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Absence of mutations in NR2E1 and SNX3 in five patients with MMEP (microcephaly, microphthalmia, ectrodactyly, and prognathism) and related phenotypes

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A disruption of sorting nexin 3 (SNX3) on 6q21 was previously reported in a patient with MMEP (microcephaly, microphthalmia, ectrodactyly, and prognathism) and t(6;13)(q21;q12) but no SNX3 mutations were identified in another sporadic case of MMEP, suggesting involvement of another gene. In this work, SNX3 was sequenced in three patients not previously studied for this gene. In addition, we test the hypothesis that mutations in the neighbouring gene NR2E1 may underlie MMEP and related phenotypes. Mutation screening was performed in five patients: the t(6;13)(q21;q12) MMEP patient, three additional patients with possible MMEP or a related phenotype, and one patient with oligodactyly, ulnar aplasia, and a t(6;7)(q21;q31.2) translocation. We used sequencing to exclude SNX3 coding mutations in three patients not previously studied for this gene. To test the hypothesis that mutations in NR2E1 may contribute to MMEP or related phenotypes, we sequenced the entire coding region, complete 5' and 3' untranslated regions, consensus splice-sites, and evolutionarily conserved regions including core and proximal promoter in all five patients. Two-hundred and fifty control subjects were genotyped for any candidate mutation. We did not detect any synonymous nor nonsynonymous coding mutations of NR2E1 or SNX3. In one patient with possible MMEP, we identified a candidate regulatory mutation that has been reported previously in a patient with microcephaly but was not found in 250 control subjects examined here. Our results do not support involvement of coding mutations in NR2E1 or SNX3 in MMEP or related phenotypes; however, we cannot exclude the possibility that regulatory NR2E1 or SNX3 mutations or deletions at this locus may underlie abnormal human cortical development in some patients.
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BioMed Central
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BMC Medical Genetics
Open Access
Research article
Absence of mutations in NR2E1 and SNX3 in five patients with
MMEP (microcephaly, microphthalmia, ectrodactyly, and
prognathism) and related phenotypes
Ravinesh A Kumar
1
, David B Everman
2
, Chad T Morgan
2
, Anne Slavotinek
3
,
Charles E Schwartz
2
and Elizabeth M Simpson*
1
Address:
1
Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child & Family Research Institute, Department of Medical Genetics, University of
British Columbia, 950 West 28th Ave, Vancouver, V5Z 4H4, Canada,
2
Center for Molecular Studies, J.C. Self Research Institute, Greenwood Genetic
Center. One Gregor Mendel Circle, Greenwood, South Carolina, 29646, USA and
3
Department of Pediatrics, Division of Medical Genetics,
University of California, Box 0748, 533 Parnassus St., San Francisco, California, 94143-0748, USA
Email: Ravinesh A Kumar - rakumar@cmmt.ubc.ca; David B Everman - deverman@ggc.org; Chad T Morgan - morgan114@charter.net;
Anne Slavotinek - slavotia@peds.ucsf.edu; Charles E Schwartz - ceschwartz@ggc.org; Elizabeth M Simpson* - simpson@cmmt.ubc.ca
* Corresponding author
Abstract
Background: A disruption of sorting nexin 3 (SNX3) on 6q21 was previously reported in a patient
with MMEP (microcephaly, microphthalmia, ectrodactyly, and prognathism) and t(6;13)(q21;q12)
but no SNX3 mutations were identified in another sporadic case of MMEP, suggesting involvement
of another gene. In this work, SNX3 was sequenced in three patients not previously studied for this
gene. In addition, we test the hypothesis that mutations in the neighbouring gene NR2E1 may
underlie MMEP and related phenotypes.
Methods: Mutation screening was performed in five patients: the t(6;13)(q21;q12) MMEP patient,
three additional patients with possible MMEP or a related phenotype, and one patient with
oligodactyly, ulnar aplasia, and a t(6;7)(q21;q31.2) translocation. We used sequencing to exclude
SNX3 coding mutations in three patients not previously studied for this gene. To test the
hypothesis that mutations in NR2E1 may contribute to MMEP or related phenotypes, we sequenced
the entire coding region, complete 5' and 3' untranslated regions, consensus splice-sites, and
evolutionarily conserved regions including core and proximal promoter in all five patients. Two-
hundred and fifty control subjects were genotyped for any candidate mutation.
Results: We did not detect any synonymous nor nonsynonymous coding mutations of NR2E1 or
SNX3. In one patient with possible MMEP, we identified a candidate regulatory mutation that has
been reported previously in a patient with microcephaly but was not found in 250 control subjects
examined here.
Conclusion: Our results do not support involvement of coding mutations in NR2E1 or SNX3 in
MMEP or related phenotypes; however, we cannot exclude the possibility that regulatory NR2E1
or SNX3 mutations or deletions at this locus may underlie abnormal human cortical development
in some patients.
