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Fasano G, Petrini S, Bonavolontà V, Paradisi G, Pedalino C, Tartaglia M, Lauri A. Assessment of the FRET-based Teen sensor to monitor ERK activation changes preceding morphological defects in a RASopathy zebrafish model and phenotypic rescue by MEK inhibitor. Mol Med 2024; 30:47. [PMID: 38594640 PMCID: PMC11005195 DOI: 10.1186/s10020-024-00807-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND RASopathies are genetic syndromes affecting development and having variable cancer predisposition. These disorders are clinically related and are caused by germline mutations affecting key players and regulators of the RAS-MAPK signaling pathway generally leading to an upregulated ERK activity. Gain-of-function (GOF) mutations in PTPN11, encoding SHP2, a cytosolic protein tyrosine phosphatase positively controlling RAS function, underlie approximately 50% of Noonan syndromes (NS), the most common RASopathy. A different class of these activating mutations occurs as somatic events in childhood leukemias. METHOD Here, we evaluated the application of a FRET-based zebrafish ERK reporter, Teen, and used quantitative FRET protocols to monitor non-physiological RASopathy-associated changes in ERK activation. In a multi-level experimental workflow, we tested the suitability of the Teen reporter to detect pan-embryo ERK activity correlates of morphometric alterations driven by the NS-causing Shp2D61G allele. RESULTS Spectral unmixing- and acceptor photobleaching (AB)-FRET analyses captured pathological ERK activity preceding the manifestation of quantifiable body axes defects, a morphological pillar used to test the strength of SHP2 GoF mutations. Last, the work shows that by multi-modal FRET analysis, we can quantitatively trace back the modulation of ERK phosphorylation obtained by low-dose MEK inhibitor treatment to early development, before the onset of morphological defects. CONCLUSION This work proves the usefulness of FRET imaging protocols on both live and fixed Teen ERK reporter fish to readily monitor and quantify pharmacologically- and genetically-induced ERK activity modulations in early embryos, representing a useful tool in pre-clinical applications targeting RAS-MAPK signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Fasano
- Molecular Genetics and Functional Genomics, Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, IRCCS, Rome, 00146, Italy
| | - Stefania Petrini
- Microscopy facility, Research laboratories, Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, IRCCS, Rome, 00146, Italy
| | - Valeria Bonavolontà
- Molecular Genetics and Functional Genomics, Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, IRCCS, Rome, 00146, Italy
| | - Graziamaria Paradisi
- Molecular Genetics and Functional Genomics, Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, IRCCS, Rome, 00146, Italy
- Department for Innovation in Biological Agro-food and Forest systems (DIBAF), University of Tuscia, Viterbo, 01100, Italy
| | - Catia Pedalino
- Molecular Genetics and Functional Genomics, Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, IRCCS, Rome, 00146, Italy
| | - Marco Tartaglia
- Molecular Genetics and Functional Genomics, Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, IRCCS, Rome, 00146, Italy.
| | - Antonella Lauri
- Molecular Genetics and Functional Genomics, Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, IRCCS, Rome, 00146, Italy.
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2
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Brown W, Davidson LA, Deiters A. Expanding the Genetic Code of Xenopus laevis Embryos. ACS Chem Biol 2024; 19:516-525. [PMID: 38277773 PMCID: PMC10877573 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.3c00686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2024]
Abstract
The incorporation of unnatural amino acids into proteins through genetic code expansion has been successfully adapted to African claw-toed frog embryos. Six unique unnatural amino acids are incorporated site-specifically into proteins and demonstrate robust and reliable protein expression. Of these amino acids, several are caged analogues that can be used to establish conditional control over enzymatic activity. Using light or small molecule triggers, we exhibit activation and tunability of protein functions in live embryos. This approach was then applied to optical control over the activity of a RASopathy mutant of NRAS, taking advantage of generating explant cultures from Xenopus. Taken together, genetic code expansion is a robust approach in the Xenopus model to incorporate novel chemical functionalities into proteins of interest to study their function and role in a complex biological setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wes Brown
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260, United States
| | - Lance A. Davidson
- Departments
of Bioengineering, Developmental Biology, and Computational and Systems
Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260, United States
| | - Alexander Deiters
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260, United States
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3
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Brown W, Wesalo J, Samanta S, Luo J, Caldwell SE, Tsang M, Deiters A. Genetically Encoded Aminocoumarin Lysine for Optical Control of Protein-Nucleotide Interactions in Zebrafish Embryos. ACS Chem Biol 2023; 18:1305-1314. [PMID: 37272594 PMCID: PMC10278064 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.3c00028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The strategic placement of unnatural amino acids into the active site of kinases and phosphatases has allowed for the generation of photocaged signaling proteins that offer spatiotemporal control over activation of these pathways through precise light exposure. However, deploying this technology to study cell signaling in the context of embryo development has been limited. The promise of optical control is especially useful in the early stages of an embryo where development is driven by tightly orchestrated signaling events. Here, we demonstrate light-induced activation of Protein Kinase A and a RASopathy mutant of NRAS in the zebrafish embryo using a new light-activated amino acid. We applied this approach to gain insight into the roles of these proteins in gastrulation and heart development and forge a path for further investigation of RASopathy mutant proteins in animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wes Brown
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260, United States
| | - Joshua Wesalo
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260, United States
| | - Subhas Samanta
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260, United States
| | - Ji Luo
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260, United States
| | - Steven E. Caldwell
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260, United States
| | - Michael Tsang
- Department
of Developmental Biology, University of
Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260, United States
| | - Alexander Deiters
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260, United States
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4
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Patterson V, Ullah F, Bryant L, Griffin JN, Sidhu A, Saliganan S, Blaile M, Saenz MS, Smith R, Ellingwood S, Grange DK, Hu X, Mireguli M, Luo Y, Shen Y, Mulhern M, Zackai E, Ritter A, Izumi K, Hoefele J, Wagner M, Riedhammer KM, Seitz B, Robin NH, Goodloe D, Mignot C, Keren B, Cox H, Jarvis J, Hempel M, Gibson CF, Tran Mau-Them F, Vitobello A, Bruel AL, Sorlin A, Mehta S, Raymond FL, Gilmore K, Powell BC, Weck K, Li C, Vulto-van Silfhout AT, Giacomini T, Mancardi MM, Accogli A, Salpietro V, Zara F, Vora NL, Davis EE, Burdine R, Bhoj E. Abrogation of MAP4K4 protein function causes congenital anomalies in humans and zebrafish. Sci Adv 2023; 9:eade0631. [PMID: 37126546 PMCID: PMC10132768 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ade0631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
We report 21 families displaying neurodevelopmental differences and multiple congenital anomalies while bearing a series of rare variants in mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase kinase 4 (MAP4K4). MAP4K4 has been implicated in many signaling pathways including c-Jun N-terminal and RAS kinases and is currently under investigation as a druggable target for multiple disorders. Using several zebrafish models, we demonstrate that these human variants are either loss-of-function or dominant-negative alleles and show that decreasing Map4k4 activity causes developmental defects. Furthermore, MAP4K4 can restrain hyperactive RAS signaling in early embryonic stages. Together, our data demonstrate that MAP4K4 negatively regulates RAS signaling in the early embryo and that variants identified in affected humans abrogate its function, establishing MAP4K4 as a causal locus for individuals with syndromic neurodevelopmental differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria Patterson
- Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
- Department of Biology, University of York, York, UK
| | - Farid Ullah
- Stanley Manne Children’s Research Institute, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, Departments of Pediatrics and Cell and Developmental Biology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Laura Bryant
- Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - John N. Griffin
- University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK
| | - Alpa Sidhu
- The Stead Family Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | | | - Mackenzie Blaile
- University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, 13001 E 17th Pl, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Margarita S. Saenz
- University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, 13001 E 17th Pl, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Rosemarie Smith
- Maine Medical Center, 22 Bramhall St, Portland, ME 04102, USA
| | - Sara Ellingwood
- Maine Medical Center, 22 Bramhall St, Portland, ME 04102, USA
| | - Dorothy K. Grange
- St. Louis Children’s Hospital, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S Euclid Ave, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Xuyun Hu
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Genetics of Birth Defects, Beijing Pediatric Research Institute, MOE Key Laboratory of Major Diseases in Children, Genetics and Birth Defects Control Center, Beijing Children’s Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Center for Children’s Health, Beijing, China
| | - Maimaiti Mireguli
- First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Department of Pediatrics, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China
| | - Yanfei Luo
- First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Department of Pediatrics, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China
| | - Yiping Shen
- Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Maternal and Child Care Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Guangxi, Nanning, China
| | - Maureen Mulhern
- Columbia University Irving Medical Center, 630 W. 168th St, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Elaine Zackai
- Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Alyssa Ritter
- Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Kosaki Izumi
- Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Julia Hoefele
- Institute of Human Genetics, Klinikum rechts der Isar, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Matias Wagner
- Institute of Human Genetics, Klinikum rechts der Isar, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- Institute of Neurogenomics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Neurology, Developmental Medicine and Social Pediatrics, University Hospital of Munich, Ludwig Maximilians University, Munich, Germany
| | - Korbinian M. Riedhammer
- Institute of Human Genetics, Klinikum rechts der Isar, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- Department of Nephrology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | | | - Nathaniel H. Robin
- University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1720 University Blvd, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA
| | - Dana Goodloe
- University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1720 University Blvd, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA
| | - Cyril Mignot
- APHP-Sorbonne Université, GH Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Boris Keren
- Clinical Genetics Unit, Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, Mindelsohn Way, Birmingham B15 2TG, UK
| | - Helen Cox
- Clinical Genetics Unit, Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, Mindelsohn Way, Birmingham B15 2TG, UK
| | - Joanna Jarvis
- Clinical Genetics Unit, Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, Mindelsohn Way, Birmingham B15 2TG, UK
| | - Maja Hempel
- University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistraße 52, 20251 Hamburg, Germany
| | | | | | - Antonio Vitobello
- UMR1231 GAD, Inserm, Université Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, Dijon, France
- Unité Fonctionnelle Innovation en Diagnostic génomique des maladies rares, FHU-TRANSLAD, CHU Dijon Bourgogne, Dijon, France
| | | | | | | | | | - Kelly Gilmore
- Department of Ob/Gyn, Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Bradford C. Powell
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Karen Weck
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Chumei Li
- McMaster University, 1280 Main St W, Hamilton, ON L8S 4L8, Canada
| | | | - Thea Giacomini
- Unit of Child Neuropsychiatry, University of Genova, EpiCARE Network, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genova, Italy
| | | | - Andrea Accogli
- Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Medicine, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Vincenzo Salpietro
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Science, University of L’Aquila, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy
| | - Federico Zara
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Science, University of L’Aquila, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy
| | - Neeta L. Vora
- Department of Ob/Gyn, Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Erica E. Davis
- Stanley Manne Children’s Research Institute, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, Departments of Pediatrics and Cell and Developmental Biology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | | | - Elizabeth Bhoj
- Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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5
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Brown W, Wesalo J, Tsang M, Deiters A. Engineering Small Molecule Switches of Protein Function in Zebrafish Embryos. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:2395-2403. [PMID: 36662675 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c11366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Precise temporally regulated protein function directs the highly complex processes that make up embryo development. The zebrafish embryo is an excellent model organism to study development, and conditional control over enzymatic activity is desirable to target chemical intervention to specific developmental events and to investigate biological mechanisms. Surprisingly few, generally applicable small molecule switches of protein function exist in zebrafish. Genetic code expansion allows for site-specific incorporation of unnatural amino acids into proteins that contain caging groups that are removed through addition of small molecule triggers such as phosphines or tetrazines. This broadly applicable control of protein function was applied to activate several enzymes, including a GTPase and a protease, with temporal precision in zebrafish embryos. Simple addition of the small molecule to the media produces robust and tunable protein activation, which was used to gain insight into the development of a congenital heart defect from a RASopathy mutant of NRAS and to control DNA and protein cleavage events catalyzed by a viral recombinase and a viral protease, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wes Brown
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260, United States
| | - Joshua Wesalo
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260, United States
| | - Michael Tsang
- Department of Developmental Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260, United States
| | - Alexander Deiters
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260, United States
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6
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Russo I, Sartor E, Fagotto L, Colombo A, Tiso N, Alaibac M. The Zebrafish model in dermatology: an update for clinicians. Discov Oncol 2022; 13:48. [PMID: 35713744 PMCID: PMC9206045 DOI: 10.1007/s12672-022-00511-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Recently, the zebrafish has been established as one of the most important model organisms for medical research. Several studies have proved that there is a high level of similarity between human and zebrafish genomes, which encourages the use of zebrafish as a model for understanding human genetic disorders, including cancer. Interestingly, zebrafish skin shows several similarities to human skin, suggesting that this model organism is particularly suitable for the study of neoplastic and inflammatory skin disorders. This paper appraises the specific characteristics of zebrafish skin and describes the major applications of the zebrafish model in dermatological research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Russo
- Unit of Dermatology, University of Padua, Via Gallucci 4, 35128, Padua, Italy
| | - Emma Sartor
- Unit of Dermatology, University of Padua, Via Gallucci 4, 35128, Padua, Italy
| | - Laura Fagotto
- Unit of Dermatology, University of Padua, Via Gallucci 4, 35128, Padua, Italy
| | - Anna Colombo
- Unit of Dermatology, University of Padua, Via Gallucci 4, 35128, Padua, Italy
| | - Natascia Tiso
- Department of Biology, University of Padua, Via U. Bassi 58/B, 35131, Padua, Italy
| | - Mauro Alaibac
- Unit of Dermatology, University of Padua, Via Gallucci 4, 35128, Padua, Italy.
