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1.
BMC Genomics ; 25(1): 371, 2024 Apr 16.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38627676

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: X-chromosome inactivation (XCI) is an epigenetic process that occurs during early development in mammalian females by randomly silencing one of two copies of the X chromosome in each cell. The preferential inactivation of either the maternal or paternal copy of the X chromosome in a majority of cells results in a skewed or non-random pattern of X inactivation and is observed in over 25% of adult females. Identifying skewed X inactivation is of clinical significance in patients with suspected rare genetic diseases due to the possibility of biased expression of disease-causing genes present on the active X chromosome. The current clinical test for the detection of skewed XCI relies on the methylation status of the methylation-sensitive restriction enzyme (Hpall) binding site present in proximity of short tandem polymorphic repeats on the androgen receptor (AR) gene. This approach using one locus results in uninformative or inconclusive data for 10-20% of tests. Further, recent studies have shown inconsistency between methylation of the AR locus and the state of inactivation of the X chromosome. Herein, we develop a method for estimating X inactivation status, using exome and transcriptome sequencing data derived from blood in 227 female samples. We built a reference model for evaluation of XCI in 135 females from the GTEx consortium. We tested and validated the model on 11 female individuals with different types of undiagnosed rare genetic disorders who were clinically tested for X-skew using the AR gene assay and compared results to our outlier-based analysis technique. RESULTS: In comparison to the AR clinical test for identification of X inactivation, our method was concordant with the AR method in 9 samples, discordant in 1, and provided a measure of X inactivation in 1 sample with uninformative clinical results. We applied this method on an additional 81 females presenting to the clinic with phenotypes consistent with different hereditary disorders without a known genetic diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: This study presents the use of transcriptome and exome sequencing data to provide an accurate and complete estimation of X-inactivation and skew status in a cohort of female patients with different types of suspected rare genetic disease.


Subject(s)
Exome , X Chromosome Inactivation , Adult , Humans , Female , Transcriptome , Exome Sequencing , Chromosomes, Human, X/genetics
2.
Hum Genet ; 143(5): 649-666, 2024 May.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38538918

ABSTRACT

Most rare disease patients (75-50%) undergoing genomic sequencing remain unsolved, often due to lack of information about variants identified. Data review over time can leverage novel information regarding disease-causing variants and genes, increasing this diagnostic yield. However, time and resource constraints have limited reanalysis of genetic data in clinical laboratories setting. We developed RENEW, (REannotation of NEgative WES/WGS) an automated reannotation procedure that uses relevant new information in on-line genomic databases to enable rapid review of genomic findings. We tested RENEW in an unselected cohort of 1066 undiagnosed cases with a broad spectrum of phenotypes from the Mayo Clinic Center for Individualized Medicine using new information in ClinVar, HGMD and OMIM between the date of previous analysis/testing and April of 2022. 5741 variants prioritized by RENEW were rapidly reviewed by variant interpretation specialists. Mean analysis time was approximately 20 s per variant (32 h total time). Reviewed cases were classified as: 879 (93.0%) undiagnosed, 63 (6.6%) putatively diagnosed, and 4 (0.4%) definitively diagnosed. New strategies are needed to enable efficient review of genomic findings in unsolved cases. We report on a fast and practical approach to address this need and improve overall diagnostic success in patient testing through a recurrent reannotation process.


Subject(s)
Genomics , Humans , Genomics/methods , Exome/genetics , Exome Sequencing/methods , Databases, Genetic , Genetic Testing/methods , Genome, Human , Whole Genome Sequencing/methods , Phenotype
4.
Genome Med ; 14(1): 62, 2022 06 13.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35698242