Published: 26 July 2007
BMC Medical Genetics 2007, 8:48 doi:10.1186/1471-2350-8-48
Received: 13 February 2007
Accepted: 26 July 2007
This article is available from: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2350/8/48
© 2007 Kumar et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0
),
which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
BMC Medical Genetics 2007, 8:48 http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2350/8/48
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Background
The MMEP phenotype and EEC syndrome represent syn-
dromic forms of split-hand/foot malformation (SHFM),
which occurs either as an isolated malformation or as a
feature of many other conditions with overlapping clini-
cal findings [1]. SHFM can be caused by chromosome
rearrangements or single gene mutations and is a geneti-
cally heterogeneous malformation with multiple gene loci
having been identified [1].
Sorting nexin 3 (SNX3) is ubiquitously expressed and
belongs to the sorting nexin family, which is involved in
intracellular protein trafficking [2]. Previously, SNX3 was
found to be disrupted in its 3rd intron by a de novo bal-
anced translocation t(6;13)(q21;q12) in a patient with
MMEP (microcephaly, microphthalmia, ectrodactyly, and
prognathism) and severe mental retardation [3]. Thus,
SNX3 was initially proposed as a reasonable candidate for
MMEP in this patient, who did not harbor any SNX3
mutations on the normal chromosome [3]. However,
mutations involving SNX3 were not identified in a spo-
radic case with possible MMEP and normal karyotype
[3,4]. Thus, mutations in a gene close to SNX3 may con-
tribute to MMEP and related phenotypes.
Nuclear receptor 2E1 (NR2E1; previously, TLX [MIM
603849]) is the closest gene to SNX3 (Figure 1) and there-
fore represents a strong positional candidate that may
contribute to the brain phenotype of MMEP. NR2E1 is
also a strong functional candidate, given that mice deleted
for Nr2e1 present with a complex MMEP-related pheno-
type that includes forebrain hypoplasia, eye abnormali-
ties, and cognitive impairment [5-7], which is consistent
with the brain and eye expression pattern of this gene
[8,9]. Further evidence is supported by the possibility that
the der(6) breakpoint in the t(6;13)(q21;q12) patient
could have created a position effect that altered the expres-
sion of NR2E1 resulting in the MMEP phenotype (Figure
1) [3]. Such a hypothesis, however, is difficult to test in
light of the predominantly brain-specific transcription of
NR2E1 [8,10] and lack of suitable patient material.
We propose that a gene(s) near the 6q21 translocation
may underlie MMEP and related phenotypes in some
patients. Here, we test the hypothesis that patients with
MMEP or a related phenotype may harbor mutations in
NR2E1 and/or SNX3. To test this hypothesis, we
sequenced the entire NR2E1 coding region, consensus
splice-site regions, complete 5' and 3' untranslated
regions and evolutionarily conserved elements including
core and proximal promoter in one patient with MMEP,
three patients with possible MMEP or related phenotypes,
and one patient with oligodactyly, ulnar aplasia, and a
t(6;7)(q21;q31.2) translocation [11]. We also sequenced
the complete coding regions of SNX3 in three of five
patients not previously examined for this gene.
Methods
Human subjects
Approval for this study was obtained from The University
of British Columbia and Child & Family Research Insti-
tute. The research followed Canada's Tri-Council State-
ment on 'Ethical Conduct for Research Involving
Humans'. Approval was also obtained through the Institu-
tional Review Board of Self Regional Healthcare (Green-
wood, SC). Consent from all patients was obtained for
research purposes. Patients were ascertained and exam-
ined from five centers: The University of the Witwater-
strand, Johannesburg; The University of Cape Town,
South Africa; Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles;
Universita Cattolica, Rome; and The University of Califor-
nia, San Francisco. Patients were referred to the Green-
wood Genetic Center for molecular research studies on
split-hand/foot malformation. Controls were ascertained
from the Greenwood Genetic Center.
All cases were sporadic and born to non-consanguineous
parents. Patient 1 is the original patient with MMEP and
t(6;13)(q21;q12) described previously by Viljoen and
Smart [12]. This is a 44-year-old Caucasian female with
severe mental retardation, congenital microphthalmia
causing complete blindness, central cleft lip and palate,
ectrodactyly with absence of toes 2–4 on both feet, finger-
like thumbs, and a broad, prominent jaw.
Patients 2–4 had normal blood chromosome analyses
and were included in this study on the basis of having
clinical features that significantly overlapped those of the
MMEP phenotype. Patient 2 was felt to have possible
MMEP versus an unusual variant of the ectrodactyly-ecto-
dermal dysplasia-clefting (EEC) syndrome and has not
Schematic drawing of 6q21 demonstrates relative positions of genes flanking SNX3Figure 1
Schematic drawing of 6q21 demonstrates relative
positions of genes flanking SNX3. Green bar indicates
location of breakpoint within intron 3 of SNX3 in patient
with t(6;13)(q21;q12) translocation [3]. Red arrows indicate
direction of transcription. Genetic locations of transcrip-
tional start and end sites are from RefSeq genomic assembly
NC_000006.10.
