Removal of mobile genetic elements from the genome of Clostridioides difficile and the implications for the organism's biology.

Clostridioides difficile is an emerging pathogen of One Health significance. Its highly variable genome contains mobile genetic elements (MGEs) such as transposons and prophages that influence its biology. Systematic deletion of each genetic element is required to determine their precise role in C. difficile biology and contribution to the wider mobilome. Here, Tn5397 (21 kb) and ϕ027 (56 kb) were deleted from C. difficile 630 and R20291, respectively, using allele replacement facilitated by CRISPR-Cas9. The 630 Tn5397 deletant transferred PaLoc at the same frequency (1 × 10-7) as 630 harboring Tn5397, indicating that Tn5397 alone did not mediate conjugative transfer of PaLoc. The R20291 ϕ027 deletant was sensitive to ϕ027 infection, and contained two unexpected features, a 2.7 kb remnant of the mutagenesis plasmid, and a putative catalase gene adjacent to the deleted prophage was also deleted. Growth kinetics of R20291 ϕ027 deletant was similar to wild type (WT) in rich medium but marginally reduced compared with WT in minimal medium. This work indicates the commonly used pMTL8000 plasmid series works well for CRISPR-Cas9-mediated gene deletion, resulting in the largest deleted locus (56.8 kb) described in C. difficile. Removal of MGEs was achieved by targeting conjugative/integrative regions to promote excision and permanent loss. The deletants created will be useful strains for investigating Tn5397 or ϕ027 prophage contribution to host virulence, fitness, and physiology, and a platform for other mutagenesis studies aimed at functional gene analysis without native transposon or phage interference in C. difficile 630 and R20291.

Familial fleck corneal dystrophy caused by complete deletion of the PIKFYVE gene.

BACKGROUND: Fleck corneal dystrophy (FCD) is a rare autosomal dominant disease that affects exclusively the corneal stroma. The disease is caused by heterozygous variants in PIKFYVE, a gene encoding a lipid kinase involved in multiple cellular pathways, primarily participating in membrane dynamics and signaling. This report describes a familial case of FCD caused by a complete deletion of the PIKFYVE gene. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A clinical ophthalmic examination was performed on the proband and family members. Genetic testing included next-generation sequencing (multigene panel), and chromosomal microarray analysis. A quantitative PCR assay was designed in order to segregate the deletion. RESULTS: A 19-year-old male, with no family or personal history of ocular disease, presented for evaluation due to an acute illness consisting of burning, foreign body sensation, and red eye. Slit lamp biomicroscopy revealed bilateral small pterygia and scattered bilateral white opacities in the corneal stroma, a very similar corneal phenotype was found in the 47-year-old father, who was asymptomatic. NGS detected a heterozygous deletion of the entire PIKFYVE coding sequence. CMA in DNA from the propositus indicated a 543 kb deletion in 2q33.3q34 spanning the entire PIKFYVE gene. The deletion was confirmed in the father. CONCLUSIONS: We add to the molecular spectrum of FCD by describing a familial case of a whole PIKFYVE gene deletion in affected subjects. Our findings support that normal expression of PIKFYVE is necessary for corneal keratocytes homeostasis and normal corneal appearance. We conclude that PIKFYVE haploinsufficiency is the molecular mechanism underlying this familial case of FCD.

Efficient and precise genomic deletion in rice using enhanced prime editing.

Efficient and precise genomic deletion shows promise for investigating the function of proteins in plant research and enhancing agricultural traits. In this study, we tested the PRIME-Del (PDel) strategy using a pair of prime editing guide RNAs (pegRNAs) that targeted opposite DNA strands and achieved an average deletion efficiency of 55.8% for 60 bp fragment deletions at six endogenous targets. Moreover, as high as 84.2% precise deletion efficiency was obtained for a 2000 bp deletion at the OsGS1 site in transgenic rice plants. To add the bases that were unintentionally deleted between the two nicking sequences, we used the PDel/Syn strategy, which introduced multiple synonymous base mutations in the region that had to be patched in the RT template. The PDel/Syn strategy achieved an average of 58.1% deletion efficiency at six endogenous targets, which was higher than the PDel strategy. The strategies presented in this study contribute to achieving more accurate and flexible deletions in transgenic rice plants. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42994-024-00153-9.