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7
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Solman M, Blokzijl-Franke S, Piques F, Yan C, Yang Q, Strullu M, Kamel SM, Ak P, Bakkers J, Langenau DM, Cavé H, den Hertog J. Inflammatory response in hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells triggered by activating SHP2 mutations evokes blood defects. eLife 2022; 11:e73040. [PMID: 35535491 PMCID: PMC9119675 DOI: 10.7554/elife.73040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Gain-of-function mutations in the protein-tyrosine phosphatase SHP2 are the most frequently occurring mutations in sporadic juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML) and JMML-like myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN) associated with Noonan syndrome (NS). Hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) are the disease propagating cells of JMML. Here, we explored transcriptomes of HSPCs with SHP2 mutations derived from JMML patients and a novel NS zebrafish model. In addition to major NS traits, CRISPR/Cas9 knock-in Shp2D61G mutant zebrafish recapitulated a JMML-like MPN phenotype, including myeloid lineage hyperproliferation, ex vivo growth of myeloid colonies, and in vivo transplantability of HSPCs. Single-cell mRNA sequencing of HSPCs from Shp2D61G zebrafish embryos and bulk sequencing of HSPCs from JMML patients revealed an overlapping inflammatory gene expression pattern. Strikingly, an anti-inflammatory agent rescued JMML-like MPN in Shp2D61G zebrafish embryos. Our results indicate that a common inflammatory response was triggered in the HSPCs from sporadic JMML patients and syndromic NS zebrafish, which potentiated MPN and may represent a future target for JMML therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maja Solman
- Hubrecht Institute-KNAW and UMC UtrechtUtrechtNetherlands
| | | | - Florian Piques
- INSERM UMR_S1131, Institut de Recherche Saint-Louis, Université de ParisParisFrance
- Assistance Publique des Hôpitaux de Paris AP-HP, Hôpital Robert Debré, Département de GénétiqueParisFrance
| | - Chuan Yan
- Molecular Pathology Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital Research InstituteCharlestownUnited States
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer CenterCharlestownUnited States
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General HospitalBostonUnited States
- Harvard Stem Cell InstituteCambridgeUnited States
| | - Qiqi Yang
- Molecular Pathology Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital Research InstituteCharlestownUnited States
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer CenterCharlestownUnited States
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General HospitalBostonUnited States
- Harvard Stem Cell InstituteCambridgeUnited States
| | - Marion Strullu
- INSERM UMR_S1131, Institut de Recherche Saint-Louis, Université de ParisParisFrance
- Assistance Publique des Hôpitaux de Paris AP-HP, Hôpital Robert Debré, Service d’Onco-Hématologie PédiatriqueParisFrance
| | - Sarah M Kamel
- Hubrecht Institute-KNAW and UMC UtrechtUtrechtNetherlands
| | - Pakize Ak
- Hubrecht Institute-KNAW and UMC UtrechtUtrechtNetherlands
| | - Jeroen Bakkers
- Hubrecht Institute-KNAW and UMC UtrechtUtrechtNetherlands
- Department of Medical Physiology, Division of Heart and Lungs, UMC UtrechtUtrechtNetherlands
| | - David M Langenau
- Molecular Pathology Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital Research InstituteCharlestownUnited States
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer CenterCharlestownUnited States
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General HospitalBostonUnited States
- Harvard Stem Cell InstituteCambridgeUnited States
| | - Hélène Cavé
- INSERM UMR_S1131, Institut de Recherche Saint-Louis, Université de ParisParisFrance
- Assistance Publique des Hôpitaux de Paris AP-HP, Hôpital Robert Debré, Département de GénétiqueParisFrance
| | - Jeroen den Hertog
- Hubrecht Institute-KNAW and UMC UtrechtUtrechtNetherlands
- Institute of Biology Leiden, Leiden UniversityLeidenNetherlands
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8
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Frantz WT, Ceol CJ. Research Techniques Made Simple: Zebrafish Models for Human Dermatologic Disease. J Invest Dermatol 2022; 142:499-506.e1. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jid.2021.10.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Revised: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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9
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Abstract
The RASopathies are a group of disorders caused by a germline mutation in one of the genes encoding a component of the RAS/MAPK pathway. These disorders, including neurofibromatosis type 1, Noonan syndrome, cardiofaciocutaneous syndrome, Costello syndrome and Legius syndrome, among others, have overlapping clinical features due to RAS/MAPK dysfunction. Although several of the RASopathies are very rare, collectively, these disorders are relatively common. In this Review, we discuss the pathogenesis of the RASopathy-associated genetic variants and the knowledge gained about RAS/MAPK signaling that resulted from studying RASopathies. We also describe the cell and animal models of the RASopathies and explore emerging RASopathy genes. Preclinical and clinical experiences with targeted agents as therapeutics for RASopathies are also discussed. Finally, we review how the recently developed drugs targeting RAS/MAPK-driven malignancies, such as inhibitors of RAS activation, direct RAS inhibitors and RAS/MAPK pathway inhibitors, might be leveraged for patients with RASopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie E Hebron
- Pediatric Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Edjay Ralph Hernandez
- Pediatric Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Marielle E Yohe
- Pediatric Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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10
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Motta M, Fasano G, Gredy S, Brinkmann J, Bonnard AA, Simsek-Kiper PO, Gulec EY, Essaddam L, Utine GE, Guarnetti Prandi I, Venditti M, Pantaleoni F, Radio FC, Ciolfi A, Petrini S, Consoli F, Vignal C, Hepbasli D, Ullrich M, de Boer E, Vissers LELM, Gritli S, Rossi C, De Luca A, Ben Becher S, Gelb BD, Dallapiccola B, Lauri A, Chillemi G, Schuh K, Cavé H, Zenker M, Tartaglia M. SPRED2 loss-of-function causes a recessive Noonan syndrome-like phenotype. Am J Hum Genet 2021; 108:2112-2129. [PMID: 34626534 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2021.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2021] [Accepted: 09/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Upregulated signal flow through RAS and the mitogen-associated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade is the unifying mechanistic theme of the RASopathies, a family of disorders affecting development and growth. Pathogenic variants in more than 20 genes have been causally linked to RASopathies, the majority having a dominant role in promoting enhanced signaling. Here, we report that SPRED2 loss of function is causally linked to a recessive phenotype evocative of Noonan syndrome. Homozygosity for three different variants-c.187C>T (p.Arg63∗), c.299T>C (p.Leu100Pro), and c.1142_1143delTT (p.Leu381Hisfs∗95)-were identified in four subjects from three families. All variants severely affected protein stability, causing accelerated degradation, and variably perturbed SPRED2 functional behavior. When overexpressed in cells, all variants were unable to negatively modulate EGF-promoted RAF1, MEK, and ERK phosphorylation, and time-course experiments in primary fibroblasts (p.Leu100Pro and p.Leu381Hisfs∗95) documented an increased and prolonged activation of the MAPK cascade in response to EGF stimulation. Morpholino-mediated knockdown of spred2a and spred2b in zebrafish induced defects in convergence and extension cell movements indicating upregulated RAS-MAPK signaling, which were rescued by expressing wild-type SPRED2 but not the SPRED2Leu381Hisfs∗95 protein. The clinical phenotype of the four affected individuals included developmental delay, intellectual disability, cardiac defects, short stature, skeletal anomalies, and a typical facial gestalt as major features, without the occurrence of the distinctive skin signs characterizing Legius syndrome. These features, in part, characterize the phenotype of Spred2-/- mice. Our findings identify the second recessive form of Noonan syndrome and document pleiotropic consequences of SPRED2 loss of function in development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marialetizia Motta
- Genetics and Rare Diseases Research Division, Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, IRCCS, 00146 Rome, Italy
| | - Giulia Fasano
- Genetics and Rare Diseases Research Division, Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, IRCCS, 00146 Rome, Italy
| | - Sina Gredy
- Institute of Physiology, University of Wuerzburg, 97070 Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Julia Brinkmann
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Hospital Magdeburg, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Adeline Alice Bonnard
- Assistance Publique des Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Hôpital Robert Debré, Département de Génétique, 75019 Paris, France; INSERM UMR 1131, Institut de Recherche Saint-Louis, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Pelin Ozlem Simsek-Kiper
- Department of Pediatric Genetics, Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Sihhiye, 06100 Ankara, Turkey
| | - Elif Yilmaz Gulec
- Department of Medical Genetics, Health Sciences University, Istanbul Kanuni Sultan Suleyman Training and Research Hospital, 34303 Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Leila Essaddam
- Department of Pediatrics-PUC, Béchir Hamza Children's Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tunis El Manar, Jebbari 1007, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Gulen Eda Utine
- Department of Pediatric Genetics, Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Sihhiye, 06100 Ankara, Turkey
| | - Ingrid Guarnetti Prandi
- Dipartimento per la Innovazione nei Sistemi Biologici, Agroalimentari e Forestali, Università Della Tuscia, 01100 Viterbo, Italy
| | - Martina Venditti
- Genetics and Rare Diseases Research Division, Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, IRCCS, 00146 Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Pantaleoni
- Genetics and Rare Diseases Research Division, Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, IRCCS, 00146 Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Clementina Radio
- Genetics and Rare Diseases Research Division, Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, IRCCS, 00146 Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea Ciolfi
- Genetics and Rare Diseases Research Division, Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, IRCCS, 00146 Rome, Italy
| | - Stefania Petrini
- Confocal Microscopy Core Facility, Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, 00146 Rome, Italy
| | - Federica Consoli
- Medical Genetics Division, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, 71013 San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy
| | - Cédric Vignal
- Assistance Publique des Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Hôpital Robert Debré, Département de Génétique, 75019 Paris, France
| | - Denis Hepbasli
- Institute of Physiology, University of Wuerzburg, 97070 Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Melanie Ullrich
- Institute of Physiology, University of Wuerzburg, 97070 Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Elke de Boer
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboudumc, 6525 GA Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, 6525 GA Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Lisenka E L M Vissers
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboudumc, 6525 GA Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, 6525 GA Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Sami Gritli
- Department of Immunology, Pasteur Institute of Tunis, 1002 Tunis-Belvédère, Tunisia
| | - Cesare Rossi
- Genetica Medica, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy
| | - Alessandro De Luca
- Medical Genetics Division, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, 71013 San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy
| | - Saayda Ben Becher
- Department of Pediatrics-PUC, Béchir Hamza Children's Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tunis El Manar, Jebbari 1007, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Bruce D Gelb
- Mindich Child Health and Development Institute and Department of Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Bruno Dallapiccola
- Genetics and Rare Diseases Research Division, Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, IRCCS, 00146 Rome, Italy
| | - Antonella Lauri
- Genetics and Rare Diseases Research Division, Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, IRCCS, 00146 Rome, Italy
| | - Giovanni Chillemi
- Dipartimento per la Innovazione nei Sistemi Biologici, Agroalimentari e Forestali, Università Della Tuscia, 01100 Viterbo, Italy; Istituto di Biomembrane, Bioenergetica e Biotecnologie Molecolari, Centro Nazionale Delle Ricerche, 70126 Bari, Italy
| | - Kai Schuh
- Institute of Physiology, University of Wuerzburg, 97070 Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Hélène Cavé
- Assistance Publique des Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Hôpital Robert Debré, Département de Génétique, 75019 Paris, France; INSERM UMR 1131, Institut de Recherche Saint-Louis, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Martin Zenker
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Hospital Magdeburg, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Marco Tartaglia
- Genetics and Rare Diseases Research Division, Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, IRCCS, 00146 Rome, Italy.