6q21
NR2E1 SNX3 LACE1
108,593,955
108,616,706
108,639,119
108,689,157
108,722,791
108,950,951
to centromere
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been described previously. She is a Hispanic female with
congenital microcephaly, bilateral microphthalmia, colo-
bomas of the right iris and retina, left chorioretinal colo-
boma, left lacrimal duct stenosis, unilateral cleft lip and
palate, dysplastic ears, soft tissue syndactyly of fingers 3–
4 on the right hand, ectrodactyly of the left foot with a hal-
lux and two digital rays, unilateral mixed versus sen-
sorineural hearing loss requiring a hearing aid, sparse
scalp hair and eyebrows, and narrow, deep-set nails. She
had a prolonged hospitalization after birth and required
gastrostomy tube placement. She had no evidence of a
TP73L (previously, TP63, P63) mutation, which is known
to be involved in split hand/foot malformation [13].
Patients 3 and 4 were felt to have an unusual variant of the
EEC syndrome. A brief summary of their clinical findings
was reported previously [13]. Patient 3 is a 10-year-old
Caucasian female with microcephaly, bilateral iris colo-
bomas, microphthalmia with significant vision impair-
ment, bilateral ectrodactyly of the hands and feet,
unilateral cleft lip, and patchy alopecia of the scalp hair.
She required gastrostomy feedings until age 9 due to
ongoing problems with feeding, failure to thrive, and
severe gastroesophageal reflux. A gastric emptying study
revealed delayed emptying with a non-functioning sec-
tion of the stomach and reverse peristalsis, which resolved
with gastric Botox therapy. She has experienced significant
dental problems due to ectodermal dysplasia. She attends
a regular school program with visual assistance. Patient 4
is an African-American female seen at 3 months of age
with congenital microcephaly, congenitally sealed eyelids
with small to absent globes, ectrodactyly of the hands and
feet, a notch in the upper lip resembling a mild midline
cleft, absent scalp hair, underdeveloped eyelashes and
eyebrows, underdeveloped nails, minor differences in ear
shape, unilateral hearing loss, pelvic kidney, anteriorly
placed anus, and tethered spinal cord. Both patients had
no evidence of a TP73L mutation [13].
Patient 5 was included in the study on the basis of having
a de novo chromosome translocation involving the 6q21
region (t(6;7)(q21;q31.2)) and congenital ulnar ray apla-
sia. His findings were described previously by Gurrieri et
al. [11]. He is a Caucasian male evaluated in the newborn
period with congenitally bowed radii, absent ulnae,
absence of fingers 3–5 on the right hand, syndactyly of
fingers 2–3 and absence of fingers 4–5 on the left hand,
and a cyst of the septum pellucidum. He did not have
microcephaly, ocular abnormalities, or other features of
the MMEP phenotype. We cannot exclude the possibility
that breakage at 7q31 may disrupt a gene(s) involved in
MMEP.
DNA amplification and sequencing
Sequencing was used to screen for SNX3 coding muta-
tions in all 4 exons as previously described [3]. We
sequenced genomic NR2E1 using 20 PCR amplicons that
covered the coding regions (1,146 bp), complete 5' and 3'
UTRs (1,973 bp), exon-flanking regions including con-
sensus splice-sites (1,719 bp), and evolutionarily con-
served regions including the core and proximal promoter
(1,528 bp). Polymerase chain reactions (PCR) and
sequencing were performed as previously described [14].
Sequences were visually inspected and scored blindly by
at least two individuals using either Consed [15] or
Sequencher (Gene Codes, Ann Arbor, MI). Every variant
identified was confirmed by repeating the PCR and
sequencing process. Confirmation of the g.21502T>C
change in patient 2 and genotyping of unaffected parents
and 250 controls without MMEP or related phenotypes
was performed by restriction enzyme digestion of a 505-
base pair PCR product using BsmBI. Primers and PCR con-
ditions were as previously reported for 3' UTRb [14]. The
alteration created an additional BsmBI site, producing
bands of 505, 278, and 227 base pairs in the heterozygous
state.
Results and discussion
Absence of SNX3 coding mutations in MMEP or related
phenotypes
To exclude the role of coding mutations in SNX3 in
MMEP or related phenotypes, we sequenced all four cod-
ing exons in all patients not previously studied for this
gene. No mutations were detected. The absence of coding
mutations in SNX3 supports the role of other loci, such as
NR2E1, in these disorders. We cannot, however, exclude
the role of regulatory SNX3 mutations given that pro-
moter and UTRs were not examined.
Absence of NR2E1 coding mutations in MMEP or related
phenotypes
To determine whether patients with MMEP or related phe-
notypes harbor NR2E1 mutations, we sequenced the com-
plete coding region, complete 5' and 3' UTR, consensus
splice-sites, and evolutionarily conserved regions includ-
ing the core and proximal promoter in all five patients.
We generated approximately 33.5 kb of sequence data. We
did not detect any synonymous nor nonsynonymous cod-
ing mutations.
