scholarly journals Mouse Models ofGNAO1-Associated Movement Disorder: Allele- and sex-specific differences in phenotypes

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Huijie Feng ◽  
Casandra L. Larrivee ◽  
Elena Demireva ◽  
Huirong Xie ◽  
Jeff Leipprandt ◽  
...  

AbstractBackgroundInfants and children with dominantde novomutations inGNAO1exhibit movement disorders, epilepsy, or both. Children with loss-of-function (LOF) mutations exhibit Epileptiform Encephalopathy 17 (EIEE17). Gain-of-function (GOF) mutations or those with normal function are found in patients with Neurodevelopmental Disorder with Involuntary Movements (NEDIM). There is no animal model with a human mutantGNAO1allele.ObjectivesHere we develop a mouse model carrying a humanGNAO1mutation and determine whether clinical features of theGNAO1mutation including movement disorder would be evident in the mouse model.MethodsA mouseGnao1knock-in GOF mutation (G203R) was created by CRISPR/Cas9 methods. The resulting offspring and littermate controls were subjected to a battery of behavioral tests. A previously reported GOF mutant mouse knock-in (Gnao1+/G184S) was also studied for comparison.ResultsGnao1+/G203Rmutant mice are viable and gain weight comparably to controls. Homozygotes are non-viable. Grip strength was decreased in both males and females. MaleGnao1+/G203Rmice were strongly affected in movement assays (RotaRod and DigiGait) while females were not. MaleGnao1+/G203Rmice also showed enhanced seizure propensity in the pentylenetetrazole kindling test. Mice with a G184S GOF knock-in also showed movement-related behavioral phenotypes but females were more strongly affected than males.ConclusionsGnao1+/G203Rmice phenocopy children with heterozygousGNAO1G203R mutations, showing both movement disorder and a relatively mild epilepsy pattern. This mouse model should be useful in mechanistic and preclinical studies ofGNAO1-related movement disorders.

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kohei Kitagawa ◽  
Kensuke Matsumura ◽  
Masayuki Baba ◽  
Momoka Kondo ◽  
Tomoya Takemoto ◽  
...  

AbstractAutism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a highly prevalent neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by core symptoms of impaired social behavior and communication. Recent studies have suggested that the oxytocin system, which regulates social behavior in mammals, is potentially involved in ASD. Mouse models of ASD provide a useful system for understanding the associations between an impaired oxytocin system and social behavior deficits. However, limited studies have shown the involvement of the oxytocin system in the behavioral phenotypes in mouse models of ASD. We have previously demonstrated that a mouse model that carries the ASD patient-derived de novo mutation in the pogo transposable element derived with zinc finger domain (POGZWT/Q1038R mice), showed ASD-like social behavioral deficits. Here, we have explored whether oxytocin (OXT) administration improves impaired social behavior in POGZWT/Q1038R mice and found that intranasal oxytocin administration effectively restored the impaired social behavior in POGZWT/Q1038R mice. We also found that the expression level of the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) was low in POGZWT/Q1038R mice. However, we did not detect significant changes in the number of OXT-expressing neurons between the paraventricular nucleus of POGZWT/Q1038R mice and that of WT mice. A chromatin immunoprecipitation assay revealed that POGZ binds to the promoter region of OXTR and is involved in the transcriptional regulation of OXTR. In summary, our study demonstrate that the pathogenic mutation in the POGZ, a high-confidence ASD gene, impairs the oxytocin system and social behavior in mice, providing insights into the development of oxytocin-based therapeutics for ASD.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xueya Zhou ◽  
Pamela Feliciano ◽  
Tianyun Wang ◽  
Irina Astrovskaya ◽  
Chang Shu ◽  
...  

AbstractDespite the known heritable nature of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), studies have primarily identified risk genes with de novo variants (DNVs). To capture the full spectrum of ASD genetic risk, we performed a two-stage analysis of rare de novo and inherited coding variants in 42,607 ASD cases, including 35,130 new cases recruited online by SPARK. In the first stage, we analyzed 19,843 cases with one or both biological parents and found that known ASD or neurodevelopmental disorder (NDD) risk genes explain nearly 70% of the genetic burden conferred by DNVs. In contrast, less than 20% of genetic risk conferred by rare inherited loss-of-function (LoF) variants are explained by known ASD/NDD genes. We selected 404 genes based on the first stage of analysis and performed a meta-analysis with an additional 22,764 cases and 236,000 population controls. We identified 60 genes with exome-wide significance (p < 2.5e-6), including five new risk genes (NAV3, ITSN1, MARK2, SCAF1, and HNRNPUL2). The association of NAV3 with ASD risk is entirely driven by rare inherited LoFs variants, with an average relative risk of 4, consistent with moderate effect. ASD individuals with LoF variants in the four moderate risk genes (NAV3, ITSN1, SCAF1, and HNRNPUL2, n = 95) have less cognitive impairment compared to 129 ASD individuals with LoF variants in well-established, highly penetrant ASD risk genes (CHD8, SCN2A, ADNP, FOXP1, SHANK3) (59% vs. 88%, p= 1.9e-06). These findings will guide future gene discovery efforts and suggest that much larger numbers of ASD cases and controls are needed to identify additional genes that confer moderate risk of ASD through rare, inherited variants.