Unveiling novel genetic variants in 370 challenging medically relevant genes using the long read sequencing data of 41 samples from 19 global populations.

BACKGROUND: A large number of challenging medically relevant genes (CMRGs) are situated in complex or highly repetitive regions of the human genome, hindering comprehensive characterization of genetic variants using next-generation sequencing technologies. In this study, we employed long-read sequencing technology, extensively utilized in studying complex genomic regions, to characterize genetic alterations, including short variants (single nucleotide variants and short insertions and deletions) and copy number variations, in 370 CMRGs across 41 individuals from 19 global populations. RESULTS: Our analysis revealed high levels of genetic variants in CMRGs, with 68.73% exhibiting copy number variations and 65.20% containing short variants that may disrupt protein function across individuals. Such variants can influence pharmacogenomics, genetic disease susceptibility, and other clinical outcomes. We observed significant differences in CMRG variation across populations, with individuals of African ancestry harboring the highest number of copy number variants and short variants compared to samples from other continents. Notably, 15.79% to 33.96% of short variants were exclusively detectable through long-read sequencing. While the T2T-CHM13 reference genome significantly improved the assembly of CMRG regions, thereby facilitating variant detection in these regions, some regions still lacked resolution. CONCLUSION: Our results provide an important reference for future clinical and pharmacogenetic studies, highlighting the need for a comprehensive representation of global genetic diversity in the reference genome and improved variant calling techniques to fully resolve medically relevant genes.

Plastome evolution of Engelhardia facilitates phylogeny of Juglandaceae.

BACKGROUND: Engelhardia (Juglandaceae) is a genus of significant ecological and economic importance, prevalent in the tropics and subtropics of East Asia. Although previous efforts based on multiple molecular markers providing profound insights into species delimitation and phylogeography of Engelhardia, the maternal genome evolution and phylogeny of Engelhardia in Juglandaceae still need to be comprehensively evaluated. In this study, we sequenced plastomes from 14 samples of eight Engelhardia species and the outgroup Rhoiptelea chiliantha, and incorporated published data from 36 Juglandaceae and six outgroup species to test phylogenetic resolution. Moreover, comparative analyses of the plastomes were conducted to investigate the plastomes evolution of Engelhardia and the whole Juglandaceae family. RESULTS: The 13 Engelhardia plastomes were highly similar in genome size, gene content, and order. They exhibited a typical quadripartite structure, with lengths from 161,069 bp to 162,336 bp. Three mutation hotspot regions (TrnK-rps16, ndhF-rpl32, and ycf1) could be used as effective molecular markers for further phylogenetic analyses and species identification. Insertion and deletion (InDels) may be an important driving factor for the evolution of plastomes in Juglandoideae and Engelhardioideae. A total of ten codons were identified as the optimal codons in Juglandaceae. The mutation pressure mostly contributed to shaping codon usage. Seventy-eight protein-coding genes in Juglandaceae experienced relaxed purifying selection, only rpl22 and psaI genes showed positive selection (Ka/Ks > 1). Phylogenetic results fully supported Engelhardia as a monophyletic group including two sects and the division of Juglandaceae into three subfamilies. The Engelhardia originated in the Late Cretaceous and diversified in the Late Eocene, and Juglandaceae originated in the Early Cretaceous and differentiated in Middle Cretaceous. The phylogeny and divergence times didn't support rapid radiation occurred in the evolution history of Engelhardia. CONCLUSION: Our study fully supported the taxonomic treatment of at the section for Engelhardia species and three subfamilies for Juglandaceae and confirmed the power of phylogenetic resolution using plastome sequences. Moreover, our results also laid the foundation for further studying the course, tempo and mode of plastome evolution of Engelhardia and the whole Juglandaceae family.

