@article {1008, title = {SPEN haploinsufficiency causes a neurodevelopmental disorder overlapping proximal 1p36 deletion syndrome with an episignature of X chromosomes in females.}, journal = {Am J Hum Genet}, volume = {108}, year = {2021}, month = {2021 03 04}, pages = {502-516}, abstract = {

Deletion 1p36 (del1p36) syndrome is the most common human disorder resulting from a terminal autosomal deletion. This condition is molecularly and clinically heterogeneous. Deletions involving two non-overlapping regions, known as the distal (telomeric) and proximal (centromeric) critical regions, are sufficient to cause the majority of the recurrent clinical features, although with different facial features and dysmorphisms. SPEN encodes a transcriptional repressor commonly deleted in proximal del1p36 syndrome and is located centromeric to the proximal 1p36 critical region. Here, we used clinical data from 34 individuals with truncating variants in SPEN to define a neurodevelopmental disorder presenting with features that overlap considerably with those of proximal del1p36 syndrome. The clinical profile of this disease includes developmental delay/intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorder, anxiety, aggressive behavior, attention deficit disorder, hypotonia, brain and spine anomalies, congenital heart defects, high/narrow palate, facial dysmorphisms, and obesity/increased BMI, especially in females. SPEN also emerges as a relevant gene for del1p36 syndrome by co-expression analyses. Finally, we show that haploinsufficiency of SPEN is associated with a distinctive DNA methylation episignature of the X chromosome in affected females, providing further evidence of a specific contribution of the protein to the epigenetic control of this chromosome, and a paradigm of an X chromosome-specific episignature that classifies syndromic traits. We conclude that SPEN is required for multiple developmental processes and SPEN haploinsufficiency is a major contributor to a disorder associated with deletions centromeric to the previously established 1p36 critical regions.

}, keywords = {Adolescent, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Child, Child, Preschool, Chromosome Deletion, Chromosome Disorders, Chromosomes, Human, Pair 1, Chromosomes, Human, X, DNA Methylation, DNA-Binding Proteins, Epigenesis, Genetic, Female, Haploinsufficiency, Humans, Intellectual Disability, Male, Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Phenotype, RNA-Binding Proteins, Young Adult}, issn = {1537-6605}, doi = {10.1016/j.ajhg.2021.01.015}, author = {Radio, Francesca Clementina and Pang, Kaifang and Ciolfi, Andrea and Levy, Michael A and Hernandez-Garcia, Andres and Pedace, Lucia and Pantaleoni, Francesca and Liu, Zhandong and de Boer, Elke and Jackson, Adam and Bruselles, Alessandro and McConkey, Haley and Stellacci, Emilia and Lo Cicero, Stefania and Motta, Marialetizia and Carrozzo, Rosalba and Dentici, Maria Lisa and McWalter, Kirsty and Desai, Megha and Monaghan, Kristin G and Telegrafi, Aida and Philippe, Christophe and Vitobello, Antonio and Au, Margaret and Grand, Katheryn and Sanchez-Lara, Pedro A and Baez, Joanne and Lindstrom, Kristin and Kulch, Peggy and Sebastian, Jessica and Madan-Khetarpal, Suneeta and Roadhouse, Chelsea and MacKenzie, Jennifer J and Monteleone, Berrin and Saunders, Carol J and Jean Cuevas, July K and Cross, Laura and Zhou, Dihong and Hartley, Taila and Sawyer, Sarah L and Monteiro, Fabiola Paoli and Secches, Tania Vertemati and Kok, Fernando and Schultz-Rogers, Laura E and Macke, Erica L and Morava, Eva and Klee, Eric W and Kemppainen, Jennifer and Iascone, Maria and Selicorni, Angelo and Tenconi, Romano and Amor, David J and Pais, Lynn and Gallacher, Lyndon and Turnpenny, Peter D and Stals, Karen and Ellard, Sian and Cabet, Sara and Lesca, Gaetan and Pascal, Joset and Steindl, Katharina and Ravid, Sarit and Weiss, Karin and Castle, Alison M R and Carter, Melissa T and Kalsner, Louisa and de Vries, Bert B A and van Bon, Bregje W and Wevers, Marijke R and Pfundt, Rolph and Stegmann, Alexander P A and Kerr, Bronwyn and Kingston, Helen M and Chandler, Kate E and Sheehan, Willow and Elias, Abdallah F and Shinde, Deepali N and Towne, Meghan C and Robin, Nathaniel H and Goodloe, Dana and Vanderver, Adeline and Sherbini, Omar and Bluske, Krista and Hagelstrom, R Tanner and Zanus, Caterina and Faletra, Flavio and Musante, Luciana and Kurtz-Nelson, Evangeline C and Earl, Rachel K and Anderlid, Britt-Marie and Morin, Gilles and van Slegtenhorst, Marjon and Diderich, Karin E M and Brooks, Alice S and Gribnau, Joost and Boers, Ruben G and Finestra, Teresa Robert and Carter, Lauren B and Rauch, Anita and Gasparini, Paolo and Boycott, Kym M and Barakat, Tahsin Stefan and GrAHm, John M and Faivre, Laurence and Banka, Siddharth and Wang, Tianyun and Eichler, Evan E and Priolo, Manuela and Dallapiccola, Bruno and Vissers, Lisenka E L M and Sadikovic, Bekim and Scott, Daryl A and Holder, Jimmy Lloyd and Tartaglia, Marco} } @article {687, title = {Aberrant Function of the C-Terminal Tail of HIST1H1E Accelerates Cellular Senescence and Causes Premature Aging.}, journal = {Am J Hum Genet}, volume = {105}, year = {2019}, month = {2019 Sep 05}, pages = {493-508}, abstract = {

