LEMD2-associated progeroid syndrome: Expanding the phenotype of the nuclear envelopathy caused by a defect in LEMD2 gene.

Nuclear envelopathies are rare genetic diseases that compromise the integrity of the nuclear envelope. Patients with a defect in LEM domain nuclear envelope protein 2 (LEMD2) leading to LEMD2-associated progeroid syndrome are exceedingly scarce in number, yet they exhibit shared clinical features including skeletal abnormalities and a prematurely-aged appearance. Our study broadens the understanding of LEMD2-associated progeroid syndrome by detailing its phenotypic and molecular characteristics in the first female and fourth reported case, highlighting a distinct impact on metabolic functions. The patient's history revealed growth delay, facial and skeletal abnormalities, and recurrent abdominal pain crises caused by hepatomegaly. Comparisons with the previously documented cases emphasized similarities in skeletal and facial features while showcasing unique variations, notably in cardiac and hepatic manifestations. In vitro experiments conducted on patient-derived peripheral blood and urinary epithelial cells and LEMD2-downregulated HepG2 cells confirmed abnormalities in the structure of the nuclear envelope in all three tissue-types. Overall, our work offers a comprehensive profile of a patient with LEMD2-related syndrome, emphasizing the hepatic involvement in the disease and broadening our understanding of clinical and molecular implications. This study not only contributes specific insights into LEMD2-related conditions but also underscores potential therapeutic paths for disorders affecting nuclear envelope dynamics.

Use of pure recombinant human enzymes to assess the disease-causing potential of missense mutations in urea cycle disorders, applied to N-acetylglutamate synthase deficiency.

N-acetylglutamate synthase (NAGS) makes acetylglutamate, the essential activator of the first, regulatory enzyme of the urea cycle, carbamoyl phosphate synthetase 1 (CPS1). NAGS deficiency (NAGSD) and CPS1 deficiency (CPS1D) present identical phenotypes. However, they must be distinguished, because NAGSD is cured by substitutive therapy with the N-acetyl-L-glutamate analogue N-carbamyl-L-glutamate, while curative therapy of CPS1D requires liver transplantation. Since their differentiation is done genetically, it is important to ascertain the disease-causing potential of CPS1 and NAGS genetic variants. With this goal, we previously carried out site-directed mutagenesis studies with pure recombinant human CPS1. We could not do the same with human NAGS (HuNAGS) because of enzyme instability, leading to our prior utilization of a bacterial NAGS as an imperfect surrogate of HuNAGS. We now use genuine HuNAGS, stabilized as a chimera of its conserved domain (cHuNAGS) with the maltose binding protein (MBP), and produced in Escherichia coli. MBP-cHuNAGS linker cleavage allowed assessment of the enzymatic properties and thermal stability of cHuNAGS, either wild-type or hosting each one of 23 nonsynonymous single-base changes found in NAGSD patients. For all but one change, disease causation was accounted by the enzymatic alterations identified, including, depending on the variant, loss of arginine activation, increased Km Glutamate, active site inactivation, decreased thermal stability, and protein misfolding. Our present approach outperforms experimental in vitro use of bacterial NAGS or in silico utilization of prediction servers (including AlphaMissense), illustrating with HuNAGS the value for UCDs of using recombinant enzymes for assessing disease-causation and molecular pathogenesis, and for therapeutic guidance.

Clinical landscape of citrin deficiency: A global perspective on a multifaceted condition.

