scholarly journals Absence of NEFL in patient-specific neurons in early-onset Charcot-Marie-Tooth neuropathy

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. e244 ◽  
Author(s):  
Markus T. Sainio ◽  
Emil Ylikallio ◽  
Laura Mäenpää ◽  
Jenni Lahtela ◽  
Pirkko Mattila ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nonsense Mutation ◽  
Early Onset ◽  
Messenger Rna ◽  
Patient Specific ◽  
Neuronal Cultures ◽  
Cultured Neurons ◽  
Loss Of Function ◽  
Nonsense Mutations ◽  
Neurofilament Light ◽  
Charcot Marie Tooth

ObjectiveWe used patient-specific neuronal cultures to characterize the molecular genetic mechanism of recessive nonsense mutations in neurofilament light (NEFL) underlying early-onset Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease.MethodsMotor neurons were differentiated from induced pluripotent stem cells of a patient with early-onset CMT carrying a novel homozygous nonsense mutation in NEFL. Quantitative PCR, protein analytics, immunocytochemistry, electron microscopy, and single-cell transcriptomics were used to investigate patient and control neurons.ResultsWe show that the recessive nonsense mutation causes a nearly total loss of NEFL messenger RNA (mRNA), leading to the complete absence of NEFL protein in patient's cultured neurons. Yet the cultured neurons were able to differentiate and form neuronal networks and neurofilaments. Single-neuron gene expression fingerprinting pinpointed NEFL as the most downregulated gene in the patient neurons and provided data of intermediate filament transcript abundancy and dynamics in cultured neurons. Blocking of nonsense-mediated decay partially rescued the loss of NEFL mRNA.ConclusionsThe strict neuronal specificity of neurofilament has hindered the mechanistic studies of recessive NEFL nonsense mutations. Here, we show that such mutation leads to the absence of NEFL, causing childhood-onset neuropathy through a loss-of-function mechanism. We propose that the neurofilament accumulation, a common feature of many neurodegenerative diseases, mimics the absence of NEFL seen in recessive CMT if aggregation prevents the proper localization of wild-type NEFL in neurons. Our results suggest that the removal of NEFL as a proposed treatment option is harmful in humans.

scholarly journals Genotype-phenotype correlations in SCN8A-related disorders reveal prognostic and therapeutic implications

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katrine M Johannesen ◽  
Yuanyuan Liu ◽  
Cathrine E Tronhjem ◽  
Mahmoud Koko ◽  
Lukas Sonnenberg ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Steady State ◽  
Early Onset ◽  
Focal Epilepsy ◽  
Neuronal Firing ◽  
Na Channel ◽  
Neuronal Cultures ◽  
Loss Of Function ◽  
Absence Seizures ◽  
Epileptic Discharges ◽  
Generalized Epilepsy

We report detailed functional analyses and genotype-phenotype correlations in 433 individuals carrying disease-causing variants in SCN8A, encoding the voltage-gated Na+ channel NaV1.6. Five different clinical subgroups could be identified: 1) Benign familial infantile epilepsy (BFIE) (n=17, normal cognition, treatable seizures), 2) intermediate epilepsy (n=36, mild ID, partially pharmacoresponsive), 3) developmental and epileptic encephalopathy (DEE, n=191, severe ID, majority pharmacoresistant), 4) generalized epilepsy (n=21, mild to moderate ID, frequently with absence seizures), and 5) affected individuals without epilepsy (n=25, mild to moderate ID). Groups 1-3 presented with early-onset (median: four months) focal or multifocal seizures and epileptic discharges, whereas the onset of seizures in group 4 was later (median: 39 months) with generalized epileptic discharges. The epilepsy was not classifiable in 143 individuals. We performed functional studies expressing missense variants in ND7/23 neuroblastoma cells and primary neuronal cultures using recombinant tetrodotoxin insensitive human NaV1.6 channels and whole-cell patch clamping. Two variants causing DEE showed a strong gain-of-function (GOF, hyperpolarising shift of steady-state activation, strongly increased neuronal firing rate), and one variant causing BFIE or intermediate epilepsy showed a mild GOF (defective fast inactivation, less increased firing). In contrast, all three variants causing generalized epilepsy induced a loss-of-function (LOF, reduced current amplitudes, depolarising shift of steady-state activation, reduced neuronal firing). Including previous studies, functional effects were known for 165 individuals. All 133 individuals carrying GOF variants had either focal (76, groups 1-3), or unclassifiable epilepsy (37), whereas 32 with LOF variants had either generalized (14), no (11) or unclassifiable (5) epilepsy; only two had DEE. Computational modeling in the GOF group revealed a significant correlation between the severity of the electrophysiological and clinical phenotypes. GOF variant carriers responded significantly better to sodium channel blockers (SCBs) than to other anti-seizure medications, and the same applied for all individuals of groups 1-3. In conclusion, our data reveal clear genotype-phenotype correlations between age at seizure onset, type of epilepsy and gain- or loss-of-function effects of SCN8A variants. Generalized epilepsy with absence seizures is the main epilepsy phenotype of LOF variant carriers and the extent of the electrophysiological dysfunction of the GOF variants is a main determinant of the severity of the clinical phenotype in focal epilepsies. Our pharmacological data indicate that SCBs present a therapeutic treatment option in early onset SCN8A-related focal epilepsy.