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Genomics enables individualized diagnosis and treatment, but large challenges remain to functionally interpret rare variants. To date, only one causative variant has been described for KCNK9 imprinting syndrome (KIS). The genotypic and phenotypic spectrum of KIS has yet to be described and the precise mechanism of disease fully understood. METHODS: This study discovers mechanisms underlying KCNK9 imprinting syndrome (KIS) by describing 15 novel KCNK9 alterations from 47 KIS-affected individuals. We use clinical genetics and computer-assisted facial phenotyping to describe the phenotypic spectrum of KIS. We then interrogate the functional effects of the variants in the encoded TASK3 channel using sequence-based analysis, 3D molecular mechanic and dynamic protein modeling, and in vitro electrophysiological and functional methodologies. RESULTS: We describe the broader genetic and phenotypic variability for KIS in a cohort of individuals identifying an additional mutational hotspot at p.Arg131 and demonstrating the common features of this neurodevelopmental disorder to include motor and speech delay, intellectual disability, early feeding difficulties, muscular hypotonia, behavioral abnormalities, and dysmorphic features. The computational protein modeling and in vitro electrophysiological studies discover variability of the impact of KCNK9 variants on TASK3 channel function identifying variants causing gain and others causing loss of conductance. The most consistent functional impact of KCNK9 genetic variants, however, was altered channel regulation. CONCLUSIONS: This study extends our understanding of KIS mechanisms demonstrating its complex etiology including gain and loss of channel function and consistent loss of channel regulation. These data are rapidly applicable to diagnostic strategies, as KIS is not identifiable from clinical features alone and thus should be molecularly diagnosed. Furthermore, our data suggests unique therapeutic strategies may be needed to address the specific functional consequences of KCNK9 variation on channel function and regulation.


Subject(s)
Intellectual Disability , Potassium Channels, Tandem Pore Domain , Genotype , Humans , Intellectual Disability/genetics , Muscle Hypotonia , Mutation , Phenotype , Potassium Channels, Tandem Pore Domain/genetics , Potassium Channels, Tandem Pore Domain/metabolism
5.
J Clin Immunol ; 42(5): 986-999, 2022 07.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35344128

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: This is a functional characterization of a novel CYBA variant associated with normal DHR flow cytometry. Chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) is an inborn error of immunity characterized by recurrent bacterial and fungal infections and dysregulated inflammatory responses due to defective phagocytic cell function leading to the formation of granulomas. CGD patients have pathogenic variants in any of the five components of the phagocytic NADPH oxidase, which transfers electrons through the phagosomal membrane and produces superoxide upon bacterial uptake. Here, we report a pediatric female patient with a novel homozygous missense variant (c.293C > T, p.(Ser98Leu)) in CYBA, encoding the p22phox protein, associated with autosomal recessive CGD. METHODS AND RESULTS: The patient presented with severe recurrent pneumonia. Specific pathogens identified included Burkholderia and Serratia species suggesting neutrophil functional abnormalities; however, the dihydrorhodamine-1,2,3 (DHR) flow cytometric and cytochrome c reduction assays for neutrophil respiratory burst fell within the low side of the normal range. Western blot and flow cytometric analysis of individual NADPH oxidase components revealed reduced levels of p22phox and gp91phoxphox proteins. The pathological consequence of the p.Ser98Leu variant was further evaluated in heterologous expression systems, which confirmed reduced p22phox protein stability and oxidase activity. CONCLUSIONS: Although this patient did not exhibit all the classic features of CGD, such as granulomas and skin infections, she had recurrent pneumonias with oxidant-sensitive pathognomonic organisms, resulting in appropriate targeted CGD testing. This case emphasizes the need to contextually interpret laboratory data, especially using clinical findings to direct additional assessments including genetic analysis.


Subject(s)
Granulomatous Disease, Chronic , Child , Female , Flow Cytometry , Granulomatous Disease, Chronic/complications , Granulomatous Disease, Chronic/diagnosis , Granulomatous Disease, Chronic/genetics , Humans , Mutation/genetics , NADPH Oxidase 2/genetics , NADPH Oxidases/genetics , Phagocytes
6.
Front Cell Dev Biol ; 10: 783762, 2022.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35295849