Citrin deficiency is an autosomal recessive disorder caused by a defect of citrin resulting from mutations in SLC25A13. The clinical manifestation is very variable and comprises three types: neonatal intrahepatic cholestasis caused by citrin deficiency (NICCD: OMIM 605814), post-NICCD including failure to thrive and dyslipidemia caused by citrin deficiency, and adult-onset type II citrullinemia (CTLN2: OMIM 603471). Frequently, NICCD can run with a mild clinical course and manifestations may resolve in the post-NICCD. However, a subset of patients may develop CTLN2 when they become more than 18 years old, and this condition is potentially life-threatening. Since a combination of diet with low-carbohydrate and high-fat content supplemented with medium-chain triglycerides is expected to ameliorate most manifestations and to prevent the progression to CTLN2, early detection and intervention are important and may improve long-term outcome in patients. Moreover, infusion of high sugar solution and/or glycerol may be life-threatening in patients with citrin deficiency, particularly CTLN2. The disease is highly prevalent in East Asian countries but is more and more recognized as a global entity. Since newborn screening for citrin deficiency has only been introduced in a few countries, the diagnosis still mainly relies on clinical suspicion followed by genetic testing or selective metabolic screening. This paper aims at describing (1) the different stages of the disease focusing on clinical aspects; (2) the current published clinical situation in East Asia, Europe, and North America; (3) current efforts in increasing awareness by establishing management guidelines and patient registries, hereby illustrating the ongoing development of a global network for this rare disease.

Father-to-daughter transmission in late-onset OTC deficiency: an underestimated mechanism of inheritance of an X-linked disease.

BACKGROUND: Ornithine Transcarbamylase Deficiency (OTCD) is an X-linked urea cycle disorder characterized by acute hyperammonemic episodes. Hemizygous males are usually affected by a severe/fatal neonatal-onset form or, less frequently, by a late-onset form with milder disease course, depending on the residual enzymatic activity. Hyperammonemia can occur any time during life and patients could remain non- or mis-diagnosed due to unspecific symptoms. In heterozygous females, clinical presentation varies based on the extent of X chromosome inactivation. Maternal transmission in X-linked disease is the rule, but in late-onset OTCD, due to the milder phenotype of affected males, paternal transmission to the females is possible. So far, father-to-daughter transmission of OTCD has been reported only in 4 Japanese families. RESULTS: We identified in 2 Caucasian families, paternal transmission of late-onset OTCD with severe/fatal outcome in affected males and 1 heterozygous female. Furthermore, we have reassessed the pedigrees of other published reports in 7 additional families with evidence of father-to-daughter inheritance of OTCD, identifying and listing the family members for which this transmission occurred. CONCLUSIONS: Our study highlights how the diagnosis and pedigree analysis of late-onset OTCD may represent a real challenge for clinicians. Therefore, the occurrence of paternal transmission in OTCD should not be underestimated, due to the relevant implications for disease inheritance and risk of recurrence.

Expression and function of the urea cycle in widely-used hepatic cellular models.

The group of rare metabolic defects termed urea cycle disorders (UCDs) occur within the ammonia elimination pathway and lead to significant neurocognitive sequelae for patients surviving decompensation episodes. Besides orthotopic liver transplantation, curative options are lacking for UCDs, with dietary management being the gold clinical standard. Novel therapeutic approaches are essential for UCDs; however, such effort presupposes preclinical testing in cellular models that effectively capture disease manifestation. Several cellular and animal models exist and aim to recapitulate the broad phenotypic spectrum of UCDs; however, the majority of those lack extensive molecular and biochemical characterization. The development of cellular models is emerging since animal models are extremely time and cost consuming, and subject to ethical considerations, including the 3R principle that endorses animal welfare over unchecked preclinical testing. The aim of this study was to compare the extent of expression and functionality of the urea cycle in two commercial hepatoma-derived cell lines, induced pluripotent stem cell hepatocytes (iPSC-Heps), primary human hepatocytes (PHHs) and human liver cell preparations. Using immunoblotting, immunocytochemistry, and stable isotope tracing of the urea cycle metabolites, we identified that the hepatoma-derived, 2-week differentiated HepaRG cells are urea cycle proficient and behave as cellular alternatives to PHHs. Furthermore, HepaRG cells were superior to iPSC-Heps, which are known to exhibit batch-to-batch variabilities in terms of hepatic maturity and enzyme expression. Finally, HepG2 cells lack the urea cycle enzymes ornithine transcarbamylase and arginase 1, the transporter ORNT1, which limits their suitability as model for the study of UCDs.

Improved sensitivity and specificity for citrin deficiency using selected amino acids and acylcarnitines in the newborn screening.

