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Cursio I, Ronzano N, Asunis M, Dettori M, Cossu S, Murru S, Cau M, Incani F, Mei D, Bianchini C, Scioni M, Pruna D. A peculiar family with recurrent self-limited epileptic syndrome and associated developmental disorders in six girls. Epilepsy Behav Rep 2022; 19:100546. [PMID: 35637976 PMCID: PMC9142554 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebr.2022.100546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Revised: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 04/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Self-Limited Epilepsies may evolve to Developmental and/or Epileptic Encephalopathy. Family cases may present with recurrent phenotype and complex genetic background. Genetic testing could not provide useful elements for early aetiological diagnosis. This electroclinical phenotype had remarkable impact on development. It’s important an early identification of genetic risk factors of family cases.
We describe a complex family with two couples (two sisters who married two brothers) with consistent social and neuropsychiatric problems, originally from Sardinia. Each couple had three daughters, which shared electroclinical epileptic syndrome and developmental disorders. All patients suffered from mild to moderate intellectual disability, speech difficulties and behavioural disorders. Four out of six patients had epilepsy onset between 3 and 4 years of age. The epileptic history almost reflected the typical clinical course of a self-Limited Focal Epilepsy of Childhood. However, our patients don’t have the complete features characteristic of one of the four specific self-Limited Focal Epilepsies of Childhood; a progressive evolution into a Developmental and/or Epileptic Encephalopathy with spike-wave activation in sleep was observed in the two older sister of the first family, which developed more severe developmental disorder too. In the other epileptic patients, improvement of EEG pattern was not coincident with an improvement of the developmental disorders. Brain MRI, performed in three patients, showed normal findings. Genetic analysis carried out so far (SNP-array, study of Runs of homozygosity, FMR1 triplet-repeat primer-PCR assay, Next Generation Sequencing based gene panel for epilepsy and neurodevelopmental disorders and Exome Sequencing), did not provide useful elements for an aetiological diagnosis.
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Incani F, Cossu C, Meloni A, Faà V, Serra ML, Dettori F, Meloni A, Rosatelli MC. β-defensin CNV is not associated with susceptibility to Candida albicans infections in Sardinian APS I patients. J Oral Pathol Med 2016; 46:393-397. [PMID: 27682444 DOI: 10.1111/jop.12506] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to investigate whether a variation in the genomic copy number (CNV) of the β-defensin cluster could be associated with the pre-disposition to chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis (CMC) in Sardinian APECED patients. SUBJECTS AND METHODS The β-defensin copy number variation was determined by MLPA analysis in 18 Sardinian APECED patients with CMC and in 21 Sardinian controls. Statistical analyses were performed with one-way ANOVA test. RESULTS No statistically significant results were observed between the patients and controls groups. CONCLUSIONS According to the results we have obtained, it appears that either β-defensin genomic CNV is not a modifier locus for CMC susceptibility in APECED patients, or any effect is too small for it to be detected using such sample size. An extensive study on APECED patients from different geographical areas might reveal the real implication of the β-defensin CNV in the susceptibility to Candida albicans infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Incani
- Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche e Sanità Pubblica, Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Carla Cossu
- Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche e Sanità Pubblica, Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Alessandra Meloni
- Istituto di Ricerca Genetica e Biomedica, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Cagliari, c/o Cittadella Universitaria di Monserrato, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Valeria Faà
- Istituto di Ricerca Genetica e Biomedica, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Cagliari, c/o Cittadella Universitaria di Monserrato, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Maria Luisa Serra
- Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche e Sanità Pubblica, Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Federico Dettori
- Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche e Sanità Pubblica, Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Antonella Meloni
- Clinica pediatrica II, Ospedale Pediatrico Microcitemico 'Antonio Cao', Cagliari, Italy
