@article {767, title = {Recurrent De Novo NAHR Reciprocal Duplications in the ATAD3 Gene Cluster Cause a Neurogenetic Trait with Perturbed Cholesterol and Mitochondrial Metabolism.}, journal = {Am J Hum Genet}, volume = {106}, year = {2020}, month = {2020 02 06}, pages = {272-279}, abstract = {

Recent studies have identified both recessive and dominant forms of mitochondrial disease that result from ATAD3A variants. The recessive form includes subjects with biallelic deletions mediated by non-allelic homologous recombination. We report five unrelated neonates with a lethal metabolic disorder characterized by cardiomyopathy, corneal opacities, encephalopathy, hypotonia, and seizures in whom a monoallelic reciprocal duplication at the ATAD3 locus was identified. Analysis of the breakpoint junction fragment indicated that these 67 kb heterozygous duplications were likely mediated by non-allelic homologous recombination at regions of high sequence identity in ATAD3A exon 11 and ATAD3C exon 7. At the recombinant junction, the duplication allele produces a fusion gene derived from ATAD3A and ATAD3C, the protein product of which lacks key functional residues. Analysis of fibroblasts derived from two affected individuals shows that the fusion gene product is expressed and stable. These cells display perturbed cholesterol and mitochondrial DNA organization similar to that observed for individuals with severe ATAD3A deficiency. We hypothesize that the fusion protein acts through a dominant-negative mechanism to cause this fatal mitochondrial disorder. Our data delineate a molecular diagnosis for this disorder, extend the clinical spectrum associated with structural variation at the ATAD3 locus, and identify a third mutational mechanism for ATAD3 gene cluster variants. These results further affirm structural variant mutagenesis mechanisms in sporadic disease traits, emphasize the importance of copy number analysis in molecular genomic diagnosis, and highlight some of the challenges of detecting and interpreting clinically relevant rare gene rearrangements from next-generation sequencing data.

}, keywords = {Amino Acid Sequence, ATPases Associated with Diverse Cellular Activities, Brain Diseases, Cardiomyopathies, Cholesterol, Corneal Opacity, DNA Copy Number Variations, Female, Gene Duplication, Gene Rearrangement, Homologous Recombination, Humans, Infant, Infant, Newborn, Male, Membrane Proteins, Mitochondria, Mitochondrial Diseases, Mitochondrial Proteins, Muscle Hypotonia, Mutation, Protein Conformation, Seizures, Sequence Homology}, issn = {1537-6605}, doi = {10.1016/j.ajhg.2020.01.007}, author = {Gunning, Adam C and Strucinska, Klaudia and Mu{\~n}oz Oreja, Mikel and Parrish, Andrew and Caswell, Richard and Stals, Karen L and Durigon, Romina and Durlacher-Betzer, Karina and Cunningham, Mitchell H and Grochowski, Christopher M and Baptista, Julia and Tysoe, Carolyn and Baple, Emma and Lahiri, Nayana and Homfray, Tessa and Scurr, Ingrid and Armstrong, Catherine and Dean, John and Fernandez Pelayo, Uxoa and Jones, Aleck W E and Taylor, Robert W and Misra, Vinod K and Yoon, Wan Hee and Wright, Caroline F and Lupski, James R and Spinazzola, Antonella and Harel, Tamar and Holt, Ian J and Ellard, Sian} } @article {7, title = {Whole-Genome Sequencing of Cytogenetically Balanced Chromosome Translocations Identifies Potentially Pathological Gene Disruptions and Highlights the Importance of Microhomology in the Mechanism of Formation.}, journal = {Hum Mutat}, volume = {38}, year = {2017}, month = {2017 Feb}, pages = {180-192}, abstract = {