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11
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Fowlkes JL, Thrailkill KM, Bunn RC. RASopathies: The musculoskeletal consequences and their etiology and pathogenesis. Bone 2021; 152:116060. [PMID: 34144233 PMCID: PMC8316423 DOI: 10.1016/j.bone.2021.116060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Revised: 06/07/2021] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The RASopathies comprise an ever-growing number of clinical syndromes resulting from germline mutations in components of the RAS/MAPK signaling pathway. While multiple organs and tissues may be affected by these mutations, this review will focus on how these mutations specifically impact the musculoskeletal system. Herein, we review the genetics and musculoskeletal phenotypes of these syndromes in humans. We discuss how mutations in the RASopathy syndromes have been studied in translational mouse models. Finally, we discuss how signaling molecules within the RAS/MAPK pathway are involved in normal and abnormal bone biology in the context of osteoblasts, osteoclasts and chondrocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- John L Fowlkes
- University of Kentucky Barnstable Brown Diabetes Center, Department of Pediatrics, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY 40536, United States of America.
| | - Kathryn M Thrailkill
- University of Kentucky Barnstable Brown Diabetes Center, Department of Pediatrics, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY 40536, United States of America
| | - R Clay Bunn
- University of Kentucky Barnstable Brown Diabetes Center, Department of Pediatrics, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY 40536, United States of America
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12
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Nagai K, Niihori T, Okamoto N, Kondo A, Suga K, Ohhira T, Hayabuchi Y, Homma Y, Nakagawa R, Ifuku T, Abe T, Mizuguchi T, Matsumoto N, Aoki Y. Duplications in the G3 domain or switch II region in HRAS identified in patients with Costello syndrome. Hum Mutat 2021; 43:3-15. [PMID: 34618388 DOI: 10.1002/humu.24287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Revised: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Costello syndrome (CS) is an autosomal-dominant disorder characterized by distinctive facial features, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, skeletal abnormalities, intellectual disability, and predisposition to cancers. Germline variants in HRAS have been identified in patients with CS. Intragenic HRAS duplications have been reported in three patients with a milder phenotype of CS. In this study, we identified two known HRAS variants, p.(Glu63_Asp69dup), p.(Glu62_Arg68dup), and one novel HRAS variant, p.(Ile55_Asp57dup), in patients with CS, including a patient with craniosynostosis. These intragenic duplications are located in the G3 domain and the switch II region. Cells expressing cDNA with these three intragenic duplications showed an increase in ELK-1 transactivation. Injection of wild-type or mutant HRAS mRNAs with intragenic duplications in zebrafish embryos showed significant elongation of the yolk at 11 h postfertilization, which was improved by MEK inhibitor treatment, and a variety of developmental abnormalities at 3 days post fertilization was observed. These results indicate that small in-frame duplications affecting the G3 domain and switch II region of HRAS increase the activation of the ERK pathway, resulting in developmental abnormalities in zebrafish or patients with CS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koki Nagai
- Department of Medical Genetics, Tohoku University School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Niihori
- Department of Medical Genetics, Tohoku University School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
| | - Nobuhiko Okamoto
- Department of Medical Genetics, Osaka Women's and Children's Hospital, Osaka, Japan
| | - Akane Kondo
- Perinatal Medical Center, Shikoku Medical Center for Children and Adults, National Hospital Organization, Kagawa, Japan
| | - Kenichi Suga
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan
| | - Tomoko Ohhira
- Department of Pediatrics, Miyazaki Prefectural Miyazaki Hospital, Miyazaki, Japan
| | - Yasunobu Hayabuchi
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan
| | - Yukako Homma
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan
| | - Ryuji Nakagawa
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan
| | - Toshinobu Ifuku
- Department of Pediatrics, Miyazaki Prefectural Miyazaki Hospital, Miyazaki, Japan
| | - Taiki Abe
- Department of Medical Genetics, Tohoku University School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
| | - Takeshi Mizuguchi
- Department of Human Genetics, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Naomichi Matsumoto
- Department of Human Genetics, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Yoko Aoki
- Department of Medical Genetics, Tohoku University School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
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13
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Lauri A, Fasano G, Venditti M, Dallapiccola B, Tartaglia M. In vivo Functional Genomics for Undiagnosed Patients: The Impact of Small GTPases Signaling Dysregulation at Pan-Embryo Developmental Scale. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:642235. [PMID: 34124035 PMCID: PMC8194860 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.642235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
While individually rare, disorders affecting development collectively represent a substantial clinical, psychological, and socioeconomic burden to patients, families, and society. Insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying these disorders are required to speed up diagnosis, improve counseling, and optimize management toward targeted therapies. Genome sequencing is now unveiling previously unexplored genetic variations in undiagnosed patients, which require functional validation and mechanistic understanding, particularly when dealing with novel nosologic entities. Functional perturbations of key regulators acting on signals' intersections of evolutionarily conserved pathways in these pathological conditions hinder the fine balance between various developmental inputs governing morphogenesis and homeostasis. However, the distinct mechanisms by which these hubs orchestrate pathways to ensure the developmental coordinates are poorly understood. Integrative functional genomics implementing quantitative in vivo models of embryogenesis with subcellular precision in whole organisms contribute to answering these questions. Here, we review the current knowledge on genes and mechanisms critically involved in developmental syndromes and pediatric cancers, revealed by genomic sequencing and in vivo models such as insects, worms and fish. We focus on the monomeric GTPases of the RAS superfamily and their influence on crucial developmental signals and processes. We next discuss the effectiveness of exponentially growing functional assays employing tractable models to identify regulatory crossroads. Unprecedented sophistications are now possible in zebrafish, i.e., genome editing with single-nucleotide precision, nanoimaging, highly resolved recording of multiple small molecules activity, and simultaneous monitoring of brain circuits and complex behavioral response. These assets permit accurate real-time reporting of dynamic small GTPases-controlled processes in entire organisms, owning the potential to tackle rare disease mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonella Lauri
- Genetics and Rare Diseases Research Division, Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | | | | | | | - Marco Tartaglia
- Genetics and Rare Diseases Research Division, Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
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14
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You X, Ryu MJ, Cho E, Sang Y, Damnernsawad A, Zhou Y, Liu Y, Zhang J, Lee Y. Embryonic Expression of Nras G 12 D Leads to Embryonic Lethality and Cardiac Defects. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:633661. [PMID: 33681212 PMCID: PMC7928391 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.633661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2020] [Accepted: 01/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Ras proteins control a complex intracellular signaling network. Gain-of-function mutations in RAS genes lead to RASopathy disorders in humans, including Noonan syndrome (NS). NS is the second most common syndromic cause of congenital heart disease. Although conditional expression of the NrasG12D/+ mutation in adult hematopoietic system is leukemogenic, its effects on embryonic development remain unclear. Here, we report that pan-embryonic expression of endogenous NrasG12D/+ by Mox2-Cre in mice caused embryonic lethality from embryonic day (E) 15.5 and developmental defects predominantly in the heart. At E13.5, NrasG12D/+; Mox2Cre/+ embryos displayed a moderate expansion of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells without a significant impact on erythroid differentiation in the fetal liver. Importantly, the mutant embryos exhibited cardiac malformations resembling human congenital cardiac defects seen in NS patients, including ventricular septal defects, double outlet right ventricle, the hypertrabeculation/thin myocardium, and pulmonary valve stenosis. The mutant heart showed dysregulation of ERK, BMP, and Wnt pathways, crucial signaling pathways for cardiac development. Endothelial/endocardial-specific expression of NrasG12D/+ caused the cardiac morphological defects and embryonic lethality as observed in NrasG12D/+; Mox2Cre/+ mutants, but myocardial-specific expression of NrasG12D/+ did not. Thus, oncogenic NrasG12D mutation may not be compatible with embryonic survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaona You
- McArdle Laboratory for Cancer Research, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Myung-Jeom Ryu
- McArdle Laboratory for Cancer Research, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Eunjin Cho
- Department of Cell and Regenerative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Yanzhi Sang
- McArdle Laboratory for Cancer Research, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Alisa Damnernsawad
- McArdle Laboratory for Cancer Research, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Yun Zhou
- McArdle Laboratory for Cancer Research, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Yangang Liu
- McArdle Laboratory for Cancer Research, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Jing Zhang
- McArdle Laboratory for Cancer Research, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Youngsook Lee
- Department of Cell and Regenerative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
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15
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Pachoensuk T, Fukuyo T, Wanlada K, Rezanujjaman M, Rahaman MM, Sasaoka K, Sarwar Jyoti MM, Rana MR, Ali MH, Tokumoto T. Pax2a is expressed in oocytes and is responsible for early development and oogenesis in zebrafish. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2020; 533:592-9. [PMID: 32981680 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2020.09.059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Eleven genes, including pax2a, were selected as candidate ovulation-inducing genes on the basis of microarray analysis and RNA sequencing in our previous study. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of the pax2a gene in the ovulation-inducing process. F2 pax2a homozygous mutant zebrafish possessing a deletion of 6 nucleotides were established in this study. However, the deletion included the start codon (ATG) of the pax2a gene, and the Pax2a protein was still detected, which indicated that the deletion caused a shift in the start codon to the next ATG, resulting in a 12-amino acid deletion. F2 pax2a homozygous mutant zebrafish showed ovulation. However, the embryos showed an abnormal oval shape at the epiboly stage that resulted in yolk and tail formation abnormalities and heart edema. The surviving F3 homozygous mutants did not develop ovaries. Pax2a was detected in oocytes and eggs but not after the Prim-22 stage. It is suggested that pax2a is expressed as a maternal gene in oocytes and is necessary for oogenesis and early development.
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16
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Umutesi HG, Hoang HM, Johnson HE, Nam K, Heo J. Development of Noonan syndrome by deregulation of allosteric SOS autoactivation. J Biol Chem 2020; 295:13651-13663. [PMID: 32753483 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra120.013275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2020] [Revised: 07/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Ras family proteins play an essential role in several cellular functions, including growth, differentiation, and survival. The mechanism of action of Ras mutants in Costello syndrome and cancers has been identified, but the contribution of Ras mutants to Noonan syndrome, a genetic disorder that prevents normal development in various parts of the body, is unknown. Son of Sevenless (SOS) is a Ras guanine nucleotide exchange factor. In response to Ras-activating cell signaling, SOS autoinhibition is released and is followed by accelerative allosteric feedback autoactivation. Here, using mutagenesis-based kinetic and pulldown analyses, we show that Noonan syndrome Ras mutants I24N, T50I, V152G, and D153V deregulate the autoactivation of SOS to populate their active form. This previously unknown process has been linked so far only to the development of Noonan syndrome. In contrast, other Noonan syndrome Ras mutants-V14I, T58I, and G60E-populate their active form by deregulation of the previously documented Ras GTPase activities. We propose a novel mechanism responsible for the deregulation of SOS autoactivation, where I24N, T50I, V152G, and D153V Ras mutants evade SOS autoinhibition. Consequently, they are capable of forming a complex with the SOS allosteric site, thus aberrantly promoting SOS autoactivation, resulting in the population of active Ras mutants in cells. The results of this study elucidate the molecular mechanism of the Ras mutant-mediated development of Noonan syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hope Gloria Umutesi
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Texas, Arlington, Texas, USA
| | - Hanh My Hoang
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Texas, Arlington, Texas, USA
| | | | - Kwangho Nam
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Texas, Arlington, Texas, USA
| | - Jongyun Heo
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Texas, Arlington, Texas, USA.
