.6; P=1 × 10-4) with schizophrenia polygenic risk scores explaining up to 0.12% of the variance in ALS (P=8.4 × 10-7). A modest increase in comorbidity of ALS and schizophrenia is expected given these findings (odds ratio 1.08-1.26) but this would require very large studies to observe epidemiologically. We identify five potential novel ALS-associated loci using conditional false discovery rate analysis. It is likely that shared neurobiological mechanisms between these two disorders will engender novel hypotheses in future preclinical and clinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Russell L. McLaughlin
- Academic Unit of Neurology, Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin DO2 DK07, Republic of Ireland
- Smurfit Institute of Genetics, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin D02 DK07, Republic of Ireland
| | - Dick Schijven
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht 3584 CX, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht 3584 CX, The Netherlands
| | - Wouter van Rheenen
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht 3584 CX, The Netherlands
| | - Kristel R. van Eijk
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht 3584 CX, The Netherlands
| | - Margaret O'Brien
- Academic Unit of Neurology, Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin DO2 DK07, Republic of Ireland
| | - René S. Kahn
- Department of Psychiatry, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht 3584 CX, The Netherlands
| | - Roel A. Ophoff
- Department of Psychiatry, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht 3584 CX, The Netherlands
- Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
| | - An Goris
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology and Leuven Research Institute for Neuroscience and Disease (LIND), KU Leuven—University of Leuven, Leuven B-3000, Belgium
| | - Daniel G. Bradley
- Smurfit Institute of Genetics, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin D02 DK07, Republic of Ireland
| | - Ammar Al-Chalabi
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, King's College London, London WC2R 2LS, UK
| | - Leonard H. van den Berg
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht 3584 CX, The Netherlands
| | - Jurjen J. Luykx
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht 3584 CX, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht 3584 CX, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, Hospital Network Antwerp (ZNA) Stuivenberg and Sint Erasmus, Antwerp 2020, Belgium
| | - Orla Hardiman
- Smurfit Institute of Genetics, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin D02 DK07, Republic of Ireland
| | - Jan H. Veldink
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht 3584 CX, The Netherlands
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Whole-exome sequencing identifies two novel missense mutations (p.L111P and p.R3048C) of RYR3 in a Vietnamese patient with autism spectrum disorders. Genes Genomics 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s13258-016-0495-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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49
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Faus-Garriga J, Novoa I, Ozaita A. mTOR signaling in proteostasis and its relevance to autism spectrum disorders. AIMS BIOPHYSICS 2017. [DOI: 10.3934/biophy.2017.1.63] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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50
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Anatomy and Cell Biology of Autism Spectrum Disorder: Lessons from Human Genetics. ADVANCES IN ANATOMY, EMBRYOLOGY, AND CELL BIOLOGY 2017; 224:1-25. [PMID: 28551748 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-52498-6_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Until recently autism spectrum disorder (ASD) was regarded as a neurodevelopmental condition with unknown causes and pathogenesis. In the footsteps of the revolution of genome technologies and genetics, and with its high degree of heritability, ASD became the first neuropsychiatric disorder for which clues towards molecular and cellular pathogenesis were uncovered by genetic identification of susceptibility genes. Currently several hundreds of risk genes have been assigned, with a recurrence below 1% in the ASD population. The multitude and diversity of known ASD genes has extended the clinical notion that ASD comprises very heterogeneous conditions ranging from severe intellectual disabilities to mild high-functioning forms. The results of genetics have allowed to pinpoint a limited number of cellular and molecular processes likely involved in ASD including protein synthesis, signal transduction, transcription/chromatin remodelling and synaptic function all playing an essential role in the regulation of synaptic homeostasis during brain development. In this context, we highlight the role of protein synthesis as a key process in ASD pathogenesis as it might be central in synaptic deregulation and a potential target for intervention. These current insights should lead to a rational design of interventions in molecular and cellular pathways of ASD pathogenesis that may be applied to affected individuals in the future.
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