ABSTRACT

The hereditary ataxias are a heterogenous group of disorders with an increasing number of causative genes being described. Due to the clinical and genetic heterogeneity seen in these conditions, the majority of such individuals endure a diagnostic odyssey or remain undiagnosed. Defining the molecular etiology can bring insights into the responsible molecular pathways and eventually the identification of therapeutic targets. Here, we describe the identification of biallelic variants in the GEMIN5 gene among seven unrelated families with nine affected individuals presenting with spastic ataxia and cerebellar atrophy. GEMIN5, an RNA-binding protein, has been shown to regulate transcription and translation machinery. GEMIN5 is a component of small nuclear ribonucleoprotein (snRNP) complexes and helps in the assembly of the spliceosome complexes. We found that biallelic GEMIN5 variants cause structural abnormalities in the encoded protein and reduce expression of snRNP complex proteins in patient cells compared with unaffected controls. Finally, knocking out endogenous Gemin5 in mice caused early embryonic lethality, suggesting that Gemin5 expression is crucial for normal development. Our work further expands on the phenotypic spectrum associated with GEMIN5-related disease and implicates the role of GEMIN5 among patients with spastic ataxia, cerebellar atrophy, and motor predominant developmental delay.

7.
J Med Genet ; 59(10): 965-975, 2022 Oct.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34930816

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: High-impact pathogenic variants in more than a thousand genes are involved in Mendelian forms of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD). METHODS: This study describes the molecular and clinical characterisation of 28 probands with NDD harbouring heterozygous AGO1 coding variants, occurring de novo for all those whose transmission could have been verified (26/28). RESULTS: A total of 15 unique variants leading to amino acid changes or deletions were identified: 12 missense variants, two in-frame deletions of one codon, and one canonical splice variant leading to a deletion of two amino acid residues. Recurrently identified variants were present in several unrelated individuals: p.(Phe180del), p.(Leu190Pro), p.(Leu190Arg), p.(Gly199Ser), p.(Val254Ile) and p.(Glu376del). AGO1 encodes the Argonaute 1 protein, which functions in gene-silencing pathways mediated by small non-coding RNAs. Three-dimensional protein structure predictions suggest that these variants might alter the flexibility of the AGO1 linker domains, which likely would impair its function in mRNA processing. Affected individuals present with intellectual disability of varying severity, as well as speech and motor delay, autistic behaviour and additional behavioural manifestations. CONCLUSION: Our study establishes that de novo coding variants in AGO1 are involved in a novel monogenic form of NDD, highly similar to the recently reported AGO2-related NDD.


Subject(s)
Argonaute Proteins , Intellectual Disability , Neurodevelopmental Disorders , Humans , Amino Acids/genetics , Heterozygote , Intellectual Disability/genetics , Intellectual Disability/pathology , Neurodevelopmental Disorders/genetics , Neurodevelopmental Disorders/pathology , RNA, Messenger , Argonaute Proteins/genetics
8.
JAMIA Open ; 4(3): ooab065, 2021 Jul.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34377961

ABSTRACT

MOTIVATION: Genomic data are prevalent, leading to frequent encounters with uninterpreted variants or mutations with unknown mechanisms of effect. Researchers must manually aggregate data from multiple sources and across related proteins, mentally translating effects between the genome and proteome, to attempt to understand mechanisms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: P2T2 presents diverse data and annotation types in a unified protein-centric view, facilitating the interpretation of coding variants and hypothesis generation. Information from primary sequence, domain, motif, and structural levels are presented and also organized into the first Paralog Annotation Analysis across the human proteome. RESULTS: Our tool assists research efforts to interpret genomic variation by aggregating diverse, relevant, and proteome-wide information into a unified interactive web-based interface. Additionally, we provide a REST API enabling automated data queries, or repurposing data for other studies. CONCLUSION: The unified protein-centric interface presented in P2T2 will help researchers interpret novel variants identified through next-generation sequencing. Code and server link available at github.com/GenomicInterpretation/p2t2.