| | - Maria Cristina Rosatelli
- Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche e Sanità Pubblica, Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
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Incani F, Serra ML, Meloni A, Cossu C, Saba L, Cabras T, Messana I, Rosatelli MC. AIRE acetylation and deacetylation: effect on protein stability and transactivation activity. J Biomed Sci 2014; 21:85. [PMID: 25158603 PMCID: PMC4256887 DOI: 10.1186/s12929-014-0085-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [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: 06/17/2014] [Accepted: 08/16/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The AIRE protein plays a remarkable role as a regulator of central tolerance by controlling the promiscuous expression of tissue-specific antigens in thymic medullary epithelial cells. Defects in AIRE gene cause the autoimmune polyendocrinopathy- candidiasis-ectodermal dystrophy, a rare disease frequent in Iranian Jews, Finns, and Sardinian population. RESULTS In this study, we have precisely mapped, by mass spectrometry experiments, the sites of protein acetylation and, by mutagenesis assays, we have described a set of acetylated lysines as being crucial in influencing the subcellular localization of AIRE. Furthermore, we have also determined that the de-acetyltransferase enzymes HDAC1-2 are involved in the lysine de-acetylation of AIRE. CONCLUSIONS On the basis of our results and those reported in literature, we propose a model in which lysines acetylation increases the stability of AIRE in the nucleus. In addition, we observed that the interaction of AIRE with deacetylases complexes inhibits its transcriptional activity and is probably responsible for the instability of AIRE, which becomes more susceptible to degradation in the proteasome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Incani
- />Dipartimento di Sanità Pubblica, Medicina Clinica e Molecolare, Unità di Ricerca di Scienze Biomediche e Biotecnologie, Università degli Studi di Cagliari, via Jenner s/n, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Maria Luisa Serra
- />Dipartimento di Sanità Pubblica, Medicina Clinica e Molecolare, Unità di Ricerca di Scienze Biomediche e Biotecnologie, Università degli Studi di Cagliari, via Jenner s/n, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Alessandra Meloni
- />Istituto di Ricerca Genetica e Biomedica, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Carla Cossu
- />Dipartimento di Sanità Pubblica, Medicina Clinica e Molecolare, Unità di Ricerca di Scienze Biomediche e Biotecnologie, Università degli Studi di Cagliari, via Jenner s/n, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Luisella Saba
- />Dipartimento di Sanità Pubblica, Medicina Clinica e Molecolare, Unità di Ricerca di Scienze Biomediche e Biotecnologie, Università degli Studi di Cagliari, via Jenner s/n, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Tiziana Cabras
- />Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell’Ambiente, Sezione di Biochimica, Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Irene Messana
- />Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell’Ambiente, Sezione di Biochimica, Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Maria Cristina Rosatelli
- />Dipartimento di Sanità Pubblica, Medicina Clinica e Molecolare, Unità di Ricerca di Scienze Biomediche e Biotecnologie, Università degli Studi di Cagliari, via Jenner s/n, Cagliari, Italy
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Meloni A, Fiorillo E, Corda D, Incani F, Serra ML, Contini A, Cao A, Rosatelli MC. DAXX is a new AIRE-interacting protein. J Biol Chem 2010. [DOI: 10.1074/jbc.a109.037747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
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Meloni A, Fiorillo E, Corda D, Incani F, Serra ML, Contini A, Cao A, Rosatelli MC. DAXX is a new AIRE-interacting protein. J Biol Chem 2010; 285:13012-21. [PMID: 20185822 PMCID: PMC2857146 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m109.037747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2009] [Revised: 02/09/2010] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The AIRE protein plays a remarkable role as a regulator of central tolerance by controlling the promiscuous expression of tissue-specific antigens in thymic medullary epithelial cells. Defects in the AIRE gene cause the autoimmune polyendocrinopathy-candidiasis-ectodermal dystrophy, a rare disease frequent in Iranian Jews, Finns, and Sardinian population. To this day, the precise function of the AIRE protein in regulating transcription and its interacting proteins has yet to be entirely clarified. The knowledge of novel AIRE interactors and their precise role will improve our knowledge of its biological activity and address some of the foremost autoimmunity-related questions. In this study, we have used a yeast two-hybrid system to identify AIRE-interacting proteins. This approach led us to the discovery of a new AIRE-interacting protein called DAXX. The protein is known to be a multifunctional adaptor with functions both in apoptosis and in transcription regulation pathways. The interaction between AIRE and DAXX has been validated by in vivo coimmunoprecipitation analysis and colocalization study in mammalian cells. The interaction has been further confirmed by showing in transactivation assays that DAXX exerts a strong repressive role on the transcriptional activity of AIRE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allesandra Meloni