scholarly journals Early-Onset Osteoporosis

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Outi Mäkitie ◽  
M. Carola Zillikens
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Early Onset ◽  
Type I Collagen ◽  
Young Patients ◽  
Fragility Fractures ◽  
Underlying Disease ◽  
Bone Fragility ◽  
Sphingolipid Metabolism ◽  
Type I ◽  
Loss Of Function

AbstractOsteoporosis is a skeletal disorder with enhanced bone fragility, usually affecting the elderly. It is very rare in children and young adults and the definition is not only based on a low BMD (a Z-score < − 2.0 in growing children and a Z-score ≤ − 2.0 or a T-score ≤ − 2.5 in young adults) but also on the occurrence of fragility fractures and/or the existence of underlying chronic diseases or secondary factors such as use of glucocorticoids. In the absence of a known chronic disease, fragility fractures and low BMD should prompt extensive screening for secondary causes, which can be found in up to 90% of cases. When fragility fractures occur in childhood or young adulthood without an evident secondary cause, investigations should explore the possibility of an underlying monogenetic bone disease, where bone fragility is caused by a single variant in a gene that has a major role in the skeleton. Several monogenic forms relate to type I collagen, but other forms also exist. Loss-of-function variants in LRP5 and WNT1 may lead to early-onset osteoporosis. The X-chromosomal osteoporosis caused by PLS3 gene mutations affects especially males. Another recently discovered form relates to disturbed sphingolipid metabolism due to SGMS2 mutations, underscoring the complexity of molecular pathology in monogenic early-onset osteoporosis. Management of young patients consists of treatment of secondary factors, optimizing lifestyle factors including calcium and vitamin D and physical exercise. Treatment with bone-active medication should be discussed on a personalized basis, considering the severity of osteoporosis and underlying disease versus the absence of evidence on anti-fracture efficacy and potential harmful effects in pregnancy.

scholarly journals mRNA Surveillance Complex PELOTA-HBS1 Regulates Phosphoinositide-Dependent Protein Kinase1 and Plant Growth

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Kong ◽  
Shutang Tan ◽  
Qing Zhao ◽  
De-Li Lin ◽  
Zhi-Hong Xu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Control ◽  
Messenger Rna ◽  
Loss Of Function ◽  
Yeast Saccharomyces Cerevisiae ◽  
Developmental Defects ◽  
Mrna Surveillance ◽  
Dna Insertion ◽  
Dependent Protein ◽  
Heterodimeric Complex ◽  
Severe Growth

Abstract The quality control system for messenger RNA (mRNA) is fundamental for cellular activities in eukaryotes. To elucidate the molecular mechanism of 3’-Phosphoinositide-Dependent Protein Kinase1 (PDK1), a master regulator that is essential throughout eukaryotic growth and development, we employed a forward genetic approach to screen for suppressors of the loss-of-function T-DNA insertion double mutant pdk1.1 pdk1.2 in Arabidopsis thaliana. Notably, the severe growth attenuation of pdk1.1 pdk1.2 was rescued by sop21 (suppressor of pdk1.1 pdk1.2), which harbours a loss-of-function mutation in PELOTA1 (PEL1). PEL1 is a homologue of mammalian PELOTA and yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) DOM34p, which each form a heterodimeric complex with the GTPase HBS1 (HSP70 SUBFAMILY B SUPPRESSOR1, also called SUPERKILLER PROTEIN7, SKI7), a protein that is responsible for ribosomal rescue and thereby assures the quality and fidelity of mRNA molecules during translation. Genetic analysis further revealed that a dysfunctional PEL1-HBS1 complex failed to degrade the T-DNA-disrupted PDK1 transcripts, which were truncated but functional, and thus rescued the growth and developmental defects of pdk1.1 pdk1.2. Our studies demonstrated the functionality of a homologous PELOTA-HBS1 complex and identified its essential regulatory role in plants, providing insights into the mechanism of mRNA quality control.

scholarly journals Bi-allelic variants in MTMR5/SBF1 cause Charcot-Marie-Tooth type 4B3 featuring mitochondrial dysfunction

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Beatrice Berti ◽  
Giovanna Longo ◽  
Francesco Mari ◽  
Stefano Doccini ◽  
Ilaria Piccolo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intellectual Disability ◽  
Mitochondrial Dysfunction ◽  
Early Onset ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Compound Heterozygous ◽  
Charcot Marie Tooth ◽  
Charcot Marie Tooth Disease ◽  
Pathogenic Variants ◽  
First Case ◽  
Spine Mri