We identified one candidate regulatory mutation in the 3'
UTR, g.21502T>C, in patient 2, that was not found in
dbSNP (Build 127) [16]. We confirmed this variant by
resequencing both strands of DNA. The variant was not
predicted to alter binding of neural transcription factors
[14]. We genotyped g.21502T>C in the unaffected parents
and identified the candidate regulatory mutation in the
mother but not the father (Figure 2). In addition, we did
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not find g.21502T>C in 500 chromosomes from approxi-
mately 250 controls without MMEP or related pheno-
types. Interestingly, we previously reported the
g.21502T>C candidate regulatory mutation (in addition
to two other mutations) in a patient with microcephaly
and the unaffected father but not in 344 control chromo-
somes nor in 188 ethnically-diverse chromosomes [14].
Thus, g.21502T>C has so far been identified only in fam-
ilies that present with microcephaly but not in 1032 con-
trol chromosomes from subjects that do not present with
microcephaly.
One possibility is that the g.21502 T>C is an innocuous
substitution that does not contribute to disease but rather
represents a rare variant in the general population. An
alternative interpretation is that heterozygous NR2E1
mutations may contribute to disease, which is supported
by studies in mice heterozygous for Nr2e1 deletions that
show premature cortical neurogenesis early in develop-
ment [17], thereby suggesting dosage sensitivity for
NR2E1. The presence of g.21502T>C in an unaffected par-
ent may be due to incomplete penetrance of this variant.
Alternatively, g.21502T>C may interact with another sus-
ceptibility variant arising de novo in the patient or inher-
ited from the non-g.21502T>C-transmitting parent. Such
a mechanism is supported by genetic studies in mice in
which double heterozygous mutations at Nr2e1 and Pax6
are shown to enhance cortical phenotypes [18]. It is
important to note that the clinical phenotypes of the
patients in this study may be attributable to different
genetic mechanisms affecting similar developmental
pathways.
Conclusion
MMEP and related phenotypes represent a spectrum of
heterogeneous conditions for which multiple loci may be
involved, including NR2E1 and SNX3 on Chromosome
6q21–22 [11,12]. The present study does not support
involvement of NR2E1 or SNX3 coding mutations in
MMEP or related phenotypes. However, we cannot
exclude the possibility that regulatory NR2E1 or SNX3
mutations, such as g.21502T>C of NR2E1, may underlie
abnormal human cortical development in some families.
In addition, we cannot exclude the possibility that dele-
tions at NR2E1 or SNX3 may underlie MMEP, given that
sequencing is unable to distinguish between homozygos-
ity across loci versus large deletions. The lack of obvious
mutations in NR2E1 and SNX3 contribute to the genetic
complexity underlying this heterogeneous syndrome. Fol-
low-up studies of other positional candidates such as
LACE1, would be a next logical undertaking.
Competing interests
The author(s) declare that they have no competing inter-
ests.
Authors' contributions
RAK conducted the NR2E1 molecular genetic studies, per-
formed data analysis, and wrote the manuscript. DBE, AS,
and CES collected families and provided DNA. CTM car-
ried out the SNX3 sequencing and contributed to NR2E1
genotyping. EMS initiated the study and finalized the
analyses as well as the paper. All authors read and
approved the final manuscript.
Acknowledgements
The authors acknowledge the patients and families who donated their time
and blood samples. We thank Dr. Denis L. Viljoen (University of the Wit-
waterstrand, Johannesburg), Dr. Ronald Smart (University of Cape Town,
South Africa), Dr. John M. Graham, Jr. (Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los
Angeles), and Dr. Fiorella Gurrieri (Universita Cattolica, Rome) for provid-
ing us with patient samples. We also thank Tonya Moss for assistance in
sequence analyses of SNX3. The authors are grateful to Brett S. Abrahams
and Tracey D. Weir (Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics,
Canada) for insight and helpful comments on the manuscript. This work
was supported in part by grants from Jack and Doris Brown Foundation and
British Columbia Institute for Children's & Women's Health (to RAK);
Shriners Hospitals for Children, Grant #8510 (to DBE); South Carolina
Department of Disabilities and Special Needs (SCDDSN) (to CES); and
Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR), CIHR Research and
Development, and Canada Research Chair in Genetics and Behaviour (to
EMS).
Genotyping NR2E1 candidate regulatory mutation in patient 2 and family membersFigure 2
Genotyping NR2E1 candidate regulatory mutation in
patient 2 and family members. A) DNA sequencing
detects g.21502T>C in the 3' UTR of patient 2 but not in
unrelated controls. B) Restriction digest detects g.21502T>C
in the unaffected mother but not in the unaffected father nor
in an unrelated control.
G A T/C G A G A T G A
A
B
Patient 2
Mother
Father
Control
Ladder
Patient 2 Control
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Pre-publication history
The pre-publication history for this paper can be accessed
here:
http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2350/8/48/prepub
... Given the wide range of mutant phenotypes such as brain abnormalities, visual impairments, violent behavior, and learning disabilities, it is reasonable to suspect that human TLX mutations may be associated with some pathophysiological conditions. Kumar et al. conducted a series of studies to investigate whether human TLX mutations are associated with abnormal brain-behavior conditions such as microcephaly, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and aggression [15,66]. These studies showed that TLX mutations are associated with bipolar disorder [15], and four candidate mutations in the regulatory region of TLX have been associated with microcephaly [66]. ...