- From the
Istituto di Neurogenetica e Neurofarmacologia, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche and
| | - Edoardo Fiorillo
- the
Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche e Biotecnologie, Università degli Studi di Cagliari, 09121 Cagliari, Italy
| | - Denise Corda
- the
Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche e Biotecnologie, Università degli Studi di Cagliari, 09121 Cagliari, Italy
| | - Federica Incani
- the
Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche e Biotecnologie, Università degli Studi di Cagliari, 09121 Cagliari, Italy
| | - Maria Luisa Serra
- the
Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche e Biotecnologie, Università degli Studi di Cagliari, 09121 Cagliari, Italy
| | - Antonella Contini
- the
Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche e Biotecnologie, Università degli Studi di Cagliari, 09121 Cagliari, Italy
| | - Antonio Cao
- From the
Istituto di Neurogenetica e Neurofarmacologia, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche and
| | - Maria Cristina Rosatelli
- the
Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche e Biotecnologie, Università degli Studi di Cagliari, 09121 Cagliari, Italy
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Faa' V, Coiana A, Incani F, Costantino L, Cao A, Rosatelli MC. A synonymous mutation in the CFTR gene causes aberrant splicing in an italian patient affected by a mild form of cystic fibrosis. J Mol Diagn 2010; 12:380-3. [PMID: 20190016 DOI: 10.2353/jmoldx.2010.090126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations within exons are responsible for aberrant splicing of pre-mRNA in several human disease genes and in some viral systems. Nonsense, missense, and even synonymous mutations can induce aberrant skipping of the mutant exon, producing nonfunctional proteins. In this paper, we describe the effect on the splicing efficiency of the synonymous variant 2811 G>T [Gly893Gly] detected in a patient of Italian descent affected by a mild form of cystic fibrosis, until now mentioned as sequence variation with unknown functional consequences. The study, performed through DNA as well as RNA analyses, shows that this mutation creates a new 5' splice site within exon 15, resulting in a transcript lacking 76 amino acid residues. Although this aberrant splicing causes a shorter exon 15, the downstream exonic sequence from exon 16 to the end of the open reading frame is in frame. This study indicates that apparently neutral polymorphism, which may be erroneously classified as nonpathogenic, may indeed led to aberrant splicing thereby resulting in defective protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Faa'
- Istituto di Neurogenetica e Neurofarmacologia, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Cagliari, Italy
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Faà V, Incani F, Meloni A, Corda D, Masala M, Baffico AM, Seia M, Cao A, Rosatelli MC. Characterization of a disease-associated mutation affecting a putative splicing regulatory element in intron 6b of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene. J Biol Chem 2009; 284:30024-31. [PMID: 19759008 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m109.032623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a common recessive disorder caused by >1600 mutations in the CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene. About 13% of CFTR mutations are classified as "splicing mutations," but for almost 40% of these, their role in affecting the pre-mRNA splicing of the gene is not yet defined. In this work, we describe a new splicing mutation detected in three unrelated Italian CF patients. By DNA analyses and mRNA studies, we identified the c.1002-1110_1113delTAAG mutation localized in intron 6b of the CFTR gene. At the mRNA level, this mutation creates an aberrant inclusion of a sequence of 101 nucleotides between exons 6b and 7. This sequence corresponds to a portion of intron 6b and resembles a cryptic exon because it is characterized by an upstream ag and a downstream gt sequence, which are most probably recognized as 5'- and 3'-splice sites by the spliceosome. Through functional analysis of this splicing defect, we show that this mutation abolishes the interaction of the splicing regulatory protein heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A2/B1 with an intronic splicing regulatory element and creates a new recognition motif for the SRp75 splicing factor, causing activation of the cryptic exon. Our results show that the c.1002-1110_1113delTAAG mutation creates a new intronic splicing regulatory element in intron 6b of the CFTR gene exclusively recognized by SRp75.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Faà