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17
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Dunnett-Kane V, Burkitt-Wright E, Blackhall FH, Malliri A, Evans DG, Lindsay CR. Germline and sporadic cancers driven by the RAS pathway: parallels and contrasts. Ann Oncol 2020; 31:873-883. [PMID: 32240795 PMCID: PMC7322396 DOI: 10.1016/j.annonc.2020.03.291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2019] [Revised: 03/11/2020] [Accepted: 03/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Somatic mutations in RAS and related pathway genes such as NF1 have been strongly implicated in the development of cancer while also being implicated in a diverse group of developmental disorders named the 'RASopathies', including neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), Noonan syndrome (NS), Noonan syndrome with multiple lentigines (NSML), Costello syndrome (CS), cardiofaciocutaneous syndrome (CFC), and capillary malformation-arteriovenous syndrome (CM-AVM). It remains unclear why (i) there is little overlap in mutational subtype between Ras-driven malignancies associated with sporadic disease and those associated with the RASopathy syndromes, and (ii) RASopathy-associated cancers are usually of different histological origin to those seen with sporadic mutations of the same genes. For instance, germline variants in KRAS and NRAS are rarely found at codons 12, 13 or 61, the most common sites for somatic mutations in sporadic cancers. An exception is CS, where germline variants in codons 12 and 13 of HRAS occur relatively frequently. Given recent renewed drug interest following early clinical success of RAS G12C and farnesyl transferase inhibitors, an improved understanding of this relationship could help guide targeted therapies for both sporadic and germline cancers associated with the Ras pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- V Dunnett-Kane
- Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK
| | - E Burkitt-Wright
- Manchester Centre for Genomic Medicine, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK
| | - F H Blackhall
- Department of Medical Oncology, the Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK; Cancer Research UK Lung Cancer Centre of Excellence, London and Manchester, UK; Division of Molecular and Clinical Cancer Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - A Malliri
- Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - D G Evans
- Manchester Centre for Genomic Medicine, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK; Division of Evolution and Genomic Medicine, Faculty of Biology and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - C R Lindsay
- Department of Medical Oncology, the Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK; Cancer Research UK Lung Cancer Centre of Excellence, London and Manchester, UK; Division of Molecular and Clinical Cancer Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
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18
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Patterson VL, Burdine RD. Swimming toward solutions: Using fish and frogs as models for understanding RASopathies. Birth Defects Res 2020; 112:749-765. [PMID: 32506834 DOI: 10.1002/bdr2.1707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2020] [Accepted: 04/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The RAS signaling pathway regulates cell growth, survival, and differentiation, and its inappropriate activation is associated with disease in humans. The RASopathies, a set of developmental syndromes, arise when the pathway is overactive during development. Patients share a core set of symptoms, including congenital heart disease, craniofacial anomalies, and neurocognitive delay. Due to the conserved nature of the pathway, animal models are highly informative for understanding disease etiology, and zebrafish and Xenopus are emerging as advantageous model systems. Here we discuss these aquatic models of RASopathies, which recapitulate many of the core symptoms observed in patients. Craniofacial structures become dysmorphic upon expression of disease-associated mutations, resulting in wider heads. Heart defects manifest as delays in cardiac development and changes in heart size, and behavioral deficits are beginning to be explored. Furthermore, early convergence and extension defects cause elongation of developing embryos: this phenotype can be quantitatively assayed as a readout of mutation strength, raising interesting questions regarding the relationship between pathway activation and disease. Additionally, the observation that RAS signaling may be simultaneously hyperactive and attenuated suggests that downregulation of signaling may also contribute to etiology. We propose that models should be characterized using a standardized approach to allow easier comparison between models, and a better understanding of the interplay between mutation and disease presentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria L Patterson
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
| | - Rebecca D Burdine
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
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19
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Koohi-Moghadam M, Wang H, Wang Y, Yang X, Li H, Wang J, Sun H. Predicting disease-associated mutation of metal-binding sites in proteins using a deep learning approach. NAT MACH INTELL 2019. [DOI: 10.1038/s42256-019-0119-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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20
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Hoeksma J, Misset T, Wever C, Kemmink J, Kruijtzer J, Versluis K, Liskamp RMJ, Boons GJ, Heck AJR, Boekhout T, den Hertog J. A new perspective on fungal metabolites: identification of bioactive compounds from fungi using zebrafish embryogenesis as read-out. Sci Rep 2019; 9:17546. [PMID: 31772307 PMCID: PMC6879544 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-54127-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2019] [Accepted: 11/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
There is a constant need for new therapeutic compounds. Fungi have proven to be an excellent, but underexplored source for biologically active compounds with therapeutic potential. Here, we combine mycology, embryology and chemistry by testing secondary metabolites from more than 10,000 species of fungi for biological activity using developing zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos. Zebrafish development is an excellent model for high-throughput screening. Development is rapid, multiple cell types are assessed simultaneously and embryos are available in high numbers. We found that 1,526 fungal strains produced secondary metabolites with biological activity in the zebrafish bioassay. The active compounds from 39 selected fungi were purified by liquid-liquid extraction and preparative HPLC. 34 compounds were identified by a combination of chemical analyses, including LCMS, UV-Vis spectroscopy/ spectrophotometry, high resolution mass spectrometry and NMR. Our results demonstrate that fungi express a wide variety of biologically active compounds, consisting of both known therapeutic compounds as well as relatively unexplored compounds. Understanding their biological activity in zebrafish may provide insight into underlying biological processes as well as mode of action. Together, this information may provide the first step towards lead compound development for therapeutic drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jelmer Hoeksma
- Hubrecht Institute - KNAW and University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Tim Misset
- Hubrecht Institute - KNAW and University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Christie Wever
- Hubrecht Institute - KNAW and University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Johan Kemmink
- Utrecht University, Chemical Biology & Drug Discovery, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - John Kruijtzer
- Utrecht University, Chemical Biology & Drug Discovery, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Kees Versluis
- Utrecht University, Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics, Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular Research and Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Rob M J Liskamp
- Utrecht University, Chemical Biology & Drug Discovery, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- School of Chemistry, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Geert Jan Boons
- Utrecht University, Chemical Biology & Drug Discovery, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Albert J R Heck
- Utrecht University, Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics, Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular Research and Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Teun Boekhout
- Westerdijk Institute for Fungal Biodiversity - KNAW, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Institute of Biodynamics and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jeroen den Hertog
- Hubrecht Institute - KNAW and University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
- Institute Biology Leiden, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.
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21
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Niihori T, Nagai K, Fujita A, Ohashi H, Okamoto N, Okada S, Harada A, Kihara H, Arbogast T, Funayama R, Shirota M, Nakayama K, Abe T, Inoue SI, Tsai IC, Matsumoto N, Davis EE, Katsanis N, Aoki Y. Germline-Activating RRAS2 Mutations Cause Noonan Syndrome. Am J Hum Genet 2019; 104:1233-1240. [PMID: 31130285 PMCID: PMC6562005 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2019.04.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2019] [Accepted: 04/18/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Noonan syndrome (NS) is characterized by distinctive craniofacial appearance, short stature, and congenital heart disease. Approximately 80% of individuals with NS harbor mutations in genes whose products are involved in the RAS/mitogen-activating protein kinase (MAPK) pathway. However, the underlying genetic causes in nearly 20% of individuals with NS phenotype remain unexplained. Here, we report four de novo RRAS2 variants in three individuals with NS. RRAS2 is a member of the RAS subfamily and is ubiquitously expressed. Three variants, c.70_78dup (p.Gly24_Gly26dup), c.216A>T (p.Gln72His), and c.215A>T (p.Gln72Leu), have been found in cancers; our functional analyses showed that these three changes induced elevated association of RAF1 and that they activated ERK1/2 and ELK1. Notably, prominent activation of ERK1/2 and ELK1 by p.Gln72Leu associates with the severe phenotype of the individual harboring this change. To examine variant pathogenicity in vivo, we generated zebrafish models. Larvae overexpressing c.70_78dup (p.Gly24_Gly26dup) or c.216A>T (p.Gln72His) variants, but not wild-type RRAS2 RNAs, showed craniofacial defects and macrocephaly. The same dose injection of mRNA encoding c.215A>T (p.Gln72Leu) caused severe developmental impairments and low dose overexpression of this variant induced craniofacial defects. In contrast, the RRAS2 c.224T>G (p.Phe75Cys) change, located on the same allele with p.Gln72His in an individual with NS, resulted in no aberrant in vitro or in vivo phenotypes by itself. Together, our findings suggest that activating RRAS2 mutations can cause NS and expand the involvement of RRAS2 proto-oncogene to rare germline disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tetsuya Niihori
- Department of Medical Genetics, Tohoku University School of Medicine, Sendai 980-8574, Japan; Center for Human Disease Modeling, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27701, USA.
| | - Koki Nagai
- Department of Medical Genetics, Tohoku University School of Medicine, Sendai 980-8574, Japan
| | - Atsushi Fujita
- Department of Human Genetics, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama 236-0004, Japan
| | - Hirofumi Ohashi
- Division of Medical Genetics, Saitama Children's Medical Center, Saitama 330-8777, Japan
| | - Nobuhiko Okamoto
- Department of Medical Genetics, Osaka Women's and Children's Hospital, Osaka 594-1101, Japan
| | - Satoshi Okada
- Department of Pediatrics, Hiroshima University Graduate School of Biomedical & Health Sciences, Hiroshima 734-8551, Japan
| | - Atsuko Harada
- Department of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Takatsuki General Hospital, Osaka 569-1192, Japan
| | - Hirotaka Kihara
- Department of Pediatrics, Onomichi General Hospital, Hiroshima 722-8508, Japan
| | - Thomas Arbogast
- Center for Human Disease Modeling, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27701, USA
| | - Ryo Funayama
- Department of Cell Proliferation, United Center for Advanced Research and Translational Medicine, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai 980-8575, Japan
| | - Matsuyuki Shirota
- Division of Interdisciplinary Medical Sciences, United Center for Advanced Research and Translational Medicine, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai 980-8575, Japan
| | - Keiko Nakayama
- Department of Cell Proliferation, United Center for Advanced Research and Translational Medicine, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai 980-8575, Japan
| | - Taiki Abe
- Department of Medical Genetics, Tohoku University School of Medicine, Sendai 980-8574, Japan
| | - Shin-Ichi Inoue
- Department of Medical Genetics, Tohoku University School of Medicine, Sendai 980-8574, Japan
| | - I-Chun Tsai
- Center for Human Disease Modeling, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27701, USA
| | - Naomichi Matsumoto
- Department of Human Genetics, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama 236-0004, Japan
| | - Erica E Davis
- Center for Human Disease Modeling, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27701, USA
| | - Nicholas Katsanis
- Center for Human Disease Modeling, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27701, USA.
| | - Yoko Aoki
- Department of Medical Genetics, Tohoku University School of Medicine, Sendai 980-8574, Japan
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22
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Tajan M, Paccoud R, Branka S, Edouard T, Yart A. The RASopathy Family: Consequences of Germline Activation of the RAS/MAPK Pathway. Endocr Rev 2018; 39:676-700. [PMID: 29924299 DOI: 10.1210/er.2017-00232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 134] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2017] [Accepted: 06/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Noonan syndrome [NS; Mendelian Inheritance in Men (MIM) #163950] and related syndromes [Noonan syndrome with multiple lentigines (formerly called LEOPARD syndrome; MIM #151100), Noonan-like syndrome with loose anagen hair (MIM #607721), Costello syndrome (MIM #218040), cardio-facio-cutaneous syndrome (MIM #115150), type I neurofibromatosis (MIM #162200), and Legius syndrome (MIM #611431)] are a group of related genetic disorders associated with distinctive facial features, cardiopathies, growth and skeletal abnormalities, developmental delay/mental retardation, and tumor predisposition. NS was clinically described more than 50 years ago, and disease genes have been identified throughout the last 3 decades, providing a molecular basis to better understand their physiopathology and identify targets for therapeutic strategies. Most of these genes encode proteins belonging to or regulating the so-called RAS/MAPK signaling pathway, so these syndromes have been gathered under the name RASopathies. In this review, we provide a clinical overview of RASopathies and an update on their genetics. We then focus on the functional and pathophysiological effects of RASopathy-causing mutations and discuss therapeutic perspectives and future directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mylène Tajan
- INSERM UMR 1048, Institute of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases (I2MC), University of Toulouse Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
| | - Romain Paccoud
- INSERM UMR 1048, Institute of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases (I2MC), University of Toulouse Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
| | - Sophie Branka
- INSERM UMR 1048, Institute of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases (I2MC), University of Toulouse Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
| | - Thomas Edouard
- Endocrine, Bone Diseases, and Genetics Unit, Children's Hospital, Toulouse University Hospital, Toulouse, France
| | - Armelle Yart
- INSERM UMR 1048, Institute of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases (I2MC), University of Toulouse Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
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23
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Abstract
The extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway leads to activation of the effector molecule ERK, which controls downstream responses by phosphorylating a variety of substrates, including transcription factors. Crucial insights into the regulation and function of this pathway came from studying embryos in which specific phenotypes arise from aberrant ERK activation. Despite decades of research, several important questions remain to be addressed for deeper understanding of this highly conserved signaling system and its function. Answering these questions will require quantifying the first steps of pathway activation, elucidating the mechanisms of transcriptional interpretation and measuring the quantitative limits of ERK signaling within which the system must operate to avoid developmental defects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleena L Patel
- Lewis Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Department of Chemical Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Stanislav Y Shvartsman
- Lewis Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Department of Chemical Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
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24
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Rodríguez F, Vallejos C, Bolanos-Garcia VM, Ponce D, Unanue N, Garay F, Cassorla F, Aracena M. Co-occurrence of Noonan and Cardiofaciocutaneous Syndrome Features in a Patient with KRAS Variant. J Pediatr Genet 2018; 7:158-163. [PMID: 30430033 DOI: 10.1055/s-0038-1653977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2018] [Accepted: 04/09/2018] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
Abstract
We report the case of a 3-year-old girl, who is the third child of nonconsanguineous parents, with short stature, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and mild dysmorphic features; all suggestive of Noonan syndrome. In addition, the patient presents with feeding difficulties, deep palmar and plantar creases, sparse hair, and delayed psychomotor and language development, all characteristics frequently observed in cardiofaciocutaneous syndrome. Molecular analysis of the Ras/ MAPK pathway genes using high-resolution melting curve analysis and gene sequencing revealed a de novo KRAS amino acid substitution of leucine to tryptophan at codon 53 (p.L53W). This substitution was recently described in an Iranian patient with Noonan syndrome. The findings described in this report expand the phenotypic heterogeneity observed in RASopathy patients harboring a KRAS substitution, and advocate for the inclusion of genes with low mutational frequency in genetic screening protocols for Noonan syndrome and other RASopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Rodríguez
- School of Medicine, Institute of Maternal and Child Research, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Carla Vallejos
- School of Medicine, Institute of Maternal and Child Research, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Víctor M Bolanos-Garcia
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Diana Ponce
- School of Medicine, Institute of Maternal and Child Research, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Nancy Unanue
- School of Medicine, Institute of Maternal and Child Research, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Francisco Garay
- División de Pediatría, Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Fernando Cassorla
- School of Medicine, Institute of Maternal and Child Research, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Mariana Aracena
- División de Pediatría, Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.,Unidad de Genética, Hospital Dr. Luis Calvo Mackenna, Santiago, Chile
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25
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Dard L, Bellance N, Lacombe D, Rossignol R. RAS signalling in energy metabolism and rare human diseases. Biochim Biophys Acta Bioenerg 2018; 1859:845-867. [PMID: 29750912 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbabio.2018.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2018] [Revised: 04/12/2018] [Accepted: 05/03/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The RAS pathway is a highly conserved cascade of protein-protein interactions and phosphorylation that is at the heart of signalling networks that govern proliferation, differentiation and cell survival. Recent findings indicate that the RAS pathway plays a role in the regulation of energy metabolism via the control of mitochondrial form and function but little is known on the participation of this effect in RAS-related rare human genetic diseases. Germline mutations that hyperactivate the RAS pathway have been discovered and linked to human developmental disorders that are known as RASopathies. Individuals with RASopathies, which are estimated to affect approximately 1/1000 human birth, share many overlapping characteristics, including cardiac malformations, short stature, neurocognitive impairment, craniofacial dysmorphy, cutaneous, musculoskeletal, and ocular abnormalities, hypotonia and a predisposition to developing cancer. Since the identification of the first RASopathy, type 1 neurofibromatosis (NF1), which is caused by the inactivation of neurofibromin 1, several other syndromes have been associated with mutations in the core components of the RAS-MAPK pathway. These syndromes include Noonan syndrome (NS), Noonan syndrome with multiple lentigines (NSML), which was formerly called LEOPARD syndrome, Costello syndrome (CS), cardio-facio-cutaneous syndrome (CFC), Legius syndrome (LS) and capillary malformation-arteriovenous malformation syndrome (CM-AVM). Here, we review current knowledge about the bioenergetics of the RASopathies and discuss the molecular control of energy homeostasis and mitochondrial physiology by the RAS pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Dard
- Bordeaux University, 33000 Bordeaux, France; INSERM U1211, 33000 Bordeaux, France
| | - N Bellance
- Bordeaux University, 33000 Bordeaux, France; INSERM U1211, 33000 Bordeaux, France
| | - D Lacombe
- Bordeaux University, 33000 Bordeaux, France; INSERM U1211, 33000 Bordeaux, France; CHU de Bordeaux, Service de Génétique Médicale, F-33076 Bordeaux, France
| | - R Rossignol
- Bordeaux University, 33000 Bordeaux, France; INSERM U1211, 33000 Bordeaux, France; CELLOMET, CGFB-146 Rue Léo Saignat, Bordeaux, France.
