scholarly journals Correlation Analyses of Clinical Manifestations and Variant Effects in KCNB1-Related Neurodevelopmental Disorder

2022 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan Xiong ◽  
Zhonghua Liu ◽  
Shimeng Chen ◽  
Miriam Kessi ◽  
Baiyu Chen ◽  
...  

Objective:Vitro functional analyses of KCNB1 variants have been done to disclose possible pathogenic mechanisms in KCNB1-related neurodevelopmental disorder. “Complete or partial loss of function (LoF),” “dominant-negative (DN) effect” are applied to describe KCNB1 variant's molecular phenotypes. The study here aimed to investigate clinical presentations and variant effects associations in the disorder.Methods: We reported 10 Chinese pediatric patients with KCNB1-related neurodevelopmental disorder here. Functional experiments on newly reported variants, including electrophysiology and protein expression, were performed in vitro. Phenotypic, functional, and genetic data in the cohort and published literature were collected. According to their variants' molecular phenotypes, patients were grouped into complete or partial LoF, and DN effect or non-dominant-negative (non-DN) effect to compare their clinical features.Results: Nine causative KCNB1 variants in 10 patients were identified in the cohort, including eight novel and one reported. Epilepsy (9/10), global developmental delay (10/10), and behavior issues (7/10) were common clinical features in our patients. Functional analyses of 8 novel variants indicated three partial and five complete LoF variants, five DN and three non-DN effect variants. Patient 1 in our series with truncated variants, whose functional results supported haploinsufficiency, had the best prognosis. Cases in complete LoF group had earlier seizure onset age (64.3 vs. 16.7%, p = 0.01) and worse seizure outcomes (18.8 vs. 66.7%, p = 0.03), and patients in DN effect subgroup had multiple seizure types compared to those in non-DN effect subgroup (65.5 vs. 30.8%, p = 0.039).Conclusion: Patients with KCNB1 variants in the Asian cohort have similar clinical manifestations to those of other races. Truncated KCNB1 variants exhibiting with haploinsufficiency molecular phenotype are linked to milder phenotypes. Individuals with complete LoF and DN effect KCNB1 variants have more severe seizure attacks than the other two subgroups.

Author(s):  
Marjolein J. A. Weerts ◽  
Kristina Lanko ◽  
Francisco J. Guzmán-Vega ◽  
Adam Jackson ◽  
Reshmi Ramakrishnan ◽  
...  

Abstract Purpose Pathogenic variants in SETD1B have been associated with a syndromic neurodevelopmental disorder including intellectual disability, language delay, and seizures. To date, clinical features have been described for 11 patients with (likely) pathogenic SETD1B sequence variants. This study aims to further delineate the spectrum of the SETD1B-related syndrome based on characterizing an expanded patient cohort. Methods We perform an in-depth clinical characterization of a cohort of 36 unpublished individuals with SETD1B sequence variants, describing their molecular and phenotypic spectrum. Selected variants were functionally tested using in vitro and genome-wide methylation assays. Results Our data present evidence for a loss-of-function mechanism of SETD1B variants, resulting in a core clinical phenotype of global developmental delay, language delay including regression, intellectual disability, autism and other behavioral issues, and variable epilepsy phenotypes. Developmental delay appeared to precede seizure onset, suggesting SETD1B dysfunction impacts physiological neurodevelopment even in the absence of epileptic activity. Males are significantly overrepresented and more severely affected, and we speculate that sex-linked traits could affect susceptibility to penetrance and the clinical spectrum of SETD1B variants. Conclusion Insights from this extensive cohort will facilitate the counseling regarding the molecular and phenotypic landscape of newly diagnosed patients with the SETD1B-related syndrome.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marjolein J.A. Weerts ◽  
Kristina Lanko ◽  
Francisco J. Guzmán-Vega ◽  
Adam Jackson ◽  
Reshmi Ramakrishnan ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTPathogenic variants in SETD1B have been associated with a syndromic neurodevelopmental disorder including intellectual disability, language delay and seizures. To date, clinical features have been described for eleven patients with (likely) pathogenic SETD1B sequence variants. We perform an in-depth clinical characterization of a cohort of 36 unpublished individuals with SETD1B sequence variants, describing their molecular and phenotypic spectrum. Selected variants were functionally tested using in vitro and genome-wide methylation assays. Our data present evidence for a loss-of-function mechanism of SETD1B variants, resulting in a core clinical phenotype of global developmental delay, language delay including regression, intellectual disability, autism and other behavioral issues, and variable epilepsy phenotypes. Developmental delay appeared to precede seizure onset, suggesting SETD1B dysfunction impacts physiological neurodevelopment even in the absence of epileptic activity. Interestingly, males are significantly overrepresented and more severely affected, and we speculate that sex-linked traits could affect susceptibility to penetrance and the clinical spectrum of SETD1B variants. Finally, despite the possibility of non-redundant contributions of SETD1B and its paralogue SETD1A to epigenetic control, the clinical phenotypes of the related disorders share many similarities, indicating that elucidating shared and divergent downstream targets of both genes will help to understand the mechanism leading to the neurobehavioral phenotypes. Insights from this extensive cohort will facilitate the counseling regarding the molecular and phenotypic landscape of newly diagnosed patients with the SETD1B-related syndrome.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Eun-kyung Choi ◽  
Young-Ah Seo