... Kumar et al. conducted a series of studies to investigate whether human TLX mutations are associated with abnormal brain-behavior conditions such as microcephaly, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and aggression [15,66]. These studies showed that TLX mutations are associated with bipolar disorder [15], and four candidate mutations in the regulatory region of TLX have been associated with microcephaly [66]. ...
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The human TLX gene encodes an orphan nuclear receptor predominantly expressed in the central nervous system. Tailess and Tlx, the TLX homologues in Drosophila and mouse, play essential roles in body-pattern formation and neurogenesis during early embryogenesis and perform crucial functions in maintaining stemness and controlling the differentiation of adult neural stem cells in the central nervous system, especially the visual system. Multiple target genes and signaling pathways are regulated by TLX and its homologues in specific tissues during various developmental stages. This review aims to summarize previous studies including many recent updates from different aspects concerning TLX and its homologues in Drosophila and mouse.
... Overall, the NR2E1 locus is unusually highly conserved, reminiscent of the HOX cluster, and displays low genetic diversity among humans [24,45]. We have previously screened for NR2E1 mutations in patients with brain malformations [46,47] and bipolar disorder [24] but did not find any amino acid variations. However, 14 non-synonymous variants have now been reported in public databases: the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism database (dbSNP), the 1000 Genomes Project, and the NHLBI Exome Sequencing Project (ESP). ...
... In addition, we found one novel rare intronic variant (g.14258C>T) and one novel rare coding variant (g.14121C>G; p. Arg274Gly) not present in the control group. The latter represents one of the few amino acid changes found in NR2E1, all with unknown functional consequences, despite past substantial efforts to identify coding variants with sequencing-based mutation screening [24,46,47]; thus, we focused our further studies on this variant. The novel rare NR2E1 coding variant was found heterozygous in a patient diagnosed with Peters' anomaly; the variant results in a substitution from Arg to Gly in amino acid 274 (Arg274Gly). ...
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... Another SHFM individual has bilateral tibial deficiency with shortening and clubfoot. This individual was normal for TP63, SNX3 (MIM %601349) and NR2E1 (Kumar et al., 2007) variants but presented with a missense variant, PRDM1c.2455A>G ( p.T819A) (Fig. 1A,E). ...
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Split hand/foot malformation (SHFM) is a rare limb abnormality with clefting of the fingers and/or toes. For many individuals, the genetic etiology is unknown. Through whole-exome and targeted sequencing, we detected three novel variants in a gene encoding a transcription factor, PRDM1, that arose de novo in families with SHFM or segregated with the phenotype. PRDM1 is required for limb development; however, its role is not well understood and it is unclear how the PRDM1 variants affect protein function. Using transient and stable overexpression rescue experiments in zebrafish, we show that the variants disrupt the proline/serine-rich and DNA-binding zinc finger domains, resulting in a dominant-negative effect. Through gene expression assays, RNA sequencing, and CUT&RUN in isolated pectoral fin cells, we demonstrate that Prdm1a directly binds to and regulates genes required for fin induction, outgrowth and anterior/posterior patterning, such as fgfr1a, dlx5a, dlx6a and smo. Taken together, these results improve our understanding of the role of PRDM1 in the limb gene regulatory network and identified novel PRDM1 variants that link to SHFM in humans.
... Sorting nexin 3 (SNX3) is belongs to the sorting nexin (SNX) family, which is essential for regulating the retrograde protein transport through early endosomes [14,15]. SNXs involve in many cellular pathways such as nutrient uptake, signal transduction, and development [16,17] and play critical regulatory roles in diverse disease processes, including cancer, Alzheimer's disease, HF, and arthritis [18][19][20][21][22][23]. ...
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Autophagy is an intracellular lysosomal degradation pathway that plays a critical role in maintaining cardiac homeostasis. Disordered autophagy is closely related to the pathological process of many heart diseases, including cardiac hypertrophy. However, mechanisms regulating cardiac autophagy remained unclear. Previously, we found that overexpression of SNX3 induces cardiac hypertrophy in mice. In this study, a reduced autophagy was observed in SNX3 transgenic mice. Therefore, the objective of our study was to determine whether SNX3 regulates pathological cardiac hypertrophy by regulating autophagy process. A decreased level of autophagy-related protein LC3 was detected in failing hearts from human patients and mouse models. To explore the role of SNX3 in cardiac autophagy, we generated cardiac-specific SNX3 transgenic mice and infected neonatal rat cardiomyocytes (NRCMs) with adenovirus encoding SNX3 (Ad-SNX3). Both in vivo and in vitro studies suggested that overexpression of SNX3 inhibited cardiomyocytes autophagy. Overexpression of SNX3 in vitro further reduced ISO-induced autophagic flux through inhibiting autophagic formation. Rapamycin, an autophagy inducer, could effectively reversed SNX3-induced cardiac hypertrophy and autophagy inhibition both in vitro and in vivo . Immunofluorescent staining and co-immunoprecipitation results revealed an interaction between SNX3 and autophagy related gene 5 (ATG5). We discovered that the stability of ATG5 was impaired by SNX3.