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26
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Jindal GA, Goyal Y, Humphreys JM, Yeung E, Tian K, Patterson VL, He H, Burdine RD, Goldsmith EJ, Shvartsman SY. How activating mutations affect MEK1 regulation and function. J Biol Chem 2017; 292:18814-18820. [PMID: 29018093 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.c117.806067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2017] [Revised: 09/19/2017] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The MEK1 kinase directly phosphorylates ERK2, after the activation loop of MEK1 is itself phosphorylated by Raf. Studies over the past decade have revealed a large number of disease-related mutations in the MEK1 gene that lead to tumorigenesis and abnormal development. Several of these mutations result in MEK1 constitutive activity, but how they affect MEK1 regulation and function remains largely unknown. Here, we address these questions focusing on two pathogenic variants of the Phe-53 residue, which maps to the well-characterized negative regulatory region of MEK1. We found that these variants are phosphorylated by Raf faster than the wild-type enzyme, and this phosphorylation further increases their enzymatic activity. However, the maximal activities of fully phosphorylated wild-type and mutant enzymes are indistinguishable. On the basis of available structural information, we propose that the activating substitutions destabilize the inactive conformation of MEK1, resulting in its constitutive activity and making it more prone to Raf-mediated phosphorylation. Experiments in zebrafish revealed that the effects of activating variants on embryonic development reflect the joint control of the negative regulatory region and activating phosphorylation. Our results underscore the complexity of the effects of activating mutations on signaling systems, even at the level of a single protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Granton A Jindal
- From the Departments of Chemical and Biological Engineering and.,Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544 and.,Molecular Biology
| | - Yogesh Goyal
- From the Departments of Chemical and Biological Engineering and.,Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544 and.,Molecular Biology
| | - John M Humphreys
- the Department of Biophysics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, Texas 75390-8816
| | - Eyan Yeung
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544 and.,Molecular Biology
| | - Kaijia Tian
- From the Departments of Chemical and Biological Engineering and.,Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544 and
| | - Victoria L Patterson
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544 and.,Molecular Biology
| | - Haixia He
- the Department of Biophysics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, Texas 75390-8816
| | | | - Elizabeth J Goldsmith
- the Department of Biophysics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, Texas 75390-8816
| | - Stanislav Y Shvartsman
- From the Departments of Chemical and Biological Engineering and .,Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544 and.,Molecular Biology
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27
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Abstract
Noonan syndrome is a RASopathy that results from activating mutations in different members of the RAS/MAPK signaling pathway. At least eleven members of this pathway have been found mutated, PTPN11 being the most frequently mutated gene affecting about 50% of the patients, followed by SOS1 (10%), RAF1 (10%) and KRAS (5%). Recently, even more infrequent mutations have been newly identified by next generation sequencing. This spectrum of mutations leads to a broad variety of clinical symptoms such as cardiopathies, short stature, facial dysmorphia and neurocognitive impairment. The genetic variability of this syndrome makes it difficult to establish a genotype-phenotype correlation, which will greatly help in the clinical management of the patients. Areas covered: Studies performed with different genetically engineered mouse models (GEMMs) developed up to date. Expert commentary: GEMMs have helped us understand the role of some genes and the effect of the different mutations in the development of the syndrome. However, few models have been developed and more characterization of the existing ones should be performed to learn about the impact of the different modifiers in the phenotypes, the potential cancer risk in patients, as well as preventative and therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto J Schuhmacher
- a Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Aragón , Centro de Investigación Biomédica de Aragón , Zaragoza , Spain
| | - Isabel Hernández-Porras
- b Molecular Oncology Programs , Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas (CNIO) , Madrid , Spain
| | - Raquel García-Medina
- b Molecular Oncology Programs , Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas (CNIO) , Madrid , Spain
| | - Carmen Guerra
- b Molecular Oncology Programs , Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas (CNIO) , Madrid , Spain
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28
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Ali MM, Chasen ST, Norton ME. Testing for Noonan syndrome after increased nuchal translucency. Prenat Diagn 2017; 37:750-753. [PMID: 28569377 DOI: 10.1002/pd.5076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2017] [Revised: 05/19/2017] [Accepted: 05/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to report the prevalence of Noonan syndrome (NS) in a cohort of fetuses that presented with increased nuchal translucency (NT) thickness in the first trimester of pregnancy. METHODS This is a retrospective chart review. INCLUSION CRITERIA (1) first trimester NT measurement ≥3 mm, (2) normal karyotype by either a CVS or an amniocentesis procedure, and (3) prenatal molecular genetic testing for NS completed. Results with known pathogenic variants were considered positive, while those with variants of unknown clinical significance, or with no variants, were considered negative. RESULTS A total of 804 fetuses had an NT measurement of ≥3 mm, with a median NT thickness of 3.6 mm. Of these, 302 had karyotyping by CVS or amniocentesis, 200 (66.23%) with normal results. Of fetuses with a normal karyotype, 39 with a median NT thickness of 4.0 mm had a NS gene sequencing panel done, and 161 fetuses with a mean NT thickness of 4.3 mm were not tested for NS (p = 0.05). Of the 39 fetuses who were tested for NS, four (10.3%) had variants consistent with this diagnosis. CONCLUSION In euploid fetuses, increased NT is associated with a 10% risk of NS. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marwan M Ali
- Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA
| | - Stephen T Chasen
- Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA
| | - Mary E Norton
- Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
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29
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Altmüller F, Lissewski C, Bertola D, Flex E, Stark Z, Spranger S, Baynam G, Buscarilli M, Dyack S, Gillis J, Yntema HG, Pantaleoni F, van Loon RL, MacKay S, Mina K, Schanze I, Tan TY, Walsh M, White SM, Niewisch MR, García-Miñaúr S, Plaza D, Ahmadian MR, Cavé H, Tartaglia M, Zenker M. Genotype and phenotype spectrum of NRAS germline variants. Eur J Hum Genet 2017; 25:823-31. [PMID: 28594414 DOI: 10.1038/ejhg.2017.65] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2016] [Revised: 03/14/2017] [Accepted: 03/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
RASopathies comprise a group of disorders clinically characterized by short stature, heart defects, facial dysmorphism, and varying degrees of intellectual disability and cancer predisposition. They are caused by germline variants in genes encoding key components or modulators of the highly conserved RAS-MAPK signalling pathway that lead to dysregulation of cell signal transmission. Germline changes in the genes encoding members of the RAS subfamily of GTPases are rare and associated with variable phenotypes of the RASopathy spectrum, ranging from Costello syndrome (HRAS variants) to Noonan and Cardiofaciocutaneous syndromes (KRAS variants). A small number of RASopathy cases with disease-causing germline NRAS alterations have been reported. Affected individuals exhibited features fitting Noonan syndrome, and the observed germline variants differed from the typical oncogenic NRAS changes occurring as somatic events in tumours. Here we describe 19 new cases with RASopathy due to disease-causing variants in NRAS. Importantly, four of them harbored missense changes affecting Gly12, which was previously described to occur exclusively in cancer. The phenotype in our cohort was variable but well within the RASopathy spectrum. Further, one of the patients (c.35G>A; p.(Gly12Asp)) had a myeloproliferative disorder, and one subject (c.34G>C; p.(Gly12Arg)) exhibited an uncharacterized brain tumour. With this report, we expand the genotype and phenotype spectrum of RASopathy-associated germline NRAS variants and provide evidence that NRAS variants do not spare the cancer-associated mutation hotspots.
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30
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Mason-Suares H, Toledo D, Gekas J, Lafferty KA, Meeks N, Pacheco MC, Sharpe D, Mullen TE, Lebo MS. Juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia-associated variants are associated with neo-natal lethal Noonan syndrome. Eur J Hum Genet 2017; 25:509-511. [PMID: 28098151 DOI: 10.1038/ejhg.2016.202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2016] [Revised: 11/03/2016] [Accepted: 12/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Gain-of-function variants in some RAS-MAPK pathway genes, including PTPN11 and NRAS, are associated with RASopathies and/or acquired hematological malignancies, most notably juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML). With rare exceptions, the spectrum of germline variants causing RASopathies does not overlap with the somatic variants identified in isolated JMML. Studies comparing these variants suggest a stronger gain-of-function activity in the JMML variants. As JMML variants have not been identified as germline defects and have a greater impact on protein function, it has been speculated that they would be embryonic lethal. Here we identified three variants, which have previously only been identified in isolated somatic JMML and other sporadic cancers, in four cases with a severe pre- or neo-natal lethal presentation of Noonan syndrome. These cases support the hypothesis that these stronger gain-of-function variants are rarely compatible with life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather Mason-Suares
- Laboratory for Molecular Medicine, Partners Personalized Medicine, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Departments of Pathology, Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Diana Toledo
- Laboratory for Molecular Medicine, Partners Personalized Medicine, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jean Gekas
- Department of Medical Biology, Le CHU de Québec, Québec, Canada
| | - Katherine A Lafferty
- Laboratory for Molecular Medicine, Partners Personalized Medicine, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Naomi Meeks
- Section of Genetics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - M Cristina Pacheco
- Department of Pathology, Children's Hospitals & Clinics of MN, Saint Paul, MN, USA
| | - David Sharpe
- Maternal Fetal Medicine, Riverside Methodist Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Thomas E Mullen
- Laboratory for Molecular Medicine, Partners Personalized Medicine, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Matthew S Lebo
- Laboratory for Molecular Medicine, Partners Personalized Medicine, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Departments of Pathology, Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
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31
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Jindal GA, Goyal Y, Yamaya K, Futran AS, Kountouridis I, Balgobin CA, Schüpbach T, Burdine RD, Shvartsman SY. In vivo severity ranking of Ras pathway mutations associated with developmental disorders. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:510-5. [PMID: 28049852 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1615651114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Germ-line mutations in components of the Ras/MAPK pathway result in developmental disorders called RASopathies, affecting about 1/1,000 human births. Rapid advances in genome sequencing make it possible to identify multiple disease-related mutations, but there is currently no systematic framework for translating this information into patient-specific predictions of disease progression. As a first step toward addressing this issue, we developed a quantitative, inexpensive, and rapid framework that relies on the early zebrafish embryo to assess mutational effects on a common scale. Using this assay, we assessed 16 mutations reported in MEK1, a MAPK kinase, and provide a robust ranking of these mutations. We find that mutations found in cancer are more severe than those found in both RASopathies and cancer, which, in turn, are generally more severe than those found only in RASopathies. Moreover, this rank is conserved in other zebrafish embryonic assays and Drosophila-specific embryonic and adult assays, suggesting that our ranking reflects the intrinsic property of the mutant molecule. Furthermore, this rank is predictive of the drug dose needed to correct the defects. This assay can be readily used to test the strengths of existing and newly found mutations in MEK1 and other pathway components, providing the first step in the development of rational guidelines for patient-specific diagnostics and treatment of RASopathies.
