@article {746, title = {Regulation of human cerebral cortical development by EXOC7 and EXOC8, components of the exocyst complex, and roles in neural progenitor cell proliferation and survival.}, journal = {Genet Med}, volume = {22}, year = {2020}, month = {2020 06}, pages = {1040-1050}, abstract = {

PURPOSE: The exocyst complex is a conserved protein complex that mediates fusion of intracellular vesicles to the plasma membrane and is implicated in processes including cell polarity, cell migration, ciliogenesis, cytokinesis, autophagy, and fusion of secretory vesicles. The essential role of these genes in human genetic disorders, however, is unknown.

METHODS: We performed homozygosity mapping and exome sequencing of consanguineous families with recessively inherited brain development disorders. We modeled an EXOC7 splice variant in vitro and examined EXOC7 messenger RNA (mRNA) expression in developing mouse and human cortex. We modeled exoc7 loss-of-function in a zebrafish knockout.

RESULTS: We report variants in exocyst complex members, EXOC7 and EXOC8, in a novel disorder of cerebral cortex development. In EXOC7, we identified four independent partial loss-of-function (LOF) variants in a recessively inherited disorder characterized by brain atrophy, seizures, and developmental delay, and in severe cases, microcephaly and infantile death. In EXOC8, we found a homozygous truncating variant in a family with a similar clinical disorder. We modeled exoc7 deficiency in zebrafish and found the absence of exoc7 causes microcephaly.

CONCLUSION: Our results highlight the essential role of the exocyst pathway in normal cortical development and how its perturbation causes complex brain disorders.

}, keywords = {Animals, Brain Diseases, Cell Proliferation, Homozygote, Humans, Mice, Microcephaly, Zebrafish}, issn = {1530-0366}, doi = {10.1038/s41436-020-0758-9}, author = {Coulter, Michael E and Musaev, Damir and DeGennaro, Ellen M and Zhang, Xiaochang and Henke, Katrin and James, Kiely N and Smith, Richard S and Hill, R Sean and Partlow, Jennifer N and Kamumbu, A Stacy and Hatem, Nicole and Barkovich, A James and Aziza, Jacqueline and Chassaing, Nicolas and Zaki, MAH S and Sultan, Tipu and Burglen, Lydie and Rajab, Anna and Al-Gazali, Lihadh and Mochida, Ganeshwaran H and Harris, Matthew P and Gleeson, Joseph G and Walsh, Christopher A} } @article {226, title = {Somatic mutations in cerebral cortical malformations.}, journal = {N Engl J Med}, volume = {371}, year = {2014}, month = {2014 Aug 21}, pages = {733-43}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: Although there is increasing recognition of the role of somatic mutations in genetic disorders, the prevalence of somatic mutations in neurodevelopmental disease and the optimal techniques to detect somatic mosaicism have not been systematically evaluated.

METHODS: Using a customized panel of known and candidate genes associated with brain malformations, we applied targeted high-coverage sequencing (depth, >=200{\texttimes}) to leukocyte-derived DNA samples from 158 persons with brain malformations, including the double-cortex syndrome (subcortical band heterotopia, 30 persons), polymicrogyria with megalencephaly (20), periventricular nodular heterotopia (61), and pachygyria (47). We validated candidate mutations with the use of Sanger sequencing and, for variants present at unequal read depths, subcloning followed by colony sequencing.

RESULTS: Validated, causal mutations were found in 27 persons (17\%; range, 10 to 30\% for each phenotype). Mutations were somatic in 8 of the 27 (30\%), predominantly in persons with the double-cortex syndrome (in whom we found mutations in DCX and LIS1), persons with periventricular nodular heterotopia (FLNA), and persons with pachygyria (TUBB2B). Of the somatic mutations we detected, 5 (63\%) were undetectable with the use of traditional Sanger sequencing but were validated through subcloning and subsequent sequencing of the subcloned DNA. We found potentially causal mutations in the candidate genes DYNC1H1, KIF5C, and other kinesin genes in persons with pachygyria.

CONCLUSIONS: Targeted sequencing was found to be useful for detecting somatic mutations in patients with brain malformations. High-coverage sequencing panels provide an important complement to whole-exome and whole-genome sequencing in the evaluation of somatic mutations in neuropsychiatric disease. (Funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke and others.).

}, keywords = {Cerebral Cortex, Classical Lissencephalies and Subcortical Band Heterotopias, DNA Mutational Analysis, Humans, Lissencephaly, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Malformations of Cortical Development, Mutation, Periventricular Nodular Heterotopia}, issn = {1533-4406}, doi = {10.1056/NEJMoa1314432}, author = {Jamuar, Saumya S and Lam, Anh-Thu N and Kircher, Martin and D{\textquoteright}Gama, Alissa M and Wang, Jian and Barry, Brenda J and Zhang, Xiaochang and Hill, Robert Sean and Partlow, Jennifer N and Rozzo, Aldo and Servattalab, Sarah and Mehta, Bhaven K and Topcu, Meral and Amrom, Dina and Andermann, Eva and Dan, Bernard and Parrini, Elena and Guerrini, Renzo and Scheffer, Ingrid E and Berkovic, Samuel F and Leventer, Richard J and Shen, Yiping and Wu, Bai Lin and Barkovich, A James and Sahin, Mustafa and Chang, Bernard S and Bamshad, Michael and Nickerson, Deborah A and Shendure, Jay and Poduri, Annapurna and Yu, Timothy W and Walsh, Christopher A} }