@article {494, title = {A homozygous founder mutation in associates with a neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by microcephaly, epilepsy and autistic features.}, journal = {J Med Genet}, volume = {55}, year = {2018}, month = {2018 01}, pages = {48-54}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: Transport protein particle (TRAPP) is a multisubunit complex that regulates membrane trafficking through the Golgi apparatus. The clinical phenotype associated with mutations in various TRAPP subunits has allowed elucidation of their functions in specific tissues. The role of some subunits in human disease, however, has not been fully established, and their functions remain uncertain.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to expand the range of neurodevelopmental disorders associated with mutations in TRAPP subunits by exome sequencing of consanguineous families.

METHODS: Linkage and homozygosity mapping and candidate gene analysis were used to identify homozygous mutations in families. Patient fibroblasts were used to study splicing defect and zebrafish to model the disease.

RESULTS: We identified six individuals from three unrelated families with a founder homozygous splice mutation in , encoding a core subunit of the complex TRAPP I. Patients manifested a neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by microcephaly, epilepsy and autistic features, and showed splicing defect. Zebrafish morphants replicated the human phenotype, displaying decreased head size and neuronal hyperexcitability, leading to a lower seizure threshold.

CONCLUSION: This study provides clinical and functional evidence of the role of in brain development and function.

}, keywords = {Animals, Autistic Disorder, Epilepsy, Founder Effect, Genetic Association Studies, Homozygote, Humans, Microcephaly, Mutation, Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Phenotype, Vesicular Transport Proteins, Zebrafish}, issn = {1468-6244}, doi = {10.1136/jmedgenet-2017-104627}, author = {Marin-Valencia, Isaac and Novarino, Gaia and Johansen, Anide and Rosti, Basak and Issa, Mahmoud Y and Musaev, Damir and Bhat, Gifty and Scott, Eric and Silhavy, Jennifer L and Stanley, Valentina and Rosti, Rasim O and Gleeson, Jeremy W and Imam, Farhad B and Zaki, Maha S and Gleeson, Joseph G} } @article {351, title = {Biallelic mutations in the 3{\textquoteright} exonuclease TOE1 cause pontocerebellar hypoplasia and uncover a role in snRNA processing.}, journal = {Nat Genet}, volume = {49}, year = {2017}, month = {2017 Mar}, pages = {457-464}, abstract = {

Deadenylases are best known for degrading the poly(A) tail during mRNA decay. The deadenylase family has expanded throughout evolution and, in mammals, consists of 12 Mg-dependent 3{\textquoteright}-end RNases with substrate specificity that is mostly unknown. Pontocerebellar hypoplasia type 7 (PCH7) is a unique recessive syndrome characterized by neurodegeneration and ambiguous genitalia. We studied 12 human families with PCH7, uncovering biallelic, loss-of-function mutations in TOE1, which encodes an unconventional deadenylase. toe1-morphant zebrafish displayed midbrain and hindbrain degeneration, modeling PCH-like structural defects in vivo. Surprisingly, we found that TOE1 associated with small nuclear RNAs (snRNAs) incompletely processed spliceosomal. These pre-snRNAs contained 3{\textquoteright} genome-encoded tails often followed by post-transcriptionally added adenosines. Human cells with reduced levels of TOE1 accumulated 3{\textquoteright}-end-extended pre-snRNAs, and the immunoisolated TOE1 complex was sufficient for 3{\textquoteright}-end maturation of snRNAs. Our findings identify the cause of a neurodegenerative syndrome linked to snRNA maturation and uncover a key factor involved in the processing of snRNA 3{\textquoteright} ends.