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32
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Abstract
The goal of personalised medicine is to develop tailor-made therapies for patients in whom currently available therapeutics fail. This approach requires correlating individual patient genotype data to specific disease phenotype data and using these stratified data sets to identify bespoke therapeutics. Applications for personalised medicine include common complex diseases which may have multiple targets, as well as rare monogenic disorders, for which the target may be unknown. In both cases, whole genome sequence analysis (WGS) is discovering large numbers of disease associated mutations in new candidate genes and potential modifier genes. Currently, the main limiting factor is the determination of which mutated genes are important for disease progression and therefore represent potential targets for drug discovery. Zebrafish have gained popularity as a model organism for understanding developmental processes, disease mechanisms and more recently for drug discovery and toxicity testing. In this chapter, we will examine the diverse roles that zebrafish can make in the expanding field of personalised medicine, from generating humanised disease models to xenograft screening of different cancer cell lines, through to finding new drugs via in vivo phenotypic screens. We will discuss the tools available for zebrafish research and recent advances in techniques, highlighting the advantages and potential of using zebrafish for high throughput disease modeling and precision drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Baxendale
- The Bateson Centre, Department of Biomedical Science, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK.
| | - Freek van Eeden
- The Bateson Centre, Department of Biomedical Science, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - Robert Wilkinson
- The Bateson Centre, Department of Biomedical Science, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK.,Department of Infection, Immunity and Cardiovascular Disease, Medical School, Beech Hill Rd, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2RX, UK
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El Bouchikhi I, Belhassan K, Moufid FZ, Iraqui Houssaini M, Bouguenouch L, Samri I, Atmani S, Ouldim K. Noonan syndrome-causing genes: Molecular update and an assessment of the mutation rate. Int J Pediatr Adolesc Med 2016; 3:133-142. [PMID: 30805484 PMCID: PMC6372459 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpam.2016.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2016] [Accepted: 06/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Noonan syndrome is a common autosomal dominant disorder characterized by short stature, congenital heart disease and facial dysmorphia with an incidence of 1/1000 to 2500 live births. Up to now, several genes have been proven to be involved in the disturbance of the transduction signal through the RAS-MAP Kinase pathway and the manifestation of Noonan syndrome. The first gene described was PTPN11, followed by SOS1, RAF1, KRAS, BRAF, NRAS, MAP2K1, and RIT1, and recently SOS2, LZTR1, and A2ML1, among others. Progressively, the physiopathology and molecular etiology of most signs of Noonan syndrome have been demonstrated, and inheritance patterns as well as genetic counseling have been established. In this review, we summarize the data concerning clinical features frequently observed in Noonan syndrome, and then, we describe the molecular etiology as well as the physiopathology of most Noonan syndrome-causing genes. In the second part of this review, we assess the mutational rate of Noonan syndrome-causing genes reported up to now in most screening studies. This review should give clinicians as well as geneticists a full view of the molecular aspects of Noonan syndrome and the authentic prevalence of the mutational events of its causing-genes. It will also facilitate laying the groundwork for future molecular diagnosis research, and the development of novel treatment strategies.
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Key Words
- CDC25, cell division cycle 25
- CHD, congenital heart defects
- CR, conserved region
- CRD, cysteine-rich domain
- GAP, GTPase activating protein
- GDP, guanosine-DiPhosphate
- GEF, guanine exchange factor
- GH, growth hormone
- GTP, guanosine-TriPhosphate
- HCM, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
- IGF-1, insulin-like growth factor I
- MAP kinase signaling pathways
- Molecular etiology
- Mutation rate
- Noonan syndrome
- PTPN11
- RAS family
- RBD, RAS binding domain
- REM, RAS exchange motif
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Affiliation(s)
- Ihssane El Bouchikhi
- Medical Genetics and Oncogenetics Laboratory, HASSAN II University Hospital, BP 1835, Atlas, Fez 30000, Morocco.,Laboratory of Microbial Biotechnology, Faculty of Sciences and Techniques, University of Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah, B.P. 2202, Route d'Imouzzer, Fez 30000, Morocco
| | - Khadija Belhassan
- Medical Genetics and Oncogenetics Laboratory, HASSAN II University Hospital, BP 1835, Atlas, Fez 30000, Morocco
| | - Fatima Zohra Moufid
- Medical Genetics and Oncogenetics Laboratory, HASSAN II University Hospital, BP 1835, Atlas, Fez 30000, Morocco.,Laboratory of Microbial Biotechnology, Faculty of Sciences and Techniques, University of Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah, B.P. 2202, Route d'Imouzzer, Fez 30000, Morocco
| | - Mohammed Iraqui Houssaini
- Laboratory of Microbial Biotechnology, Faculty of Sciences and Techniques, University of Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah, B.P. 2202, Route d'Imouzzer, Fez 30000, Morocco
| | - Laila Bouguenouch
- Medical Genetics and Oncogenetics Laboratory, HASSAN II University Hospital, BP 1835, Atlas, Fez 30000, Morocco
| | - Imane Samri
- Medical Genetics and Oncogenetics Laboratory, HASSAN II University Hospital, BP 1835, Atlas, Fez 30000, Morocco
| | - Samir Atmani
- Medico-Surgical Unit of Cardio-pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, HASSAN II University Hospital, BP 1835, Atlas, Fez 30000, Morocco
| | - Karim Ouldim
- Medical Genetics and Oncogenetics Laboratory, HASSAN II University Hospital, BP 1835, Atlas, Fez 30000, Morocco
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Linhares ND, Freire MCM, Cardenas RGCDCL, Pena HB, Lachlan K, Dallapiccola B, Bacino C, Delobel B, James P, Thuresson AC, Annerén G, Pena SDJ. 1p13.2 deletion displays clinical features overlapping Noonan syndrome, likely related to NRAS gene haploinsufficiency. Genet Mol Biol 2016; 39:349-57. [PMID: 27561113 PMCID: PMC5004838 DOI: 10.1590/1678-4685-gmb-2016-0049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2016] [Accepted: 05/09/2016] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Deletion-induced hemizygosity may unmask deleterious autosomal recessive variants and be a cause of the phenotypic variability observed in microdeletion syndromes. We performed complete exome sequencing (WES) analysis to examine this possibility in a patient with 1p13.2 microdeletion. Since the patient displayed clinical features suggestive of Noonan Syndrome (NS), we also used WES to rule out the presence of pathogenic variants in any of the genes associated with the different types of NS. We concluded that the clinical findings could be attributed solely to the 1p13.2 haploinsufficiency. Retrospective analysis of other nine reported patients with 1p13.2 microdeletions showed that six of them also presented some characteristics of NS. In all these cases, the deleted segment included the NRAS gene. Gain-of-function mutations of NRAS gene are causally related to NS type 6. Thus, it is conceivable that NRAS haploinsufficiency and gain-of-function mutations may have similar clinical consequences. The same phenomenon has been described for two other genes belonging to the Ras/MAPK pathway: MAP2K2 and SHOC2. In conclusion, we here report genotype-phenotype correlations in patients with chromosome 1p13.2 microdeletions and we propose that NRAS may be a critical gene for the NS characteristics in the patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natália Duarte Linhares
- Laboratório de Genômica Clínica, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Maíra Cristina Menezes Freire
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | | | | | - Katherine Lachlan
- Wessex Clinical Genetics Service, Princess Anne Hospital, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | | | - Carlos Bacino
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Bruno Delobel
- Centre de Génétique Chromosomique, GH de l'Institut Catholique de Lille - Hopital Saint Vincent de Paul, Lille, France
| | - Paul James
- Victorian Clinical Genetics Service, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Ann-Charlotte Thuresson
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, The Rudbeck Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Göran Annerén
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, The Rudbeck Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Sérgio D J Pena
- Laboratório de Genômica Clínica, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.,Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.,Laboratório Gene - Núcleo de Genética Médica, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
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Abstract
RASopathies are developmental disorders caused by germline mutations in the Ras-MAPK pathway, and are characterized by a broad spectrum of functional and morphological abnormalities. The high incidence of these disorders (∼1/1000 births) motivates the development of systematic approaches for their efficient diagnosis and potential treatment. Recent advances in genome sequencing have greatly facilitated the genotyping and discovery of mutations in affected individuals, but establishing the causal relationships between molecules and disease phenotypes is non-trivial and presents both technical and conceptual challenges. Here, we discuss how these challenges could be addressed using genetically modified model organisms that have been instrumental in delineating the Ras-MAPK pathway and its roles during development. Focusing on studies in mice, zebrafish and Drosophila, we provide an up-to-date review of animal models of RASopathies at the molecular and functional level. We also discuss how increasingly sophisticated techniques of genetic engineering can be used to rigorously connect changes in specific components of the Ras-MAPK pathway with observed functional and morphological phenotypes. Establishing these connections is essential for advancing our understanding of RASopathies and for devising rational strategies for their management and treatment. Summary: Developmental disorders caused by germline mutations in the Ras-MAPK pathway are called RASopathies. Studies with animal models, including mice, zebrafish and Drosophila, continue to enhance our understanding of these diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Granton A Jindal
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Yogesh Goyal
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Rebecca D Burdine
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Katherine A Rauen
- Department of Pediatrics, MIND Institute, Division of Genomic Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - Stanislav Y Shvartsman
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
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Ekvall S, Wilbe M, Dahlgren J, Legius E, van Haeringen A, Westphal O, Annerén G, Bondeson ML. Mutation in NRAS in familial Noonan syndrome--case report and review of the literature. BMC Med Genet 2015; 16:95. [PMID: 26467218 DOI: 10.1186/s12881-015-0239-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2015] [Accepted: 09/30/2015] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Background Noonan syndrome (NS), a heterogeneous developmental disorder associated with variable clinical expression including short stature, congenital heart defect, unusual pectus deformity and typical facial features, is caused by activating mutations in genes involved in the RAS-MAPK signaling pathway. Case presentation Here, we present a clinical and molecular characterization of a small family with Noonan syndrome. Comprehensive mutation analysis of NF1, PTPN11, SOS1, CBL, BRAF, RAF1, SHOC2, MAP2K2, MAP2K1, SPRED1, NRAS, HRAS and KRAS was performed using targeted next-generation sequencing. The result revealed a recurrent mutation in NRAS, c.179G > A (p.G60E), in the index patient. This mutation was inherited from the index patient’s father, who also showed signs of NS. Conclusions We describe clinical features in this family and review the literature for genotype-phenotype correlations for NS patients with mutations in NRAS. Neither of affected individuals in this family presented with juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML), which together with previously published results suggest that the risk for NS individuals with a germline NRAS mutation developing JMML is not different from the proportion seen in other NS cases. Interestingly, 50 % of NS individuals with an NRAS mutation (including our family) present with lentigines and/or Café-au-lait spots. This demonstrates a predisposition to hyperpigmented lesions in NRAS-positive NS individuals. In addition, the affected father in our family presented with a hearing deficit since birth, which together with lentigines are two characteristics of NS with multiple lentigines (previously LEOPARD syndrome), supporting the difficulties in diagnosing individuals with RASopathies correctly. The clinical and genetic heterogeneity observed in RASopathies is a challenge for genetic testing. However, next-generation sequencing technology, which allows screening of a large number of genes simultaneously, will facilitate an early and accurate diagnosis of patients with RASopathies.
