@article {56, title = {Mutations in the Histone Modifier PRDM6 Are Associated with Isolated Nonsyndromic Patent Ductus Arteriosus.}, journal = {Am J Hum Genet}, volume = {98}, year = {2016}, month = {2016 06 02}, pages = {1082-1091}, abstract = {

Nonsyndromic patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is a common congenital heart defect (CHD) with both inherited and acquired causes, but the disease mechanisms have remained elusive. Using combined genome-wide linkage analysis and whole-exome sequencing (WES), we identified independent mutations in PRDM6, which encodes a nuclear protein that is specific to vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC), has histone methyl transferase activities, and acts as a transcriptional suppressor of contractile proteins. In~vitro assays showed that the mutations cause loss of function either by intracellular redistribution of the protein and/or by alteration of its methyltransferase activities. Wild-type embryonic ductus arteriosus (DA) exhibited high levels of PRDM6, which rapidly declined postnatally as the number of VSMCs necessary for ductus contraction increased. This dynamic change suggests that PRDM6 plays a key role in maintaining VSMCs in an undifferentiated stage in order to promote their proliferation and that its loss of activity results in premature differentiation and impaired remodeling of the DA. Our findings identify PRDM6 mutations as underlying genetic causes of nonsyndromic isolated PDA in humans and implicates the wild-type protein in epigenetic regulation of ductus remodeling.

}, keywords = {Cell Differentiation, Cells, Cultured, Ductus Arteriosus, Patent, Epigenesis, Genetic, Female, Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Histones, Humans, Immunoblotting, Male, Muscle Proteins, Muscle, Smooth, Vascular, Mutation, Pedigree, Transcription Factors}, issn = {1537-6605}, doi = {10.1016/j.ajhg.2016.03.022}, author = {Li, Na and Subrahmanyan, Lakshman and Smith, Emily and Yu, Xiaoqing and Zaidi, Samir and Choi, Murim and Mane, Shrikant and Nelson-Williams, Carol and Behjati, Mohaddeseh and Kazemi, Mohammad and Hashemi, Mohammad and Fathzadeh, Mohsen and Narayanan, Anand and Tian, Likun and Montazeri, Farhad and Mani, Mitra and Begleiter, Michael L and Coon, Brian G and Lynch, Henry T and Olson, Eric N and Zhao, Hongyu and Ruland, J{\"u}rgen and Lifton, Richard P and Mani, Arya} } @article {247, title = {A form of the metabolic syndrome associated with mutations in DYRK1B.}, journal = {N Engl J Med}, volume = {370}, year = {2014}, month = {2014 May 15}, pages = {1909-1919}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: Genetic analysis has been successful in identifying causative mutations for individual cardiovascular risk factors. Success has been more limited in mapping susceptibility genes for clusters of cardiovascular risk traits, such as those in the metabolic syndrome.

METHODS: We identified three large families with coinheritance of early-onset coronary artery disease, central obesity, hypertension, and diabetes. We used linkage analysis and whole-exome sequencing to identify the disease-causing gene.

RESULTS: A founder mutation was identified in DYRK1B, substituting cysteine for arginine at position 102 in the highly conserved kinase-like domain. The mutation precisely cosegregated with the clinical syndrome in all the affected family members and was absent in unaffected family members and unrelated controls. Functional characterization of the disease gene revealed that nonmutant protein encoded by DYRK1B inhibits the SHH (sonic hedgehog) and Wnt signaling pathways and consequently enhances adipogenesis. Furthermore, DYRK1B promoted the expression of the key gluconeogenic enzyme glucose-6-phosphatase. The R102C allele showed gain-of-function activities by potentiating these effects. A second mutation, substituting proline for histidine 90, was found to cosegregate with a similar clinical syndrome in an ethnically distinct family.

CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate a role for DYRK1B in adipogenesis and glucose homeostasis and associate its altered function with an inherited form of the metabolic syndrome. (Funded by the National Institutes of Health.).

}, keywords = {Coronary Artery Disease, Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2, Exome, Female, Founder Effect, Genetic Linkage, Genetic Predisposition to Disease, Glucose-6-Phosphatase, Humans, Hypertension, Male, Metabolic Syndrome, Mutation, Obesity, Abdominal, Pedigree, Protein-Serine-Threonine Kinases, Protein-Tyrosine Kinases}, issn = {1533-4406}, doi = {10.1056/NEJMoa1301824}, author = {Keramati, Ali R and Fathzadeh, Mohsen and Go, Gwang-Woong and Singh, Rajvir and Choi, Murim and Faramarzi, Saeed and Mane, Shrikant and Kasaei, Mohammad and Sarajzadeh-Fard, Kazem and Hwa, John and Kidd, Kenneth K and Babaee Bigi, Mohammad A and Malekzadeh, Reza and Hosseinian, Adallat and Babaei, Masoud and Lifton, Richard P and Mani, Arya} }