Citrin deficiency is an autosomal recessive disorder caused by a defect of citrin resulting from mutations in the SLC25A13 gene. Intrahepatic cholestasis and various metabolic abnormalities, including hypoglycemia, galactosemia, citrullinemia, and hyperammonemia may be present in neonates or infants in the "neonatal intrahepatic cholestasis caused by citrin deficiency" (NICCD) form of the disease. Because at present, newborn screening (NBS) for citrin deficiency using citrulline levels in dried blood spots (DBS) can only detect some of the patients, we tried to develop a new evaluation system to more reliably detect newborns with citrin deficiency utilizing parameters already in place in present NBS methods. To achieve this goal, we re-analyzed NBS profiles of amino acids and acylcarnitines in 96 NICCD patients, who were diagnosed through selective screening or positive family history. Hereby, we identified the combined evaluation of arginine (Arg), citrulline (Cit), isoleucine+leucine (Ile + Leu), tyrosine (Tyr), free carnitine (C0) / glutarylcarnitine (C5-DC) ratio in DBS as potentially sensitive to diagnose citrin deficiency in pre-symptomatic newborns. In particular, a scoring system using threshold levels for Arg (≥9 µmol/L), Cit (≥ 39 µmol/L), Ile + Leu (≥ 99 µmol/L), Tyr (≥ 96 µmol/L) and C0/C5-DC ratio (≥327) was significantly effective to detect newborns who later developed NICCD, and could thus be implemented in existing NBS programs at no extra analytical costs whenever citrin deficiency is considered to become a novel target disease.

Variant in the allosteric domain of CPS1 protein associated with effectiveness of N-carbamoyl glutamate therapy in neonatal onset CPS1 deficiency.

OBJECTIVES: Carbamoyl phosphate synthetase 1 (CPS1) deficiency is a severe urea cycle disorder. Patients can present with hyperammonemic coma in the first days of life. Treatment includes nitrogen scavengers, reduced protein intake and supplementation with L-arginine and/or L-citrulline. N-carbamoyl glutamate (NCG) has been hypothesized to stimulate the residual CPS1 function, although only few patients are reported. CASE PRESENTATION: We report a patient with neonatal-onset CPS1 deficiency who received NCG in association with nitrogen scavenger and L-citrulline. The patient carried the novel variants CPS1-c.2447A>G p.(Gln816Arg) and CPS1-c.4489T>C p.(Tyr1497His). The latter is localized in the C-terminal allosteric domain of the protein, and is implicated in the binding of the natural activator N-acetyl-L-glutamate. NCG therapy was effective in controlling ammonia levels, allowing to increase the protein intake. CONCLUSIONS: Our data show that the response to NCG can be indicated based on the protein structure. We hypothesize that variants in the C-terminal domain may be responsive to NCG therapy.

Improved diagnostics of purine and pyrimidine metabolism disorders using LC-MS/MS and its clinical application.

OBJECTIVES: To develop a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method to quantify 41 different purine and pyrimidine (PuPy) metabolites in human urine to allow detection of most known disorders in this metabolic pathway and to determine reference intervals. METHODS: Urine samples were diluted with an aqueous buffer to minimize ion suppression. For detection and quantification, liquid chromatography was combined with electrospray ionization, tandem mass spectrometry and multiple reaction monitoring. Transitions and instrument settings were established to quantify 41 analytes and nine stable-isotope-labeled internal standards (IS). RESULTS: The established method is precise (intra-day CV: 1.4-6.3%; inter-day CV: 1.3-15.2%), accurate (95.2% external quality control results within ±2 SD and 99.0% within ±3 SD; analyte recoveries: 61-121%), sensitive and has a broad dynamic range to quantify normal and pathological metabolite concentrations within one run. All analytes except aminoimidazole ribonucleoside (AIr) are stable before, during and after sample preparation. Moreover, analytes are not affected by five cycles of freeze-thawing (variation: -5.6 to 7.4%), are stable in thymol (variation: -8.4 to 12.9%) and the lithogenic metabolites also in HCl conserved urine. Age-dependent reference intervals from 3,368 urine samples were determined and used to diagnose 11 new patients within 7 years (total performed tests: 4,206). CONCLUSIONS: The presented method and reference intervals enable the quantification of 41 metabolites and the potential diagnosis of up to 25 disorders of PuPy metabolism.