}, keywords = {Alleles, Animals, Cerebellar Diseases, Exonucleases, Female, Humans, Male, Mice, Mutation, Neurodegenerative Diseases, Nuclear Proteins, RNA, Messenger, RNA, Small Nuclear, Spliceosomes, Zebrafish}, issn = {1546-1718}, doi = {10.1038/ng.3762}, author = {Lardelli, Rea M and Schaffer, Ashleigh E and Eggens, Veerle R C and Zaki, Maha S and Grainger, Stephanie and Sathe, Shashank and Van Nostrand, Eric L and Schlachetzki, Zinayida and Rosti, Basak and Akizu, Naiara and Scott, Eric and Silhavy, Jennifer L and Heckman, Laura Dean and Rosti, Rasim Ozgur and Dikoglu, Esra and Gregor, Anne and Guemez-Gamboa, Alicia and Musaev, Damir and Mande, Rohit and Widjaja, Ari and Shaw, Tim L and Markmiller, Sebastian and Marin-Valencia, Isaac and Davies, Justin H and de Meirleir, Linda and Kayserili, H{\"u}lya and Altunoglu, Umut and Freckmann, Mary Louise and Warwick, Linda and Chitayat, David and Blaser, Susan and {\c C}a{\u g}layan, Ahmet Okay and Bilguvar, Kaya and Per, H{\"u}seyin and Fagerberg, Christina and Christesen, Henrik T and Kibaek, Maria and Aldinger, Kimberly A and Manchester, David and Matsumoto, Naomichi and Muramatsu, Kazuhiro and Saitsu, Hirotomo and Shiina, Masaaki and Ogata, Kazuhiro and Foulds, Nicola and Dobyns, William B and Chi, Neil C and Traver, David and Spaccini, Luigina and Bova, Stefania Maria and Gabriel, Stacey B and G{\"u}nel, Murat and Valente, Enza Maria and Nassogne, Marie-Cecile and Bennett, Eric J and Yeo, Gene W and Baas, Frank and Lykke-Andersen, Jens and Gleeson, Joseph G} } @article {159, title = {Functional genome-wide siRNA screen identifies KIAA0586 as mutated in Joubert syndrome.}, journal = {Elife}, volume = {4}, year = {2015}, month = {2015 May 30}, pages = {e06602}, abstract = {

Defective primary ciliogenesis or cilium stability forms the basis of human ciliopathies, including Joubert syndrome (JS), with defective cerebellar vermis development. We performed a high-content genome-wide small interfering RNA (siRNA) screen to identify genes regulating ciliogenesis as candidates for JS. We analyzed results with a supervised-learning approach, using SYSCILIA gold standard, Cildb3.0, a centriole siRNA screen and the GTex project, identifying 591 likely candidates. Intersection of this data with whole exome results from 145 individuals with unexplained JS identified six families with predominantly compound heterozygous mutations in KIAA0586. A c.428del base deletion in 0.1\% of the general population was found in trans with a second mutation in an additional set of 9 of 163 unexplained JS patients. KIAA0586 is an orthologue of chick Talpid3, required for ciliogenesis and Sonic hedgehog signaling. Our results uncover a relatively high frequency cause for JS and contribute a list of candidates for future gene discoveries in ciliopathies.

}, keywords = {Abnormalities, Multiple, Cell Cycle Proteins, Cerebellum, Eye Abnormalities, Gene Frequency, Genetic Predisposition to Disease, Genetic Testing, Genome-Wide Association Study, Heterozygote, Humans, Kidney Diseases, Cystic, Mutant Proteins, Retina, RNA, Small Interfering}, issn = {2050-084X}, doi = {10.7554/eLife.06602}, author = {Roosing, Susanne and Hofree, Matan and Kim, Sehyun and Scott, Eric and Copeland, Brett and Romani, Marta and Silhavy, Jennifer L and Rosti, Rasim O and Schroth, Jana and Mazza, Tommaso and Miccinilli, Elide and Zaki, Maha S and Swoboda, Kathryn J and Milisa-Drautz, Joanne and Dobyns, William B and Mikati, Mohamed A and {\.I}ncecik, Faruk and Azam, Matloob and Borgatti, Renato and Romaniello, Romina and Boustany, Rose-Mary and Clericuzio, Carol L and D{\textquoteright}Arrigo, Stefano and Str{\o}mme, Petter and Boltshauser, Eugen and Stanzial, Franco and Mirabelli-Badenier, Marisol and Moroni, Isabella and Bertini, Enrico and Emma, Francesco and Steinlin, Maja and Hildebrandt, Friedhelm and Johnson, Colin A and Freilinger, Michael and Vaux, Keith K and Gabriel, Stacey B and Aza-Blanc, Pedro and Heynen-Genel, Susanne and Ideker, Trey and Dynlacht, Brian D and Lee, Ji Eun and Valente, Enza Maria and Kim, Joon and Gleeson, Joseph G} } @article {161, title = {Inactivating mutations in MFSD2A, required for omega-3 fatty acid transport in brain, cause a lethal microcephaly syndrome.}, journal = {Nat Genet}, volume = {47}, year = {2015}, month = {2015 Jul}, pages = {809-13}, abstract = {

