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van der Laan L, Lauffer P, Rooney K, Silva A, Haghshenas S, Relator R, Levy MA, Trajkova S, Huisman SA, Bijlsma EK, Kleefstra T, van Bon BW, Baysal Ö, Zweier C, Palomares-Bralo M, Fischer J, Szakszon K, Faivre L, Piton A, Mesman S, Hochstenbach R, Elting MW, van Hagen JM, Plomp AS, Mannens MMAM, Alders M, van Haelst MM, Ferrero GB, Brusco A, Henneman P, Sweetser DA, Sadikovic B, Vitobello A, Menke LA. DNA methylation episignature and comparative epigenomic profiling for Pitt-Hopkins syndrome caused by TCF4 variants. HGG Adv 2024; 5:100289. [PMID: 38571311 DOI: 10.1016/j.xhgg.2024.100289] [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] [Received: 11/13/2023] [Revised: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Pitt-Hopkins syndrome (PTHS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder caused by pathogenic variants in TCF4, leading to intellectual disability, specific morphological features, and autonomic nervous system dysfunction. Epigenetic dysregulation has been implicated in PTHS, prompting the investigation of a DNA methylation (DNAm) "episignature" specific to PTHS for diagnostic purposes and variant reclassification and functional insights into the molecular pathophysiology of this disorder. A cohort of 67 individuals with genetically confirmed PTHS and three individuals with intellectual disability and a variant of uncertain significance (VUS) in TCF4 were studied. The DNAm episignature was developed with an Infinium Methylation EPIC BeadChip array analysis using peripheral blood cells. Support vector machine (SVM) modeling and clustering methods were employed to generate a DNAm classifier for PTHS. Validation was extended to an additional cohort of 11 individuals with PTHS. The episignature was assessed in relation to other neurodevelopmental disorders and its specificity was examined. A specific DNAm episignature for PTHS was established. The classifier exhibited high sensitivity for TCF4 haploinsufficiency and missense variants in the basic-helix-loop-helix domain. Notably, seven individuals with TCF4 variants exhibited negative episignatures, suggesting complexities related to mosaicism, genetic factors, and environmental influences. The episignature displayed degrees of overlap with other related disorders and biological pathways. This study defines a DNAm episignature for TCF4-related PTHS, enabling improved diagnostic accuracy and VUS reclassification. The finding that some cases scored negatively underscores the potential for multiple or nested episignatures and emphasizes the need for continued investigation to enhance specificity and coverage across PTHS-related variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liselot van der Laan
- Department of Human Genetics, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Amsterdam Reproduction & Development, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Peter Lauffer
- Department of Human Genetics, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Amsterdam Reproduction & Development, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Kathleen Rooney
- Verspeeten Clinical Genome Centre, London Health Science Centre, London, ON, Canada; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Ananília Silva
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Sadegheh Haghshenas
- Verspeeten Clinical Genome Centre, London Health Science Centre, London, ON, Canada
| | - Raissa Relator
- Verspeeten Clinical Genome Centre, London Health Science Centre, London, ON, Canada
| | - Michael A Levy
- Verspeeten Clinical Genome Centre, London Health Science Centre, London, ON, Canada
| | - Slavica Trajkova
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Sylvia A Huisman
- Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Emma Children's Hospital, Department of Pediatrics, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Zodiak, Prinsenstichting, Purmerend, the Netherlands
| | - Emilia K Bijlsma
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Tjitske Kleefstra
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Bregje W van Bon
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Özlem Baysal
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Christiane Zweier
- Department of Human Genetics, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany; Department of Human Genetics, University of Bern, Inselspital Universitätsspital Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - María Palomares-Bralo
- Institute of Medical and Molecular Genetics (INGEMM), La Paz University Hospital, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jan Fischer
- Institute for Clinical Genetics, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus at the Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Katalin Szakszon
- Institute of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Laurence Faivre
- UFR Des Sciences de Santé, INSERM-Université de Bourgogne UMR1231 GAD «Génétique des Anomalies du Développement», FHUTRANSLAD, Dijon, France; CHU Dijon Bourgogne, Centre de Génétique, Centre de Référence Maladies Rares «Anomalies du Développement et Syndromes Malformatifs», FHU-TRANSLDAD, Dijon, France
| | - Amélie Piton
- Genetic Diagnosis Laboratories, Strasbourg University Hospital, Strasbourg 67000, France
| | - Simone Mesman
- Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, FNWI, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Ron Hochstenbach
- Department of Human Genetics, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Amsterdam Reproduction & Development, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Mariet W Elting
- Department of Human Genetics, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Amsterdam Reproduction & Development, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Johanna M van Hagen
- Department of Human Genetics, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Amsterdam Reproduction & Development, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Astrid S Plomp
- Department of Human Genetics, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Amsterdam Reproduction & Development, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Marcel M A M Mannens
- Department of Human Genetics, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Amsterdam Reproduction & Development, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Mariëlle Alders
- Department of Human Genetics, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Amsterdam Reproduction & Development, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Mieke M van Haelst
- Department of Human Genetics, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Amsterdam Reproduction & Development, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Giovanni B Ferrero
- Department of Public Health and Pediatrics, University of Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Alfredo Brusco
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Peter Henneman
- Department of Human Genetics, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Amsterdam Reproduction & Development, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - David A Sweetser
- Division of Medical Genetics and Metabolism and Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General for Children, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Bekim Sadikovic
- Department of Human Genetics, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Amsterdam Reproduction & Development, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Verspeeten Clinical Genome Centre, London Health Science Centre, London, ON, Canada; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Antonio Vitobello
- Unité Fonctionnelle Innovation en Diagnostic Génomique des Maladies Rares, FHU-TRANSLAD, CHU Dijon Bourgogne, Dijon, France
| | - Leonie A Menke
- Amsterdam Reproduction & Development, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Emma Children's Hospital, Department of Pediatrics, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Amsterdam Neuroscience - Cellular & Molecular Mechanisms, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
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2
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Caroleo AM, Rotulo S, Agolini E, Macchiaiolo M, Boccuto L, Antonelli M, Colafati GS, Cacchione A, Megaro G, Carai A, De Ioris MA, Lodi M, Tornesello A, Simone V, Torroni F, Cinalli G, Mastronuzzi A. SHH medulloblastoma and very early onset of bowel polyps in a child with PTEN hamartoma tumor syndrome. Front Mol Neurosci 2023; 16:1228389. [PMID: 37692099 PMCID: PMC10483120 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2023.1228389] [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] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) hamartoma tumor syndrome (PHTS) is a cancer predisposition syndrome characterized by an increased risk of developing benign and malignant tumors, caused by germline pathogenic variants of the PTEN tumour suppressor gene. PTEN gene variants often present in childhood with macrocephaly, developmental delay, and/or autism spectrum disorder while tumors and intestinal polyps are commonly detected in adults. PHTS is rarely associated with childhood brain tumors with only two reported cases of medulloblastoma (MB). We report the exceptional case of an infant carrying a germline and somatic pathogenic variant of PTEN and a germline and somatic pathogenic variant of CHEK2 who developed a MB SHH in addition to intestinal polyposis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Maria Caroleo
- Department of Onco-Hematology, Cell Therapy, Gene Therapy and Hemopoietic Transplant, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
| | - Silvia Rotulo
- Department of Pediatrics, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Emanuele Agolini
- Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Translational Cytogenomics Research Unit, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Marina Macchiaiolo
- Rare Diseases and Medical Genetics Unit, IRCCS Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, Rome, Italy
| | - Luigi Boccuto
- School of Nursing, College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences Healthcare Genetics Interdisciplinary Doctoral Program, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, United States
| | - Manila Antonelli
- Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Department of Radiological, Oncological, and Pathological Anatomy Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Antonella Cacchione
- Department of Onco-Hematology, Cell Therapy, Gene Therapy and Hemopoietic Transplant, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
| | - Giacomina Megaro