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Lundegaard PR, Anastasaki C, Grant NJ, Sillito RR, Zich J, Zeng Z, Paranthaman K, Larsen AP, Armstrong JD, Porteous DJ, Patton EE. MEK Inhibitors Reverse cAMP-Mediated Anxiety in Zebrafish. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015; 22:1335-46. [PMID: 26388333 PMCID: PMC4623357 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2015.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2015] [Revised: 08/11/2015] [Accepted: 08/14/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Altered phosphodiesterase (PDE)-cyclic AMP (cAMP) activity is frequently associated with anxiety disorders, but current therapies act by reducing neuronal excitability rather than targeting PDE-cAMP-mediated signaling pathways. Here, we report the novel repositioning of anti-cancer MEK inhibitors as anxiolytics in a zebrafish model of anxiety-like behaviors. PDE inhibitors or activators of adenylate cyclase cause behaviors consistent with anxiety in larvae and adult zebrafish. Small-molecule screening identifies MEK inhibitors as potent suppressors of cAMP anxiety behaviors in both larvae and adult zebrafish, while causing no anxiolytic behavioral effects on their own. The mechanism underlying cAMP-induced anxiety is via crosstalk to activation of the RAS-MAPK signaling pathway. We propose that targeting crosstalk signaling pathways can be an effective strategy for mental health disorders, and advance the repositioning of MEK inhibitors as behavior stabilizers in the context of increased cAMP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pia R Lundegaard
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK; Edinburgh Cancer Research Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK; Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK; Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK; Department of Biomedical Sciences, Danish National Research Foundation Centre for Cardiac Arrhythmia, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Corina Anastasaki
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK; Edinburgh Cancer Research Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK; Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK
| | - Nicola J Grant
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK; Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK
| | - Rowland R Sillito
- Actual Analytics Ltd, 2.05 Wilkie Building, 22-23 Teviot Row, Edinburgh EH8 9AG, UK
| | - Judith Zich
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK; Edinburgh Cancer Research Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK; Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK
| | - Zhiqiang Zeng
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK; Edinburgh Cancer Research Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK; Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK
| | - Karthika Paranthaman
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK; Edinburgh Cancer Research Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK; Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK
| | - Anders Peter Larsen
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Danish National Research Foundation Centre for Cardiac Arrhythmia, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - J Douglas Armstrong
- Actual Analytics Ltd, 2.05 Wilkie Building, 22-23 Teviot Row, Edinburgh EH8 9AG, UK; School of Informatics, Institute for Adaptive and Neural Computation, Informatics Forum, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9AB, UK
| | - David J Porteous
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK; Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK.
| | - E Elizabeth Patton
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK; Edinburgh Cancer Research Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK; Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK.
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Koenighofer M, Hung CY, McCauley JL, Dallman J, Back EJ, Mihalek I, Gripp KW, Sol-Church K, Rusconi P, Zhang Z, Shi GX, Andres DA, Bodamer OA. Mutations in RIT1 cause Noonan syndrome - additional functional evidence and expanding the clinical phenotype. Clin Genet 2015; 89:359-66. [PMID: 25959749 DOI: 10.1111/cge.12608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2015] [Revised: 04/05/2015] [Accepted: 05/05/2015] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
RASopathies are a clinically heterogeneous group of conditions caused by mutations in 1 of 16 proteins in the RAS-mitogen activated protein kinase (RAS-MAPK) pathway. Recently, mutations in RIT1 were identified as a novel cause for Noonan syndrome. Here we provide additional functional evidence for a causal role of RIT1 mutations and expand the associated phenotypic spectrum. We identified two de novo missense variants p.Met90Ile and p.Ala57Gly. Both variants resulted in increased MEK-ERK signaling compared to wild-type, underscoring gain-of-function as the primary functional mechanism. Introduction of p.Met90Ile and p.Ala57Gly into zebrafish embryos reproduced not only aspects of the human phenotype but also revealed abnormalities of eye development, emphasizing the importance of RIT1 for spatial and temporal organization of the growing organism. In addition, we observed severe lymphedema of the lower extremity and genitalia in one patient. We provide additional evidence for a causal relationship between pathogenic mutations in RIT1, increased RAS-MAPK/MEK-ERK signaling and the clinical phenotype. The mutant RIT1 protein may possess reduced GTPase activity or a diminished ability to interact with cellular GTPase activating proteins; however the precise mechanism remains unknown. The phenotypic spectrum is likely to expand and includes lymphedema of the lower extremities in addition to nuchal hygroma.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Koenighofer
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - C Y Hung
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation Department of Human Genetics, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - J L McCauley
- Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation Department of Human Genetics, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA.,John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | - J Dallman
- Department of Biology, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | - E J Back
- Department of Biology, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | - I Mihalek
- Bioinformatics Institute A*STAR Singapore, Singapore
| | - K W Gripp
- Division of Medical Genetics, Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, DE, USA
| | - K Sol-Church
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | - P Rusconi
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Z Zhang
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - G-X Shi
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - D A Andres
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - O A Bodamer
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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Gripp KW, Sol-Church K, Smpokou P, Graham GE, Stevenson DA, Hanson H, Viskochil DH, Baker LC, Russo B, Gardner N, Stabley DL, Kolbe V, Rosenberger G. An attenuated phenotype of Costello syndrome in three unrelated individuals with a HRAS c.179G>A (p.Gly60Asp) mutation correlates with uncommon functional consequences. Am J Med Genet A 2015; 167A:2085-97. [PMID: 25914166 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.a.37128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2015] [Accepted: 04/06/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Heterozygous germline mutations in the proto-oncogene HRAS cause Costello syndrome (CS), an intellectual disability condition with severe failure to thrive, cardiac abnormalities, predisposition to tumors, and neurologic abnormalities. More than 80% of patients share the HRAS mutation c.34G>A (p.Gly12Ser) associated with the typical, relatively homogeneous phenotype. Rarer mutations occurred in individuals with an attenuated phenotype and less characteristic facial features. Most pathogenic HRAS alterations affect hydrolytic HRAS activity resulting in constitutive activation. "Gain-of-function" and "hyperactivation" concerning downstream pathways are widely used to explain the molecular basis and dysregulation of the RAS-MAPK pathway is the biologic mechanism shared amongst rasopathies. Panel testing for rasopathies identified a novel HRAS mutation (c.179G>A; p.Gly60Asp) in three individuals with attenuated features of Costello syndrome. De novo paternal origin occurred in two, transmission from a heterozygous mother in the third. Individuals showed subtle facial features; curly hair and relative macrocephaly were seen in three; atrial tachycardia and learning difficulties in two, and pulmonic valve dysplasia and mildly thickened left ventricle in one. None had severe failure to thrive, intellectual disability or cancer, underscoring the need to consider HRAS mutations in individuals with an unspecific rasopathy phenotype. Functional studies revealed strongly increased HRAS(Gly60Asp) binding to RAF1, but not to other signaling effectors. Hyperactivation of the MAPK downstream signaling pathways was absent. Our results indicate that an increase in the proportion of activated RAS downstream signaling components does not entirely explain the molecular basis of CS. We conclude that the phenotypic variability in CS recapitulates variable qualities of molecular dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen W Gripp
- Division of Medical Genetics, A. I. duPont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, Delaware
| | - Katia Sol-Church
- Center for Applied Clinical Genomics, A. I. duPont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, Delaware
| | - Patroula Smpokou
- Division of Genetics and Metabolism, Children's National Health System, Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Gail E Graham
- Department of Genetics, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - David A Stevenson
- Division of Medical Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, California
| | - Heather Hanson
- Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
| | - David H Viskochil
- Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
| | - Laura C Baker
- Division of Medical Genetics, A. I. duPont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, Delaware
| | - Bridget Russo
- Center for Applied Clinical Genomics, A. I. duPont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, Delaware
| | - Nick Gardner
- Center for Applied Clinical Genomics, A. I. duPont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, Delaware
| | - Deborah L Stabley
- Center for Applied Clinical Genomics, A. I. duPont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, Delaware
| | - Verena Kolbe
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Georg Rosenberger
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
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Paardekooper Overman J, Preisinger C, Prummel K, Bonetti M, Giansanti P, Heck A, den Hertog J. Phosphoproteomics-mediated identification of Fer kinase as a target of mutant Shp2 in Noonan and LEOPARD syndrome. PLoS One 2014; 9:e106682. [PMID: 25184253 PMCID: PMC4153654 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0106682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2014] [Accepted: 07/30/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Noonan syndrome (NS) and LEOPARD syndrome (LS) cause congenital afflictions such as short stature, hypertelorism and heart defects. More than 50% of NS and almost all of LS cases are caused by activating and inactivating mutations of the phosphatase Shp2, respectively. How these biochemically opposing mutations lead to similar clinical outcomes is not clear. Using zebrafish models of NS and LS and mass spectrometry-based phosphotyrosine proteomics, we identified a down-regulated peptide of Fer kinase in both NS and LS. Further investigation showed a role for Fer during development, where morpholino-based knockdown caused craniofacial defects, heart edema and short stature. During gastrulation, loss of Fer caused convergence and extension defects without affecting cell fate. Moreover, Fer knockdown cooperated with NS and LS, but not wild type Shp2 to induce developmental defects, suggesting a role for Fer in the pathogenesis of both NS and LS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeroen Paardekooper Overman
- Hubrecht Institute-Koninklijke Nederlandse Akademie van Wetenschappen and University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Christian Preisinger
- Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics, Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular Research and Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Research, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Netherlands Proteomics Centre, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Proteomics Facility, Interdisciplinary Centre for Clinical Research Aachen, Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Karin Prummel
- Hubrecht Institute-Koninklijke Nederlandse Akademie van Wetenschappen and University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Monica Bonetti
- Hubrecht Institute-Koninklijke Nederlandse Akademie van Wetenschappen and University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Piero Giansanti
- Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics, Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular Research and Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Research, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Netherlands Proteomics Centre, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Albert Heck
- Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics, Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular Research and Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Research, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Netherlands Proteomics Centre, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Centre for Biomedical Genetics, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Jeroen den Hertog
- Hubrecht Institute-Koninklijke Nederlandse Akademie van Wetenschappen and University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Institute Biology Leiden, Leiden, The Netherlands
- * E-mail:
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41
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Kelly ML, Astsaturov A, Rhodes J, Chernoff J. A Pak1/Erk signaling module acts through Gata6 to regulate cardiovascular development in zebrafish. Dev Cell 2014; 29:350-9. [PMID: 24823378 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2014.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2013] [Revised: 01/31/2014] [Accepted: 04/01/2014] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Proper neural crest development and migration is critical during embryonic development, but the molecular mechanisms regulating this process remain incompletely understood. Here, we show that the protein kinase Erk, which plays a central role in a number of key developmental processes in vertebrates, is regulated in the developing neural crest by p21-activated protein kinase 1 (Pak1). Furthermore, we show that activated Erk signals by phosphorylating the transcription factor Gata6 on a conserved serine residue to promote neural crest migration and proper formation of craniofacial structures, pigment cells, and the outflow tract of the heart. Our data suggest an essential role for Pak1 as an Erk activator, and Gata6 as an Erk target, during neural crest development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mollie L Kelly
- Cancer Biology Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA 19111, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19102, USA
| | - Artyom Astsaturov
- Cancer Biology Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA 19111, USA
| | - Jennifer Rhodes
- Cancer Biology Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA 19111, USA
| | - Jonathan Chernoff
- Cancer Biology Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA 19111, USA.