Comprehensive insights into health services accessibility and quality of life of families with individuals with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome in Brazil.

BACKGROUND: The 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome (22q11.2 DS) presents unique healthcare challenges for affected individuals, families, and healthcare systems. Despite its rarity, 22q11.2 DS is the most common microdeletion syndrome in humans, emphasizing the need to understand and address the distinctive healthcare requirements of those affected. This paper examines the multifaceted issue of health service access and caregivers' quality of life in the context of 22q11.2 DS in Brazil, a condition with diverse signs and symptoms requiring multidisciplinary care. This study employs a comprehensive approach to evaluate health service accessibility and the quality of life of caregivers of individuals with 22q11.2 DS. It utilizes a structured Survey and the WHOQOL-bref questionnaire for data collection. RESULTS: Individuals with 22q11.2 DS continue to receive incomplete clinical management after obtaining the diagnosis, even in the face of socioeconomic status that enabled an average age of diagnosis that precedes that found in sample groups that are more representative of the Brazilian population (mean of 3.2 years versus 10 years, respectively). In turn, caring for individuals with 22q11.2 DS who face difficulty accessing health services impacts the quality of life associated with the caregivers' environment of residence. CONCLUSIONS: Results obtained help bridge the research gap in understanding how caring for individuals with multisystem clinical conditions such as 22q11.2 DS and difficulties in accessing health are intertwined with aspects of quality of life in Brazil. This research paves the way for more inclusive healthcare policies and interventions to enhance the quality of life for families affected by this syndrome.

New targets for cancer promotion and therapy in gliomas: Scinderin.

Glioma is one of the most common primary intracranial tumors, characterized by invasive growth and poor prognosis. Actin cytoskeletal rearrangement is an essential event in tumor cell migration. Scinderin (SCIN), an actin severing and capping protein that regulates the actin cytoskeleton, is involved in the proliferation and migration of certain cancer cells. However, its biological role and molecular mechanism in glioma remain unclear. Lin et al explored the role and mechanism of SCIN in gliomas. The results showed that SCIN mechanically affected cytoskeleton remodeling and inhibited the formation of lamellipodia via RhoA/FAK signaling pathway. This study identifies the cancer-promoting role of SCIN and provides a potential therapeutic target for SCIN in glioma treatment.

Extent of magnitude representation deficit and relationship with arithmetic skills in children with 22q11.2DS.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have produced conflicting results concerning the extent of magnitude representation deficit and its relationship with arithmetic achievement in children with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome. More specifically, it remains unclear whether deficits are restricted to visuospatial content or are more general and whether they could explain arithmetical impairment. METHODS: Fifteen 5- to 12-year-old children with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome and 23 age-matched healthy controls performed a non-symbolic magnitude comparison task. Depending on the trial, participants had to compare stimuli with high or low visuospatial load (visuospatial stimuli or temporal sequence of visual stimuli). The participants also completed a battery of arithmetic skills (ZAREKI-R) and a battery of global cognitive functioning (WISC-V or WPPSI-IV), from which working memory and visuospatial indices were derived. RESULTS: Children with 22q11.2DS responded as fast as healthy controls did but received fewer correct responses, irrespective of visuospatial load. In addition, their performance in the non-symbolic magnitude comparison task did not correlate with the ZAREKI total score, while the working memory index did. CONCLUSION: Children with 22q11.2DS might suffer from a global magnitude representation deficit rather than a specific deficit due to visuospatial load. However, this deficit alone does not seem to be related to arithmetic achievement. Working memory might be a better concern of interest in favoring arithmetic skills in patients with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials, NCT04373226 . Registered 16 September 2020.

Breaking new ground: Exploring de novo chromosomal rearrangements in 1p36 microdeletion.