2012 ◽  
Vol 58 ◽  
pp. 203-228 ◽  
Author(s):  
Niall Quinn ◽  
John Rothwell ◽  
Peter Jenner

David Marsden was the most outstanding UK clinical neuroscientist of his generation, making key discoveries in the neurophysiology, neurochemistry and clinical aspects of diseases of the basal ganglia, and their normal function. His legacies are the establishment, with Stanley Fahn in the USA, of movement disorders as a subspecialty within neurology, of the international Movement Disorder Society, and of the journal Movement Disorders ; his ex-students and fellows around the globe; and his research and teaching output embodied in his extraordinarily prolific publication record of more than 1360 papers, books and chapters, culminating in the posthumous completion and publication in December 2011 of Marsden’s book of movement disorders , a project he had started in 1984. All of these were achieved through the combination of his intellect and drive, his communication skills, and his forceful and charismatic personality.


Cells ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 1355
Author(s):  
Matthias Schaks ◽  
Michael Reinke ◽  
Walter Witke ◽  
Klemens Rottner

Actin remodeling is frequently regulated by antagonistic activities driving protrusion and contraction downstream of Rac and Rho small GTPases, respectively. WAVE regulatory complex (WRC), which primarily operates downstream of Rac, plays pivotal roles in neuronal morphogenesis. Recently, two independent studies described de novo mutations in the CYFIP2 subunit of WRC, which caused intellectual disability (ID) in humans. Although mutations had been proposed to effect WRC activation, no experimental evidence for this was provided. Here, we made use of CRISPR/Cas9-engineered B16-F1 cell lines that were reconstituted with ID-causing CYFIP variants in different experimental contexts. Almost all CYFIP2-derived mutations (7 out of 8) promoted WRC activation, but to variable extent and with at least two independent mechanisms. The majority of mutations occurs in a conserved WAVE-binding region, required for WRC transinhibition. One mutation is positioned closely adjacent to the Rac-binding A site and appears to ease Rac-mediated WRC activation. As opposed to these gain-of-function mutations, a truncating mutant represented a loss-of-function variant and failed to interact with WRC components. Collectively, our data show that explored CYFIP2 mutations frequently, but not always, coincide with WRC activation and suggest that normal brain development requires a delicate and precisely tuned balance of neuronal WRC activity.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Casandra L. Larrivee ◽  
Huijie Feng ◽  
Josiah A. Quinn ◽  
Vincent S. Shaw ◽  
Jeffrey R. Leipprandt ◽  
...  

AbstractNeurodevelopmental disorder with involuntary movements (NEDIM, OMIM: 617493) is a severe, early onset neurological condition characterized by a delay in psychomotor development, hypotonia, and hyperkinetic involuntary movements. Heterozygous de novo mutations in the GNAO1 gene cause NEDIM. Gαo, the gene product of GNAO1, is the alpha subunit of Go, a member of the heterotrimeric Gi/o family of G-proteins. Go is found abundantly throughout the brain but the pathophysiological mechanisms linking Gαo functions to clinical manifestations of GNAO1-related disorders are still poorly understood. One of the most common mutant alleles among the GNAO1 encephalopathies is the c.626G>A or p.Arg209His (R209H) mutation. We developed heterozygous knock-in Gnao1+/R209H mutant mice using CRISPR/Cas9 methodology to assess whether a mouse model could replicate aspects of the NEDIM clinical pattern. Mice carrying the R209H mutation exhibited increased locomotor activity and a modest gait abnormality at 8-12 weeks. In contrast to mice carrying other mutations in Gnao1, the Gnao1+/R209H mice did not show enhanced seizure susceptibility. Levels of protein expression in multiple brain regions were unchanged from WT mice but the nucleotide exchange rate of mutant R209H Gαo was 9 times faster than WT. The atypical neuroleptic risperidone has shown efficacy in a patient with the R209H mutation. It also alleviated the hyperlocomotion phenotype observed in our mouse model but suppressed locomotion in WT mice as well. In this study, we show that Gnao1+/R209H mice mirror elements of the patient phenotype and respond to an approved pharmacological agent.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nadja T. Hofer ◽  
Petronel Tuluc ◽  
Nadine J. Ortner ◽  
Yuliia V. Nikonishyna ◽  
Monica L. Fernándes-Quintero ◽  
...  