9.
Nat Genet ; 53(7): 1006-1021, 2021 07.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34211179

ABSTRACT

SPTBN1 encodes ßII-spectrin, the ubiquitously expressed ß-spectrin that forms micrometer-scale networks associated with plasma membranes. Mice deficient in neuronal ßII-spectrin have defects in cortical organization, developmental delay and behavioral deficiencies. These phenotypes, while less severe, are observed in haploinsufficient animals, suggesting that individuals carrying heterozygous SPTBN1 variants may also show measurable compromise of neural development and function. Here we identify heterozygous SPTBN1 variants in 29 individuals with developmental, language and motor delays; mild to severe intellectual disability; autistic features; seizures; behavioral and movement abnormalities; hypotonia; and variable dysmorphic facial features. We show that these SPTBN1 variants lead to effects that affect ßII-spectrin stability, disrupt binding to key molecular partners, and disturb cytoskeleton organization and dynamics. Our studies define SPTBN1 variants as the genetic basis of a neurodevelopmental syndrome, expand the set of spectrinopathies affecting the brain and underscore the critical role of ßII-spectrin in the central nervous system.


Subject(s)
Genes, Dominant , Genetic Predisposition to Disease , Genetic Variation , Neurodevelopmental Disorders/genetics , Spectrin/genetics , Animals , Genetic Association Studies/methods , Heterozygote , Humans , Mice , Neurodevelopmental Disorders/diagnosis , Phenotype , Spectrin/metabolism
10.
Nat Commun ; 12(1): 2558, 2021 05 07.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33963192

ABSTRACT

GEMIN5, an RNA-binding protein is essential for assembly of the survival motor neuron (SMN) protein complex and facilitates the formation of small nuclear ribonucleoproteins (snRNPs), the building blocks of spliceosomes. Here, we have identified 30 affected individuals from 22 unrelated families presenting with developmental delay, hypotonia, and cerebellar ataxia harboring biallelic variants in the GEMIN5 gene. Mutations in GEMIN5 perturb the subcellular distribution, stability, and expression of GEMIN5 protein and its interacting partners in patient iPSC-derived neurons, suggesting a potential loss-of-function mechanism. GEMIN5 mutations result in disruption of snRNP complex assembly formation in patient iPSC neurons. Furthermore, knock down of rigor mortis, the fly homolog of human GEMIN5, leads to developmental defects, motor dysfunction, and a reduced lifespan. Interestingly, we observed that GEMIN5 variants disrupt a distinct set of transcripts and pathways as compared to SMA patient neurons, suggesting different molecular pathomechanisms. These findings collectively provide evidence that pathogenic variants in GEMIN5 perturb physiological functions and result in a neurodevelopmental delay and ataxia syndrome.


Subject(s)
Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental/genetics , Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells/metabolism , Neurodevelopmental Disorders/metabolism , Neurons/metabolism , Ribonucleoproteins, Small Nuclear/metabolism , SMN Complex Proteins/genetics , Alleles , Amino Acid Sequence , Animals , Child, Preschool , Developmental Disabilities/genetics , Drosophila/genetics , Drosophila/growth & development , Female , Gene Knockdown Techniques , Gene Ontology , HEK293 Cells , Humans , Loss of Function Mutation , Male , Muscle Hypotonia/genetics , Myoclonic Cerebellar Dyssynergia/genetics , Neurodevelopmental Disorders/diagnostic imaging , Neurodevelopmental Disorders/genetics , Neurodevelopmental Disorders/physiopathology , Pedigree , Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide , RNA-Seq , Ribonucleoproteins, Small Nuclear/genetics , Rigor Mortis/genetics , SMN Complex Proteins/metabolism
11.
Kidney360 ; 2(9): 1463-1472, 2021 09 30.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35373096