Impact of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on the health of individuals with intoxication-type metabolic diseases-Data from the E-IMD consortium.

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic challenges healthcare systems worldwide. Within inherited metabolic disorders (IMDs) the vulnerable subgroup of intoxication-type IMDs such as organic acidurias (OA) and urea cycle disorders (UCD) show risk for infection-induced morbidity and mortality. This study (observation period February 2020 to December 2021) evaluates impact on medical health care as well as disease course and outcome of SARS-CoV-2 infections in patients with intoxication-type IMDs managed by participants of the European Registry and Network for intoxication type metabolic diseases Consortium (E-IMD). Survey's respondents managing 792 patients (n = 479 pediatric; n = 313 adult) with intoxication-type IMDs (n = 454 OA; n = 338 UCD) in 14 countries reported on 59 (OA: n = 36; UCD: n = 23), SARS-CoV-2 infections (7.4%). Medical services were increasingly requested (95%), mostly alleviated by remote technologies (86%). Problems with medical supply were scarce (5%). Regular follow-up visits were reduced in 41% (range 10%-50%). Most infected individuals (49/59; 83%) showed mild clinical symptoms, while 10 patients (17%; n = 6 OA including four transplanted MMA patients; n = 4 UCD) were hospitalized (metabolic decompensation in 30%). ICU treatment was not reported. Hospitalization rate did not differ for diagnosis or age group (p = 0.778). Survival rate was 100%. Full recovery was reported for 100% in outpatient care and 90% of hospitalized individuals. SARS-CoV-2 impacts health care of individuals with intoxication-type IMDs worldwide. Most infected individuals, however, showed mild symptoms and did not require hospitalization. SARS-CoV-2-induced metabolic decompensations were usually mild without increased risk for ICU treatment. Overall prognosis of infected individuals is very promising and IMD-specific or COVID-19-related complications have not been observed.

Gene Therapy in Combination with Nitrogen Scavenger Pretreatment Corrects Biochemical and Behavioral Abnormalities of Infant Citrullinemia Type 1 Mice.

Citrullinemia type I (CTLN1) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder caused by mutations in the gene encoding argininosuccinate synthetase 1 (ASS1) that catalyzes the third step of the urea cycle. CTLN1 patients suffer from impaired elimination of nitrogen, which leads to neurotoxic levels of circulating ammonia and urea cycle byproducts that may cause severe metabolic encephalopathy, death or irreversible brain damage. Standard of care (SOC) of CTLN1 consists of daily nitrogen-scavenger administration, but patients remain at risk of life-threatening decompensations. We evaluated the therapeutic efficacy of a recombinant adeno-associated viral vector carrying the ASS1 gene under the control of a liver-specific promoter (VTX-804). When administered to three-week-old CTLN1 mice, all the animals receiving VTX-804 in combination with SOC gained body weight normally, presented with a normalization of ammonia and reduction of citrulline levels in circulation, and 100% survived for 7 months. Similar to what has been observed in CTLN1 patients, CTLN1 mice showed several behavioral abnormalities such as anxiety, reduced welfare and impairment of innate behavior. Importantly, all clinical alterations were notably improved after treatment with VTX-804. This study demonstrates the potential of VTX-804 gene therapy for future clinical translation to CTLN1 patients.

Intrabiliary infusion of naked DNA vectors targets periportal hepatocytes in mice.