Docosahexanoic acid (DHA) is the most abundant omega-3 fatty acid in brain, and, although it is considered essential, deficiency has not been linked to disease. Despite the large mass of DHA in phospholipids, the brain does not synthesize it. DHA is imported across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) through the major facilitator superfamily domain-containing 2a (MFSD2A) protein. MFSD2A transports DHA as well as other fatty acids in the form of lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC). We identify two families displaying MFSD2A mutations in conserved residues. Affected individuals exhibited a lethal microcephaly syndrome linked to inadequate uptake of LPC lipids. The MFSD2A mutations impaired transport activity in a cell-based assay. Moreover, when expressed in mfsd2aa-morphant zebrafish, mutants failed to rescue microcephaly, BBB breakdown and lethality. Our results establish a link between transport of DHA and LPCs by MFSD2A and human brain growth and function, presenting the first evidence of monogenic disease related to transport of DHA in humans.

}, keywords = {Adolescent, Animals, Biological Transport, Blood-Brain Barrier, Brain, Case-Control Studies, Child, Child, Preschool, Consanguinity, Fatty Acids, Omega-3, Female, Genes, Lethal, Genetic Association Studies, HEK293 Cells, Humans, Infant, Male, Mice, Knockout, Microcephaly, Mutation, Missense, Syndrome, Tumor Suppressor Proteins, Zebrafish}, issn = {1546-1718}, doi = {10.1038/ng.3311}, author = {Guemez-Gamboa, Alicia and Nguyen, Long N and Yang, Hongbo and Zaki, Maha S and Kara, Majdi and Ben-Omran, Tawfeg and Akizu, Naiara and Rosti, Rasim Ozgur and Rosti, Basak and Scott, Eric and Schroth, Jana and Copeland, Brett and Vaux, Keith K and Cazenave-Gassiot, Amaury and Quek, Debra Q Y and Wong, Bernice H and Tan, Bryan C and Wenk, Markus R and G{\"u}nel, Murat and Gabriel, Stacey and Chi, Neil C and Silver, David L and Gleeson, Joseph G} } @article {205, title = {Biallelic truncating mutations in FMN2, encoding the actin-regulatory protein Formin 2, cause nonsyndromic autosomal-recessive intellectual disability.}, journal = {Am J Hum Genet}, volume = {95}, year = {2014}, month = {2014 Dec 04}, pages = {721-8}, abstract = {

Dendritic spines represent the major site of neuronal activity in the brain; they serve as the receiving point for neurotransmitters and undergo rapid activity-dependent morphological changes that correlate with learning and memory. Using a combination of homozygosity mapping and next-generation sequencing in two consanguineous families affected by nonsyndromic autosomal-recessive intellectual disability, we identified truncating mutations in formin 2 (FMN2), encoding a protein that belongs to the formin family of actin cytoskeleton nucleation factors and is highly expressed in the maturing brain. We found that FMN2 localizes to punctae along dendrites and that germline inactivation of mouse Fmn2 resulted in animals with decreased spine density; such mice were previously demonstrated to have a conditioned fear-learning defect. Furthermore, patient neural cells derived from induced pluripotent stem cells showed correlated decreased synaptic density. Thus, FMN2 mutations link intellectual disability either directly or indirectly to the regulation of actin-mediated synaptic spine density.