... PX-only Subfamily SNX3 gene was associated to microcephaly, microphthalmia, ectrodactyly, and prognathism (MMEP) and mental retardation [104]. However, analysis of a set of additional patients did not support this association [238]. Authors however highlight that mutations/deletions at SNX3 locus could be underlying abnormal cortical development in some patients, as reported by Vervoort, impacting on cognitive performance. ...
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Endocytosis is a fundamental process that controls protein/lipid composition of the plasma membrane, thereby shaping cellular metabolism, sensing, adhesion, signaling, and nutrient uptake. Endocytosis is essential for the cell to adapt to its surrounding environment, and a tight regulation of the endocytic mechanisms is required to maintain cell function and survival. This is particularly significant in the central nervous system (CNS), where composition of neuronal cell surface is crucial for synaptic functioning. In fact, distinct pathologies of the CNS are tightly linked to abnormal endolysosomal function, and several genome wide association analysis (GWAS) and biochemical studies have identified intracellular trafficking regulators as genetic risk factors for such pathologies. The sorting nexins (SNXs) are a family of proteins involved in protein trafficking regulation and signaling. SNXs dysregulation occurs in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), Down's syndrome (DS), schizophrenia, ataxia and epilepsy, among others, establishing clear roles for this protein family in pathology. Interestingly, restoration of SNXs levels has been shown to trigger synaptic plasticity recovery in a DS mouse model. This review encompasses an historical and evolutionary overview of SNXs protein family, focusing on its organization, phyla conservation, and evolution throughout the development of the nervous system during speciation. We will also survey SNXs molecular interactions and highlight how defects on SNXs underlie distinct pathologies of the CNS. Ultimately, we discuss possible strategies of intervention, surveying how our knowledge about the fundamental processes regulated by SNXs can be applied to the identification of novel therapeutic avenues for SNXs-related disorders.
... Significantly, mutations in mouse TLX caused aggressive behavior, lack of normal maternal instincts, fearfulness, and learning disabilities, suggesting TLX connection with human neurological disorders [229,239,254]. In fact, mutations in human TLX are associated with bipolar disorder, microcephaly, and schizophrenia [16,255]. Furthermore, TLX plays an important role in CNS tumorigenesis. ...
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... These findings suggested low expression of SNX3 in addition to the tumorigenesis can also cause of chemoresistance. Previous studies reported that NR2E1 is the closest gene to SNX3 and therefore they may be influenced together (Kumar et al. 2007). Protein-protein interaction Fig. 6 In silico analysis of protein interaction VDAC1 (a), SNX3 (b) and PFDN6 (c) with protein targets of dexamethasone, including NR3C1, NR0B1, ANXA1 and NOS2. ...
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Response to dexamethasone (DEXA), as a hallmark drug in the treatment of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), is one of the pivotal prognostic factors in the prediction of outcome in ALL. Identification of predictive markers of chemoresistance is beneficial to selecting of the best therapeutic protocol with the lowest effect adverse. Hence, we aimed to find drug targets using the 2DE/MS proteomics study of a DEXA-resistant cell line (REH) as a model for poor DEXA responding patients before and after drug treatment. Using the proteomic methods, three differentially expressed proteins were detected, including voltage dependent anion channel 1 (VDAC1), sorting Nexin 3 (SNX3), and prefoldin subunit 6 (PFDN6). We observed low expression of three proteins after DEXA treatment in REH cells. We subsequently verified low expression of resulted proteins at the mRNA level using the quantitative PCR method. These proteins are promising proteins because of their important roles in drug resistance and regulation of apoptosis (VDAC1), protein trafficking (SNX3), and protein folding (PFDN6). Additionally, mRNA expression level of these proteins was assessed in 17 bone marrow samples from children with newly diagnosed ALL and 7 non-cancerous samples as controls. The results indicated that independent of the molecular subtypes of leukemia, mRNA expression of VDAC1, SNX3, and PFDN6 decreased in ALL samples compared with non-cancerous samples particularly in VDAC1 (p < 0.001). Additionally, mRNA expression of three proteins was also declined in high-risk samples compared with standard risk cases. These results demonstrated diagnostic and prognostic value of these proteins in childhood ALL. Furthermore, investigation of protein-protein interaction using STRING database indicated that these proteins involved in the signaling pathway of NR3C1 as dexamethasone target. In conclusion, our proteomic study in DEXA resistant leukemic cells revealed VDAC1, SNX3, and PFDN6 are promising proteins that might serve as potential biomarkers of prognosis and chemotherapy in childhood ALL.
... TLX is a transcriptional repressor that recruits histone-modifying enzymes and targets the promoter of genes that regulate the cell cycle and proliferation rate [113,115,116]. TLX-/-mutant mice exhibit a thinner cortex and an overall smaller brain that is a result of impaired properties of neural progenitor cells, which is interesting given that regulatory alterations of the gene in humans are suggested to be linked to microcephaly [116,117]. ...