Chromosomal structural variations (SVs) are linked to a wide range of phenotypes and arise due to disruptions during DNA replication, which can affect gene function within the SV regions. This case report details a patient diagnosed with neurodevelopmental delay. Detailed investigation through array comparative genomic hybridization revealed two pathogenic SVs on chromosome 1, which align with a 1p36 microdeletion, and a microduplication at 2p35.3, the latter being classified as a variant of unknown significance. The patient's clinical presentation is consistent with the 1p36 deletion syndrome, characterized by specific developmental delays and physical anomalies. Further genetic analysis suggests that these terminal rearrangements might stem from an unbalanced translocation between the short arms of chromosomes 1 and 2. This case underscores the complexity of interpreting multiple concurrent SVs and their cumulative effect on phenotype. Ongoing research into such chromosomal abnormalities will enhance our understanding of their clinical manifestations and guide more targeted therapeutic strategies.

Analysis of goat PPP6C mRNA profile, detection of genetic variations, and their associations with litter size.

The Protein Phosphatase 6 Catalytic Subunit (PPP6C) is evolutionarily a conserved gene in eukaryotes known to play a significant role in mammalian reproduction. This study aimed to investigate expression patterns of PPP6C and explore its association with litter size in Shaanbei white cashmere (SBWC) goats. Initially, we determined the mRNA expression levels of PPP6C in both male and female goats across multiple tissues. The results showed that PPP6C mRNA was expressed in multiple tissues, with higher levels in the testis and fallopian tubes, suggesting its involvement in goat reproduction. Additionally, we identified a novel 19 bp InDel within the PPP6C gene in a population of 1030 SBWC goats, which exhibited polymorphism. Statistical analysis revealed a significant association between the19 bp InDel mutation and litter size (P < 0.05). Subsequent, bioinformatics analysis, including linkage disequilibrium (LD) block and selective scanning, highlighted the linkage tendency among most InDel loci did not stand out within B-8 block, there were still some InDel loci linked to the 19 bp within a relatively narrow region. Furthermore, comparative analysis with Bezoars, these selective signals all indicated that this gene was under higher selection pressure, implying that the 19 bp InDel locus within the PPP6C is potentially associated with domesticated traits, particularly in relation to litter size. The results of the present study suggest that the PPP6C is a vital candidate gene affecting prolificacy in goats, with implications for selective breeding programs for goat breeds.

Scarless Baculovirus Genome Editing Using Lambda-Red Recombineering in E. coli.

Baculoviruses are widely used for their potential as biological pesticide and as platform for the production of recombinant proteins and gene therapy vectors. The Baculovirus Expression Vector System (BEVS) is used for high level of expression of (multiple) proteins in insect cells. Baculovirus recombinants can be quickly constructed by transposition of the gene(s) of interest into a so-called bacmid, which is a baculovirus infectious clone maintained as single-copy, bacterial artificial chromosome in Escherichia coli. A two-step homologous recombineering technique using the lambda-red system in E. coli allows for scarless editing of the bacmid with PCR products based on sequence homology. In the first step, a selection cassette with 50 bp homology arms, typically generated by PCR, is inserted into the designated locus. In the second step, the selection cassette is removed based on a negative selection marker, such as SacB or rpsL. This lambda-red recombineering technique can be used for multiple gene editing purposes, including (large) deletions, insertions, and even single point mutations. Moreover, since there are no remnants of the editing process, successive modifications of the same bacmid are possible. This chapter provides detailed instructions to design and perform two-step homologous recombineering of baculovirus bacmid DNA in E. coli. We present two case studies demonstrating the utility of this technique for creating a deletion mutant of the chitinase and cathepsin genes and for introducing a single point mutation in the baculovirus gene gp41. This scarless genome editing approach can facilitate functional studies of baculovirus genes and improve the production of recombinant proteins using the BEVS.

[Biological threats to global malaria elimination II Deletion in the malaria rapid diagnostic test target Plasmodium falciparum histidine-rich protein 2/3 genes].