Most balanced translocations are thought to result mechanistically from nonhomologous end joining or, in rare cases of recurrent events, by nonallelic homologous recombination. Here, we use low-coverage mate pair whole-genome sequencing to fine map rearrangement breakpoint junctions in both phenotypically normal and affected translocation carriers. In total, 46 junctions from 22 carriers of balanced translocations were characterized. Genes were disrupted in 48\% of the breakpoints; recessive genes in four normal carriers and known dominant intellectual disability genes in three affected carriers. Finally, seven candidate disease genes were disrupted in five carriers with neurocognitive disabilities (SVOPL, SUSD1, TOX, NCALD, SLC4A10) and one XX-male carrier with Tourette syndrome (LYPD6, GPC5). Breakpoint junction analyses revealed microhomology and small templated insertions in a substantive fraction of the analyzed translocations (17.4\%; n = 4); an observation that was substantiated by reanalysis of 37 previously published translocation junctions. Microhomology associated with templated insertions is a characteristic seen in the breakpoint junctions of rearrangements mediated by error-prone replication-based repair mechanisms. Our data implicate that a mechanism involving template switching might contribute to the formation of at least 15\% of the interchromosomal translocation events.

}, keywords = {Base Sequence, Chromosome Breakage, Chromosome Mapping, Comparative Genomic Hybridization, DNA Copy Number Variations, Female, Genetic Association Studies, Genomics, Genotype, Homologous Recombination, Humans, In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence, Karyotype, Male, Phenotype, Translocation, Genetic, Whole Genome Sequencing}, issn = {1098-1004}, doi = {10.1002/humu.23146}, author = {Nilsson, Daniel and Pettersson, Maria and Gustavsson, Peter and F{\"o}rster, Alisa and Hofmeister, Wolfgang and Wincent, Josephine and Zachariadis, Vasilios and Anderlid, Britt-Marie and Nordgren, Ann and M{\"a}kitie, Outi and Wirta, Valtteri and K{\"a}ller, Max and Vezzi, Francesco and Lupski, James R and Nordenskj{\"o}ld, Magnus and Lundberg, Elisabeth Syk and Carvalho, Claudia M B and Lindstrand, Anna} } @article {78, title = {Mechanisms underlying structural variant formation in genomic disorders.}, journal = {Nat Rev Genet}, volume = {17}, year = {2016}, month = {2016 Apr}, pages = {224-38}, abstract = {

With the recent burst of technological developments in genomics, and the clinical implementation of genome-wide assays, our understanding of the molecular basis of genomic disorders, specifically the contribution of structural variation to disease burden, is evolving quickly. Ongoing studies have revealed a ubiquitous role for genome architecture in the formation of structural variants at a given locus, both in DNA recombination-based processes and in replication-based processes. These reports showcase the influence of repeat sequences on genomic stability and structural variant complexity and also highlight the tremendous plasticity and dynamic nature of our genome in evolution, health and disease susceptibility.

}, keywords = {Gene Rearrangement, Genetic Diseases, Inborn, Genetic Predisposition to Disease, Genetic Variation, Genome, Human, Genomic Instability, Homologous Recombination, Humans, Models, Genetic, Mutation, Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid}, issn = {1471-0064}, doi = {10.1038/nrg.2015.25}, author = {Carvalho, Claudia M B and Lupski, James R} } @article {41, title = {Nonrecurrent PMP22-RAI1 contiguous gene deletions arise from replication-based mechanisms and result in Smith-Magenis syndrome with evident peripheral neuropathy.}, journal = {Hum Genet}, volume = {135}, year = {2016}, month = {2016 Oct}, pages = {1161-74}, abstract = {

Hereditary neuropathy with liability to pressure palsies (HNPP) and Smith-Magenis syndrome (SMS) are genomic disorders associated with deletion copy number variants involving chromosome 17p12 and 17p11.2, respectively. Nonallelic homologous recombination (NAHR)-mediated recurrent deletions are responsible for the majority of HNPP and SMS cases; the rearrangement products encompass the key dosage-sensitive genes PMP22 and RAI1, respectively, and result in haploinsufficiency for these genes. Less frequently, nonrecurrent genomic rearrangements occur at this locus. Contiguous gene duplications encompassing both PMP22 and RAI1, i.e., PMP22-RAI1 duplications, have been investigated, and replication-based mechanisms rather than NAHR have been proposed for these rearrangements. In the current study, we report molecular and clinical characterizations of six subjects with the reciprocal phenomenon of deletions spanning both genes, i.e., PMP22-RAI1 deletions. Molecular studies utilizing high-resolution array comparative genomic hybridization and breakpoint junction sequencing identified mutational signatures that were suggestive of replication-based mechanisms. Systematic clinical studies revealed features consistent with SMS, including features of intellectual disability, speech and gross motor delays, behavioral problems and ocular abnormalities. Five out of six subjects presented clinical signs and/or objective electrophysiologic studies of peripheral neuropathy. Clinical profiling may improve the clinical management of this unique group of subjects, as the peripheral neuropathy can be more severe or of earlier onset as compared to SMS patients having the common recurrent deletion. Moreover, the current study, in combination with the previous report of PMP22-RAI1 duplications, contributes to the understanding of rare complex phenotypes involving multiple dosage-sensitive genes from a genetic mechanistic standpoint.