- From the Istituto di Neurogenetica e Neurofarmacologia, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, 09042 Cagliari, Italy
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Meloni A, Incani F, Corda D, Cao A, Rosatelli MC. Role of PHD fingers and COOH-terminal 30 amino acids in AIRE transactivation activity. Mol Immunol 2008; 45:805-9. [PMID: 17675238 DOI: 10.1016/j.molimm.2007.06.156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [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: 04/20/2007] [Accepted: 06/04/2007] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Autoimmune polyendocrinopathy-candidiasis-ectodermal dystrophy (APECED) is a rare autosomic autoimmune disease resulting from the defective function of a gene codifying for a transcription factor named autoimmune regulation (AIRE). The AIRE protein contains several domains among which two PHD fingers involved in the transcriptional activation. We investigated the function of the two PHD finger domains and the COOH terminal portion of AIRE by using several mutated constructs transfected in mammalian cells and a luciferase reporter assay. The results predict that the second PHD as well as the COOH terminal regions have marked transactivational properties. The COOH terminal region contains the fourth LXXLL and the PXXPXP motifs which play a critical role in mediating the transactivation capacity of the AIRE protein. Our study provides a definition of the role of the PHD fingers in transactivation and identifies a new transactivation domain of the AIRE protein localized in the COOH terminal region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Meloni
- Istituto di Neurogenetica e Neurofarmacologia, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Cagliari, Italy
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Monni G, Cau G, Usai V, Perra G, Lai R, Ibba G, Faà V, Incani F, Rosatelli MC. Preimplantation genetic diagnosis for β-thalassaemia: the Sardinian experience. Prenat Diagn 2004; 24:949-54. [PMID: 15614915 DOI: 10.1002/pd.1051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To report the experiences on preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) in couples at risk for beta-thalassaemia in Sardinia. METHODS 23 couples at risk for beta-thalassaemia were included in the PGD programme with a total of 42 cycles performed. Among these, 11 couples were fertile, while the remaining 12 had associated fertility problems. In vitro Fertilization (IVF), PGD and prenatal genetic molecular confirmation protocols and results are reported. RESULTS All the patients followed the protocol of ovarian stimulation, oocyte retrieval, intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), embryo biopsy and genetic analysis. A total of 272 oocytes were fertilized in the regular way, and embryo biopsy was performed on 202 embryos. Out of these 202 embryos, 192 (95%) were successful. The genetic diagnosis was performed on 150 embryos (78.1%). Ninety-eight were identified as unaffected and 75 were transferred in 31 cycles. In the infertile patient group, two biochemical pregnancies (11.1% per transfer), in the fertile patient group, four clinical pregnancies, two twin and two singleton pregnancies (30.8% per transfer), were obtained. The genetic molecular results were confirmed in all pregnancies by first-trimester chorionic villus sampling (CVS). CONCLUSION Our study shows that PGD for beta-thalassaemia is an available procedure for couples who wish to avoid termination of pregnancy, except in cases where the IVF cycle efficiency is very poor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Monni
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Prenatal and Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis, Fetal Therapy, Ospedale Microcitemico, Via Jenner s/n, 09121 Cagliari, Italy.
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Abstract
Despite the widespread use of operative cholangiography and choledoschoscopy, stones are still left behind after exploration of the common bile duct. Reoperation is associated with a significant morbidity and mortality. The use of a steerable catheter-basket technique has enabled stones to be removed from the biliary tract in the vast majority of cases without significant complications and has practically eliminated the need for further surgery.
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