Jon-Ruben van Rhijn

Radboud University Medical Centre (Radboudumc) · Department of Human Genetics

Heterozygous loss-of-function (LoF) mutations in SETD1A, which encodes a subunit of histone H3 lysine 4 methyltransferase, cause a neurodevelopmental syndrome and increase the risk for schizophrenia. Using CRISPR-Cas9, we generate excitatory/inhibitory neuronal networks from human induced pluripotent stem cells with a SETD1A heterozygous LoF mutati...

Activity in the healthy brain relies on a concerted interplay of excitation (E) and inhibition (I) via balanced synaptic communication between glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons. A growing number of studies imply that disruption of this E/I balance is a commonality in many brain disorders; however, obtaining mechanistic insight into these disrupti...

Monoamine neurotransmitter abundance affects motor control, emotion, and cognitive function and is regulated by monoamine oxidases. Among these, Monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) catalyzes the degradation of dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin into their inactive metabolites. Loss-of-function mutations in the X-linked MAOA gene have been associated wi...

Posttranslational modification of histones and related gene regulation are shown to be affected in an increasing number of neurological disorders. SETD1A is a chromatin remodeler that influences gene expression through the modulation of mono- di- and trimethylation marks on Histone-H3-Lysine-4 (H3K4me1/2/3). H3K4 methylation is predominantly descri...

Heterozygous loss-of-function (LoF) mutations in SETD1A , which encodes a subunit of histone H3 lysine 4 methyltransferase, have been shown to cause a novel neurodevelopmental syndrome and increase the risk for schizophrenia. To study the effect of decreased SETD1A function in human cells, we generated excitatory/inhibitory neuronal networks from h...

Heterozygous loss-of-function (LoF) mutations in SETD1A, which encodes a subunit of histone H3 lysine 4 methyltransferase, cause a neurodevelopmental syndrome and increase the risk for schizophrenia. Using CRISPR-Cas9, we generate excitatory/inhibitory neuronal networks from human induced pluripotent stem cells with a SETD1A heterozygous LoF mutati...

Background Monoamine neurotransmitter abundance affects motor control, emotion, and cognitive function and is regulated by monoamine oxidases. Amongst these, monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) catalyzes the degradation of dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin into their inactive metabolites. Loss-of-function mutations in the X-linked MAOA gene cause Brun...

Activity in the healthy brain relies on concerted interplay of excitation (E) and inhibition (I) via balanced synaptic communication between glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons. A growing number of studies imply that disruption of this E/I balance is a commonality in many brain disorders, however, obtaining mechanistic insight into these disruption...

Kleefstra syndrome (KS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder caused by mutations in the histone methyltransferase EHMT1. To study the impact of decreased EHMT1 function in human cells, we generated excitatory cortical neurons from induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells derived from KS patients. Neuronal networks of patient-derived cells exhibit network b...

Monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) is an enzyme that catalyzes the degradation of dopamine, noradrenaline, and serotonin. Regulation of monoamine neurotransmitter abundance through MAOA activity strongly affects motor control, emotion, and cognitive function. Mutations in MAOA cause Brunner Syndrome, which is characterized by impulsive aggressive behavior...

Epigenetic regulation of gene transcription plays a critical role in neural network development and in the etiology of Intellectual Disability (ID) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). However, little is known about the mechanisms by which epigenetic dysregulation leads to neural network defects. Kleefstra syndrome (KS), caused by mutation in the hi...

Heterozygous mutations of the Forkhead-box protein 2 (FOXP2) gene in humans cause childhood apraxia of speech. Loss of Foxp2 in mice is known to affect striatal development and impair motor skills. However, it is unknown if striatal excitatory/inhibitory balance is affected during development and if the imbalance persists into adulthood. We investi...

Synapse development and neuronal activity represent fundamental processes for the establishment of cognitive function. Structural organization as well as signalling pathways from receptor stimulation to gene expression regulation are mediated by synaptic activity and misregulated in neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD...

Neurons derived from human induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (hiPSCs) provide a promising new tool for studying neurological disorders. In the past decade, many protocols for differentiating hiPSCs into neurons have been developed. However, these protocols are often slow with high variability, low reproducibility, and low efficiency. In addition, the...

Speech requires precise motor control and rapid sequencing of highly complex vocal musculature. Despite its complexity, most people produce spoken language effortlessly. This is due to activity in distributed neuronal circuitry including cortico-striato-thalamic loops that control speech–motor output. Understanding the neuro-genetic mechanisms invo...