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Nuclear receptors belong to a superfamily of proteins that play central roles in human biology, orchestrating a large variety of biological functions in both health and disease. Understanding the interactions and regulatory pathways of NRs will allow development of potential therapeutic interventions for a multitude of disease processes. Non-coding RNAs have recently been discovered to have significant interactions with NR signalling pathways via a variety of biological connections. This review summarises the known interactions between ncRNAs and the NR superfamily in health, embryogenesis and a plethora of human diseases. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
... In addition, another research group located a SNX3 gene disruption in a patient with microcephaly, microphthalmia, ectrodactyly, and prognathism (MMEP) (Vervoort et al., 2002). However, no mutations in the coding region of SNX3 were found in five additional patients with MMEP, suggesting that the defect in SNX3 may not be responsible for the MMEP phenotype (Kumar et al., 2007). ...
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Sorting of endocytic ligands and receptors is critical for diverse cellular processes. The physiological significance of endosomal sorting proteins in vertebrates, however, remains largely unknown. Here we report that sorting nexin 3 (Snx3) facilitates the recycling of transferrin receptor (Tfrc) and thus is required for the proper delivery of iron to erythroid progenitors. Snx3 is highly expressed in vertebrate hematopoietic tissues. Silencing of Snx3 results in anemia and hemoglobin defects in vertebrates due to impaired transferrin (Tf)-mediated iron uptake and its accumulation in early endosomes. This impaired iron assimilation can be complemented with non-Tf iron chelates. We show that Snx3 and Vps35, a component of the retromer, interact with Tfrc to sort it to the recycling endosomes. Our findings uncover a role of Snx3 in regulating Tfrc recycling, iron homeostasis, and erythropoiesis. Thus, the identification of Snx3 provides a genetic tool for exploring erythropoiesis and disorders of iron metabolism.
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We here provide an update on the clinical, genetic, and molecular aspects of split-hand/foot malformation (SHFM). This rare condition, affecting 1 in 8,500-25,000 newborns, is extremely complex because of its variability in clinical presentation, irregularities in its inheritance pattern, and the heterogeneity of molecular genetic alterations that can be found in affected individuals. Both syndromal and nonsyndromal forms are reviewed and the major molecular genetic alterations thus far reported in association with SHFM are discussed. This updated overview should be helpful for clinicians in their efforts to make an appropriate clinical and genetic diagnosis, provide an accurate recurrence risk assessment, and formulate a management plan. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Split-hand/split-foot malformation (SHFM), also known as ectrodactyly, is a congenital limb malformation, characterized by a deep median cleft of the hand and/or foot due to the absence of the central rays. SHFM may occur as an isolated entity or as part of a syndrome. Both forms are frequently found in association with chromosomal rearrangements such as deletions or translocations. Detailed studies of a number of mouse models for ectrodactyly have revealed that a failure to maintain median apical ectodermal ridge (AER) signalling is the main pathogenic mechanism. A number of factors complicate the identification of the genetic defects underlying human ectrodactyly: the limited number of families linked to each SHFM locus, the large number of morphogens involved in limb development, the complex interactions between these morphogens, the involvement of modifier genes, and the presumed involvement of multiple genes or long-range regulatory elements in some cases of ectrodactyly. So far, the only mutations known to underlie SHFM in humans have been found in the TP63 gene. The identification of novel human and mouse mutations for ectrodactyly will enhance our understanding of AER functions and the pathogenesis of ectrodactyly.
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A new spontaneous mouse mutation named fierce (frc) is deleted for the nuclear receptor Nr2e1 gene (also known as Tlx, mouse homolog of Drosophila tailless). The fierce mutation is genetically and phenotypically similar to Nr2e1 targeted mutations previously studied on segregating genetic backgrounds. However, we have characterized the fierce brain, eye, and behavioural phenotypes on three defined genetic backgrounds (C57BL/6J, 129P3/JEms, and B6129F1). The data revealed many novel and background-dependent phenotypic characteristics. Whereas abnormalities in brain development, hypoplasia of cerebrum and olfactory lobes, were consistent on all three backgrounds, our novel finding of enlarged ventricles in 100% and overt hydrocephalus in up to 30% of fierce mice were unique to the C57BL/6J background. Developmental eye abnormalities were also background-dependent with B6129F1-frc mice having less severe thinning of optic layers and less affected electroretinogram responses. Impaired regression of hyaloid vessels was observed in all backgrounds. Furthermore, retinal vessels were deficient in size and number in 129P3/JEms-frc and B6129F1-frc mice but almost entirely absent in C57BL/6J-frc mice. We present the first standardized behavioural tests conducted on Nr2e1 mutant mice and show that C57BL/6J-frc and B6129F1-frc mice have deficits in sensorimotor assays and are hyperaggressive in both sexes and backgrounds. However, C57BL/6J-frc mice were significantly more aggressive than B6129F1-frc mice. Overall, this extensive characterization of the fierce mutation is essential to its application for the study of behavioural, and brain and eye developmental disorders. In addition, the background-dependent differences revealed will enable the identification of important genetic modifiers.