- Department of Onco-Hematology, Cell Therapy, Gene Therapy and Hemopoietic Transplant, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea Carai
- Neurosurgery Unit, Department of Neurosciences, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Antonietta De Ioris
- Department of Onco-Hematology, Cell Therapy, Gene Therapy and Hemopoietic Transplant, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
| | - Mariachiara Lodi
- Department of Onco-Hematology, Cell Therapy, Gene Therapy and Hemopoietic Transplant, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
| | | | - Valeria Simone
- Pediatric Oncology Unit, Ospedale Vito Fazzi, Lecce, Italy
| | - Filippo Torroni
- Digestive Endoscopy and Surgery Unit, Bambino Gesù Children Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Cinalli
- Pediatric Neurosurgery Unit, Department of Neuroscience, Santobono-Pausilipon Children’s Hospital, Naples, Italy
| | - Angela Mastronuzzi
- Department of Onco-Hematology, Cell Therapy, Gene Therapy and Hemopoietic Transplant, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
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Aldeeri AA, Abu-El-Haija A. A typical variant in TCF4 exon 18 is not associated with Pitt-Hopkins syndrome but with a familial case of mild and nonspecific neurodevelopmental disorder. Am J Med Genet A 2023; 191:1070-1076. [PMID: 36574749 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.a.63098] [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] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Revised: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 12/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
TCF4 gene encodes a class I helix-loop-helix transcription factor critical for the developing brain. Common polymorphisms in TCF4 and disruptive variants in the proximal region of the gene have been linked to relatively mild neuropsychiatric or neurodevelopmental disorders. In contrast, variants impacting distal exons are associated with Pitt-Hopkins syndrome (PTHS), a severe autosomal dominant condition characterized by profound intellectual disability, developmental delay, limited or absent speech, distinctive facies, and disordered breathing. Although phenotypic variability has been observed in PTHS, intellectual impairment and significant speech and motor delays are invariably present. In contrast to the typical de novo variants causing TCF4-related disorder and PTHS, we report a familial form of TCF4-related disorder where the missense variant arose de novo in the father and was inherited by two of his children. Although this family's variant's position in exon 18 predicted a typical PTHS phenotype, none of the affected individuals met the clinical diagnostic criteria for PTHS suggested by Zollino et al. in the first international consensus statement (as in the study by Zollino et al. in 2019). Rather, the three affected family members exhibited remarkably variable and milder phenotypes than would have been predicted from the position of their TCF4 variant. Thus, the clinical spectrum of PTHS-associated TCF4 variants may be broader than previously reported.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdulrahman A Aldeeri
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Internal Medicine, King Saud University Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Aya Abu-El-Haija
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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4
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Popp B, Bienvenu T, Giurgea I, Metreau J, Kraus C, Reis A, Fischer J, Bralo MP, Castano JT, Lapunzina P, Almoguera B, Lopez-Grondona F, Sticht H, Zweier C. The recurrent TCF4 missense variant p.(Arg389Cys) causes a neurodevelopmental disorder overlapping with but not typical for Pitt-Hopkins syndrome. Clin Genet 2022; 102:517-523. [PMID: 35908153 PMCID: PMC10108566 DOI: 10.1111/cge.14206] [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] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Revised: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
TCF4 haploinsufficiency by deletions, truncating variants or loss-of-function missense variants within the DNA-binding and protein interacting bHLH domain causes Pitt-Hopkins syndrome (PTHS). This neurodevelopmental disorder (NDD) is characterized by severe intellectual disability (ID), epilepsy, hyperbreathing and a typical facial gestalt. Only few aberrations of the N-terminus of TCF4 were associated with milder or atypical phenotypes. By personal communication and searching databases we assembled six cases with the novel, recurrent, de novo missense variant c.1165C > T, p.(Arg389Cys) in TCF4. This variant was identified by diagnostic exome or panel sequencing and is located upstream of the bHLH domain. All six individuals presented with moderate to severe ID with language impairment. Microcephaly occurred in two individuals, epilepsy only in one, and no breathing anomalies or myopia were reported. Facial gestalt showed some aspects of PTHS but was rather non-specific in most individuals. Interestingly, the variant is located within the AD2 activation domain next to a highly conserved coactivator-recruitment motif and might alter interaction with coactivator proteins independently from the bHLH domain. Our findings of a recurrent missense variant outside the bHLH domain in six individuals with an ID phenotype overlapping with but not typical for PTHS delineate a novel genotype-phenotype correlation for TCF4-related NDDs. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernt Popp