}, keywords = {Adolescent, Adult, Child, Child, Preschool, Chromosomes, Human, Pair 17, DNA Copy Number Variations, DNA Replication, Female, Gene Deletion, Haploinsufficiency, Homologous Recombination, Humans, Intellectual Disability, Male, Mutation, Myelin Proteins, Smith-Magenis Syndrome, Trans-Activators, Transcription Factors}, issn = {1432-1203}, doi = {10.1007/s00439-016-1703-5}, author = {Yuan, Bo and Neira, Juanita and Gu, Shen and Harel, Tamar and Liu, Pengfei and Brice{\~n}o, Ignacio and Elsea, Sarah H and G{\'o}mez, Alberto and Potocki, Lorraine and Lupski, James R} } @article {170, title = {Alu-mediated diverse and complex pathogenic copy-number variants within human chromosome 17 at p13.3.}, journal = {Hum Mol Genet}, volume = {24}, year = {2015}, month = {2015 Jul 15}, pages = {4061-77}, abstract = {

Alu repetitive elements are known to be major contributors to genome instability by generating Alu-mediated copy-number variants (CNVs). Most of the reported Alu-mediated CNVs are simple deletions and duplications, and the mechanism underlying Alu-Alu-mediated rearrangement has been attributed to non-allelic homologous recombination (NAHR). Chromosome 17 at the p13.3 genomic region lacks extensive low-copy repeat architecture; however, it is highly enriched for Alu repetitive elements, with a fraction of 30\% of total sequence annotated in the human reference genome, compared with the 10\% genome-wide and 18\% on chromosome 17. We conducted mechanistic studies of the 17p13.3 CNVs by performing high-density oligonucleotide array comparative genomic hybridization, specifically interrogating the 17p13.3 region with \~{}150 bp per probe density; CNV breakpoint junctions were mapped to nucleotide resolution by polymerase chain reaction and Sanger sequencing. Studied rearrangements include 5 interstitial deletions, 14 tandem duplications, 7 terminal deletions and 13 complex genomic rearrangements (CGRs). Within the 17p13.3 region, Alu-Alu-mediated rearrangements were identified in 80\% of the interstitial deletions, 46\% of the tandem duplications and 50\% of the CGRs, indicating that this mechanism was a major contributor for formation of breakpoint junctions. Our studies suggest that Alu repetitive elements facilitate formation of non-recurrent CNVs, CGRs and other structural aberrations of chromosome 17 at p13.3. The common observation of Alu-mediated rearrangement in CGRs and breakpoint junction sequences analysis further demonstrates that this type of mechanism is unlikely attributed to NAHR, but rather may be due to a recombination-coupled DNA replicative repair process.

}, keywords = {Alleles, Alu Elements, Base Sequence, Chromosomes, Human, Pair 17, Comparative Genomic Hybridization, DNA Copy Number Variations, Female, Gene Duplication, Gene Rearrangement, Genome, Human, Genomic Instability, Genomics, Homologous Recombination, Humans, Male, Molecular Sequence Data, Segmental Duplications, Genomic, Sequence Deletion}, issn = {1460-2083}, doi = {10.1093/hmg/ddv146}, author = {Gu, Shen and Yuan, Bo and Campbell, Ian M and Beck, Christine R and Carvalho, Claudia M B and Nagamani, Sandesh C S and Erez, Ayelet and Patel, Ankita and Bacino, Carlos A and Shaw, Chad A and Stankiewicz, Pawe{\l} and Cheung, Sau Wai and Bi, Weimin and Lupski, James R} }