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We have examined the role of Tlx , an orphan nuclear receptor, in dorsal-ventral patterning of the mouse telencephalon. Tlx is expressed broadly in the ventricular zone, with the exception of the dorsomedial and ventromedial regions. The expression spans the pallio-subpallial boundary, which separates the dorsal (i.e. pallium) and ventral (i.e. subpallium) telencephalon. Despite being expressed on both sides of the pallio-subpallial boundary, Tlx homozygous mutants display alterations in the development of this boundary. These alterations include a dorsal shift in the expression limits of certain genes that abut at the pallio-subpallial boundary as well as the abnormal formation of the radial glial palisade that normally marks this boundary. The Tlx mutant phenotype is similar to, but less severe than, that seen in Small eye (i.e. Pax6 ) mutants. Interestingly, removal of one allele of Pax6 on the homozygous Tlx mutant background significantly worsens the phenotype. Thus Tlx and Pax6 cooperate genetically to regulate the establishment of the pallio-subpallial boundary. The patterning defects in the Tlx mutant telencephalon result in a loss of region-specific gene expression in the ventral-most pallial region. This correlates well with the malformation of the lateral and basolateral amygdala in Tlx mutants, both of which have been suggested to derive from ventral portions of the pallium.
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Sequencing of large clones or small genomes is generally done by the shotgun approach (Anderson et al. 1982). This has two phases: (1) a shotgun phase in which a number of reads are generated from random subclones and assembled into contigs, followed by (2) a directed, or finishing phase in which the assembly is inspected for correctness and for various kinds of data anomalies (such as contaminant reads, unremoved vector sequence, and chimeric or deleted reads), additional data are collected to close gaps and resolve low quality regions, and editing is performed to correct assembly or base-calling errors. Finishing is currently a bottleneck in large-scale sequencing efforts, and throughput gains will depend both on reducing the need for human intervention and making it as efficient as possible. We have developed a finishing tool, consed, which attempts to implement these principles. A distinguishing feature relative to other programs is the use of error probabilities from our programs phred and phrap as an objective criterion to guide the entire finishing process. More information is available at http:// www.genome.washington.edu/consed/consed. html.
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The sorting nexin (SNX) protein family is implicated in regulating membrane traffic, but the mechanism is still unknown. We show that SNX3 is associated with the early endosome through a novel motif (PX domain) capable of interaction with phosphatidylinositol-3-phosphate (PtdIns(3)P). Overexpression of SNX3 alters endosomal morphology and delays transport to the lysosome. Transport from the early to the recycling endosome is affected upon microinjection of SNX3 antibodies. Our results highlight a novel mechanism by which SNX proteins regulate traffic and uncover a novel class of effectors for PtdIns(3)P.
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Ectrodactyly is a developmental defect of the distal limbs characterized by marked clinical variability and genetic heterogeneity, also reflected in the observation of different chromosome abnormalities non randomly associated with longitudinal postaxial limb deficiencies. The one most frequently found in patients with split hand-split foot (SHSF) involves chromosome band 7q22. Recently, structural anomalies of chromosome 6q21 have been reported in 2 unrelated patients with SHSF, suggesting that this region may also contain genes responsible for limb development [Braverman et al., 1993. Am J Hum Genet, suppl 53: 410; Viljoen and Smart, 1993. Clin Dysmorph 2: 274-277]. We report on a third patient who had a de novo, apparently balanced t(6;7)(q21;q31.2) translocation and bilateral ulnar aplasia with postaxial oligodactyly. In spite of the different phenotypic effects observed in these 3 patients, we consider our case as further evidence that genes in 6q21 may play a role in distal limb development.
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The split-hand/split-foot anomaly is a component of several disorders which may occur sporadically or be transmitted as autosomal dominant or autosomal recessive traits. We describe a severely mentally handicapped patient with ectrodactyly of both feet in association with extreme microphthalmia, central cleft-lip and palate and mental retardation. She has an apparent de novo 46,XX,t(6;13) (q21;q12) unbalanced translocation. Either of these breakpoints may be the locus for the ectrodactyly-ectodermal dysplasia-facial cleft (EEC) syndrome.
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In 1993, Viljoen and Smart described a woman with ectrodactyly of the feet, midline facial cleft, microphthalmia, and mental retardation in association with a de novo chromosome 6;13 translocation. We present a man with similar features who had a normal karyotype.
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Deletion of the long arm of chromosome 6 (6q) is one of the most common chromosomal abnormalities in human hematological malignancies. Two distinct regions of minimal deletion have been identified by loss of heterozygosity studies at 6q25 to 6q27 (RMD-1) and at 6q21 to 6q23 (RMD-2), suggesting the presence of one or more tumor suppressor genes. We have cloned sequences within RMD-2 and screened for novel genes using a combination of direct sequencing, cDNA library screening, and exon trapping. Sequences generated from a cosmid fragment, mapping within RMD-2, showed homology to the Drosophila tailless gene (tll). The human homologue of the Drosophila tailless gene (human tlx; MGMW-approved symbol, TLX) was subsequently cloned from a fetal brain cDNA library. The gene is a member of the steroid nuclear receptor superfamily and is homologous to tll genes from other species that are involved in brain development. TLX is predominately expressed in the brain and maps to RMD-2 at 6q21 between DNA markers FYN and D6S447, in a YAC clone that also contains marker D6S246. The contributions of this gene to human B-cell leukemia and to brain development are unknown at present.