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany.,Berlin Institute of Health at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Center of Functional Genomics, Berlin, Germany
| | - Thierry Bienvenu
- INSERM U1266, Institut de Psychiatrie et de Neurosciences de Paris, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Irina Giurgea
- Département de Génétique Médicale, INSERM Childhood Genetic Diseases, AP-HP. Sorbonne Université, Hôpital Trousseau, Paris, France
| | - Julia Metreau
- APHP, Service de neurologie pédiatrique, Hôpital Universitaire Bicetre, Le Kremlin-Bicetre, France
| | - Cornelia Kraus
- Institute of Human Genetics, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - André Reis
- Institute of Human Genetics, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Jan Fischer
- Institute for Clinical Genetics, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus at the Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - María Palomares Bralo
- INGEMM, Institute of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Hospital Universitario La Paz, IDIPAZ, Madrid, Spain.,ITHACA European Reference Network, Spain.,CIBERER, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras, ISCIII, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jair Tenorio Castano
- INGEMM, Institute of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Hospital Universitario La Paz, IDIPAZ, Madrid, Spain.,ITHACA European Reference Network, Spain.,CIBERER, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras, ISCIII, Madrid, Spain
| | - Pablo Lapunzina
- INGEMM, Institute of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Hospital Universitario La Paz, IDIPAZ, Madrid, Spain.,ITHACA European Reference Network, Spain.,CIBERER, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras, ISCIII, Madrid, Spain
| | - Berta Almoguera
- CIBERER, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras, ISCIII, Madrid, Spain.,Department of Genetics and Genomics, Fundación Jiménez Díaz University Hospital, Madrid, Spain
| | - Fermina Lopez-Grondona
- CIBERER, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras, ISCIII, Madrid, Spain.,Department of Genetics and Genomics, Fundación Jiménez Díaz University Hospital, Madrid, Spain
| | - Heinrich Sticht
- Institute of Biochemistry, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Christiane Zweier
- Institute of Human Genetics, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany.,Department of Human Genetics, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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Braun K, Häberle BM, Wittmann MT, Lie DC. Enriched environment ameliorates adult hippocampal neurogenesis deficits in Tcf4 haploinsufficient mice. BMC Neurosci 2020; 21:50. [PMID: 33228529 PMCID: PMC7684915 DOI: 10.1186/s12868-020-00602-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Transcription factor 4 (TCF4) has been linked to human neurodevelopmental disorders such as intellectual disability, Pitt-Hopkins Syndrome (PTHS), autism, and schizophrenia. Recent work demonstrated that TCF4 participates in the control of a wide range of neurodevelopmental processes in mammalian nervous system development including neural precursor proliferation, timing of differentiation, migration, dendritogenesis and synapse formation. TCF4 is highly expressed in the adult hippocampal dentate gyrus – one of the few brain regions where neural stem / progenitor cells generate new functional neurons throughout life. Results We here investigated whether TCF4 haploinsufficiency, which in humans causes non-syndromic forms of intellectual disability and PTHS, affects adult hippocampal neurogenesis, a process that is essential for hippocampal plasticity in rodents and potentially in humans. Young adult Tcf4 heterozygote knockout mice showed a major reduction in the level of adult hippocampal neurogenesis, which was at least in part caused by lower stem/progenitor cell numbers and impaired maturation and survival of adult-generated neurons. Interestingly, housing in an enriched environment was sufficient to enhance maturation and survival of new neurons and to substantially augment neurogenesis levels in Tcf4 heterozygote knockout mice. Conclusion The present findings indicate that haploinsufficiency for the intellectual disability- and PTHS-linked transcription factor TCF4 not only affects embryonic neurodevelopment but impedes neurogenesis in the hippocampus of adult mice. These findings suggest that TCF4 haploinsufficiency may have a negative impact on hippocampal function throughout adulthood by impeding hippocampal neurogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Braun
- Institute of Biochemistry, Emil Fischer Center, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91054, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Benjamin M Häberle
- Institute of Biochemistry, Emil Fischer Center, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91054, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Marie-Theres Wittmann
- Institute of Human Genetics, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91054, Erlangen, Germany.