}, keywords = {Adolescent, Adult, Base Sequence, Chromosome Disorders, Cohort Studies, Consanguinity, Egypt, Exome, Female, Genes, Recessive, Genetic Linkage, High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing, Homozygote, Humans, Intellectual Disability, Male, Microfilament Proteins, Molecular Sequence Data, Nuclear Proteins, Pakistan, Pedigree, Sequence Analysis, DNA, Sequence Deletion}, issn = {1537-6605}, doi = {10.1016/j.ajhg.2014.10.016}, author = {Law, Rosalind and Dixon-Salazar, Tracy and Jerber, Julie and Cai, Na and Abbasi, Ansar A and Zaki, Maha S and Mittal, Kirti and Gabriel, Stacey B and Rafiq, Muhammad Arshad and Khan, Valeed and Nguyen, Maria and Ali, Ghazanfar and Copeland, Brett and Scott, Eric and Vasli, Nasim and Mikhailov, Anna and Khan, Muhammad Nasim and Andrade, Danielle M and Ayaz, Muhammad and Ansar, Muhammad and Ayub, Muhammad and Vincent, John B and Gleeson, Joseph G} } @article {252, title = {CLP1 founder mutation links tRNA splicing and maturation to cerebellar development and neurodegeneration.}, journal = {Cell}, volume = {157}, year = {2014}, month = {2014 Apr 24}, pages = {651-63}, abstract = {

Neurodegenerative diseases can occur so early as to affect neurodevelopment. From a cohort of more than 2,000 consanguineous families with childhood neurological disease, we identified a founder mutation in four independent pedigrees in cleavage and polyadenylation factor I subunit 1 (CLP1). CLP1 is a multifunctional kinase implicated in tRNA, mRNA, and siRNA maturation. Kinase activity of the CLP1 mutant protein was defective, and the tRNA endonuclease complex (TSEN) was destabilized, resulting in impaired pre-tRNA cleavage. Germline clp1 null zebrafish showed cerebellar neurodegeneration that was rescued by wild-type, but not mutant, human CLP1 expression. Patient-derived induced neurons displayed both depletion of mature tRNAs and accumulation of unspliced pre-tRNAs. Transfection of partially processed tRNA fragments into patient cells exacerbated an oxidative stress-induced reduction in cell survival. Our data link tRNA maturation to neuronal development and neurodegeneration through defective CLP1 function in humans.

}, keywords = {Animals, Brain, Cerebellum, Cleavage And Polyadenylation Specificity Factor, Female, Humans, Male, Mice, Models, Molecular, Neurodegenerative Diseases, Nuclear Proteins, Pedigree, Phosphotransferases, RNA Splicing, RNA, Transfer, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Transcription Factors, Zebrafish, Zebrafish Proteins}, issn = {1097-4172}, doi = {10.1016/j.cell.2014.03.049}, author = {Schaffer, Ashleigh E and Eggens, Veerle R C and {\c C}a{\u g}layan, Ahmet Okay and Reuter, Miriam S and Scott, Eric and Coufal, Nicole G and Silhavy, Jennifer L and Xue, Yuanchao and Kayserili, H{\"u}lya and Yasuno, Katsuhito and Rosti, Rasim Ozgur and Abdellateef, Mostafa and Caglar, Caner and Kasher, Paul R and Cazemier, J Leonie and Weterman, Marian A and Cantagrel, Vincent and Cai, Na and Zweier, Christiane and Altunoglu, Umut and Satkin, N Bilge and Aktar, Fesih and Tuysuz, Beyhan and Yalcinkaya, Cengiz and Caksen, Huseyin and Bilguvar, Kaya and Fu, Xiang-Dong and Trotta, Christopher R and Gabriel, Stacey and Reis, Andr{\'e} and G{\"u}nel, Murat and Baas, Frank and Gleeson, Joseph G} } @article {268, title = {Exome sequencing links corticospinal motor neuron disease to common neurodegenerative disorders.}, journal = {Science}, volume = {343}, year = {2014}, month = {2014 Jan 31}, pages = {506-511}, abstract = {

Hereditary spastic paraplegias (HSPs) are neurodegenerative motor neuron diseases characterized by progressive age-dependent loss of corticospinal motor tract function. Although the genetic basis is partly understood, only a fraction of cases can receive a genetic diagnosis, and a global view of HSP is lacking. By using whole-exome sequencing in combination with network analysis, we identified 18 previously unknown putative HSP genes and validated nearly all of these genes functionally or genetically. The pathways highlighted by these mutations link HSP to cellular transport, nucleotide metabolism, and synapse and axon development. Network analysis revealed a host of further candidate genes, of which three were mutated in our cohort. Our analysis links HSP to other neurodegenerative disorders and can facilitate gene discovery and mechanistic understanding of disease.