ABSTRACT

Background: Preeclampsia and hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelets (HELLP) syndrome share many clinical and biologic features with thrombotic microangiopathy syndromes caused by complement abnormalities. Our hypothesis was that similar functional and genetic alterations in the complement alternative pathway (CAP) are present in these disorders of pregnancy. Methods: We conducted quantitative analysis of proteins involved in CAP using ELISA and nephelometry on prospectively collected blood samples from patients with severe phenotype preeclampsia (defined as delivery ≤34 weeks due to preeclampsia), HELLP syndrome, or eclampsia, and matched normotensive controls (n=25 in each arm) between 2011 and 2016. Sequencing was performed to interrogate 14 genes encoding CAP components. Results: Both groups were similar in age, gravidity, parity, marital status, and race. The study group had a higher BMI (mean±SD, 32±8 versus 25±4 kg/m2; P=0.002) and earlier gestational age at delivery (32.5±3.6 versus 40.3±1 weeks; P<0.001). Serologic studies demonstrated elevated Bb subunit (median [range], 1.2 [0.5-4.3] versus 0.6 [0.5-1] µg/ml; P<0.001), complement C5 concentration (28 [18-33] versus 24 [15-34] mg/dl; P=0.03), and sMAC (371 [167-761] versus 184 [112-249] ng/ml; P<0.001) concentrations in patients with preeclampsia. Two thirds of patients with preeclampsia had at least one nonsynonymous sequence variant in CAP genes. Conclusion: Patients with severe phenotype preeclampsia manifest functional alterations in CAP activation. Genetic variants in the CAP genes were detected in several patients, but a larger population study is necessary to fully evaluate genetic risk. Genetic screening and complement-targeted treatment may be useful in risk stratification and novel therapeutic approaches.


Subject(s)
Eclampsia , HELLP Syndrome , Pre-Eclampsia , Eclampsia/genetics , Female , Genetic Testing , HELLP Syndrome/genetics , Humans , Phenotype , Pre-Eclampsia/genetics , Pregnancy
12.
Genet Med ; 23(3): 498-507, 2021 03.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33144682

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Exome sequencing often identifies pathogenic genetic variants in patients with undiagnosed diseases. Nevertheless, frequent findings of variants of uncertain significance necessitate additional efforts to establish causality before reaching a conclusive diagnosis. To provide comprehensive genomic testing to patients with undiagnosed disease, we established an Individualized Medicine Clinic, which offered clinical exome testing and included a Translational Omics Program (TOP) that provided variant curation, research activities, or research exome sequencing. METHODS: From 2012 to 2018, 1101 unselected patients with undiagnosed diseases received exome testing. Outcomes were reviewed to assess impact of the TOP and patient characteristics on diagnostic rates through descriptive and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: The overall diagnostic yield was 24.9% (274 of 1101 patients), with 174 (15.8% of 1101) diagnosed on the basis of clinical exome sequencing alone. Four hundred twenty-three patients with nondiagnostic or without access to clinical exome sequencing were evaluated by the TOP, with 100 (9% of 1101) patients receiving a diagnosis, accounting for 36.5% of the diagnostic yield. The identification of a genetic diagnosis was influenced by the age at time of testing and the disease phenotype of the patient. CONCLUSION: Integration of translational research activities into clinical practice of a tertiary medical center can significantly increase the diagnostic yield of patients with undiagnosed disease.


Subject(s)
Exome , Undiagnosed Diseases , Exome/genetics , Genetic Testing , Humans , Phenotype , Translational Research, Biomedical , Exome Sequencing
13.
Genet Med ; 23(2): 384-395, 2021 02.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33173220

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: We sought to delineate the genotypic and phenotypic spectrum of female and male individuals with X-linked, MSL3-related disorder (Basilicata-Akhtar syndrome). METHODS: Twenty-five individuals (15 males, 10 females) with causative variants in MSL3 were ascertained through exome or genome sequencing at ten different sequencing centers. RESULTS: We identified multiple variant types in MSL3 (ten nonsense, six frameshift, four splice site, three missense, one in-frame-deletion, one multi-exon deletion), most proven to be de novo, and clustering in the terminal eight exons suggesting that truncating variants in the first five exons might be compensated by an alternative MSL3 transcript. Three-dimensional modeling of missense and splice variants indicated that these have a deleterious effect. The main clinical findings comprised developmental delay and intellectual disability ranging from mild to severe. Autism spectrum disorder, muscle tone abnormalities, and macrocephaly were common as well as hearing impairment and gastrointestinal problems. Hypoplasia of the cerebellar vermis emerged as a consistent magnetic resonance image (MRI) finding. Females and males were equally affected. Using facial analysis technology, a recognizable facial gestalt was determined. CONCLUSION: Our aggregated data illustrate the genotypic and phenotypic spectrum of X-linked, MSL3-related disorder (Basilicata-Akhtar syndrome). Our cohort improves the understanding of disease related morbidity and allows us to propose detailed surveillance guidelines for affected individuals.