| | - D Chichung Lie
- Institute of Biochemistry, Emil Fischer Center, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91054, Erlangen, Germany.
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6
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Sparber P, Filatova A, Anisimova I, Markova T, Voinova V, Chuhrova A, Tabakov V, Skoblov M. Various haploinsufficiency mechanisms in Pitt-Hopkins syndrome. Eur J Med Genet 2020; 63:104088. [PMID: 33069932 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmg.2020.104088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [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: 06/16/2020] [Revised: 09/09/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Pitt-Hopkins syndrome is a rare neurodevelopment disorder caused by haploinsufficiency of the transcription factor 4 (TCF4). The main clinical symptoms of Pitt-Hopkins syndrome are severe development delay, intellectual disability, characteristic facial phenotype, and breathing abnormalities, including episodic hyperventilation. Different pathogenic variants can lead to Pitt-Hopkins syndrome. The most common are large deletions at 18q21 encompassing the TCF4 gene and frameshifting/nonsense single nucleotide variants. However, variants in noncoding regions can also lead to Pitt-Hopkins syndrome by disrupting the normal pre-mRNA splicing machinery. Here we describe three patients with Pitt-Hopkins syndrome caused by a large deletion in chromosome 18, a nonsense variant, and a novel variant located in intron 11 of TCF4 c.922+5G > A. Using RT-PCR analysis and minigene splicing assay we showed that this intronic variant leads to exon 11 skipping resulting in a formation of a premature stop codon. To our knowledge, this is the first functional annotation of a splicing variant in Pitt-Hopkins syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Sparber
- Research Centre for Medical Genetics, Moscow, Russia.
| | | | | | | | - Viktoria Voinova
- Veltischev Research and Clinical Institute for Pediatrics Pirogov RNRMU, Moscow, Russia
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7
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Wang Y, Lu Z, Zhang Y, Cai Y, Yun D, Tang T, Cai Z, Wang C, Zhang Y, Fang F, Yang Z, Behnisch T, Xie Y. Transcription Factor 4 Safeguards Hippocampal Dentate Gyrus Development by Regulating Neural Progenitor Migration. Cereb Cortex 2019; 30:3102-3115. [PMID: 31845732 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhz297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The dentate gyrus (DG) of the hippocampal formation plays essential roles in learning and memory. Defective DG development is associated with neurological disorders. Here, we show that transcription factor 4 (Tcf4) is essential for DG development. Tcf4 expression is elevated in neural progenitors of the dentate neuroepithelium in the developing mouse brain. We demonstrate that conditional disruption of Tcf4 in the dentate neuroepithelium leads to abnormal neural progenitor migration guided by disorganized radial glial fibers, which further leads to hypoplasia in the DG. Moreover, we reveal that Wnt7b is a key downstream effector of Tcf4 in regulating neural progenitor migration. Behavioral analysis shows that disruption of integrity of the DG impairs the social memory highlighting the importance of proper development of the DG. These results reveal a critical role for Tcf4 in regulating DG development. As mutations in TCF4 cause Pitt-Hopkins syndrome (PTHS) characterized by severe intellectual disability, our data also potentially provide insights into the basis of neurological defects linked to TCF4 mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yafei Wang
- Department of Anesthesia, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Zhiheng Lu
- Department of Anesthesia, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Yilan Zhang
- Department of Anesthesia, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Yuqun Cai
- Department of Anesthesia, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Di Yun
- Department of Anesthesia, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Tianxiang Tang
- Department of Anesthesia, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Zheping Cai
- Department of Anesthesia, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Chunyang Wang
- Department of Anesthesia, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Yandong Zhang
- Department of Anesthesia, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Fang Fang
- Department of Anesthesia, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Zhengang Yang