}, keywords = {Animals, Axons, Biological Transport, Cohort Studies, Exome, Gene Regulatory Networks, Genetic Association Studies, Humans, Motor Neuron Disease, Mutation, Neurons, Nucleotides, Pyramidal Tracts, Sequence Analysis, DNA, Spastic Paraplegia, Hereditary, Synapses, Transcriptome, Zebrafish}, issn = {1095-9203}, doi = {10.1126/science.1247363}, author = {Novarino, Gaia and Fenstermaker, Ali G and Zaki, Maha S and Hofree, Matan and Silhavy, Jennifer L and Heiberg, Andrew D and Abdellateef, Mostafa and Rosti, Basak and Scott, Eric and Mansour, Lobna and Masri, Amira and Kayserili, H{\"u}lya and Al-Aama, Jumana Y and Abdel-Salam, Ghada M H and Karminejad, Ariana and Kara, Majdi and Kara, Bulent and Bozorgmehri, Bita and Ben-Omran, Tawfeg and Mojahedi, Faezeh and El Din Mahmoud, Iman Gamal and Bouslam, Naima and Bouhouche, Ahmed and Benomar, Ali and Hanein, Sylvain and Raymond, Laure and Forlani, Sylvie and Mascaro, Massimo and Selim, Laila and Shehata, Nabil and Al-Allawi, Nasir and Bindu, P S and Azam, Matloob and G{\"u}nel, Murat and Caglayan, Ahmet and Bilguvar, Kaya and Tolun, Aslihan and Issa, Mahmoud Y and Schroth, Jana and Spencer, Emily G and Rosti, Rasim O and Akizu, Naiara and Vaux, Keith K and Johansen, Anide and Koh, Alice A and Megahed, Hisham and Durr, Alexandra and Brice, Alexis and Stevanin, Giovanni and Gabriel, Stacy B and Ideker, Trey and Gleeson, Joseph G} } @article {278, title = {Mutations in CSPP1 lead to classical Joubert syndrome.}, journal = {Am J Hum Genet}, volume = {94}, year = {2014}, month = {2014 Jan 02}, pages = {80-6}, abstract = {

Joubert syndrome and related disorders (JSRDs) are genetically heterogeneous and characterized by a distinctive mid-hindbrain malformation. Causative mutations lead to primary cilia dysfunction, which often results in variable involvement of other organs such as the liver, retina, and kidney. We identified predicted null mutations in CSPP1 in six individuals affected by classical JSRDs. CSPP1 encodes a protein localized to centrosomes and spindle poles, as well as to the primary cilium. Despite the known interaction between CSPP1 and nephronophthisis-associated proteins, none of the affected individuals in our cohort presented with kidney disease, and further, screening of a large cohort of individuals with nephronophthisis demonstrated no mutations. CSPP1 is broadly expressed in neural tissue, and its encoded protein localizes to the primary cilium in an in~vitro model of human neurogenesis. Here, we show abrogated protein levels and ciliogenesis in affected fibroblasts. Our data thus suggest that CSPP1 is involved in neural-specific functions of primary cilia.

}, keywords = {Abnormalities, Multiple, Brain, Cell Cycle Proteins, Centrosome, Cerebellar Diseases, Cerebellum, Cilia, Cohort Studies, Eye Abnormalities, Fibroblasts, Gene Deletion, Humans, Image Processing, Computer-Assisted, Kidney Diseases, Cystic, Microtubule-Associated Proteins, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide, Retina}, issn = {1537-6605}, doi = {10.1016/j.ajhg.2013.11.015}, author = {Akizu, Naiara and Silhavy, Jennifer L and Rosti, Rasim Ozgur and Scott, Eric and Fenstermaker, Ali G and Schroth, Jana and Zaki, Maha S and Sanchez, Henry and Gupta, Neerja and Kabra, Madhulika and Kara, Majdi and Ben-Omran, Tawfeg and Rosti, Basak and Guemez-Gamboa, Alicia and Spencer, Emily and Pan, Roger and Cai, Na and Abdellateef, Mostafa and Gabriel, Stacey and Halbritter, Jan and Hildebrandt, Friedhelm and van Bokhoven, Hans and G{\"u}nel, Murat and Gleeson, Joseph G} }