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Vissers LELM, Bonetti M, Paardekooper Overman J, Nillesen WM, Frints SGM, de Ligt J, Zampino G, Justino A, Machado JC, Schepens M, Brunner HG, Veltman JA, Scheffer H, Gros P, Costa JL, Tartaglia M, van der Burgt I, Yntema HG, den Hertog J. Heterozygous germline mutations in A2ML1 are associated with a disorder clinically related to Noonan syndrome. Eur J Hum Genet 2014; 23:317-24. [PMID: 24939586 DOI: 10.1038/ejhg.2014.115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2013] [Revised: 04/29/2014] [Accepted: 05/08/2014] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Noonan syndrome (NS) is a developmental disorder characterized by short stature, facial dysmorphisms and congenital heart defects. To date, all mutations known to cause NS are dominant, activating mutations in signal transducers of the RAS/mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway. In 25% of cases, however, the genetic cause of NS remains elusive, suggesting that factors other than those involved in the canonical RAS/MAPK pathway may also have a role. Here, we used family-based whole exome sequencing of a case-parent trio and identified a de novo mutation, p.(Arg802His), in A2ML1, which encodes the secreted protease inhibitor α-2-macroglobulin (A2M)-like-1. Subsequent resequencing of A2ML1 in 155 cases with a clinical diagnosis of NS led to the identification of additional mutations in two families, p.(Arg802Leu) and p.(Arg592Leu). Functional characterization of these human A2ML1 mutations in zebrafish showed NS-like developmental defects, including a broad head, blunted face and cardiac malformations. Using the crystal structure of A2M, which is highly homologous to A2ML1, we identified the intramolecular interaction partner of p.Arg802. Mutation of this residue, p.Glu906, induced similar developmental defects in zebrafish, strengthening our conclusion that mutations in A2ML1 cause a disorder clinically related to NS. This is the first report of the involvement of an extracellular factor in a disorder clinically related to RASopathies, providing potential new leads for better understanding of the molecular basis of this family of developmental diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisenka E L M Vissers
- 1] Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands [2] Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands [3] Donders Centre for Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Monica Bonetti
- Hubrecht Institute-KNAW and University Medical Center, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | | | - Willy M Nillesen
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Suzanna G M Frints
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Joep de Ligt
- 1] Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands [2] Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands [3] Donders Centre for Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Giuseppe Zampino
- Dipartimento di Pediatria, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Ana Justino
- IPATIMUP - Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - José C Machado
- IPATIMUP - Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Marga Schepens
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Han G Brunner
- 1] Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands [2] Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands [3] Donders Centre for Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Joris A Veltman
- 1] Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands [2] Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands [3] Donders Centre for Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Hans Scheffer
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Piet Gros
- Crystal and Structural Chemistry, Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular Research, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - José L Costa
- IPATIMUP - Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Marco Tartaglia
- Dipartimento di Ematologia, Oncologia e Medicina Molecolare, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Ineke van der Burgt
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Helger G Yntema
- 1] Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands [2] Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Jeroen den Hertog
- 1] Hubrecht Institute-KNAW and University Medical Center, Utrecht, The Netherlands [2] Institute of Biology, Leiden, The Netherlands
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Paardekooper Overman J, Yi JS, Bonetti M, Soulsby M, Preisinger C, Stokes MP, Hui L, Silva JC, Overvoorde J, Giansanti P, Heck AJ, Kontaridis MI, den Hertog J, Bennett AM. PZR coordinates Shp2 Noonan and LEOPARD syndrome signaling in zebrafish and mice. Mol Cell Biol 2014; 34:2874-89. [PMID: 24865967 DOI: 10.1128/MCB.00135-14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Noonan syndrome (NS) is an autosomal dominant disorder caused by activating mutations in the PTPN11 gene encoding Shp2, which manifests in congenital heart disease, short stature, and facial dysmorphia. The complexity of Shp2 signaling is exemplified by the observation that LEOPARD syndrome (LS) patients possess inactivating PTPN11 mutations yet exhibit similar symptoms to NS. Here, we identify "protein zero-related" (PZR), a transmembrane glycoprotein that interfaces with the extracellular matrix to promote cell migration, as a major hyper-tyrosyl-phosphorylated protein in mouse and zebrafish models of NS and LS. PZR hyper-tyrosyl phosphorylation is facilitated in a phosphatase-independent manner by enhanced Src recruitment to NS and LS Shp2. In zebrafish, PZR overexpression recapitulated NS and LS phenotypes. PZR was required for zebrafish gastrulation in a manner dependent upon PZR tyrosyl phosphorylation. Hence, we identify PZR as an NS and LS target. Enhanced PZR-mediated membrane recruitment of Shp2 serves as a common mechanism to direct overlapping pathophysiological characteristics of these PTPN11 mutations.
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Bonetti M, Paardekooper Overman J, Tessadori F, Noël E, Bakkers J, den Hertog J. Noonan and LEOPARD syndrome Shp2 variants induce heart displacement defects in zebrafish. Development 2014; 141:1961-70. [PMID: 24718990 DOI: 10.1242/dev.106310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Germline mutations in PTPN11, encoding Shp2, cause Noonan syndrome (NS) and LEOPARD syndrome (LS), two developmental disorders that are characterized by multiple overlapping symptoms. Interestingly, Shp2 catalytic activity is enhanced by NS mutations and reduced by LS mutations. Defective cardiac development is a prominent symptom of both NS and LS, but how the Shp2 variants affect cardiac development is unclear. Here, we have expressed the most common NS and LS Shp2-variants in zebrafish embryos to investigate their role in cardiac development in vivo. Heart function was impaired in embryos expressing NS and LS variants of Shp2. The cardiac anomalies first occurred during elongation of the heart tube and consisted of reduced cardiomyocyte migration, coupled with impaired leftward heart displacement. Expression of specific laterality markers was randomized in embryos expressing NS and LS variants of Shp2. Ciliogenesis and cilia function in Kupffer's vesicle was impaired, likely accounting for the left/right asymmetry defects. Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling was activated to a similar extent in embryos expressing NS and LS Shp2 variants. Interestingly, inhibition of MAPK signaling prior to gastrulation rescued cilia length and heart laterality defects. These results suggest that NS and LS Shp2 variant-mediated hyperactivation of MAPK signaling leads to impaired cilia function in Kupffer's vesicle, causing left-right asymmetry defects and defective early cardiac development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Bonetti
- Hubrecht Institute-KNAW and University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht 3584 CT, The Netherlands
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Paardekooper Overman J, den Hertog J. Zebrafish as a model to study PTPs during development. Methods 2014; 65:247-53. [PMID: 23974070 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2013.08.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2013] [Revised: 08/12/2013] [Accepted: 08/15/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022] Open
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Aoki Y, Niihori T, Banjo T, Okamoto N, Mizuno S, Kurosawa K, Ogata T, Takada F, Yano M, Ando T, Hoshika T, Barnett C, Ohashi H, Kawame H, Hasegawa T, Okutani T, Nagashima T, Hasegawa S, Funayama R, Nagashima T, Nakayama K, Inoue SI, Watanabe Y, Ogura T, Matsubara Y. Gain-of-function mutations in RIT1 cause Noonan syndrome, a RAS/MAPK pathway syndrome. Am J Hum Genet 2013; 93:173-80. [PMID: 23791108 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2013.05.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 230] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2013] [Revised: 05/19/2013] [Accepted: 05/23/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
RAS GTPases mediate a wide variety of cellular functions, including cell proliferation, survival, and differentiation. Recent studies have revealed that germline mutations and mosaicism for classical RAS mutations, including those in HRAS, KRAS, and NRAS, cause a wide spectrum of genetic disorders. These include Noonan syndrome and related disorders (RAS/mitogen-activated protein kinase [RAS/MAPK] pathway syndromes, or RASopathies), nevus sebaceous, and Schimmelpenning syndrome. In the present study, we identified a total of nine missense, nonsynonymous mutations in RIT1, encoding a member of the RAS subfamily, in 17 of 180 individuals (9%) with Noonan syndrome or a related condition but with no detectable mutations in known Noonan-related genes. Clinical manifestations in the RIT1-mutation-positive individuals are consistent with those of Noonan syndrome, which is characterized by distinctive facial features, short stature, and congenital heart defects. Seventy percent of mutation-positive individuals presented with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy; this frequency is high relative to the overall 20% incidence in individuals with Noonan syndrome. Luciferase assays in NIH 3T3 cells showed that five RIT1 alterations identified in children with Noonan syndrome enhanced ELK1 transactivation. The introduction of mRNAs of mutant RIT1 into 1-cell-stage zebrafish embryos was found to result in a significant increase of embryos with craniofacial abnormalities, incomplete looping, a hypoplastic chamber in the heart, and an elongated yolk sac. These results demonstrate that gain-of-function mutations in RIT1 cause Noonan syndrome and show a similar biological effect to mutations in other RASopathy-related genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoko Aoki
- Department of Medical Genetics, Tohoku University School of Medicine, Sendai 980-8574, Japan.
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Kinsler VA, Thomas AC, Ishida M, Bulstrode NW, Loughlin S, Hing S, Chalker J, McKenzie K, Abu-Amero S, Slater O, Chanudet E, Palmer R, Morrogh D, Stanier P, Healy E, Sebire NJ, Moore GE. Multiple congenital melanocytic nevi and neurocutaneous melanosis are caused by postzygotic mutations in codon 61 of NRAS. J Invest Dermatol 2013; 133:2229-36. [PMID: 23392294 PMCID: PMC3678977 DOI: 10.1038/jid.2013.70] [Citation(s) in RCA: 204] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2012] [Revised: 12/06/2012] [Accepted: 01/02/2013] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Congenital melanocytic nevi (CMN) can be associated with neurological abnormalities and an increased risk of melanoma. Mutations in NRAS, BRAF, and Tp53 have been described in individual CMN samples; however, their role in the pathogenesis of multiple CMN within the same subject and development of associated features has not been clear. We hypothesized that a single postzygotic mutation in NRAS could be responsible for multiple CMN in the same individual, as well as for melanocytic and nonmelanocytic central nervous system (CNS) lesions. From 15 patients, 55 samples with multiple CMN were sequenced after site-directed mutagenesis and enzymatic digestion of the wild-type allele. Oncogenic missense mutations in codon 61 of NRAS were found in affected neurological and cutaneous tissues of 12 out of 15 patients, but were absent from unaffected tissues and blood, consistent with NRAS mutation mosaicism. In 10 patients, the mutation was consistently c.181C>A, p.Q61K, and in 2 patients c.182A>G, p.Q61R. All 11 non-melanocytic and melanocytic CNS samples from 5 patients were mutation positive, despite NRAS rarely being reported as mutated in CNS tumors. Loss of heterozygosity was associated with the onset of melanoma in two cases, implying a multistep progression to malignancy. These results suggest that single postzygotic NRAS mutations are responsible for multiple CMN and associated neurological lesions in the majority of cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronica A Kinsler
- Paediatric Dermatology Department, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, UK.
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Aoki Y, Matsubara Y. Ras/MAPK syndromes and childhood hemato-oncological diseases. Int J Hematol 2012; 97:30-6. [PMID: 23250860 DOI: 10.1007/s12185-012-1239-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2012] [Revised: 12/03/2012] [Accepted: 12/04/2012] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Noonan syndrome (NS) is an autosomal-dominant disease characterized by distinctive facial features, webbed neck, cardiac anomalies, short stature and cryptorchidism. NS exhibits phenotypic overlap with Costello syndrome and cardio-facio-cutaneous (CFC) syndrome. Germline mutations of genes encoding proteins in the RAS/mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway cause NS and related disorders. Germline mutations in PTPN11, KRAS, SOS1, RAF1, and NRAS have been identified in 60-80 % of NS patients. Germline mutations in HRAS have been identified in patients with Costello syndrome and mutations in KRAS, BRAF, and MAP2K1/2 (MEK1/2) have been identified in patients with CFC syndrome. Recently, mutations in SHOC2 and CBL have been identified in patients with Noonan-like syndrome. It has been suggested that these syndromes be comprehensively termed RAS/MAPK syndromes, or RASopathies. Molecular analysis is beneficial for the confirmation of clinical diagnoses and follow-up with patients using a tumor-screening protocol, as patients with NS and related disorders have an increased risk of developing tumors. In this review, we summarize the genetic mutations, clinical manifestations, associations with malignant tumors, and possible therapeutic approaches for these disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoko Aoki
- Department of Medical Genetics, Tohoku University School of Medicine, 1-1 Seiryo-machi, Sendai, Japan.
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Kraoua L, Journel H, Bonnet P, Amiel J, Pouvreau N, Baumann C, Verloes A, Cavé H. Constitutional NRAS mutations are rare among patients with Noonan syndrome or juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia. Am J Med Genet A 2012; 158A:2407-11. [PMID: 22887781 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.a.35513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2012] [Accepted: 05/10/2012] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Recently, germline mutations of NRAS have been shown to be associated with Noonan syndrome (NS), a relatively common developmental disorder characterized by short stature, congenital heart disease, and distinctive facial features. We report on the mutational analysis of NRAS in a cohort of 125 French patients with NS and no known mutation for PTPN11, KRAS, SOS1, MEK1, MEK2, RAF1, BRAF, and SHOC2. The c.179G>A (p.G60E) mutation was identified in two patients with typical NS, confirming that NRAS germline mutations are a rare cause of this syndrome. We also screened our cohort of 95 patients with juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML). Among 17 patients with NRAS-mutated JMML, none had clinical features suggestive of NS. None of the 11 JMML patients for which germline DNA was available had a constitutional NRAS mutation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lilia Kraoua
- Department of Genetics, AP-HP-Robert Debré Hospital, Paris, France
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Abstract
Noonan syndrome is a genetically heterogeneous disorder caused by mutations in PTPN11, SOS1, RAF1 and less frequently in KRAS, NRAS or SHOC2. Here, we performed mutation analysis of NRAS and SHOC2 in 115 PTPN11, SOS1, RAF1, and KRAS mutation-negative individuals. No SHOC2 mutations were found, but we identified 3 NRAS mutations in 3 probands. One NRAS mutation was novel. The phenotype associated with germline NRAS mutations is variable. Our results confirm that a small proportion of Noonan syndrome patients carry germline NRAS mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Denayer
- Departments of Human Genetics Catholic University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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