Histones mediate dynamic packaging of nuclear DNA in chromatin, a process that is precisely controlled to guarantee efficient compaction of the genome and proper chromosomal segregation during cell division and to accomplish DNA replication, transcription, and repair. Due to the important structural and regulatory roles played by histones, it is not surprising that histone functional dysregulation or aberrant levels of histones can have severe consequences for multiple cellular processes and ultimately might affect development or contribute to cell transformation. Recently, germline frameshift mutations involving the C-terminal tail of HIST1H1E, which is a widely expressed member of the linker histone family and facilitates higher-order chromatin folding, have been causally linked to an as-yet poorly defined syndrome that includes intellectual disability. We report that these mutations result in stable proteins that reside in the nucleus, bind to chromatin, disrupt proper compaction of DNA, and are associated with a specific methylation pattern. Cells expressing these mutant proteins have a dramatically reduced proliferation rate and competence, hardly enter into the S phase, and undergo accelerated senescence. Remarkably, clinical assessment of a relatively large cohort of subjects sharing these mutations revealed a premature aging phenotype as a previously unrecognized feature of the disorder. Our findings identify a direct link between aberrant chromatin remodeling, cellular senescence, and accelerated aging.

}, issn = {1537-6605}, doi = {10.1016/j.ajhg.2019.07.007}, author = {Flex, Elisabetta and Martinelli, Simone and Van Dijck, Anke and Ciolfi, Andrea and Cecchetti, Serena and Coluzzi, Elisa and Pannone, Luca and Andreoli, Cristina and Radio, Francesca Clementina and Pizzi, Simone and Carpentieri, Giovanna and Bruselles, Alessandro and Catanzaro, Giuseppina and Pedace, Lucia and Miele, Evelina and Carcarino, Elena and Ge, Xiaoyan and Chijiwa, Chieko and Lewis, M E Suzanne and Meuwissen, Marije and Kenis, Sandra and Van der Aa, Nathalie and Larson, Austin and Brown, Kathleen and Wasserstein, Melissa P and Skotko, Brian G and Begtrup, Amber and Person, Richard and Karayiorgou, Maria and Roos, J Louw and Van Gassen, Koen L and Koopmans, Marije and Bijlsma, Emilia K and Santen, Gijs W E and Barge-Schaapveld, Daniela Q C M and Ruivenkamp, Claudia A L and Hoffer, Mariette J V and Lalani, Seema R and Streff, Haley and Craigen, William J and Graham, Brett H and van den Elzen, Annette P M and Kamphuis, Daan J and {\~O}unap, Katrin and Reinson, Karit and Pajusalu, Sander and Wojcik, Monica H and Viberti, Clara and Di Gaetano, Cornelia and Bertini, Enrico and Petrucci, Simona and De Luca, Alessandro and Rota, Rossella and Ferretti, Elisabetta and Matullo, Giuseppe and Dallapiccola, Bruno and Sgura, Antonella and Walkiewicz, Magdalena and Kooy, R Frank and Tartaglia, Marco} } @article {422, title = {Mutations in Fibronectin Cause a Subtype of Spondylometaphyseal Dysplasia with "Corner Fractures".}, journal = {Am J Hum Genet}, volume = {101}, year = {2017}, month = {2017 Nov 02}, pages = {815-823}, abstract = {

Fibronectin is a master organizer of extracellular matrices (ECMs) and promotes the assembly of collagens, fibrillin-1, and other proteins. It is also known to play roles in skeletal tissues through its secretion by osteoblasts, chondrocytes, and mesenchymal cells. Spondylometaphyseal dysplasias (SMDs) comprise a diverse group of skeletal dysplasias and often manifest as short stature, growth-plate irregularities, and vertebral anomalies, such as scoliosis. By comparing the exomes of individuals with SMD with the radiographic appearance of "corner fractures" at metaphyses, we identified three individuals with fibronectin (FN1) variants affecting highly conserved residues. Furthermore, using matching tools and the SkelDys emailing list, we identified other individuals with de novo~FN1 variants and a similar phenotype. The severe scoliosis in most individuals and rare developmental coxa vara distinguish individuals with FN1 mutations from those with classical Sutcliffe-type SMD. To study functional consequences of these FN1 mutations on the protein level, we introduced three disease-associated missense variants (p.Cys87Phe [c.260G>T], p.Tyr240Asp [c.718T>G], and p.Cys260Gly [c.778T>G]) into a recombinant secreted N-terminal 70~kDa fragment (rF70K) and the full-length fibronectin (rFN). The wild-type rF70K and rFN were secreted into the culture medium, whereas all mutant proteins were either not secreted or secreted at significantly lower amounts. Immunofluorescence analysis demonstrated increased intracellular retention of the mutant proteins. In summary, FN1 mutations that cause defective fibronectin secretion are found in SMD, and we thus provide additional evidence for a critical function of fibronectin in cartilage and bone.