Abstract Background There is increasing evidence that de novo CACNA1D missense mutations inducing increased Cav1.3 L-type Ca2+-channel-function confer a high risk for neurodevelopmental disorders (autism spectrum disorder with and without neurological and endocrine symptoms). Electrophysiological studies demonstrating the presence or absence of typical gain-of-function gating changes could therefore serve as a tool to distinguish likely disease-causing from non-pathogenic de novo CACNA1D variants in affected individuals. We tested this hypothesis for mutation S652L, which has previously been reported in twins with a severe neurodevelopmental disorder in the Deciphering Developmental Disorder Study, but has not been classified as a novel disease mutation. Methods For functional characterization, wild-type and mutant Cav1.3 channel complexes were expressed in tsA-201 cells and tested for typical gain-of-function gating changes using the whole-cell patch-clamp technique. Results Mutation S652L significantly shifted the voltage-dependence of activation and steady-state inactivation to more negative potentials (~ 13–17 mV) and increased window currents at subthreshold voltages. Moreover, it slowed tail currents and increased Ca2+-levels during action potential-like stimulations, characteristic for gain-of-function changes. To provide evidence that only gain-of-function variants confer high disease risk, we also studied missense variant S652W reported in apparently healthy individuals. S652W shifted activation and inactivation to more positive voltages, compatible with a loss-of-function phenotype. Mutation S652L increased the sensitivity of Cav1.3 for inhibition by the dihydropyridine L-type Ca2+-channel blocker isradipine by 3–4-fold. Conclusions and limitations Our data provide evidence that gain-of-function CACNA1D mutations, such as S652L, but not loss-of-function mutations, such as S652W, cause high risk for neurodevelopmental disorders including autism. This adds CACNA1D to the list of novel disease genes identified in the Deciphering Developmental Disorder Study. Although our study does not provide insight into the cellular mechanisms of pathological Cav1.3 signaling in neurons, we provide a unifying mechanism of gain-of-function CACNA1D mutations as a predictor for disease risk, which may allow the establishment of a more reliable diagnosis of affected individuals. Moreover, the increased sensitivity of S652L to isradipine encourages a therapeutic trial in the two affected individuals. This can address the important question to which extent symptoms are responsive to therapy with Ca2+-channel blockers.


2019 ◽  
Vol 62 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-60 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Shen ◽  
Patti Krautscheid ◽  
Audrey M. Rutz ◽  
Pinar Bayrak-Toydemir ◽  
Sarah L. Dugan

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lachlan A. Jolly ◽  
Euan Parnell ◽  
Alison E. Gardner ◽  
Mark A. Corbett ◽  
Luis A. Pérez-Jurado ◽  
...  

AbstractUSP9X is an X-chromosome gene that escapes X-inactivation. Loss or compromised function of USP9X leads to neurodevelopmental disorders in males and females. While males are impacted primarily by hemizygous partial loss-of-function missense variants, in females de novo heterozygous complete loss-of-function mutations predominate, and give rise to the clinically recognisable USP9X-female syndrome. Here we provide evidence of the contribution of USP9X missense and small in-frame deletion variants in USP9X-female syndrome also. We scrutinise the pathogenicity of eleven such variants, ten of which were novel. Combined application of variant prediction algorithms, protein structure modelling, and assessment under clinically relevant guidelines universally support their pathogenicity. The core phenotype of this cohort overlapped with previous descriptions of USP9X-female syndrome, but exposed heightened variability. Aggregate phenotypic information of 35 currently known females with predicted pathogenic variation in USP9X reaffirms the clinically recognisable USP9X-female syndrome, and highlights major differences when compared to USP9X-male associated neurodevelopmental disorders.


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (16) ◽  
pp. 5802
Author(s):  
Luca Pollini ◽  
Serena Galosi ◽  
Manuela Tolve ◽  
Caterina Caputi ◽  
Carla Carducci ◽  
...  

KCND3 encodes the voltage-gated potassium ion channel subfamily D member 3, a six trans-membrane protein (Kv4.3), involved in the transient outward K+ current. KCND3 defect causes both cardiological and neurological syndromes. From a neurological perspective, Kv4.3 defect has been associated to SCA type 19/22, a complex neurological disorder encompassing a wide spectrum of clinical features beside ataxia. To better define the phenotypic spectrum and course of KCND3-related neurological disorder, we review the clinical presentation and evolution in 68 reported cases. We delineated two main clinical phenotypes according to the age of onset. Neurodevelopmental disorder with epilepsy and/or movement disorders with ataxia later in the disease course characterized the early onset forms, while a prominent ataxic syndrome with possible cognitive decline, movement disorders, and peripheral neuropathy were observed in the late onset forms. Furthermore, we described a 37-year-old patient with a de novo KCND3 variant [c.901T>C (p.Ser301Pro)], previously reported in dbSNP as rs79821338, and a clinical phenotype paradigmatic of the early onset forms with neurodevelopmental disorder, epilepsy, parkinsonism-dystonia, and ataxia in adulthood, further expanding the clinical spectrum of this condition.


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