Abstract Background Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) type 4B3 (CMT4B3) is a rare form of genetic neuropathy associated with variants in the MTMR5/SBF1 gene. MTMR5/SBF1 is a pseudophosphatase predicted to regulate endo-lysosomal trafficking in tandem with other MTMRs. Although almost ubiquitously expressed, pathogenic variants primarily impact on the peripheral nervous system, corroborating the involvement of MTMR5/SBF1 and its molecular partners in Schwann cells-mediated myelinization. Case presentation We report a case of severe CMT4B3 characterized by early-onset motor and axonal polyneuropathy in an Italian child in absence of any evidence of brain and spine MRI abnormalities or intellectual disability and with a biochemical profile suggestive of mitochondrial disease. Using an integrated approach combining both NGS gene panels and WES analysis, we identified two novel compound heterozygous missense variants in MTMR5/SBF1 gene, p.R763H (c.2291G > A) and p.G1064E (c.3194G > A). Studies in muscle identified partial defects of oxidative metabolism. Conclusion We describe the first case of an early onset severe polyneuropathy with motor and axonal involvement, due to recessive variants in the MTMR5/SBF1 gene, with no evidence of brain and spine MRI abnormalities, intellectual disability, no clinical and neurophysiological evidences of distal sensory impairment, and rapid neuromuscular deterioration. This report suggests that MTMR5/SBF1 should be considered in cases of infantile-onset CMT with secondary mitochondrial dysfunction.

scholarly journals The de novo CACNA1A pathogenic variant Y1384C associated with hemiplegic migraine, early onset cerebellar atrophy and developmental delay leads to a loss of Cav2.1 channel function

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria A. Gandini ◽  
Ivana A. Souza ◽  
Laurent Ferron ◽  
A. Micheil Innes ◽  
Gerald W. Zamponi
Keyword(s):  
Developmental Delay ◽  
Early Onset ◽  
Structural Damage ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Splice Variants ◽  
Cerebellar Atrophy ◽  
Familial Hemiplegic Migraine ◽  
Significant Loss ◽  
Loss Of Function ◽  
Hemiplegic Migraine

AbstractCACNA1A pathogenic variants have been linked to several neurological disorders including familial hemiplegic migraine and cerebellar conditions. More recently, de novo variants have been associated with severe early onset developmental encephalopathies. CACNA1A is highly expressed in the central nervous system and encodes the pore-forming CaVα1 subunit of P/Q-type (Cav2.1) calcium channels. We have previously identified a patient with a de novo missense mutation in CACNA1A (p.Y1384C), characterized by hemiplegic migraine, cerebellar atrophy and developmental delay. The mutation is located at the transmembrane S5 segment of the third domain. Functional analysis in two predominant splice variants of the neuronal Cav2.1 channel showed a significant loss of function in current density and changes in gating properties. Moreover, Y1384 variants exhibit differential splice variant-specific effects on recovery from inactivation. Finally, structural analysis revealed structural damage caused by the tyrosine substitution and changes in electrostatic potentials.

scholarly journals Variable Expressivity of the Beckwith-Wiedemann Syndrome in Four Pedigrees Segregating Loss-of-Function Variants of CDKN1C

Genes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 706
Author(s):  
Angela Sparago ◽  
Flavia Cerrato ◽  
Laura Pignata ◽  
Francisco Cammarata-Scalisi ◽  
Livia Garavelli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cellular Proliferation ◽  
Missense Variant ◽  
Abdominal Wall Defects ◽  
Loss Of Function ◽  
Nonsense Mutations ◽  
Molecular Defects ◽  
Variable Expressivity ◽  
Imprinting Disorder ◽  
Perinatal Lethality ◽  
Intrafamilial Variability

Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome (BWS) is an imprinting disorder characterized by prenatal and/or postnatal overgrowth, organomegaly, abdominal wall defects and tumor predisposition. CDKN1C is a maternally expressed gene of the 11p15.5 chromosomal region and is regulated by the imprinting control region IC2. It negatively controls cellular proliferation, and its expression or activity are frequently reduced in BWS. In particular, loss of IC2 methylation is associated with CDKN1C silencing in the majority of sporadic BWS cases, and maternally inherited loss-of-function variants of CDKN1C are the most frequent molecular defects of familial BWS. We have identified, using Sanger sequencing, novel CDKN1C variants in three families with recurrent cases of BWS, and a previously reported variant in a woman with recurrent miscarriages with exomphalos. Clinical evaluation of the patients showed variable manifestation of the disease. The frameshift and nonsense variants were consistently associated with exomphalos, while the missense variant caused a less severe phenotype. Pregnancy loss and perinatal lethality were found in the families segregating nonsense mutations. Intrafamilial variability of the clinical BWS features was observed, even between siblings. Our data are indicative of severe BWS phenotypes that, with variable expressivity, may be associated with both frameshift and nonsense variants of CDKN1C.

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