Abstract Objectives Hemochromatosis is a frequent genetic disorder characterized by the accumulation of excess iron across tissues. Mutations in the FPN1 gene, encoding a cell-surface iron exporter ferroportin (Fpn), are responsible for hemochromatosis type 4, also known as ferroportin disease. Recently, Fpn has been implicated in the regulation of manganese (Mn), another essential nutrient required for numerous cellular enzymes. However, the roles of Fpn in Mn regulation remain ill defined, and the impact of disease mutations on cellular Mn levels is unknown. Thus, this study aimed to define the role of Fpn in Mn regulation and determine the functional consequences of ferroportin disease mutations in cellular Mn levels. Methods Thus far, over 50 mutations in Fpn have been identified in hemochromatosis type 4/ferroportin disease. To test whether these mutations alter cellular Mn metabolism, we constructed an expression vector encoding human Fpn with a C-terminal HA epitope tag and introduced nine clinically relevant mutations by site-directed mutagenesis. Based on previously reported in vitro functional results, we selected five ferroportin disease mutations from each of the two groups: five loss-of-function (LOF) mutations (G80S, R88G, D157G, D157Y, and V162Δ) and four gain-of-function (GOF) mutations (N144H, N144T, C326S, and and S338R). Results Here, we provide evidence that Fpn can export Mn from cells into extracellular space. Fpn appears to play protective roles in Mn-induced cellular toxicity and oxidative stress. Finally, disease mutations interfere with Fpn's role in controlling Mn levels as well as the stability of Fpn. Conclusions These results define the function of Fpn as an exporter of both iron and Mn and highlight the potential involvement of Mn dysregulation in ferroportin disease. Funding Sources National Institutes of Health (NIH) to Y.A.S. (K99/R00 ES024340).


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christin L Deal ◽  
Timothy J Thauland ◽  
Rebecca Signer ◽  
Stanley F Nelson ◽  
Hane Lee ◽  
...  

Viral respiratory infections are the most common childhood infection worldwide. However, even common pathogens can have significant consequences in the context of patients with primary immunodeficiency diseases. More than half or viral infections annually are due to rhinovirus/enterovirus strains. Most clinical manifestations of viral infection are mild. However 3% of cases result in hospitalization in patients who have no other known risk factors. These patients may have an inborn error of immunity, a genetic susceptibility to viral infections. Here we present the case of an adult male who suffered respiratory viral infections his whole life and developed chronic, inflammatory damage to sinuses and lungs as a consequence. Genomic sequencing identified compound heterozygous variants in the IFIH1 gene, encoding the protein Melanoma Differentiation Association Protein 5 (MDA5), a RIG-I-like cytoplasmic sensor of RNA intracellular infections. We show a dominant negative effect on these variants on the level of interferon-induced expression of MDA5 protein. This work supports that loss-of-function variants in IFIH1 affect the sensing of viral infections. Underlying genomic variants may dictate the point at which recurrent, respiratory viral infections leave commonplace experience and incur lasting damage.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Virginie Courchet ◽  
Amanda J Roberts ◽  
Peggy Del Carmine ◽  
Tommy L. Lewis ◽  
Franck Polleux ◽  
...  

SUMMARYRecently, numerous rare de novo mutations have been identified in children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). However, despite the predicted loss-of-function nature of some of these de novo mutations, the affected individuals are heterozygous carriers, which would suggest that most of these candidate genes are haploinsufficient and/or that these mutations lead to expression of dominant-negative forms of the protein. Here, we tested this hypothesis with the gene Nuak1, recently identified as a candidate ASD gene and that we previously identified for its role in the development of cortical connectivity. We report that Nuak1 is happloinsufficient in mice in regard to its function in cortical axon branching in vitro and in vivo. Nuak1+/− mice show a combination of abnormal behavioral traits ranging from defective memory consolidation in a spatial learning task, defects in social novelty (but not social preference) and abnormal sensorimotor gating and prepulse inhibition of the startle response. Overall, our results demonstrate that Nuak1 haploinsufficiency leads to defects in the development of cortical connectivity and a complex array of behavorial deficits compatible with ASD, intellectual disability and schizophrenia.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuan Liu ◽  
Hongke Ding ◽  
Tizhen Yan ◽  
Ling Liu ◽  
Lihua Yu ◽  
...  

PACS1 neurodevelopmental disorder (PACS1-NDD) is a category of rare disorder characterized by intellectual disability, speech delay, dysmorphic facial features, and developmental delay. Other various physical abnormalities of PACS1-NDD might involve all organs and systems. Notably, there were only two unique missense mutations [c.607C > T (p.Arg203Trp) and c.608G > A (p.Arg203Gln)] in PACS1 that had been identified as pathogenic variants for PACS1-NDD or Schuurs-Hoeijmakers syndrome (SHMS). Previous reports suggested that these common missense variants were likely to act through dominant-negative or gain-of-function effects manner. It is still uncertain whether the intragenic deletion or duplication in PACS1 will be disease-causing. By using whole-exome sequencing, we first identified a novel heterozygous multi-exon deletion covering exons 12–24 in PACS1 (NM_018026) in four individuals (two brothers and their father and grandfather) in a three-generation family. The younger brother was referred to our center prenatally and was evaluated before and after the birth. Unlike SHMS, no typical dysmorphic facial features, intellectual problems, and structural brain anomalies were observed among these four individuals. The brothers showed a mild hypermyotonia of their extremities at the age of 3 months old and recovered over time. Mild speech and cognitive delay were also noticed in the two brothers at the age of 13 and 27 months old, respectively. However, their father and grandfather showed normal language and cognitive competence. This study might supplement the spectrum of PACS1-NDD and demonstrates that the loss of function variation in PACS1 displays no contributions to the typical SHMS which is caused by the recurrent c.607C > T (p.Arg203Trp) variant.


2000 ◽  
Vol 11 (suppl 2) ◽  
pp. S154-S158
Author(s):  
MASANORI KITAMURA

Abstract. For many years, ex vivo gene transfer has been used for genetic manipulation of various organs. In the kidney, ex vivo gene transfer was reported using mesangial cells and macrophages. In rats, cultured cells injected into the renal artery are accumulated selectively in the glomerulus. With this approach, it is possible to transfer genetically engineered cells to normal and diseased glomeruli. The transfer of genetically engineered cells to glomeruli can be used for several purposes. With the use of resident glomerular cells engineered in vitro, it is possible to examine how the cells that overexpress certain genes behave differently in normal and diseased glomeruli. Both gain-of-function and loss-of-function strategies are useful for this purpose. For the latter, stable expression of antisense cDNA, ribosomes, or dominant-negative mutants is available. By transfer of engineered cells producing secretory, recombinant proteins, it is possible to modify glomerular microenvironment in vivo. Transfer of genes encoding therapeutically relevant molecules could be useful for therapeutic intervention. Transfer of engineered leukocytes to the glomerulus also allows investigation of cross talk between leukocytes and resident cells. Transfer of stimulated leukocytes is useful for investigation of the pathologic actions of infiltrating cells on glomerular structure and function. Leukocytes in which certain gene functions are selectively reinforced or deleted would be useful for elucidation of the exact functions of leukocyte-associated genes in glomerular diseases. This article summarizes current experience with the adoptive transfer of engineered cells to the glomerulus for investigation of and therapy for glomerular diseases.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura M. Pillay ◽  
Joseph J. Yano ◽  
Andrew E. Davis ◽  
Matthew G. Butler ◽  
Keith A. Barnes ◽  
...  

Rationale: The small monomeric GTPase RHOA acts as a master regulator of signal transduction cascades by activating effectors of cellular signaling, including the Rho-associated protein kinases ROCK1/2. Previous in vitro cell culture studies suggest that RHOA can regulate many critical aspects of vascular endothelial cell (EC) biology, including focal adhesion, stress fiber formation, and angiogenesis. However, the specific in vivo roles of RHOA during vascular development and homeostasis are still not well understood. Objective: In this study we examine the in vivo functions of RHOA in regulating vascular development and integrity in zebrafish. Methods and Results: We use zebrafish RHOA-ortholog (rhoaa) mutants, transgenic embryos expressing wild type, dominant-negative, or constitutively active forms of rhoaa in ECs, and a pharmacologic inhibitor of ROCK1/2 to study the in vivo consequences of RHOA gain- and loss-of-function in the vascular endothelium. Our findings document roles for RHOA in vascular integrity, developmental angiogenesis, and vascular morphogenesis. Conclusions: Our results indicate that either too much or too little RHOA activity leads to vascular dysfunction in vivo.


2019 ◽  
Vol 57 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Chong ◽  
Grace Yoon ◽  
Delia Susan-Resiga ◽  
Ann Chamberland ◽  
David Cheillan ◽  
...  

BackgroundProprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors are novel therapeutics for reducing low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLc). While serious side-effects have not been observed in short-term clinical trials, there remain concerns that long-term PCSK9 inhibition may cause neurocognitive side-effects.Methods and resultsAn adult male with childhood-onset global developmental delay, cerebellar atrophy and severe hypolipidaemia underwent extensive biochemical and genetic investigations. Initial testing revealed low circulating PCSK9 levels and a common loss-of-function PCSK9 polymorphism, but these findings did not fully account for severe hypolipidaemia. Whole-exome sequencing was subsequently performed and identified two pathogenic phosphomannose mutase 2 (PMM2) variants (p.Arg141His and p.Pro69Ser) known to cause PMM2-associated congenital disorder of glycosylation (PMM2-CDG). A diagnosis of PMM2-CDG was consistent with the proband’s neurological symptoms and severe hypolipidaemia. Given that PMM2-CDG is characterised by defective protein N-glycosylation and that PCSK9 is a negative regulator of LDLc, we postulated that loss of PCSK9 N-glycosylation mediates hypolipidaemia among patients with PMM2-CDG. First, in an independent cohort of patients with PMM2-CDG (N=8), we verified that circulating PCSK9 levels were significantly lower in patients than controls (p=0.0006). Second, we conducted in vitro experiments in hepatocyte-derived cells to evaluate the effects of PCSK9 N-glycosylation loss on LDL receptor (LDLR) activity. Experimental results suggest that defective PCSK9 N-glycosylation reduces the ability of circulating PCSK9 to degrade LDLR.ConclusionLife-long exposure to genetically lower PCSK9 per se is unlikely to cause neurocognitive impairment. Both observational and experimental findings suggest that hypolipidaemia in PMM2-CDG may be partially mediated by loss of PCSK9 N-glycosylation and/or its regulators.


2020 ◽  
pp. jmedgenet-2020-107016
Author(s):  
Noraldin Al-deri ◽  
Volkan Okur ◽  
Priyanka Ahimaz ◽  
Miroslav Milev ◽  
Zaheer Valivullah ◽  
...  

BackgroundNext-generation sequencing has facilitated the diagnosis of neurodevelopmental disorders with variable and non-specific clinical findings. Recently, a homozygous missense p.(Asp37Tyr) variant in TRAPPC2L, a core subunit of TRAPP complexes which function as tethering factors during membrane trafficking, was reported in two unrelated individuals with neurodevelopmental delay, post-infectious encephalopathy-associated developmental arrest, tetraplegia and accompanying rhabdomyolysis.MethodsWe performed whole genome sequencing on members of an Ashkenazi Jewish pedigree to identify the underlying genetic aetiology of global developmental delay/intellectual disability in three affected siblings. To assess the effect of the identified TRAPPC2L variant, we performed biochemical and cell biological functional studies on the TRAPPC2L protein.ResultsA rare homozygous predicted deleterious missense variant, p.(Ala2Gly), in TRAPPC2L was identified in the affected siblings and it segregated with the neurodevelopmental phenotype within the family. Using a yeast two-hybrid assay and in vitro binding, we demonstrate that the p.(Ala2Gly) variant, but not the p.(Asp37Tyr) variant, disrupted the interaction between TRAPPC2L and another core TRAPP protein, TRAPPC6a. Size exclusion chromatography suggested that this variant affects the assembly of TRAPP complexes. Employing two different membrane trafficking assays using fibroblasts from one of the affected siblings, we found a delay in traffic into and out of the Golgi. Similar to the p.(Asp37Tyr) variant, the p.(Ala2Gly) variant resulted in an increase in the levels of active RAB11.ConclusionOur data fill in a gap in the knowledge of TRAPP architecture with TRAPPC2L interacting with TRAPPC6a, positioning it as a putative adaptor for other TRAPP subunits. Collectively, our findings support the pathogenicity of the TRAPPC2L p.(Ala2Gly) variant.


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