Subject(s)
Autism Spectrum Disorder , Intellectual Disability , Autism Spectrum Disorder/genetics , Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone , DNA-Binding Proteins , Female , Genes, X-Linked , Genotype , Humans , Intellectual Disability/genetics , Male , Phenotype , Exome Sequencing
15.
Mol Genet Genomic Med ; 8(9): e1341, 2020 09.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32597037

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: RNA polymerase III (Pol III)-related disorders are autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disorders caused by variants in POLR3A or POLR3B. Recently, a novel phenotype of adult-onset spastic ataxia was identified in individuals with the c.1909+22G>A POLR3A variant in compound heterozygosity. METHODS: Whole-exome sequencing was performed in the proband and parents. Variants were confirmed by Sanger sequencing. RNA sequencing was performed to evaluate splicing implications. RESULTS: A 42-year-old female was evaluated for unexplained neurological findings with a slow progressive decline in gait and walking speed since adolescence. WES revealed a novel missense variant (c.3593A>C, p.Lys1198Arg) in exon 27 of POLR3A in compound heterozygosity with the c.1909+22G>A variant. Summary of previously reported clinical features from individuals with pathogenic biallelic alterations in POLR3A and adult-onset phenotype is consistent with our findings. RNA analysis revealed c.3593A>G drives the production of four RNA transcript products each with different functional impacts. CONCLUSION: The novel dual-class c.3593A>C variant in POLR3A causes an amino acid substitution and complex disruption of splicing. Our report supports the need to investigate variants near splice junctions for proper interpretation. Current interpretation guidelines need to address best practices for inclusion of predicted or measured transcriptional disruption pending functional activity or reliable transcript abundance estimates.


Subject(s)
Cerebellar Ataxia/genetics , Genetic Testing/standards , RNA Polymerase III/genetics , Adult , Cerebellar Ataxia/diagnostic imaging , Cerebellar Ataxia/pathology , Female , Genetic Testing/methods , Humans , Mutation, Missense , Phenotype , RNA Polymerase III/metabolism , RNA Splicing
16.
Bioinformatics ; 36(17): 4609-4615, 2020 11 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32315392

ABSTRACT

MOTIVATION: Next-generation sequencing is rapidly improving diagnostic rates in rare Mendelian diseases, but even with whole genome or whole exome sequencing, the majority of cases remain unsolved. Increasingly, RNA sequencing is being used to solve many cases that evade diagnosis through sequencing alone. Specifically, the detection of aberrant splicing in many rare disease patients suggests that identifying RNA splicing outliers is particularly useful for determining causal Mendelian disease genes. However, there is as yet a paucity of statistical methodologies to detect splicing outliers. RESULTS: We developed LeafCutterMD, a new statistical framework that significantly improves the previously published LeafCutter in the context of detecting outlier splicing events. Through simulations and analysis of real patient data, we demonstrate that LeafCutterMD has better power than the state-of-the-art methodology while controlling false-positive rates. When applied to a cohort of disease-affected probands from the Mayo Clinic Center for Individualized Medicine, LeafCutterMD recovered all aberrantly spliced genes that had previously been identified by manual curation efforts. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION: The source code for this method is available under the opensource Apache 2.0 license in the latest release of the LeafCutter software package available online at http://davidaknowles.github.io/leafcutter. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.


Subject(s)
Genome , Rare Diseases , Algorithms , High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing , Humans , RNA Splicing , Rare Diseases/diagnosis , Rare Diseases/genetics , Sequence Analysis, RNA , Software
17.
Eur J Hum Genet ; 28(6): 770-782, 2020 06.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32005960

ABSTRACT

TBR1, a T-box transcription factor expressed in the cerebral cortex, regulates the expression of several candidate genes for autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Although TBR1 has been reported as a high-confidence risk gene for ASD and intellectual disability (ID) in functional and clinical reports since 2011, TBR1 has only recently been recorded as a human disease gene in the OMIM database. Currently, the neurodevelopmental disorders and structural brain anomalies associated with TBR1 variants are not well characterized. Through international data sharing, we collected data from 25 unreported individuals and compared them with data from the literature. We evaluated structural brain anomalies in seven individuals by analysis of MRI images, and compared these with anomalies observed in TBR1 mutant mice. The phenotype included ID in all individuals, associated to autistic traits in 76% of them. No recognizable facial phenotype could be identified. MRI analysis revealed a reduction of the anterior commissure and suggested new features including dysplastic hippocampus and subtle neocortical dysgenesis. This report supports the role of TBR1 in ID associated with autistic traits and suggests new structural brain malformations in humans. We hope this work will help geneticists to interpret TBR1 variants and diagnose ASD probands.