The global malaria epidemic is still severe. Because of simple procedures, rapid detection and accuracy results, rapid diagnostic test (RDT) has become the most important and the most widely used diagnostic tool for malaria prevention and control. However, deletions in the RDT target Plasmodium falciparum histidine-rich protein 2/3 (Pfhrp2/3) genes may cause false-negative results of RDT, which has been included as one of the four biological threats to global malaria elimination. This article reviews the applications of RDT in the global malaria diagnosis, analyzes the threats and challenges caused by Pfhrp2/3 gene deletion, proposes methods for monitoring Pfhrp2/3 gene deletion, and summarizes the causes and countermeasures of negative RDT detections, so as to provide insights into consolidation of malaria elimination achievements in China and contributions to global malaria elimination.

Combination of microwave ablation and systemic treatments achieve a long survival time for a patient with metachronous advanced double primary lung and colon adenocarcinoma: A case report.

Despite significant improvements that have been made in terms of progression-free survival and overall survival rates brought about by targeted therapy in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the emergence of drug resistance remains a limiting factor. However, a previous study has shown promising results by combining local microwave ablation (MWA) with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy for patients with oligometastatic NSCLC. The current study presented the case of a Chinese female patient who was identified as having lung adenocarcinoma (LADC) with EGFR exon 19 deletions (Del) in January 2014, and who experienced multiple instances of oligoprogression but showed a positive response to a combination of chemotherapy, MWA and a TKI drug. First, the patient was treated with four cycles of chemotherapy (120 mg docetaxel on day 1 and 40 mg cisplatin on days 1, 2 and 3; every three weeks as one cycle) and gefitinib (Iressa; 250 mg/day), maintaining a partial response for 17 months. In August 2015, a new solitary lesion was identified in the right lung and erlotinib (Tarceva; 150 mg/day) was administered for 3 months thereafter. In response, the patient underwent ablation of both the new right lung lesion and the primary left lung lesion in January 2016. Subsequently, a treatment course consisting of six cycles of chemotherapy (0.8 g pemetrexed on day 1 and 70 mg nedaplatin on days 1 and 2; every three weeks as one cycle) resulted in stable disease. In May 2016, the patient began treatment with osimertinib (AZD9291; 80 mg/day), resulting in a rapid shrinkage of the mediastinal lymph node after one month, which has been providing a benefit for the patient for 82 months and counting. Of note, the patient also developed metachronous colon cancer in January 2020, followed by the identification of right posterior liver metastases in February 2020 and lung metastases in May 2021 and in February 2022. To address this, the patient underwent radical resection of colon cancer and liver metastasectomy and received a combination of chemotherapy with bevacizumab, along with MWA for lung metastases. Remarkably, the patient has achieved long-term survival of 110 months. In conclusion, this case highlights the promising potential of combining MWA with systemic therapy for a patient with advanced LADC harboring EGFR exon 19 Del and metachronous lung and liver-metastasized colon adenocarcinoma. MWA effectively controlled both in situ oligoprogression and new oligoprogression, thereby enhancing the efficacy of systematic chemotherapy/TKI therapy. Furthermore, this case report emphasizes the importance of repeated histologic biopsies and genetic testing as reliable indicators for adjusting treatment regimens. Physicians should also remain vigilant regarding the occurrence of secondary primary carcinomas, and timely and accurate adjustments to treatment plans will be of significant benefit to patients in terms of treatment efficacy and overall quality of life.

Comparison of the Accuracy in Provisional Diagnosis of 22q11.2 Deletion and Williams Syndromes by Facial Photos in Thai Population Between De-Identified Facial Program and Clinicians.