}, keywords = {Adolescent, Adult, Bone and Bones, Bone Diseases, Developmental, Cartilage, Child, Child, Preschool, Exome, Female, Fibronectins, Fractures, Bone, Humans, Male, Mutation, Osteochondrodysplasias, Phenotype, Scoliosis}, issn = {1537-6605}, doi = {10.1016/j.ajhg.2017.09.019}, author = {Lee, Chae Syng and Fu, He and Baratang, Nissan and Rousseau, Justine and Kumra, Heena and Sutton, V Reid and Niceta, Marcello and Ciolfi, Andrea and Yamamoto, Guilherme and Bertola, D{\'e}bora and Marcelis, Carlo L and Lugtenberg, Dorien and Bartuli, Andrea and Kim, Choel and Hoover-Fong, Julie and Sobreira, Nara and Pauli, Richard and Bacino, Carlos and Krakow, Deborah and Parboosingh, Jillian and Yap, Patrick and Kariminejad, Ariana and McDonald, Marie T and Aracena, Mariana I and Lausch, Ekkehart and Unger, Sheila and Superti-Furga, Andrea and Lu, James T and Cohn, Dan H and Tartaglia, Marco and Lee, Brendan H and Reinhardt, Dieter P and Campeau, Philippe M} } @article {147, title = {Activating Mutations Affecting the Dbl Homology Domain of SOS2 Cause Noonan Syndrome.}, journal = {Hum Mutat}, volume = {36}, year = {2015}, month = {2015 Nov}, pages = {1080-7}, abstract = {

The RASopathies constitute a family of autosomal-dominant disorders whose major features include facial dysmorphism, cardiac defects, reduced postnatal growth, variable cognitive deficits, ectodermal and skeletal anomalies, and susceptibility to certain malignancies. Noonan syndrome (NS), the commonest RASopathy, is genetically heterogeneous and caused by functional dysregulation of signal transducers and regulatory proteins with roles in the RAS/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signal transduction pathway. Mutations in known disease genes account for approximately 80\% of affected individuals. Here, we report that missense mutations altering Son of Sevenless, Drosophila, homolog 2 (SOS2), which encodes a RAS guanine nucleotide exchange factor, occur in a small percentage of subjects with NS. Four missense mutations were identified in five unrelated sporadic cases and families transmitting NS. Disease-causing mutations affected three conserved residues located in the Dbl homology (DH) domain, of which two are directly involved in the intramolecular binding network maintaining SOS2 in its autoinhibited conformation. All mutations were found to promote enhanced signaling from RAS to ERK. Similar to NS-causing SOS1 mutations, the phenotype associated with SOS2 defects is characterized by normal development and growth, as well as marked ectodermal involvement. Unlike SOS1 mutations, however, those in SOS2 are restricted to the DH domain.

}, keywords = {Adolescent, Adult, Alleles, Amino Acid Substitution, Child, DNA Mutational Analysis, Exome, Facies, Female, Genetic Association Studies, Genotype, Humans, Male, Models, Molecular, Mutation, Noonan Syndrome, Phenotype, Protein Conformation, Protein Interaction Domains and Motifs, Son of Sevenless Proteins, Young Adult}, issn = {1098-1004}, doi = {10.1002/humu.22834}, author = {Cordeddu, Viviana and Yin, Jiani C and Gunnarsson, Cecilia and Virtanen, Carl and Drunat, S{\'e}verine and Lepri, Francesca and De Luca, Alessandro and Rossi, Cesare and Ciolfi, Andrea and Pugh, Trevor J and Bruselles, Alessandro and Priest, James R and Pennacchio, Len A and Lu, Zhibin and Danesh, Arnavaz and Quevedo, Rene and Hamid, Alaa and Martinelli, Simone and Pantaleoni, Francesca and Gnazzo, Maria and Daniele, Paola and Lissewski, Christina and Bocchinfuso, Gianfranco and Stella, Lorenzo and Odent, Sylvie and Philip, Nicole and Faivre, Laurence and Vlckova, Marketa and Seemanova, Eva and Digilio, Cristina and Zenker, Martin and Zampino, Giuseppe and Verloes, Alain and Dallapiccola, Bruno and Roberts, Amy E and Cav{\'e}, H{\'e}l{\`e}ne and Gelb, Bruce D and Neel, Benjamin G and Tartaglia, Marco} }