Hydrodynamic tail vein injection (HTV) is the "gold standard" for delivering naked DNA vectors to mouse liver, thereby transfecting predominately perivenous hepatocytes. While HTV corrects metabolic liver defects such as phenylketonuria or cystathionine ß-synthase deficiency, correction of spf ash mice with ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC) deficiency was not possible despite overexpression in the liver, as the OTC enzyme is primarily expressed in periportal hepatocytes. To target periportal hepatocytes, we established hydrodynamic retrograde intrabiliary injection (HRII) in mice and optimized minicircle (MC) vector delivery using luciferase as a marker gene. HRII resulted in a transfection efficiency below 1%, 100-fold lower than HTV. While HRII induced minimal liver toxicity compared with HTV, overexpression of luciferase by both methods, but not of a natural liver-specific enzyme, elicited an immune response that led to the elimination of luciferase expression. Further testing of MC vectors delivered via HRII in spf ash mice did not result in sufficient therapeutic efficacy and needs further optimization and/or selection of the corrected cells. This study reveals that luciferase expression is toxic for the liver. Furthermore, physical delivery of MC vectors via the bile duct has the potential to treat defects restricted to periportal hepatocytes, which opens new doors for non-viral liver-directed gene therapy.

Ketogenic Diet Treatment of Defects in the Mitochondrial Malate Aspartate Shuttle and Pyruvate Carrier.

The mitochondrial malate aspartate shuttle system (MAS) maintains the cytosolic NAD+/NADH redox balance, thereby sustaining cytosolic redox-dependent pathways, such as glycolysis and serine biosynthesis. Human disease has been associated with defects in four MAS-proteins (encoded by MDH1, MDH2, GOT2, SLC25A12) sharing a neurological/epileptic phenotype, as well as citrin deficiency (SLC25A13) with a complex hepatopathic-neuropsychiatric phenotype. Ketogenic diets (KD) are high-fat/low-carbohydrate diets, which decrease glycolysis thus bypassing the mentioned defects. The same holds for mitochondrial pyruvate carrier (MPC) 1 deficiency, which also presents neurological deficits. We here describe 40 (18 previously unreported) subjects with MAS-/MPC1-defects (32 neurological phenotypes, eight citrin deficiency), describe and discuss their phenotypes and genotypes (presenting 12 novel variants), and the efficacy of KD. Of 13 MAS/MPC1-individuals with a neurological phenotype treated with KD, 11 experienced benefits-mainly a striking effect against seizures. Two individuals with citrin deficiency deceased before the correct diagnosis was established, presumably due to high-carbohydrate treatment. Six citrin-deficient individuals received a carbohydrate-restricted/fat-enriched diet and showed normalisation of laboratory values/hepatopathy as well as age-adequate thriving. We conclude that patients with MAS-/MPC1-defects are amenable to dietary intervention and that early (genetic) diagnosis is key for initiation of proper treatment and can even be lifesaving.

O-GlcNAcylation enhances CPS1 catalytic efficiency for ammonia and promotes ureagenesis.

Life-threatening hyperammonemia occurs in both inherited and acquired liver diseases affecting ureagenesis, the main pathway for detoxification of neurotoxic ammonia in mammals. Protein O-GlcNAcylation is a reversible and nutrient-sensitive post-translational modification using as substrate UDP-GlcNAc, the end-product of hexosamine biosynthesis pathway. Here we show that increased liver UDP-GlcNAc during hyperammonemia increases protein O-GlcNAcylation and enhances ureagenesis. Mechanistically, O-GlcNAcylation on specific threonine residues increased the catalytic efficiency for ammonia of carbamoyl phosphate synthetase 1 (CPS1), the rate-limiting enzyme in ureagenesis. Pharmacological inhibition of O-GlcNAcase, the enzyme removing O-GlcNAc from proteins, resulted in clinically relevant reductions of systemic ammonia in both genetic (hypomorphic mouse model of propionic acidemia) and acquired (thioacetamide-induced acute liver failure) mouse models of liver diseases. In conclusion, by fine-tuned control of ammonia entry into ureagenesis, hepatic O-GlcNAcylation of CPS1 increases ammonia detoxification and is a novel target for therapy of hyperammonemia in both genetic and acquired diseases.

Immune Alterations in a Patient With Hyperornithinemia-Hyperammonemia-Homocitrullinuria Syndrome: A Case Report.