Introduction: There are more than 6000 genetic syndromes, therefore the recognition of facial patterns may present a challenge for clinicians. The 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2 DS) and Williams syndrome (WS) are two different genetic syndromes but share some common phenotypic traits and subtle facial dysmorphisms. Therefore, any tool that would help clinicians recognize genetic syndromes would likely result in a more accurate diagnosis. Methods: The syndrome identification accuracy was compared between 2 different facial analysis algorithms (DeepGestalt and GestaltMatcher) of the Face2Gene (F2G) tool and a group of 9 clinicians with different levels of expertise before and after using F2G for a cohort of 64 Thai participants' frontal facial photos divided into 3 groups of 22q11.2 DS, WS and unaffected controls. Results: The higher accuracy from the DeepGestalt algorithm than from clinicians was demonstrated, especially when comparing between the two syndromes. The accuracy was highest when clinicians use the tool combined with their own decision-making process. The tool's second algorithm, GestaltMatcher revealed clear separation among these three groups of photos. Discussion: The result of F2G outperforming clinicians was not surprising. However, the highest increase in accuracy was with nondysmorphology clinicians using F2G. Conclusion: Face2Gene would be a useful tool to help clinicians in facial recognition of genetic syndromes, before ordering specific tests to confirm the definite diagnosis.

Cancer in 22q11.2 deletion syndrome: A case report and literature review.

Clinically, the 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2DS) is considered the most commonly detected microdeletion syndrome. Hepatoblastoma is the most prevalent malignant liver cancer in childhood. However, cases of hepatoblastoma in children with 22q11.2DS have only been reported in four patients. In this report, we present a-13-year-old male treated at our center due to growth retardation, and later diagnosed with hepatoblastoma. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) identified 22q11.2DS. Chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) of peripheral blood sample showed a 2.9 Mb deletion of chromosome 22q11.2. While underlying mechanisms remain unclear, our literature review suggests that patients with 22q11.2DS may show an elevated risk of malignancy. After reviewing 21 previously reported cases, we identified 33 individuals with both cancer and 22q11.2 DS or DiGeorge syndrome. Of these cases, 7 out of 33 (21%) were hematologic tumors, while 26 out of 33 (78%) were solid tumors.

Reverse Phase Proteomic Array Profiling of Asparagine Synthetase Expression in Newly Diagnosed Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

Asparaginase-based therapy is a cornerstone in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) treatment, capitalizing on the methylation status of the asparagine synthetase (ASNS) gene, which renders ALL cells reliant on extracellular asparagine. Contrastingly, ASNS expression in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) has not been thoroughly investigated, despite studies suggesting that AML with chromosome 7/7q deletions might have reduced ASNS levels. Here, we leverage reverse phase protein arrays to measure ASNS expression in 810 AML patients and assess its impact on outcomes. We find that AML with inv(16) has the lowest overall ASNS expression. While AML with deletion 7/7q had ASNS levels slightly lower than those of AML without deletion 7/7q, this observation was not significant. Low ASNS expression correlated with improved overall survival (46 versus 54 weeks, respectively, p = 0.011), whereas higher ASNS levels were associated with better response to venetoclax-based therapy. Protein correlation analysis demonstrated association between ASNS and proteins involved in methylation and DNA repair. In conclusion, while ASNS expression was not lower in patients with deletion 7/7q as initially predicted, ASNS levels were highly variable across AML patients. Further studies are needed to assess whether patients with low ASNS expression are susceptible to asparaginase-based therapy due to their inability to augment compensatory ASNS expression upon asparagine depletion.

Aerodynamic Study of Velopharyngeal Insufficiency in 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome.

OBJECTIVES: We aim to verify velopharyngeal sphincter function in 22q11.2 deletion syndrome patients (22q11.2DS) to establish correlations between aerodynamic and perceptual measures of nasality, and to identify aerodynamic measures differentiating typical from atypical velopharyngeal behavior. METHODS: Eleven subjects with 22q11.2DS and twenty similar-age control subjects were recruited. The aerodynamic measures were mean Sound Pressure Level, air pressure peak, pressure wave duration, airflow pattern and nasal airflow during the sequence /pi/. The nasality perceptual measures were rhinolalia, rhinophony and nasal air escape. RESULTS: Airflow patterns and perceptual measures were statistically different in the two groups. Pressure wave duration and air pressure peak were lower in study subjects than in controls. Air pressure peak and nasal airflow were negatively correlated with rhinolalia; pressure wave duration was negatively correlated with nasal air escape and rhinolalia in 22q11.2DS patients. CONCLUSIONS: This aerodynamic study identified velopharyngeal qualitative and quantitative dysfunctions, suggesting heterogeneous models of velopharyngeal function in syndromic subjects as compared to controls.

Exploring the Clinical and Genetic Landscape of Angelman Syndrome: Patient-Reported Insights from an Italian Registry.

Background: The Angelman Syndrome Registry (RISA) was developed as a retrospective study with the following objectives: to evaluate the clinical history of individuals with Angelman Syndrome (AS) in Italy and compare it with the existing literature; to investigate the feasibility of gathering data by directly involving participants in the data collection process; and to explore the relationship between different symptoms and genotypes. Methods: Established in 2018, RISA enrolled a total of 82 participants, with 62 (75.6%) providing complete data. Demographic, clinical, and genetic information was collected using electronic case report forms. Descriptive statistics characterized the sample, while associations between genotype and clinical characteristics were examined. Results: Descriptive analysis revealed a median participant age of 8.0 years, with males comprising 48.8% of the sample. Deletion (58.1%) was the most common genotype. The majority (82.2%) experienced epilepsy, with seizures typically onset before 3 years of age. Most patients (86.2%) required multiple anti-epileptic drugs for control, with generalized tonic-clonic seizures and atypical absence seizures being most prevalent. The deletion group exhibited more severe developmental delays and a trend towards higher seizure severity. Sleep problems affected 69.4% of participants, characterized by difficulties in sleep onset and maintenance. Conclusions: This study offers valuable insights into the clinical history and genetic characteristics of AS in Italy, consistent with the prior literature. Additionally, it underscores the efficacy of patient registries in capturing comprehensive data on rare diseases such as AS, highlighting their potential to advance research and enhance patient care.

Genetic Characterization and Pathogenicity of a Recombinant Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus Strain in China.

Since it was first reported in 2013, the NADC30-like PRRSV has been epidemic in China. Hubei Province is known as China's key hog-exporting region. To understand the prevalence and genetic variation of PRRSV, herein, we detected and analyzed 317 lung tissue samples from pigs with respiratory disease in Hubei Province, and demonstrated that the NADC30-like strain was the second-most predominant strain during 2017-2018, following the highly pathogenic PRRSV (HP-PRRSV). Additionally, we isolated a new NADC30-like PRRSV strain, named CHN-HB-2018, which could be stably passaged in Marc-145 cells. Genetic characterization analysis showed that compared with the NADC30 strain, the CHN-HB-2018 strain had several amino acid variations in glycoprotein (GP) 3, GP5, and nonstructural protein 2 (NSP2). Moreover, the CHN-HB-2018 strain showed a unique 5-amino acid (aa) deletion in NSP2, which has not previously been reported. Gene recombination analysis identified the CHN-HB-2018 strain as a potentially recombinant PRRSV of the NADC30-like strain and HP-PRRSV. Animal experiments indicated that the CHN-HB-2018 strain has a mild pathogenicity, with no mortality and only mild fever observed in piglets. This study contributes to defining the evolutionary characteristics of PRRSV and its molecular epidemiology in Hubei Province, and provides a potential candidate strain for PRRSV vaccine development.

CHCHD4 regulates the expression of mitochondrial genes that are essential for tumour cell growth.

CHCHD4 (MIA40) is a central component of the mitochondrial disulfide relay system (DRS), is essential and evolutionarily conserved. Previously, we have shown CHCHD4 to be a critical regulator of tumour cell growth. Here, we use genome-wide CRISPR/Cas9 and SILAC proteomic analyses to delineate mechanisms of CHCHD4 essentiality in cancer. We identify a short-list of common essential genes/proteins associated with CHCHD4 essentiality in tumour cells, which includes subunits of complex I that are known DRS substrates, and genes/proteins involved in key metabolic pathways. Our study highlights a range of nuclear encoded mitochondrial genes essential for CHCHD4-regulated tumour cell growth.