- Department of Anesthesia, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Thomas Behnisch
- Department of Anesthesia, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Yunli Xie
- Department of Anesthesia, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
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8
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Jehee FS, de Oliveira VT, Gurgel-Giannetti J, Pietra RX, Rubatino FVM, Carobin NV, Vianna GS, de Freitas ML, Fernandes KS, Ribeiro BSV, Brüggenwirth HT, Ali-Amin R, White JJ, Akdemir ZC, Jhangiani SN, Gibbs RA, Lupski JR, Varela MC, Koiffmann C, Rosenberg C, Carvalho CMB. Dual molecular diagnosis contributes to atypical Prader-Willi phenotype in monozygotic twins. Am J Med Genet A 2017. [PMID: 28631899 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.a.38315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [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: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
We describe monozygotic twin girls with genetic variation at two separate loci resulting in a blended phenotype of Prader-Willi syndrome and Pitt-Hopkins syndrome. These girls were diagnosed in early infancy with Prader-Willi syndrome, but developed an atypical phenotype, with apparent intellectual deficiency and lack of obesity. Array-comparative genomic hybridization confirmed a de novo paternal deletion of the 15q11.2q13 region and exome sequencing identified a second mutational event in both girls, which was a novel variant c.145+1G>A affecting a TCF4 canonical splicing site inherited from the mosaic mother. RNA studies showed that the variant abolished the donor splicing site, which was accompanied by activation of an alternative non-canonical splicing-site which then predicts a premature stop codon in the following exon. Clinical re-evaluation of the twins indicated that both variants are likely contributing to the more severe phenotypic presentation. Our data show that atypical clinical presentations may actually be the expression of blended clinical phenotypes arising from independent pathogenic events at two loci.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernanda S Jehee
- Instituto de Ensino e Pesquisa Santa Casa de Belo Horizonte, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Valdirene T de Oliveira
- Instituto de Ensino e Pesquisa Santa Casa de Belo Horizonte, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Juliana Gurgel-Giannetti
- Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Rafaella X Pietra
- Instituto de Ensino e Pesquisa Santa Casa de Belo Horizonte, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Fernando V M Rubatino
- Instituto de Ensino e Pesquisa Santa Casa de Belo Horizonte, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Natália V Carobin
- Instituto de Ensino e Pesquisa Santa Casa de Belo Horizonte, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Gabrielle S Vianna
- Instituto de Ensino e Pesquisa Santa Casa de Belo Horizonte, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Mariana L de Freitas
- Instituto de Ensino e Pesquisa Santa Casa de Belo Horizonte, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Karla S Fernandes
- Instituto de Ensino e Pesquisa Santa Casa de Belo Horizonte, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Beatriz S V Ribeiro
- Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Hennie T Brüggenwirth
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Roza Ali-Amin
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Janson J White
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Zeynep C Akdemir
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | | | - Richard A Gibbs
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.,Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - James R Lupski
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.,Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.,Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas.,Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Monica C Varela
- Department of Genetics and Evolutionary Biology, Institute of Biosciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Célia Koiffmann
- Department of Genetics and Evolutionary Biology, Institute of Biosciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Carla Rosenberg
- Department of Genetics and Evolutionary Biology, Institute of Biosciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Cláudia M B Carvalho
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
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