The hyperornithinemia-hyperammonemia-homocitrullinuria (HHH) syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive inborn error of the urea cycle caused by mutations in the SLC25A15 gene. Besides the well-known metabolic complications, patients often present intercurrent infections associated with acute hyperammonemia and metabolic decompensation. However, it is currently unknown whether intercurrent infections are associated with immunological alterations besides the known metabolic imbalances. Herein, we describe the case of a 3-years-old girl affected by the HHH syndrome caused by two novel SLC25A15 gene mutations associated with immune phenotypic and functional alterations. She was admitted to the hospital with an episode of recurrent otitis, somnolence, confusion, and lethargy. Laboratory tests revealed severe hyperammonemia, elevated serum levels of liver transaminases, hemostasis alterations, hyperglutaminemia and strikingly increased orotic aciduria. Noteworthy, serum protein electrophoresis showed a reduction in the gamma globulin fraction. Direct sequencing of the SLC25A15 gene revealed two heterozygous non-conservative substitutions in the exon 5: c.649G>A (p.Gly217Arg) and c.706A>G (p.Arg236Gly). In silico analysis indicated that both mutations significantly impair protein structure and function and are consistent with the patient clinical status confirming the diagnosis of HHH syndrome. In addition, the immune analysis revealed reduced levels of serum IgG and striking phenotypic and functional alterations in the T and B cell immune compartments. Our study has identified two non-previously described mutations in the SLC25A15 gene underlying the HHH syndrome. Moreover, we are reporting for the first time functional and phenotypic immunologic alterations in this rare inborn error of metabolism that would render the patient immunocompromised and might be related to the high frequency of intercurrent infections observed in patients bearing urea cycle disorders. Our results point out the importance of a comprehensive analysis to gain further insights into the underlying pathophysiology of the disease that would allow better patient care and quality of life.

Caregiver burden, and parents' perception of disease severity determine health-related quality of life in paediatric patients with intoxication-type inborn errors of metabolism.

Background: Living with a non-acute (phenylketonuria) or acute (e.g. urea cycle disorders, organic acidurias) intoxication-type inborn error of metabolism (IT-IEM) can have a substantial impact on health-related quality of life (HrQoL) of paediatric patients and their families. Parents take primary responsibility for treatment monitoring and experience worry and fear about their child's health status. Quantitative evidence on parental psychological factors which may influence the HrQoL of patients with IT-IEM are sparse to non-existent. Methods: In this multicenter survey study 50 parents of IT-IEM patients (ages 5-19) assessed the severity of their child's disease, reported on caregiver burden, and proxy-rated their child's HrQoL. Additionally, 35 patient self-reports on HrQoL were obtained (n = 16 female patients, n = 19 male patients). Multiple linear regressions were conducted to examine the predictive power of child age, sex, medical diagnosis type (acute / non-acute), parental perceived disease severity and caregiver burden on patients' HrQoL. Mediation analyses were used to investigate the relation of caregiver burden and parental ratings of disease severity with patients' HrQoL. Results: Significant regression models for self-reported [F(5,34) = 10.752, p < .001, R 2 adj.. = 0.59] and parent proxy reported HrQoL [F(5,49) = 20.513, p < .001, R 2 adj.. = 0.67] emerged. High caregiver burden and perceived disease severity predicted significantly lower patient self- and proxy-reported HrQoL while type of diagnosis (acute versus non-acute) did not. Female sex predicted significantly lower self-reported HrQoL. High caregiver burden was the mediating factor between high perceived severity of the child's disease and lower proxy- by parent rated HrQoL. Conclusion: Detecting elevated burden of care and providing support for parents seems crucial to prevent adverse consequences for their children's HrQoL. Intervention studies are needed, to assess which support programs are most efficient.

Efficacy and safety of empagliflozin in glycogen storage disease type Ib: Data from an international questionnaire.