Subject(s)
Autistic Disorder/genetics , Craniofacial Abnormalities/genetics , Intellectual Disability/genetics , Phenotype , T-Box Domain Proteins/genetics , Adolescent , Adult , Animals , Autistic Disorder/pathology , Child , Child, Preschool , Cognition , Craniofacial Abnormalities/pathology , Female , Hippocampus/diagnostic imaging , Hippocampus/pathology , Humans , Intellectual Disability/pathology , Male , Mice , Mutation , Neocortex/diagnostic imaging , Neocortex/pathology , Syndrome , T-Box Domain Proteins/metabolism
18.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31662300

ABSTRACT

Trichorhinophalangeal syndrome type I (TRPSI) is a rare disorder that causes distinctive ectodermal, facial, and skeletal features affecting the hair (tricho-), nose (rhino-), and fingers and toes (phalangeal) and is inherited in an autosomal dominant pattern. TRPSI is caused by loss of function variants in TRPS1, involved in the regulation of chondrocyte and perichondrium development. Pathogenic variants in TRPS1 include missense mutations and deletions with variable breakpoints, with only a single instance of an intragenic duplication reported to date. Here we report an affected individual presenting with a classic TRPSI phenotype who is heterozygous for a de novo intragenic ∼36.3-kbp duplication affecting exons 2-4 of TRPS1 Molecular analysis revealed the duplication to be in direct tandem orientation affecting the splicing of TRPS1 The aberrant transcripts are predicted to produce a truncated TRPS1 missing the nuclear localization signal and the GATA and IKAROS-like zinc-finger domains resulting in functional TRPS1 haploinsufficiency. Our study identifies a novel intragenic tandem duplication of TRPS1 and highlights the importance of molecular characterization of intragenic duplications.


Subject(s)
Fingers/abnormalities , Hair Diseases/genetics , Langer-Giedion Syndrome/genetics , Nose/abnormalities , Repressor Proteins/genetics , Aged , Child , DNA-Binding Proteins/genetics , Exons/genetics , Family , Female , Gene Duplication/genetics , Hair Diseases/etiology , Humans , Langer-Giedion Syndrome/etiology , Male , Middle Aged , Mutation , Mutation, Missense/genetics , Pedigree , Phenotype , RNA Splicing/genetics , Repressor Proteins/metabolism , Sequence Deletion/genetics , Transcription Factors/genetics , Zinc Fingers/genetics
19.
PLoS One ; 14(10): e0223337, 2019.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31577830

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: RNA sequencing has been proposed as a means of increasing diagnostic rates in studies of undiagnosed rare inherited disease. Recent studies have reported diagnostic improvements in the range of 7.5-35% by profiling splicing, gene expression quantification and allele specific expression. To-date however, no study has systematically assessed the presence of gene-fusion transcripts in cases of germline disease. Fusion transcripts are routinely identified in cancer studies and are increasingly recognized as having diagnostic, prognostic or therapeutic relevance. Isolated reports exist of fusion transcripts being detected in cases of developmental and neurological phenotypes, and thus, systematic application of fusion detection to germline conditions may further increase diagnostic rates. However, current fusion detection methods are unsuited to the investigation of germline disease due to performance biases arising from their development using tumor, cell-line or in-silico data. METHODS: We describe a tailored approach to fusion candidate identification and prioritization in a cohort of 47 undiagnosed, suspected inherited disease patients. We modify an existing fusion transcript detection algorithm by eliminating its cell line-derived filtering steps, and instead, prioritize candidates using a custom workflow that integrates genomic and transcriptomic sequence alignment, biological and technical annotations, customized categorization logic, and phenotypic prioritization. RESULTS: We demonstrate that our approach to fusion transcript identification and prioritization detects genuine fusion events excluded by standard analyses and efficiently removes phenotypically unimportant candidates and false positive events, resulting in a reduced candidate list enriched for events with potential phenotypic relevance. We describe the successful genetic resolution of two previously undiagnosed disease cases through the detection of pathogenic fusion transcripts. Furthermore, we report the experimental validation of five additional cases of fusion transcripts with potential phenotypic relevance. CONCLUSIONS: The approach we describe can be implemented to enable the detection of phenotypically relevant fusion transcripts in studies of rare inherited disease. Fusion transcript detection has the potential to increase diagnostic rates in rare inherited disease and should be included in RNA-based analytical pipelines aimed at genetic diagnosis.


Subject(s)
Genetic Association Studies , Genetic Diseases, Inborn/diagnosis , Genetic Diseases, Inborn/genetics , Genetic Predisposition to Disease , Mutant Chimeric Proteins/genetics , Rare Diseases/diagnosis , Rare Diseases/genetics , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Child , Child, Preschool , Female , Genetic Association Studies/methods , Genetic Markers , Humans , Infant , Inheritance Patterns , Male , Middle Aged , Phenotype , Workflow , Young Adult
20.
Mayo Clin Proc ; 94(9): 1753-1768, 2019 09.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31256854

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate experience and feasibility of a precision medicine approach for patients with unexplained cytopenias, defined as low blood counts in one or more cell lineages, persistent for 6 months or longer, in the absence of known nutritional, autoimmune, infectious, toxic, and neoplastic (secondary) causes. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients were evaluated in our clinic between November 8, 2016, and January 12, 2018. After a thorough evaluation of known causes, family history, and appropriate clinical assays, genomic evaluation was performed in a stepwise manner, through Sanger, targeted, and/or whole-exome sequencing. Variants were analyzed and discussed in a genomics tumor board attended by clinicians, bioinformaticians, and molecular biologists. RESULTS: Sixty-eight patients were evaluated in our clinic. After genomic interrogation, they were classified into inherited bone marrow failure syndromes (IBMFS) (n=24, 35%), cytopenias without a known clinical syndrome which included idiopathic and clonal cytopenias of undetermined significance (CCUS) (n=30, 44%), and patients who did not fit into the above two categories ("others," n=14, 21%). A significant family history was found in only 17 (25%) patients (9 IBMFS, 2 CCUS, and 6 others), whereas gene variants were found in 43 (63%) patients (34 [79%] pathogenic including 12 IBMFS, 17 CCUS, and 5 others]. Genomic assessment resulted in a change in clinical management in 17 (25%) patients, as evidenced by changes in decisions with regards to therapeutic interventions (n=8, 47%), donor choice (n=6, 35%), and/or choice of conditioning regimen for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (n=8, 47%). CONCLUSION: We show clinical utility of a real-world algorithmic precision medicine approach for unexplained cytopenias.


Subject(s)
Blood Cell Count/methods , Bone Marrow Failure Disorders/diagnosis , Bone Marrow Failure Disorders/therapy , Medically Unexplained Symptoms , Precision Medicine/methods , Precision Medicine/statistics & numerical data , Academic Medical Centers , Adolescent , Adult , Anemia/diagnosis , Anemia/therapy , Bone Marrow Failure Disorders/genetics , Bone Marrow Failure Disorders/mortality , Child , Cohort Studies , Female , Genomics , Hematologic Diseases/diagnosis , Hematologic Diseases/therapy , Humans , Leukopenia/diagnosis , Leukopenia/therapy , Male , Middle Aged , Neutropenia/diagnosis , Neutropenia/therapy , Pancytopenia/diagnosis , Pancytopenia/therapy , Prognosis , Retrospective Studies , Risk Assessment , Severity of Illness Index , Survival Rate , Thrombocytopenia/diagnosis , Thrombocytopenia/therapy , Treatment Outcome , Young Adult
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