PURPOSE: This paper aims to report collective information on safety and efficacy of empagliflozin drug repurposing in individuals with glycogen storage disease type Ib (GSD Ib). METHODS: This is an international retrospective questionnaire study on the safety and efficacy of empagliflozin use for management of neutropenia/neutrophil dysfunction in patients with GSD Ib, conducted among the respective health care providers from 24 countries across the globe. RESULTS: Clinical data from 112 individuals with GSD Ib were evaluated, representing a total of 94 treatment years. The median age at start of empagliflozin treatment was 10.5 years (range = 0-38 years). Empagliflozin showed positive effects on all neutrophil dysfunction-related symptoms, including oral and urogenital mucosal lesions, recurrent infections, skin abscesses, inflammatory bowel disease, and anemia. Before initiating empagliflozin, most patients with GSD Ib were on G-CSF (94/112; 84%). At the time of the survey, 49 of 89 (55%) patients previously treated with G-CSF had completely stopped G-CSF, and another 15 (17%) were able to reduce the dose. The most common adverse event during empagliflozin treatment was hypoglycemia, occurring in 18% of individuals. CONCLUSION: Empagliflozin has a favorable effect on neutropenia/neutrophil dysfunction-related symptoms and safety profile in individuals with GSD Ib.

Clinical implementation of RNA sequencing for Mendelian disease diagnostics.

BACKGROUND: Lack of functional evidence hampers variant interpretation, leaving a large proportion of individuals with a suspected Mendelian disorder without genetic diagnosis after whole genome or whole exome sequencing (WES). Research studies advocate to further sequence transcriptomes to directly and systematically probe gene expression defects. However, collection of additional biopsies and establishment of lab workflows, analytical pipelines, and defined concepts in clinical interpretation of aberrant gene expression are still needed for adopting RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) in routine diagnostics. METHODS: We implemented an automated RNA-seq protocol and a computational workflow with which we analyzed skin fibroblasts of 303 individuals with a suspected mitochondrial disease that previously underwent WES. We also assessed through simulations how aberrant expression and mono-allelic expression tests depend on RNA-seq coverage. RESULTS: We detected on average 12,500 genes per sample including around 60% of all disease genes-a coverage substantially higher than with whole blood, supporting the use of skin biopsies. We prioritized genes demonstrating aberrant expression, aberrant splicing, or mono-allelic expression. The pipeline required less than 1 week from sample preparation to result reporting and provided a median of eight disease-associated genes per patient for inspection. A genetic diagnosis was established for 16% of the 205 WES-inconclusive cases. Detection of aberrant expression was a major contributor to diagnosis including instances of 50% reduction, which, together with mono-allelic expression, allowed for the diagnosis of dominant disorders caused by haploinsufficiency. Moreover, calling aberrant splicing and variants from RNA-seq data enabled detecting and validating splice-disrupting variants, of which the majority fell outside WES-covered regions. CONCLUSION: Together, these results show that streamlined experimental and computational processes can accelerate the implementation of RNA-seq in routine diagnostics.

Delivery of non-viral naked DNA vectors to liver in small weaned pigs by hydrodynamic retrograde intrabiliary injection.

Hepatic gene therapy by delivering non-integrating therapeutic vectors in newborns remains challenging due to the risk of dilution and loss of efficacy in the growing liver. Previously we reported on hepatocyte transfection in piglets by intraportal injection of naked DNA vectors. Here, we established delivery of naked DNA vectors to target periportal hepatocytes in weaned pigs by hydrodynamic retrograde intrabiliary injection (HRII). The surgical procedure involved laparotomy and transient isolation of the liver. For vector delivery, a catheter was placed within the common bile duct by enterotomy. Under optimal conditions, no histological abnormalities were observed in liver tissue upon pressurized injections. The transfection of hepatocytes in all tested liver samples was observed with vectors expressing luciferase from a liver-specific promoter. However, vector copy number and luciferase expression were low compared to hydrodynamic intraportal injection. A 10-fold higher number of vector genomes and luciferase expression was observed in pigs using a non-integrating naked DNA vector with the potential for replication. In summary, the HRII application was less efficient (i.e., lower luciferase activity and vector copy numbers) than the intraportal delivery method but was significantly less distressful for the piglets and has the potential for injection (or re-injection) of vector DNA by endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography.