@article {847, title = {Chromosome-scale, haplotype-resolved assembly of human genomes.}, journal = {Nat Biotechnol}, volume = {39}, year = {2021}, month = {2021 03}, pages = {309-312}, abstract = {

Haplotype-resolved or phased genome assembly provides a complete picture of genomes and their complex genetic variations. However, current algorithms for phased assembly either do not generate chromosome-scale phasing or require pedigree information, which limits their application. We present a method named diploid assembly (DipAsm) that uses long, accurate reads and long-range conformation data for single individuals to generate a chromosome-scale phased assembly within 1 day. Applied to four public human genomes, PGP1, HG002, NA12878 and HG00733, DipAsm produced haplotype-resolved assemblies with minimum contig length needed to cover 50\% of the known genome (NG50) up to 25 Mb and phased ~99.5\% of heterozygous sites at 98-99\% accuracy, outperforming other approaches in terms of both contiguity and phasing completeness. We demonstrate the importance of chromosome-scale phased assemblies for the discovery of structural variants (SVs), including thousands of new transposon insertions, and of highly polymorphic and medically important regions such as the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) and killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptor (KIR) regions. DipAsm will facilitate high-quality precision medicine and studies of individual haplotype variation and population diversity.

}, keywords = {Algorithms, Chromosomes, Human, Genome, Human, Haplotypes, Heterozygote, Humans, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide}, issn = {1546-1696}, doi = {10.1038/s41587-020-0711-0}, author = {Garg, Shilpa and Fungtammasan, Arkarachai and Carroll, Andrew and Chou, Mike and Schmitt, Anthony and Zhou, Xiang and Mac, Stephen and Peluso, Paul and Hatas, Emily and Ghurye, Jay and Maguire, Jared and Mahmoud, Medhat and Cheng, Haoyu and Heller, David and Zook, Justin M and Moemke, Tobias and Marschall, Tobias and Sedlazeck, Fritz J and Aach, John and Chin, Chen-Shan and Church, George M and Li, Heng} } @article {892, title = {Efficient phasing and imputation of low-coverage sequencing data using large reference panels.}, journal = {Nat Genet}, volume = {53}, year = {2021}, month = {2021 01}, pages = {120-126}, abstract = {

Low-coverage whole-genome sequencing followed by imputation has been proposed as a cost-effective genotyping approach for disease and population genetics studies. However, its competitiveness against SNP arrays is undermined because current imputation methods are computationally expensive and unable to leverage large reference panels. Here, we describe a method, GLIMPSE, for phasing and imputation of low-coverage sequencing datasets from modern reference panels. We demonstrate its remarkable performance across different coverages and human populations. GLIMPSE achieves imputation of a genome for less than US$1 in computational cost, considerably outperforming other methods and improving imputation accuracy over the full allele frequency range. As a proof of concept, we show that 1{\texttimes} coverage enables effective gene expression association studies and outperforms dense SNP arrays in rare variant burden tests. Overall, this study illustrates the promising potential of low-coverage imputation and suggests a paradigm shift in the design of future genomic studies.

}, keywords = {Genome, Human, Genotype, Humans, Likelihood Functions, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide, Reference Standards, Sequence Analysis, DNA}, issn = {1546-1718}, doi = {10.1038/s41588-020-00756-0}, author = {Rubinacci, Simone and Ribeiro, Diogo M and Hofmeister, Robin J and Delaneau, Olivier} } @article {1001, title = {Loss of function mutations in GEMIN5 cause a neurodevelopmental disorder.}, journal = {Nat Commun}, volume = {12}, year = {2021}, month = {2021 05 07}, pages = {2558}, abstract = {

GEMIN5, an RNA-binding protein is essential for assembly of the survival motor neuron (SMN) protein complex and facilitates the formation of small nuclear ribonucleoproteins (snRNPs), the building blocks of spliceosomes. Here, we have identified 30 affected individuals from 22 unrelated families presenting with developmental delay, hypotonia, and cerebellar ataxia harboring biallelic variants in the GEMIN5 gene. Mutations in GEMIN5 perturb the subcellular distribution, stability, and expression of GEMIN5 protein and its interacting partners in patient iPSC-derived neurons, suggesting a potential loss-of-function mechanism. GEMIN5 mutations result in disruption of snRNP complex assembly formation in patient iPSC neurons. Furthermore, knock down of rigor mortis, the fly homolog of human GEMIN5, leads to developmental defects, motor dysfunction, and a reduced lifespan. Interestingly, we observed that GEMIN5 variants disrupt a distinct set of transcripts and pathways as compared to SMA patient neurons, suggesting different molecular pathomechanisms. These findings collectively provide evidence that pathogenic variants in GEMIN5 perturb physiological functions and result in a neurodevelopmental delay and ataxia syndrome.

}, keywords = {Alleles, Amino Acid Sequence, Animals, Child, Preschool, Developmental Disabilities, Drosophila, Female, Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental, Gene Knockdown Techniques, Gene Ontology, HEK293 Cells, Humans, Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells, Loss of Function Mutation, Male, Muscle Hypotonia, Myoclonic Cerebellar Dyssynergia, Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Neurons, Pedigree, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide, Ribonucleoproteins, Small Nuclear, Rigor Mortis, RNA-Seq, SMN Complex Proteins}, issn = {2041-1723}, doi = {10.1038/s41467-021-22627-w}, author = {Kour, Sukhleen and Rajan, Deepa S and Fortuna, Tyler R and Anderson, Eric N and Ward, Caroline and Lee, Youngha and Lee, Sangmoon and Shin, Yong Beom and Chae, Jong-Hee and Choi, Murim and Siquier, Karine and Cantagrel, Vincent and Amiel, Jeanne and Stolerman, Elliot S and Barnett, Sarah S and Cousin, Margot A and Castro, Diana and McDonald, Kimberly and Kirmse, Brian and Nemeth, Andrea H and Rajasundaram, Dhivyaa and Innes, A Micheil and Lynch, Danielle and Frosk, Patrick and Collins, Abigail and Gibbons, Melissa and Yang, Michele and Desguerre, Isabelle and Boddaert, Nathalie and Gitiaux, Cyril and Rydning, Siri Lynne and Selmer, Kaja K and Urreizti, Roser and Garcia-Oguiza, Alberto and Osorio, Andr{\'e}s Nascimento and Verdura, Edgard and Pujol, Aurora and McCurry, Hannah R and Landers, John E and Agnihotri, Sameer and Andriescu, E Corina and Moody, Shade B and Phornphutkul, Chanika and Sacoto, Maria J Guillen and Begtrup, Amber and Houlden, Henry and Kirschner, Janbernd and Schorling, David and Rudnik-Sch{\"o}neborn, Sabine and Strom, Tim M and Leiz, Steffen and Juliette, Kali and Richardson, Randal and Yang, Ying and Zhang, Yuehua and Wang, Minghui and Wang, Jia and Wang, Xiaodong and Platzer, Konrad and Donkervoort, Sandra and B{\"o}nnemann, Carsten G and Wagner, Matias and Issa, Mahmoud Y and Elbendary, Hasnaa M and Stanley, Valentina and Maroofian, Reza and Gleeson, Joseph G and Zaki, MAH S and Senderek, Jan and Pandey, Udai Bhan} } @article {897, title = {Whole-genome sequencing of African Americans implicates differential genetic architecture in inflammatory bowel disease.}, journal = {Am J Hum Genet}, volume = {108}, year = {2021}, month = {2021 03 04}, pages = {431-445}, abstract = {

Whether or not populations diverge with respect to the genetic contribution to risk of specific complex diseases is relevant to understanding the evolution of susceptibility and origins of health disparities. Here, we describe a large-scale whole-genome sequencing study of inflammatory bowel disease encompassing 1,774 affected individuals and 1,644 healthy control Americans with African ancestry (African Americans). Although no new loci for inflammatory bowel disease are discovered at genome-wide significance levels, we identify numerous instances of differential effect sizes in combination with divergent allele frequencies. For example, the major effect at PTGER4 fine maps to a single credible interval of 22 SNPs corresponding to one of four independent associations at the locus in European ancestry individuals but with an elevated odds ratio for Crohn disease in African Americans. A rare variant aggregate analysis implicates Ca-binding neuro-immunomodulator CALB2 in ulcerative colitis. Highly significant overall overlap of common variant risk for inflammatory bowel disease susceptibility between individuals with African and European ancestries was observed, with 41 of 241 previously known lead variants replicated and overall correlations in effect sizes of 0.68 for combined inflammatory bowel disease. Nevertheless, subtle differences influence the performance of polygenic risk scores, and we show that ancestry-appropriate weights significantly improve polygenic prediction in the highest percentiles of risk. The median amount of variance explained per locus remains the same in African and European cohorts, providing evidence for compensation of effect sizes as allele frequencies diverge, as expected under a highly polygenic model of disease.

}, keywords = {African Americans, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Calbindin 2, Colitis, Ulcerative, Crohn Disease, European Continental Ancestry Group, Female, Gene Frequency, Genetic Predisposition to Disease, Genome-Wide Association Study, Humans, Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, Male, Multifactorial Inheritance, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide, Receptors, Prostaglandin E, EP4 Subtype, Whole Genome Sequencing}, issn = {1537-6605}, doi = {10.1016/j.ajhg.2021.02.001}, author = {Somineni, Hari K and Nagpal, Sini and Venkateswaran, Suresh and Cutler, David J and Okou, David T and Haritunians, Talin and Simpson, Claire L and Begum, Ferdouse and Datta, Lisa W and Quiros, Antonio J and Seminerio, Jenifer and Mengesha, Emebet and Alexander, Jonathan S and Baldassano, Robert N and Dudley-Brown, Sharon and Cross, Raymond K and Dassopoulos, Themistocles and Denson, Lee A and Dhere, Tanvi A and Iskandar, Heba and Dryden, Gerald W and Hou, Jason K and Hussain, Sunny Z and Hyams, Jeffrey S and Isaacs, Kim L and Kader, Howard and Kappelman, Michael D and Katz, Jeffry and Kellermayer, Richard and Kuemmerle, John F and Lazarev, Mark and Li, Ellen and Mannon, Peter and Moulton, Dedrick E and Newberry, Rodney D and Patel, Ashish S and Pekow, Joel and Saeed, Shehzad A and Valentine, John F and Wang, Ming-Hsi and McCauley, Jacob L and Abreu, Maria T and Jester, Traci and Molle-Rios, Zarela and Palle, Sirish and Scherl, Ellen J and Kwon, John and Rioux, John D and Duerr, Richard H and Silverberg, Mark S and Zwick, Michael E and Stevens, Christine and Daly, Mark J and Cho, Judy H and Gibson, Greg and McGovern, Dermot P B and Brant, Steven R and Kugathasan, Subra} } @article {850, title = {Analysis of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging in 36,000 individuals yields genetic insights into dilated cardiomyopathy.}, journal = {Nat Commun}, volume = {11}, year = {2020}, month = {2020 05 07}, pages = {2254}, abstract = {

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is an important cause of heart failure and the leading indication for heart transplantation. Many rare genetic variants have been associated with DCM, but common variant studies of the disease have yielded few associated loci. As structural changes in the heart are a defining feature of DCM, we report a genome-wide association study of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-derived left ventricular measurements in 36,041 UK Biobank participants, with replication in 2184 participants from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis. We identify 45 previously unreported loci associated with cardiac structure and function, many near well-established genes for Mendelian cardiomyopathies. A polygenic score of MRI-derived left ventricular end systolic volume strongly associates with incident DCM in the general population. Even among carriers of TTN truncating mutations, this polygenic score influences the size and function of the human heart. These results further implicate common genetic polymorphisms in the pathogenesis of DCM.

}, keywords = {Cardiomyopathy, Dilated, Genome-Wide Association Study, Heart, Humans, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Myocardium, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide}, issn = {2041-1723}, doi = {10.1038/s41467-020-15823-7}, author = {Pirruccello, James P and Bick, Alexander and Wang, Minxian and Chaffin, Mark and Friedman, Samuel and Yao, Jie and Guo, Xiuqing and Venkatesh, Bharath Ambale and Taylor, Kent D and Post, Wendy S and Rich, Stephen and Lima, Joao A C and Rotter, Jerome I and Philippakis, Anthony and Lubitz, Steven A and Ellinor, Patrick T and Khera, Amit V and Kathiresan, Sekar and Aragam, Krishna G} } @article {878, title = {Discovery and population genomics of structural variation in a songbird genus.}, journal = {Nat Commun}, volume = {11}, year = {2020}, month = {2020 07 07}, pages = {3403}, abstract = {

Structural variation~(SV) constitutes an important type of genetic mutations providing the raw material for evolution. Here, we uncover the genome-wide spectrum of intra- and interspecific SV segregating in natural populations of seven songbird species in the genus Corvus. Combining short-read (N = 127) and long-read re-sequencing (N = 31), as well as optical mapping (N = 16), we apply both assembly- and read mapping approaches to detect SV and characterize a total of 220,452 insertions, deletions and inversions. We exploit sampling across wide phylogenetic timescales to validate SV genotypes and assess the contribution of SV to evolutionary processes in an avian model of incipient speciation. We reveal an evolutionary young (~530,000 years) cis-acting 2.25-kb LTR retrotransposon insertion reducing expression of the NDP gene with consequences for premating isolation. Our results attest to the wealth and evolutionary significance of SV segregating in natural populations and highlight the need for reliable SV genotyping.

}, keywords = {Animals, Chromosome Inversion, Gene Deletion, Genetic Variation, Genetics, Population, Genome, Genomic Structural Variation, Genotype, Phylogeny, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide, Retroelements, Sequence Analysis, DNA, Songbirds}, issn = {2041-1723}, doi = {10.1038/s41467-020-17195-4}, author = {Weissensteiner, Matthias H and Bunikis, Ignas and Catal{\'a}n, Ana and Francoijs, Kees-Jan and Knief, Ulrich and Heim, Wieland and Peona, Valentina and Pophaly, Saurabh D and Sedlazeck, Fritz J and Suh, Alexander and Warmuth, Vera M and Wolf, Jochen B W} } @article {885, title = {Evaluation of the VISAGE Basic Tool for Appearance and Ancestry Prediction Using PowerSeq Chemistry on the MiSeq FGx System.}, journal = {Genes (Basel)}, volume = {11}, year = {2020}, month = {2020 06 26}, abstract = {

The study of DNA to predict externally visible characteristics (EVCs) and the biogeographical ancestry (BGA) from unknown samples is gaining relevance in forensic genetics. Technical developments in Massively Parallel Sequencing (MPS) enable the simultaneous analysis of hundreds of DNA markers, which improves successful Forensic DNA Phenotyping (FDP). The EU-funded VISAGE (VISible Attributes through GEnomics) Consortium has developed various targeted MPS-based lab tools to apply FDP in routine forensic analyses. Here, we present an evaluation of the VISAGE Basic tool for appearance and ancestry prediction based on PowerSeq chemistry (Promega) on a MiSeq FGx System (Illumina). The panel consists of 153 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that provide information about EVCs (41 SNPs for eye, hair and skin color from HIrisPlex-S) and continental BGA (115 SNPs; three overlap with the EVCs SNP set). The assay was evaluated for sensitivity, repeatability and genotyping concordance, as well as its performance with casework-type samples. This targeted MPS assay provided complete genotypes at all 153 SNPs down to 125 pg of input DNA and 99.67\% correct genotypes at 50 pg. It was robust in terms of repeatability and concordance and provided useful results with casework-type samples. The results suggest that this MPS assay is a useful tool for basic appearance and ancestry prediction in forensic genetics for users interested in applying PowerSeq chemistry and MiSeq for this purpose.

}, keywords = {DNA Fingerprinting, Eye Color, Forensic Genetics, Genetic Markers, Genotype, Hair Color, High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing, Humans, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide, Sequence Analysis, DNA, Skin Pigmentation, Software}, issn = {2073-4425}, doi = {10.3390/genes11060708}, author = {Palencia-Madrid, Leire and Xavier, Catarina and de la Puente, Maria and Hohoff, Carsten and Phillips, Christopher and Kayser, Manfred and Parson, Walther} } @article {863, title = {Genome-wide association meta-analysis for early age-related macular degeneration highlights novel loci and insights for advanced disease.}, journal = {BMC Med Genomics}, volume = {13}, year = {2020}, month = {2020 08 26}, pages = {120}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: Advanced age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of blindness. While around half of the genetic contribution to advanced AMD has been uncovered, little is known about the genetic architecture of early AMD.

METHODS: To identify genetic factors for early AMD, we conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) meta-analysis (14,034 cases, 91,214 controls, 11 sources of data including the International AMD Genomics Consortium, IAMDGC, and UK Biobank, UKBB). We ascertained early AMD via color fundus photographs by manual grading for 10 sources and via an automated machine learning approach for > 170,000 photographs from UKBB. We searched for early AMD loci via GWAS and via a candidate approach based on 14 previously suggested early AMD variants.

RESULTS: Altogether, we identified 10 independent loci with statistical significance for early AMD: (i) 8 from our GWAS with genome-wide significance (P~< 5 {\texttimes} 10), (ii) one previously suggested locus with experiment-wise significance (P~< 0.05/14) in our non-overlapping data and with genome-wide significance when combining the reported and our non-overlapping data (together 17,539 cases, 105,395 controls), and (iii) one further previously suggested locus with experiment-wise significance in our non-overlapping data. Of these 10 identified loci, 8 were novel and 2 known for early AMD. Most of the 10 loci overlapped with known advanced AMD loci (near ARMS2/HTRA1, CFH, C2, C3, CETP, TNFRSF10A, VEGFA, APOE), except two that have not yet been identified with statistical significance for any AMD. Among the 17 genes within these two loci, in-silico functional annotation suggested CD46 and TYR as the most likely responsible genes. Presence or absence of an early AMD effect distinguished the known pathways of advanced AMD genetics (complement/lipid pathways versus extracellular matrix metabolism).

CONCLUSIONS: Our GWAS on early AMD identified novel loci, highlighted shared and distinct genetics between early and advanced AMD and provides insights into AMD etiology. Our data provide a resource comparable in size to the existing IAMDGC data on advanced AMD genetics enabling a joint view. The biological relevance of this joint view is underscored by the ability of early AMD effects to differentiate the major pathways for advanced AMD.

}, keywords = {Case-Control Studies, Genetic Loci, Genetic Markers, Genetic Predisposition to Disease, Genome-Wide Association Study, Humans, Macular Degeneration, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide}, issn = {1755-8794}, doi = {10.1186/s12920-020-00760-7}, author = {Winkler, Thomas W and Grassmann, Felix and Brandl, Caroline and Kiel, Christina and G{\"u}nther, Felix and Strunz, Tobias and Weidner, Lorraine and Zimmermann, Martina E and Korb, Christina A and Poplawski, Alicia and Schuster, Alexander K and M{\"u}ller-Nurasyid, Martina and Peters, Annette and Rauscher, Franziska G and Elze, Tobias and Horn, Katrin and Scholz, Markus and Ca{\~n}adas-Garre, Marisa and McKnight, Amy Jayne and Quinn, Nicola and Hogg, Ruth E and K{\"u}chenhoff, Helmut and Heid, Iris M and Stark, Klaus J and Weber, Bernhard H F} } @article {647, title = {Inherited glomerular diseases in the gilded age of genomic advancements.}, journal = {Pediatr Nephrol}, volume = {35}, year = {2020}, month = {2020 06}, pages = {959-968}, abstract = {

The synchronized advent of high-throughput next-generation sequencing technology and knowledge of the human genome has rendered exponential contributions to our understanding of the pathophysiology of glomerular kidney diseases. A genetic diagnosis can now be made or confirmed in about two-thirds of the suspected inherited glomerular diseases. Next-generation sequencing is adept at identifying single nucleotide variations and small insertions or deletions that constitute majority of the disease-causing mutations. Description of the complete mutation spectrum in syndromic glomerulopathies may require the use of both sequencing and cytogenetic methods to detect large structural DNA variation in addition to single nucleotide changes. The enthusiastic application of genetic and genomic knowledge to inherited glomerular diseases has uncovered anticipated and unforeseen challenges mainly related to the biological interpretation of variants of uncertain significance and the limited benefit on clinical management for the individual patient when a diagnosis is obtained. To attain the ultimate goal of transforming clinical decision-making based on accurate genetic diagnosis using genomic information, these challenges need to be addressed. Till then, the glory of genomic medicine stands the test of time in this gilded age of genomic advancements.

}, keywords = {Adolescent, Age Factors, Branchio-Oto-Renal Syndrome, Child, Female, High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing, Humans, Infant, Kidney Failure, Chronic, Male, Middle Aged, Mutation, Pedigree, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide, Renal Insufficiency, Chronic, Whole Exome Sequencing}, issn = {1432-198X}, doi = {10.1007/s00467-019-04266-y}, author = {Gulati, Ashima and Dahl, Neera and Tufro, Alda} } @article {800, title = {Multi-omic studies on missense PLG variants in families with otitis media.}, journal = {Sci Rep}, volume = {10}, year = {2020}, month = {2020 09 14}, pages = {15035}, abstract = {

Otitis media (OM), a very common disease in young children, can result in hearing loss. In order to potentially replicate previously reported associations between OM and PLG, exome and Sanger sequencing, RNA-sequencing of saliva and middle ear samples, 16S rRNA sequencing, molecular modeling, and statistical analyses including transmission disequilibrium tests (TDT) were performed in a multi-ethnic cohort of 718 families and simplex cases with OM. We identified four rare PLG variants c.112A > G (p.Lys38Glu), c.782G > A (p.Arg261His), c.1481C > T (p.Ala494Val) and c.2045~T > A (p.Ile682Asn), and one common variant c.1414G > A (p.Asp472Asn). However TDT analyses for these PLG variants did not demonstrate association with OM in 314 families. Additionally PLG expression is very low or absent in normal or diseased middle ear in mouse and human, and salivary expression and microbial α-diversity were non-significant in c.1414G > A (p.Asp472Asn) carriers. Based on molecular modeling, the novel rare variants particularly c.782G > A (p.Arg261His) and c.2045~T > A (p.Ile682Asn) were predicted to affect protein structure. Exploration of other potential disease mechanisms will help elucidate how PLG contributes to OM susceptibility in humans. Our results underline the importance of following up findings from genome-wide association through replication studies, preferably using multi-omic datasets.

}, keywords = {Animals, Ear, Middle, Female, Genomics, Humans, Male, Mice, Microbiota, Mutation, Missense, Otitis Media, Pedigree, Plasminogen, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide, Saliva}, issn = {2045-2322}, doi = {10.1038/s41598-020-70498-w}, author = {Bootpetch, Tori C and Hafr{\'e}n, Lena and Elling, Christina L and Baschal, Erin E and Manichaikul, Ani W and Pine, Harold S and Szeremeta, Wasyl and Scholes, Melissa A and Cass, Stephen P and Larson, Eric D and Chan, Kenny H and Ishaq, Rafaqat and Prager, Jeremy D and Shaikh, Rehan S and Gubbels, Samuel P and Yousaf, Ayesha and Wine, Todd M and Bamshad, Michael J and Yoon, Patricia J and Jenkins, Herman A and Nickerson, Deborah A and Streubel, Sven-Olrik and Friedman, Norman R and Frank, Daniel N and Einarsdottir, Elisabet and Kere, Juha and Riazuddin, Saima and Daly, Kathleen A and Leal, Suzanne M and Ryan, Allen F and Mattila, Petri S and Ahmed, Zubair M and Sale, Michele M and Chonmaitree, Tasnee and Santos-Cortez, Regie Lyn P} } @article {908, title = {Multiplexed Functional Assessment of Genetic Variants in CARD11.}, journal = {Am J Hum Genet}, volume = {107}, year = {2020}, month = {2020 12 03}, pages = {1029-1043}, abstract = {

Genetic testing has increased the number of variants identified in disease genes, but the diagnostic utility is limited by lack of understanding variant function. CARD11 encodes an adaptor protein that expresses dominant-negative and gain-of-function variants associated with distinct immunodeficiencies. Here, we used a "cloning-free" saturation genome editing approach in a diploid cell line to simultaneously score 2,542 variants for decreased or increased function in the region of CARD11 associated with immunodeficiency. We also described an exon-skipping mechanism for CARD11 dominant-negative activity. The classification of reported clinical variants was sensitive (94.6\%) and specific (88.9\%), which rendered the data immediately useful for interpretation of seven coding and splicing variants implicated in immunodeficiency found in our clinic. This approach is generalizable for variant interpretation in many other clinically actionable genes, in any relevant cell type.

}, keywords = {Adenine, B-Cell CLL-Lymphoma 10 Protein, B-Lymphocytes, CARD Signaling Adaptor Proteins, Cell Line, Diploidy, Exons, Genes, Dominant, Genetic Variation, Guanylate Cyclase, Humans, Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes, Jurkat Cells, Lymphoma, NF-kappa B p50 Subunit, Piperidines, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide, Primary Immunodeficiency Diseases, Sensitivity and Specificity}, issn = {1537-6605}, doi = {10.1016/j.ajhg.2020.10.015}, author = {Meitlis, Iana and Allenspach, Eric J and Bauman, Bradly M and Phan, Isabelle Q and Dabbah, Gina and Schmitt, Erica G and Camp, Nathan D and Torgerson, Troy R and Nickerson, Deborah A and Bamshad, Michael J and Hagin, David and Luthers, Christopher R and Stinson, Jeffrey R and Gray, Jessica and Lundgren, Ingrid and Church, Joseph A and Butte, Manish J and Jordan, Mike B and Aceves, Seema S and Schwartz, Daniella M and Milner, Joshua D and Schuval, Susan and Skoda-Smith, Suzanne and Cooper, Megan A and Starita, Lea M and Rawlings, David J and Snow, Andrew L and James, Richard G} } @article {875, title = {Non-parametric Polygenic Risk Prediction via Partitioned GWAS Summary Statistics.}, journal = {Am J Hum Genet}, volume = {107}, year = {2020}, month = {2020 07 02}, pages = {46-59}, abstract = {

In complex trait genetics, the ability to predict phenotype from genotype is the ultimate measure of our understanding of genetic architecture underlying the heritability of a trait. A complete understanding of the genetic basis of a trait should allow for predictive methods with accuracies approaching the trait{\textquoteright}s heritability. The highly polygenic nature of quantitative traits and most common phenotypes has motivated the development of statistical strategies focused on combining myriad individually non-significant genetic effects. Now that predictive accuracies are improving, there is a growing interest in the practical utility of such methods for predicting risk of common diseases responsive to early therapeutic intervention. However, existing methods require individual-level genotypes or depend on accurately specifying the genetic architecture underlying each disease to be predicted. Here, we propose a polygenic risk prediction method that does not require explicitly modeling any underlying genetic architecture. We start with summary statistics in the form of SNP effect sizes from a large GWAS cohort. We then remove the correlation structure across summary statistics arising due to linkage disequilibrium and apply a piecewise linear interpolation on conditional mean effects. In both simulated and real datasets, this new non-parametric shrinkage (NPS) method can reliably allow for linkage disequilibrium in summary statistics of 5 million dense genome-wide markers and consistently improves prediction accuracy. We show that NPS improves the identification of groups at high risk for breast cancer, type 2 diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, and coronary heart disease, all of which have available early intervention or prevention treatments.

}, keywords = {Aged, Cohort Studies, Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2, Female, Genome-Wide Association Study, Genotype, Humans, Linkage Disequilibrium, Male, Middle Aged, Models, Genetic, Multifactorial Inheritance, Phenotype, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide, Quantitative Trait Loci}, issn = {1537-6605}, doi = {10.1016/j.ajhg.2020.05.004}, author = {Chun, Sung and Imakaev, Maxim and Hui, Daniel and Patsopoulos, Nikolaos A and Neale, Benjamin M and Kathiresan, Sekar and Stitziel, Nathan O and Sunyaev, Shamil R} } @article {792, title = {Quantitative Assessment of Parental Somatic Mosaicism for Copy-Number Variant (CNV) Deletions.}, journal = {Curr Protoc Hum Genet}, volume = {106}, year = {2020}, month = {2020 06}, pages = {e99}, abstract = {

As genome sequencing methodologies have become more sensitive in detecting low-frequency rare-variant events, the link between post-zygotic mutagenesis and somatic mosaicism in the etiology of several human genetic conditions other than cancers has become more clear. Given that current clinical-genomics diagnostic methods have limited detection sensitivity for mosaic events, a copy-number variant (CNV) deletion inherited from a parent with low-level (<10\%) mosaicism can be erroneously interpreted in the proband to represent a de novo germline event. Here, we describe three sensitive, precise, and cost-efficient methods that can quantitatively assess the potential degree of parental somatic mosaicism levels for CNV deletions: droplet digital PCR (ddPCR), PCR amplicon-based next-generation sequencing (NGS), and quantitative PCR. ddPCR using the EvaGreen fluorescent dye protocol can specifically quantify the deleted or non-deleted alleles by analyzing the number of droplets positive for a fluorescent signal for each event. PCR amplicon-based NGS assesses the allele frequencies of a heterozygous single-nucleotide polymorphism within a deletion region. The difference in number of reads between the two genotypes indicates the level of somatic mosaicism for the CNV deletion. Quantitative PCR can be applied where the relative quantity of the deletion junction-specific product represents the level of mosaicism. Clinical implementation of these quantitative variant-detection methods enables potentially more accurate assessment of disease recurrence risk in family-based genetic counseling, allowing couples to engage in more informed family planning. {\textcopyright} 2020 by John Wiley \& Sons, Inc. Basic Protocol: Droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) Alternate Protocol 1: PCR amplicon-based next-generation sequencing Alternate Protocol 2: Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR).

}, keywords = {DNA Copy Number Variations, Genetic Diseases, Inborn, High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing, Humans, Mosaicism, Parents, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide, Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction}, issn = {1934-8258}, doi = {10.1002/cphg.99}, author = {Liu, Qian and Grochowski, Christopher M and Bi, Weimin and Lupski, James R and Stankiewicz, Pawe{\l}} } @article {836, title = {A structural variation reference for medical and population genetics.}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {581}, year = {2020}, month = {2020 05}, pages = {444-451}, abstract = {

Structural variants (SVs) rearrange large segments of DNA and can have profound consequences in evolution and human disease. As national biobanks, disease-association studies, and clinical genetic testing have grown increasingly reliant on genome sequencing, population references such as the Genome Aggregation Database (gnomAD) have become integral in the interpretation of single-nucleotide variants (SNVs). However, there are no reference maps of SVs from high-coverage genome sequencing comparable to those for SNVs. Here we present a reference of sequence-resolved SVs constructed from 14,891 genomes across diverse global populations (54\% non-European) in gnomAD. We discovered a rich and complex landscape of 433,371 SVs, from which we estimate that SVs are responsible for 25-29\% of all rare protein-truncating events per genome. We found strong correlations between natural selection against damaging SNVs and rare SVs that disrupt or duplicate protein-coding sequence, which suggests that genes that are highly intolerant to loss-of-function are also sensitive to increased dosage. We also uncovered modest selection against noncoding SVs in cis-regulatory elements, although selection against protein-truncating SVs was stronger than all noncoding effects. Finally, we identified very large (over one megabase), rare SVs in 3.9\% of samples, and estimate that 0.13\% of individuals may carry an SV that meets the existing criteria for clinically important incidental findings. This SV resource is freely distributed via the gnomAD browser and will have broad utility in population genetics, disease-association studies, and diagnostic screening.

}, keywords = {Continental Population Groups, Disease, Female, Genetic Testing, Genetic Variation, Genetics, Medical, Genetics, Population, Genome, Human, Genotyping Techniques, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Mutation, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide, Reference Standards, Selection, Genetic, Whole Genome Sequencing}, issn = {1476-4687}, doi = {10.1038/s41586-020-2287-8}, author = {Collins, Ryan L and Brand, Harrison and Karczewski, Konrad J and Zhao, Xuefang and Alf{\"o}ldi, Jessica and Francioli, Laurent C and Khera, Amit V and Lowther, Chelsea and Gauthier, Laura D and Wang, Harold and Watts, Nicholas A and Solomonson, Matthew and O{\textquoteright}Donnell-Luria, Anne and Baumann, Alexander and Munshi, Ruchi and Walker, Mark and Whelan, Christopher W and Huang, Yongqing and Brookings, Ted and Sharpe, Ted and Stone, Matthew R and Valkanas, Elise and Fu, Jack and Tiao, Grace and Laricchia, Kristen M and Ruano-Rubio, Valentin and Stevens, Christine and Gupta, Namrata and Cusick, Caroline and Margolin, Lauren and Taylor, Kent D and Lin, Henry J and Rich, Stephen S and Post, Wendy S and Chen, Yii-Der Ida and Rotter, Jerome I and Nusbaum, Chad and Philippakis, Anthony and Lander, Eric and Gabriel, Stacey and Neale, Benjamin M and Kathiresan, Sekar and Daly, Mark J and Banks, Eric and MacArthur, Daniel G and Talkowski, Michael E} } @article {515, title = {Clinical exome sequencing reveals locus heterogeneity and phenotypic variability of cohesinopathies.}, journal = {Genet Med}, volume = {21}, year = {2019}, month = {2019 03}, pages = {663-675}, abstract = {

PURPOSE: Defects in the cohesin pathway are associated with cohesinopathies, notably Cornelia de Lange syndrome (CdLS). We aimed to delineate pathogenic variants~in known and candidate cohesinopathy genes from a clinical exome perspective.

METHODS: We retrospectively studied patients referred for clinical exome sequencing (CES, N = 10,698). Patients with causative variants in novel or recently described cohesinopathy genes were enrolled for phenotypic characterization.

RESULTS: Pathogenic or likely pathogenic single-nucleotide and insertion/deletion variants (SNVs/indels) were identified in established disease genes including NIPBL (N = 5), SMC1A (N = 14), SMC3 (N = 4), RAD21 (N = 2), and HDAC8 (N = 8). The phenotypes in this genetically defined cohort skew towards the mild end of CdLS spectrum as compared with phenotype-driven cohorts. Candidate or recently reported cohesinopathy genes were supported by de novo SNVs/indels in STAG1 (N = 3), STAG2 (N = 5), PDS5A (N = 1), and WAPL (N = 1), and one inherited SNV in PDS5A. We also identified copy-number deletions affecting STAG1 (two de novo, one of unknown inheritance) and STAG2 (one of unknown inheritance). Patients with STAG1 and STAG2 variants presented with overlapping features yet without characteristic facial features of CdLS.

CONCLUSION: CES effectively identified disease-causing alleles at the mild end of the cohensinopathy spectrum and enabled characterization of candidate disease genes.

}, keywords = {Adolescent, Alleles, Antigens, Nuclear, Biological Variation, Population, Carrier Proteins, Cell Cycle Proteins, Child, Child, Preschool, Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone, Cohort Studies, De Lange Syndrome, Exome, Female, Gene Frequency, Genetic Heterogeneity, Humans, INDEL Mutation, Male, Mutation, Nuclear Proteins, Phenotype, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide, Proto-Oncogene Proteins, Retrospective Studies, Whole Exome Sequencing}, issn = {1530-0366}, doi = {10.1038/s41436-018-0085-6}, author = {Yuan, Bo and Neira, Juanita and Pehlivan, Davut and Santiago-Sim, Teresa and Song, Xiaofei and Rosenfeld, Jill and Posey, Jennifer E and Patel, Vipulkumar and Jin, Weihong and Adam, Margaret P and Baple, Emma L and Dean, John and Fong, Chin-To and Hickey, Scott E and Hudgins, Louanne and Leon, Eyby and Madan-Khetarpal, Suneeta and Rawlins, Lettie and Rustad, Cecilie F and Stray-Pedersen, Asbj{\o}rg and Tveten, Kristian and Wenger, Olivia and Diaz, Jullianne and Jenkins, Laura and Martin, Laura and McGuire, Marianne and Pietryga, Marguerite and Ramsdell, Linda and Slattery, Leah and Abid, Farida and Bertuch, Alison A and Grange, Dorothy and Immken, LaDonna and Schaaf, Christian P and Van Esch, Hilde and Bi, Weimin and Cheung, Sau Wai and Breman, Amy M and Smith, Janice L and Shaw, Chad and Crosby, Andrew H and Eng, Christine and Yang, Yaping and Lupski, James R and Xiao, Rui and Liu, Pengfei} } @article {576, title = {Complex Compound Inheritance of Lethal Lung Developmental Disorders Due to Disruption of the TBX-FGF Pathway.}, journal = {Am J Hum Genet}, volume = {104}, year = {2019}, month = {2019 02 07}, pages = {213-228}, abstract = {

Primary defects in lung branching morphogenesis, resulting in neonatal lethal pulmonary hypoplasias, are incompletely understood. To elucidate the pathogenetics of human lung development, we studied a unique collection of samples obtained from deceased individuals with clinically and histopathologically diagnosed interstitial neonatal lung disorders: acinar dysplasia (n = 14), congenital alveolar dysplasia (n = 2), and other lethal lung hypoplasias (n = 10). We identified rare heterozygous copy-number variant deletions or single-nucleotide variants (SNVs) involving TBX4 (n = 8 and n = 2, respectively) or FGF10 (n = 2 and n = 2, respectively) in 16/26 (61\%) individuals. In addition to TBX4, the overlapping \~{}2 Mb recurrent and nonrecurrent deletions at 17q23.1q23.2 identified in seven individuals with lung hypoplasia also remove a lung-specific enhancer region. Individuals with coding variants involving either TBX4 or FGF10 also harbored at least one non-coding SNV in the predicted lung-specific enhancer region, which was absent in 13 control individuals with the overlapping deletions but without any structural lung anomalies. The occurrence of rare coding variants involving TBX4 or FGF10 with the putative hypomorphic non-coding SNVs implies a complex compound inheritance of these pulmonary hypoplasias. Moreover, they support the importance of TBX4-FGF10-FGFR2 epithelial-mesenchymal signaling in human lung organogenesis and help to explain the histopathological continuum observed in these rare lethal developmental disorders of the lung.

}, keywords = {DNA Copy Number Variations, Female, Fibroblast Growth Factor 10, Gene Expression Regulation, Gestational Age, Humans, Infant, Newborn, Infant, Newborn, Diseases, Lung, Lung Diseases, Male, Maternal Inheritance, Organogenesis, Paternal Inheritance, Pedigree, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide, Receptor, Fibroblast Growth Factor, Type 2, Signal Transduction, T-Box Domain Proteins}, issn = {1537-6605}, doi = {10.1016/j.ajhg.2018.12.010}, author = {Karolak, Justyna A and Vincent, Marie and Deutsch, Gail and Gambin, Tomasz and Cogn{\'e}, Benjamin and Pichon, Olivier and Vetrini, Francesco and Mefford, Heather C and Dines, Jennifer N and Golden-Grant, Katie and Dipple, Katrina and Freed, Amanda S and Leppig, Kathleen A and Dishop, Megan and Mowat, David and Bennetts, Bruce and Gifford, Andrew J and Weber, Martin A and Lee, Anna F and Boerkoel, Cornelius F and Bartell, Tina M and Ward-Melver, Catherine and Besnard, Thomas and Petit, Florence and Bache, Iben and T{\"u}mer, Zeynep and Denis-Musquer, Marie and Joubert, Madeleine and Martinovic, Jelena and B{\'e}n{\'e}teau, Claire and Molin, Arnaud and Carles, Dominique and Andr{\'e}, Gwenaelle and Bieth, Eric and Chassaing, Nicolas and Devisme, Louise and Chalabreysse, Lara and Pasquier, Laurent and Secq, V{\'e}ronique and Don, Massimiliano and Orsaria, Maria and Missirian, Chantal and Mortreux, J{\'e}r{\'e}mie and Sanlaville, Damien and Pons, Linda and K{\"u}ry, S{\'e}bastien and B{\'e}zieau, St{\'e}phane and Liet, Jean-Michel and Joram, Nicolas and Bihou{\'e}e, Tiphaine and Scott, Daryl A and Brown, Chester W and Scaglia, Fernando and Tsai, Anne Chun-Hui and Grange, Dorothy K and Phillips, John A and Pfotenhauer, Jean P and Jhangiani, Shalini N and Gonzaga-Jauregui, Claudia G and Chung, Wendy K and Schauer, Galen M and Lipson, Mark H and Mercer, Catherine L and van Haeringen, Arie and Liu, Qian and Popek, Edwina and Coban Akdemir, Zeynep H and Lupski, James R and Szafranski, Przemyslaw and Isidor, Bertrand and Le Caignec, Cedric and Stankiewicz, Pawe{\l}} } @article {526, title = {The coexistence of copy number variations (CNVs) and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at a locus can result in distorted calculations of the significance in associating SNPs to disease.}, journal = {Hum Genet}, volume = {137}, year = {2018}, month = {2018 Jul}, pages = {553-567}, abstract = {

With the recent advance in genome-wide association studies (GWAS), disease-associated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and copy number variants (CNVs) have been extensively reported. Accordingly, the issue of incorrect identification of recombination events that can induce the distortion of multi-allelic or hemizygous variants has received more attention. However, the potential distorted calculation bias or significance of a detected association in a GWAS due to the coexistence of CNVs and SNPs in the same genomic region may remain under-recognized. Here we performed the association study within a congenital scoliosis (CS) cohort whose genetic etiology was recently elucidated as a compound inheritance model, including mostly one rare variant deletion CNV null allele and one common variant non-coding hypomorphic haplotype of the TBX6 gene. We demonstrated that the existence of a deletion in TBX6 led to an overestimation of the contribution of the SNPs on the hypomorphic allele. Furthermore, we generalized a model to explain the calculation bias, or distorted significance calculation for an association study, that can be {\textquoteright}induced{\textquoteright} by CNVs at a locus. Meanwhile, overlapping between the disease-associated SNPs from published GWAS and common CNVs (overlap 10\%) and pathogenic/likely pathogenic CNVs (overlap 99.69\%) was significantly higher than the random distribution (p < 1 {\texttimes} 10 and p = 0.034, respectively), indicating that such co-existence of CNV and SNV alleles might generally influence data interpretation and potential outcomes of a GWAS. We also verified and assessed the influence of colocalizing CNVs to the detection sensitivity of disease-associated SNP variant alleles in another adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) genome-wide association study. We proposed that detecting co-existent CNVs when evaluating the association signals between SNPs and disease traits could improve genetic model analyses and better integrate GWAS with robust Mendelian principles.

}, keywords = {Adolescent, Congenital Abnormalities, DNA Copy Number Variations, Female, Genetic Predisposition to Disease, Genome, Human, Genome-Wide Association Study, Genomics, Genotype, Haplotypes, Humans, Phenotype, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide, Scoliosis}, issn = {1432-1203}, doi = {10.1007/s00439-018-1910-3}, author = {Liu, Jiaqi and Zhou, Yangzhong and Liu, Sen and Song, Xiaofei and Yang, Xin-Zhuang and Fan, Yanhui and Chen, Weisheng and Akdemir, Zeynep Coban and Yan, Zihui and Zuo, Yuzhi and Du, Renqian and Liu, Zhenlei and Yuan, Bo and Zhao, Sen and Liu, Gang and Chen, Yixin and Zhao, Yanxue and Lin, Mao and Zhu, Qiankun and Niu, Yuchen and Liu, Pengfei and Ikegawa, Shiro and Song, You-Qiang and Posey, Jennifer E and Qiu, Guixing and Zhang, Feng and Wu, Zhihong and Lupski, James R and Wu, Nan} } @article {460, title = {Comprehensive genomic analysis of patients with disorders of cerebral cortical development.}, journal = {Eur J Hum Genet}, volume = {26}, year = {2018}, month = {2018 08}, pages = {1121-1131}, abstract = {

Malformations of cortical development (MCDs) manifest with structural brain anomalies that lead to neurologic sequelae, including epilepsy, cerebral palsy, developmental delay, and intellectual disability. To investigate the underlying genetic architecture of patients with disorders of cerebral cortical development, a cohort of 54 patients demonstrating neuroradiologic signs of MCDs was investigated. Individual genomes were interrogated for single-nucleotide variants (SNV) and copy number variants (CNV) with whole-exome sequencing and chromosomal microarray studies. Variation affecting known MCDs-associated genes was found in 16/54 cases, including 11 patients with SNV, 2 patients with CNV, and 3 patients with both CNV and SNV, at distinct loci. Diagnostic pathogenic SNV and potentially damaging variants of unknown significance (VUS) were identified in two groups of seven individuals each. We demonstrated that de novo variants are important among patients with MCDs as they were identified in 10/16 individuals with a molecular diagnosis. Three patients showed changes in known MCDs genes~ and a clinical phenotype beyond the usual characteristics observed, i.e., phenotypic expansion, for a particular known disease gene clinical entity. We also discovered 2 likely candidate genes, CDH4, and ASTN1, with human and animal studies supporting their roles in brain development, and 5 potential candidate genes. Our findings emphasize genetic heterogeneity of MCDs disorders and postulate potential novel candidate genes involved in cerebral cortical development.

}, keywords = {Cadherins, DNA Copy Number Variations, Exome, Female, Genetic Heterogeneity, Humans, Male, Malformations of Cortical Development, Nerve Tissue Proteins, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide, Receptors, Cell Surface}, issn = {1476-5438}, doi = {10.1038/s41431-018-0137-z}, author = {Wiszniewski, Wojciech and Gawlinski, Pawel and Gambin, Tomasz and Bekiesinska-Figatowska, Monika and Obersztyn, Ewa and Antczak-Marach, Dorota and Akdemir, Zeynep Hande Coban and Harel, Tamar and Karaca, Ender and Jurek, Marta and Sobecka, Katarzyna and Nowakowska, Beata and Kruk, Malgorzata and Terczynska, Iwona and Goszczanska-Ciuchta, Alicja and Rudzka-Dybala, Mariola and Jamroz, Ewa and Pyrkosz, Antoni and Jakubiuk-Tomaszuk, Anna and Iwanowski, Piotr and Gieruszczak-Bialek, Dorota and Piotrowicz, Malgorzata and Sasiadek, Maria and Kochanowska, Iwona and Gurda, Barbara and Steinborn, Barbara and Dawidziuk, Mateusz and Castaneda, Jennifer and Wlasienko, Pawel and Bezniakow, Natalia and Jhangiani, Shalini N and Hoffman-Zacharska, Dorota and Bal, Jerzy and Szczepanik, Elzbieta and Boerwinkle, Eric and Gibbs, Richard A and Lupski, James R} } @article {522, title = {Whole exome sequencing analysis in severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.}, journal = {Hum Mol Genet}, volume = {27}, year = {2018}, month = {2018 11 01}, pages = {3801-3812}, abstract = {

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), one of the leading causes of death worldwide, is substantially influenced by genetic factors. Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency demonstrates that rare coding variants of large effect can influence COPD susceptibility. To identify additional rare coding variants in patients with severe COPD, we conducted whole exome sequencing analysis in 2543 subjects from two family-based studies (Boston Early-Onset COPD Study and International COPD Genetics Network) and one case-control study (COPDGene). Applying a gene-based segregation test in the family-based data, we identified significant segregation of rare loss of function variants in TBC1D10A and RFPL1 (P-value~<~2x10-6), but were unable to find similar variants in the case-control study. In single-variant, gene-based and pathway association analyses, we were unable to find significant findings that replicated or were significant in meta-analysis. However, we found that the top results in the two datasets were in proximity to each other in the protein-protein interaction network (P-value~=~0.014), suggesting enrichment of these results for similar biological processes. A network of these association results and their neighbors was significantly enriched in the transforming growth factor beta-receptor binding and cilia-related pathways. Finally, in a more detailed examination of candidate genes, we identified individuals with putative high-risk variants, including patients harboring homozygous mutations in genes associated with cutis laxa and Niemann-Pick Disease Type C. Our results likely reflect heterogeneity of genetic risk for COPD along with limitations of statistical power and functional annotation, and highlight the potential of network analysis to gain insight into genetic association studies.

}, keywords = {Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Case-Control Studies, DNA Mutational Analysis, Female, Genetic Association Studies, Genetic Predisposition to Disease, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Mutation, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide, Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive, Whole Exome Sequencing, Young Adult}, issn = {1460-2083}, doi = {10.1093/hmg/ddy269}, author = {Qiao, Dandi and Ameli, Asher and Prokopenko, Dmitry and Chen, Han and Kho, Alvin T and Parker, Margaret M and Morrow, Jarrett and Hobbs, Brian D and Liu, Yanhong and Beaty, Terri H and Crapo, James D and Barnes, Kathleen C and Nickerson, Deborah A and Bamshad, Michael and Hersh, Craig P and Lomas, David A and Agusti, Alvar and Make, Barry J and Calverley, Peter M A and Donner, Claudio F and Wouters, Emiel F and Vestbo, J{\o}rgen and Par{\'e}, Peter D and Levy, Robert D and Rennard, Stephen I and Tal-Singer, Ruth and Spitz, Margaret R and Sharma, Amitabh and Ruczinski, Ingo and Lange, Christoph and Silverman, Edwin K and Cho, Michael H} } @article {636, title = {Copy Number Changes Identified Using Whole Exome Sequencing in Nonsyndromic Cleft Lip and Palate in a Honduran Population.}, journal = {Birth Defects Res}, volume = {109}, year = {2017}, month = {2017 Oct 02}, pages = {1257-1267}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: The majority of cleft lip with or without cleft palate cases appear as an isolated, nonsyndromic entity (NSCLP). With the advent of next generation sequencing, whole exome sequencing (WES) has been used to identify single nucleotide variants and insertion/deletions which cause or increase the risk of NSCLP. However, to our knowledge, there are no published studies using WES in NSCLP to investigate copy number changes (CNCs), which are a major component of human genetic variation. Our study aimed to identify CNCs associated with NSCLP in a Honduran population using WES.

METHODS: WES was performed on two to four members of 27 multiplex Honduran families. CNCs were identified using two algorithms, CoNIFER and XHMM. Priority was given to CNCs that were identified in more than one patient and had variant frequencies of less than 5\% in reference data sets.

RESULTS: WES completion was defined as >90\% of the WES target at >8 {\texttimes} coverage and >80\% of the WES target at >20 {\texttimes} coverage. Twenty-four CNCs that met our inclusion criteria were identified by both CoNIFER and XHMM. These CNCs were confirmed using quantitative PCR. Pedigree analysis produced three CNCs corresponding to ADH7, AHR, and CRYZ segregating with NSCLP. Two of the three CNCs implicate genes, AHR and ADH7, whose known biological functions could plausibly play a role in NSCLP.

CONCLUSION: WES can be used to detect candidate CNCs that may be involved in the pathophysiology of NSCLP. Birth Defects Research 109:1257-1267, 2017. {\textcopyright} 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

}, keywords = {Adolescent, Adult, Alcohol Dehydrogenase, Alleles, Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors, Child, Child, Preschool, Cleft Lip, Cleft Palate, DNA Copy Number Variations, Family, Female, Gene Frequency, Genetic Variation, High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing, Honduras, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Pedigree, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide, Receptors, Aryl Hydrocarbon, Whole Exome Sequencing}, issn = {2472-1727}, doi = {10.1002/bdr2.1063}, author = {Cai, Yi and Patterson, Karynne E and Reinier, Frederic and Keesecker, Sarah E and Blue, Elizabeth and Bamshad, Michael and Haddad, Joseph} } @article {335, title = {De Novo Disruption of the Proteasome Regulatory Subunit PSMD12 Causes a Syndromic Neurodevelopmental Disorder.}, journal = {Am J Hum Genet}, volume = {100}, year = {2017}, month = {2017 Feb 02}, pages = {352-363}, abstract = {

Degradation of proteins by the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) is an essential biological process in the development of eukaryotic organisms. Dysregulation of this mechanism leads to numerous human neurodegenerative or neurodevelopmental disorders. Through a multi-center collaboration, we identified six de novo genomic deletions and four de novo point mutations involving PSMD12, encoding the non-ATPase subunit PSMD12 (aka RPN5) of the 19S regulator of 26S proteasome complex, in unrelated individuals with intellectual disability, congenital malformations, ophthalmologic anomalies, feeding difficulties, deafness, and subtle dysmorphic facial features. We observed reduced PSMD12 levels and an accumulation of ubiquitinated proteins without any impairment of proteasome catalytic activity. Our PSMD12 loss-of-function zebrafish CRISPR/Cas9 model exhibited microcephaly, decreased convolution of the renal tubules, and abnormal craniofacial morphology. Our data support the biological importance of PSMD12 as a scaffolding subunit in proteasome function during development and neurogenesis in particular; they enable the definition of a neurodevelopmental disorder due to PSMD12 variants, expanding the phenotypic spectrum of UPS-dependent disorders.

}, keywords = {Adolescent, Animals, Child, Child, Preschool, Disease Models, Animal, DNA Copy Number Variations, Down-Regulation, Female, Gene Deletion, Humans, Infant, Intellectual Disability, Male, Microcephaly, Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide, Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex, Zebrafish}, issn = {1537-6605}, doi = {10.1016/j.ajhg.2017.01.003}, author = {K{\"u}ry, S{\'e}bastien and Besnard, Thomas and Ebstein, Fr{\'e}d{\'e}ric and Khan, Tahir N and Gambin, Tomasz and Douglas, Jessica and Bacino, Carlos A and Craigen, William J and Sanders, Stephan J and Lehmann, Andrea and Latypova, X{\'e}nia and Khan, Kamal and Pacault, Mathilde and Sacharow, Stephanie and Glaser, Kimberly and Bieth, Eric and Perrin-Sabourin, Laurence and Jacquemont, Marie-Line and Cho, Megan T and Roeder, Elizabeth and Denomm{\'e}-Pichon, Anne-Sophie and Monaghan, Kristin G and Yuan, Bo and Xia, Fan and Simon, Sylvain and Bonneau, Dominique and Parent, Philippe and Gilbert-Dussardier, Brigitte and Odent, Sylvie and Toutain, Annick and Pasquier, Laurent and Barbouth, Deborah and Shaw, Chad A and Patel, Ankita and Smith, Janice L and Bi, Weimin and Schmitt, S{\'e}bastien and Deb, Wallid and Nizon, Mathilde and Mercier, Sandra and Vincent, Marie and Rooryck, Caroline and Malan, Val{\'e}rie and Brice{\~n}o, Ignacio and G{\'o}mez, Alberto and Nugent, Kimberly M and Gibson, James B and Cogn{\'e}, Benjamin and Lupski, James R and Stessman, Holly A F and Eichler, Evan E and Retterer, Kyle and Yang, Yaping and Redon, Richard and Katsanis, Nicholas and Rosenfeld, Jill A and Kloetzel, Peter-Michael and Golzio, Christelle and B{\'e}zieau, St{\'e}phane and Stankiewicz, Pawe{\l} and Isidor, Bertrand} } @article {411, title = {denovo-db: a compendium of human de novo variants.}, journal = {Nucleic Acids Res}, volume = {45}, year = {2017}, month = {2017 01 04}, pages = {D804-D811}, abstract = {

Whole-exome and whole-genome sequencing have facilitated the large-scale discovery of de novo variants in human disease. To date, most de novo discovery through next-generation sequencing focused on congenital heart disease and neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs). Currently, de novo variants are one of the most significant risk factors for NDDs with a substantial overlap of genes involved in more than one NDD. To facilitate better usage of published data, provide standardization of annotation, and improve accessibility, we created denovo-db (http://denovo-db.gs.washington.edu), a database for human de novo variants. As of July 2016, denovo-db contained 40 different studies and 32,991 de novo variants from 23,098 trios. Database features include basic variant information (chromosome location, change, type); detailed annotation at the transcript and protein levels; severity scores; frequency; validation status; and, most importantly, the phenotype of the individual with the variant. We included a feature on our browsable website to download any query result, including a downloadable file of the full database with additional variant details. denovo-db provides necessary information for researchers to compare their data to other individuals with the same phenotype and also to controls allowing for a better understanding of the biology of de novo variants and their contribution to disease.

}, keywords = {Computational Biology, Databases, Nucleic Acid, Genetic Association Studies, Genetic Variation, Germ-Line Mutation, Humans, Molecular Sequence Annotation, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide, Web Browser}, issn = {1362-4962}, doi = {10.1093/nar/gkw865}, author = {Turner, Tychele N and Yi, Qian and Krumm, Niklas and Huddleston, John and Hoekzema, Kendra and F Stessman, Holly A and Doebley, Anna-Lisa and Bernier, Raphael A and Nickerson, Deborah A and Eichler, Evan E} } @article {57, title = {Enrichment of mutations in chromatin regulators in people with Rett syndrome lacking mutations in MECP2.}, journal = {Genet Med}, volume = {19}, year = {2017}, month = {2017 01}, pages = {13-19}, abstract = {

PURPOSE: Rett syndrome (RTT) is a neurodevelopmental disorder caused primarily by de novo mutations in MECP2 and sometimes in CDKL5 and FOXG1. However, some RTT patients lack mutations in these genes.

METHODS: Twenty-two RTT patients without apparent MECP2, CDKL5, and FOXG1 mutations were subjected to both whole-exome sequencing and single-nucleotide polymorphism array-based copy-number variant (CNV) analyses.

RESULTS: Three patients had MECP2 mutations initially missed by clinical testing. Of the remaining 19, 17 (89.5\%) had 29 other likely pathogenic intragenic mutations and/or CNVs (10 patients had 2 or more). Interestingly, 13 patients had mutations in a gene/region previously reported in other neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), thereby providing a potential diagnostic yield of 68.4\%. These mutations were significantly enriched in chromatin regulators (corrected P = 0.0068) and moderately enriched in postsynaptic cell membrane molecules (corrected P = 0.076), implicating glutamate receptor signaling.

CONCLUSION: The genetic etiology of RTT without MECP2, CDKL5, and FOXG1 mutations is heterogeneous, overlaps with other NDDs, and complicated by a high mutation burden. Dysregulation of chromatin structure and abnormal excitatory synaptic signaling may form two common pathological bases of RTT.Genet Med 19 1, 13-19.

}, keywords = {Adolescent, Adult, Child, Child, Preschool, Chromatin, DNA Copy Number Variations, Female, Forkhead Transcription Factors, Humans, Infant, Male, Methyl-CpG-Binding Protein 2, Mutation, Nerve Tissue Proteins, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide, Protein-Serine-Threonine Kinases, Rett Syndrome, Whole Exome Sequencing}, issn = {1530-0366}, doi = {10.1038/gim.2016.42}, author = {Sajan, Samin A and Jhangiani, Shalini N and Muzny, Donna M and Gibbs, Richard A and Lupski, James R and Glaze, Daniel G and Kaufmann, Walter E and Skinner, Steven A and Annese, Fran and Friez, Michael J and Lane, Jane and Percy, Alan K and Neul, Jeffrey L} } @article {398, title = {Genome-Wide Association Studies and Meta-Analyses for Congenital Heart Defects.}, journal = {Circ Cardiovasc Genet}, volume = {10}, year = {2017}, month = {2017 Jun}, pages = {e001449}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: Maternal and inherited (ie, case) genetic factors likely contribute to the pathogenesis of congenital heart defects, but it is unclear whether individual common variants confer a large risk.

METHODS AND RESULTS: To evaluate the relationship between individual common maternal/inherited genotypes and risk for heart defects, we conducted genome-wide association studies in 5 cohorts. Three cohorts were recruited at the Children{\textquoteright}s Hospital of Philadelphia: 670 conotruncal heart defect (CTD) case-parent trios, 317 left ventricular obstructive tract defect (LVOTD) case-parent trios, and 406 CTD cases (n=406) and 2976 pediatric controls. Two cohorts were recruited through the Pediatric Cardiac Genomics Consortium: 355 CTD trios and 192 LVOTD trios. We also conducted meta-analyses using the genome-wide association study results from the CTD cohorts, the LVOTD cohorts, and from the combined CTD and LVOTD cohorts. In the individual genome-wide association studies, several genome-wide significant associations (<=5{\texttimes}10) were observed. In our meta-analyses, 1 genome-wide significant association was detected: the case genotype for rs72820264, an intragenetic single-nucleotide polymorphism associated with LVOTDs (=2.1{\texttimes}10).

CONCLUSIONS: We identified 1 novel candidate region associated with LVOTDs and report on several additional regions with suggestive evidence for association with CTD and LVOTD. These studies were constrained by the relatively small samples sizes and thus have limited power to detect small to moderate associations. Approaches that minimize the multiple testing burden (eg, gene or pathway based) may, therefore, be required to uncover common variants contributing to the risk of these relatively rare conditions.

}, keywords = {Cohort Studies, Databases, Factual, Female, Gene Frequency, Genome-Wide Association Study, Genotype, Heart Defects, Congenital, Humans, Introns, Male, Membrane Proteins, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide}, issn = {1942-3268}, doi = {10.1161/CIRCGENETICS.116.001449}, author = {Agopian, A J and Goldmuntz, Elizabeth and Hakonarson, Hakon and Sewda, Anshuman and Taylor, Deanne and Mitchell, Laura E} } @article {388, title = {Heterozygous De Novo UBTF Gain-of-Function Variant Is Associated with Neurodegeneration in Childhood.}, journal = {Am J Hum Genet}, volume = {101}, year = {2017}, month = {2017 Aug 03}, pages = {267-273}, abstract = {

Ribosomal RNA (rRNA) is transcribed from rDNA by RNA polymerase I (Pol I) to produce the 45S precursor of the 28S, 5.8S, and 18S rRNA components of the ribosome. Two transcription factors have been defined for Pol I in mammals, the selectivity factor SL1, and the upstream binding transcription factor (UBF), which interacts with the upstream control element to facilitate the assembly of the transcription initiation complex including SL1 and Pol I. In seven unrelated affected individuals, all suffering from developmental regression starting at 2.5-7 years, we identified a heterozygous variant, c.628G>A in UBTF, encoding p.Glu210Lys in UBF, which occurred de novo in~all cases. While the levels of UBF, Ser388 phosphorylated UBF, and other Pol I-related components (POLR1E, TAF1A, and TAF1C) remained unchanged in cells of an affected individual, the variant conferred gain of function to UBF, manifesting by markedly increased UBF binding to the rDNA promoter and to the 5{\textquoteright}- external transcribed spacer. This was associated with significantly increased 18S expression, and enlarged nucleoli which were reduced in number per cell. The data link neurodegeneration in childhood with altered rDNA chromatin status and rRNA metabolism.

}, keywords = {Adolescent, Adult, Atrophy, Brain, Brain Diseases, Cell Nucleolus, Child, Chromatin, DNA-Binding Proteins, Female, Humans, Male, Neurodegenerative Diseases, Pol1 Transcription Initiation Complex Proteins, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide, Promoter Regions, Genetic, RNA, Ribosomal, 18S, Young Adult}, issn = {1537-6605}, doi = {10.1016/j.ajhg.2017.07.002}, author = {Edvardson, Simon and Nicolae, Claudia M and Agrawal, Pankaj B and Mignot, Cyril and Payne, Katelyn and Prasad, Asuri Narayan and Prasad, Chitra and Sadler, Laurie and Nava, Caroline and Mullen, Thomas E and Begtrup, Amber and Baskin, Berivan and Powis, Z{\"o}e and Shaag, Avraham and Keren, Boris and Moldovan, George-Lucian and Elpeleg, Orly} } @article {357, title = {Lessons learned from additional research analyses of unsolved clinical exome cases.}, journal = {Genome Med}, volume = {9}, year = {2017}, month = {2017 03 21}, pages = {26}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: Given the rarity of most single-gene Mendelian disorders, concerted efforts of data exchange between clinical and scientific communities are critical to optimize molecular diagnosis and novel disease gene discovery.

METHODS: We designed and implemented protocols for the study of cases for which a plausible molecular diagnosis was not achieved in a clinical genomics diagnostic laboratory (i.e. unsolved clinical exomes). Such cases were recruited to a research laboratory for further analyses, in order to potentially: (1) accelerate novel disease gene discovery; (2) increase the molecular diagnostic yield of whole exome sequencing (WES); and (3) gain insight into the genetic mechanisms of disease. Pilot project data included 74 families, consisting mostly of parent-offspring trios. Analyses performed on a research basis employed both WES from additional family members and complementary bioinformatics approaches and protocols.

RESULTS: Analysis of all possible modes of Mendelian inheritance, focusing on both single nucleotide variants (SNV) and copy number variant (CNV) alleles, yielded a likely contributory variant in 36\% (27/74) of cases. If one includes candidate genes with variants identified within a single family, a potential contributory variant was identified in a total of ~51\% (38/74) of cases enrolled in this pilot study. The molecular diagnosis was achieved in 30/63 trios (47.6\%). Besides this, the analysis workflow yielded evidence for pathogenic variants in disease-associated genes in 4/6 singleton cases (66.6\%), 1/1 multiplex family involving three affected siblings, and 3/4 (75\%) quartet families. Both the analytical pipeline and the collaborative efforts between the diagnostic and research laboratories provided insights that allowed recent disease gene discoveries (PURA, TANGO2, EMC1, GNB5, ATAD3A, and MIPEP) and increased the number of novel genes, defined in this study as genes identified in more than one family (DHX30 and EBF3).

CONCLUSION: An efficient genomics pipeline in which clinical sequencing in a diagnostic laboratory is followed by the detailed reanalysis of unsolved cases in a research environment, supplemented with WES data from additional family members, and subject to adjuvant bioinformatics analyses including relaxed variant filtering parameters in informatics pipelines, can enhance the molecular diagnostic yield and provide mechanistic insights into Mendelian disorders. Implementing these approaches requires collaborative clinical molecular diagnostic and research efforts.

}, keywords = {Adenosine Triphosphatases, ATPases Associated with Diverse Cellular Activities, Computational Biology, DNA Copy Number Variations, DNA-Binding Proteins, Exome, Female, Genetic Diseases, Inborn, Genomics, GTP-Binding Protein beta Subunits, Humans, Male, Membrane Proteins, Metalloendopeptidases, Mitochondrial Proteins, Pilot Projects, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide, Sequence Analysis, DNA, Transcription Factors}, issn = {1756-994X}, doi = {10.1186/s13073-017-0412-6}, author = {Eldomery, Mohammad K and Coban-Akdemir, Zeynep and Harel, Tamar and Rosenfeld, Jill A and Gambin, Tomasz and Stray-Pedersen, Asbj{\o}rg and K{\"u}ry, S{\'e}bastien and Mercier, Sandra and Lessel, Davor and Denecke, Jonas and Wiszniewski, Wojciech and Penney, Samantha and Liu, Pengfei and Bi, Weimin and Lalani, Seema R and Schaaf, Christian P and Wangler, Michael F and Bacino, Carlos A and Lewis, Richard Alan and Potocki, Lorraine and Graham, Brett H and Belmont, John W and Scaglia, Fernando and Orange, Jordan S and Jhangiani, Shalini N and Chiang, Theodore and Doddapaneni, Harsha and Hu, Jianhong and Muzny, Donna M and Xia, Fan and Beaudet, Arthur L and Boerwinkle, Eric and Eng, Christine M and Plon, Sharon E and Sutton, V Reid and Gibbs, Richard A and Posey, Jennifer E and Yang, Yaping and Lupski, James R} } @article {395, title = {Mutations in KDSR Cause Recessive Progressive Symmetric Erythrokeratoderma.}, journal = {Am J Hum Genet}, volume = {100}, year = {2017}, month = {2017 Jun 01}, pages = {978-984}, abstract = {

The discovery of new genetic determinants of inherited skin disorders has been instrumental to the understanding of epidermal function, differentiation, and renewal. Here, we show that mutations in KDSR (3-ketodihydrosphingosine reductase), encoding an enzyme in the ceramide synthesis pathway, lead to a previously undescribed recessive Mendelian disorder in the progressive symmetric erythrokeratoderma spectrum. This disorder is characterized by severe lesions of thick scaly skin on the face and genitals and thickened, red, and scaly skin on the hands and feet. Although exome sequencing revealed several of the KDSR mutations, we employed genome sequencing to discover a pathogenic 346 kb inversion in multiple probands, and cDNA sequencing and a splicing assay established that two mutations, including a recurrent silent third base change, cause exon skipping. Immunohistochemistry and yeast complementation studies demonstrated that the mutations cause defects in KDSR function. Systemic isotretinoin therapy has achieved nearly complete resolution in the two probands in whom it has been applied, consistent with the effects of retinoic acid on alternative pathways for ceramide generation.

}, keywords = {Alcohol Oxidoreductases, Ceramides, Genes, Recessive, Genetic Complementation Test, Genetic Predisposition to Disease, Heterozygote, Humans, Intermediate Filament Proteins, Keratosis, Mutation, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide, RNA Splicing, Saccharomyces cerevisiae}, issn = {1537-6605}, doi = {10.1016/j.ajhg.2017.05.003}, author = {Boyden, Lynn M and Vincent, Nicholas G and Zhou, Jing and Hu, Ronghua and Craiglow, Brittany G and Bayliss, Susan J and Rosman, Ilana S and Lucky, Anne W and Diaz, Luis A and Goldsmith, Lowell A and Paller, Amy S and Lifton, Richard P and Baserga, Susan J and Choate, Keith A} } @article {19, title = {Whole-exome sequencing in the molecular diagnosis of individuals with congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract and identification of a new causative gene.}, journal = {Genet Med}, volume = {19}, year = {2017}, month = {2017 Apr}, pages = {412-420}, abstract = {

PURPOSE: To investigate the utility of whole-exome sequencing (WES) to define a molecular diagnosis for patients clinically diagnosed with congenital anomalies of kidney and urinary tract (CAKUT).

METHODS: WES was performed in 62 families with CAKUT. WES data were analyzed for single-nucleotide variants (SNVs) in 35 known CAKUT genes, putatively deleterious sequence changes in new candidate genes, and potentially disease-associated copy-number variants (CNVs).

RESULTS: In approximately 5\% of families, pathogenic SNVs were identified in PAX2, HNF1B, and EYA1. Observed phenotypes in these families expand the current understanding about the role of these genes in CAKUT. Four pathogenic CNVs were also identified using two CNV detection tools. In addition, we found one deleterious de novo SNV in FOXP1 among the 62 families with CAKUT. The clinical database of the Baylor Miraca Genetics laboratory was queried and seven additional unrelated individuals with novel de novo SNVs in FOXP1 were identified. Six of these eight individuals with FOXP1 SNVs have syndromic urinary tract defects, implicating this gene in urinary tract development.

CONCLUSION: We conclude that WES can be used to identify molecular etiology (SNVs, CNVs) in a subset of individuals with CAKUT. WES can also help identify novel CAKUT genes.Genet Med 19 4, 412-420.

}, keywords = {Adolescent, Child, Child, Preschool, DNA Copy Number Variations, Exome Sequencing, Female, Forkhead Transcription Factors, Genetic Predisposition to Disease, Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 1-beta, Humans, Infant, Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins, Male, Nuclear Proteins, PAX2 Transcription Factor, Pedigree, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide, Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases, Repressor Proteins, Urogenital Abnormalities, Vesico-Ureteral Reflux, Young Adult}, issn = {1530-0366}, doi = {10.1038/gim.2016.131}, author = {Bekheirnia, Mir Reza and Bekheirnia, Nasim and Bainbridge, Matthew N and Gu, Shen and Coban Akdemir, Zeynep Hande and Gambin, Tomek and Janzen, Nicolette K and Jhangiani, Shalini N and Muzny, Donna M and Michael, Mini and Brewer, Eileen D and Elenberg, Ewa and Kale, Arundhati S and Riley, Alyssa A and Swartz, Sarah J and Scott, Daryl A and Yang, Yaping and Srivaths, Poyyapakkam R and Wenderfer, Scott E and Bodurtha, Joann and Applegate, Carolyn D and Velinov, Milen and Myers, Angela and Borovik, Lior and Craigen, William J and Hanchard, Neil A and Rosenfeld, Jill A and Lewis, Richard Alan and Gonzales, Edmond T and Gibbs, Richard A and Belmont, John W and Roth, David R and Eng, Christine and Braun, Michael C and Lupski, James R and Lamb, Dolores J} } @article {39, title = {Exome sequencing in mostly consanguineous Arab families with neurologic disease provides a high potential molecular diagnosis rate.}, journal = {BMC Med Genomics}, volume = {9}, year = {2016}, month = {2016 Jul 19}, pages = {42}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: Neurodevelopment is orchestrated by a wide range of genes, and the genetic causes of neurodevelopmental disorders are thus heterogeneous. We applied whole exome sequencing (WES) for molecular diagnosis and in silico analysis to identify novel disease gene candidates in a cohort from Saudi Arabia with primarily Mendelian neurologic diseases.

METHODS: We performed WES in 31 mostly consanguineous Arab families and analyzed both single nucleotide and copy number variants (CNVs) from WES data. Interaction/expression network and pathway analyses, as well as paralog studies were utilized to investigate potential pathogenicity and disease association of novel candidate genes. Additional cases for candidate genes were identified through the clinical WES database at Baylor Miraca Genetics Laboratories and GeneMatcher.

RESULTS: We found known pathogenic or novel variants in known disease genes with phenotypic expansion in 6 families, disease-associated CNVs in 2 families, and 12 novel disease gene candidates in 11 families, including KIF5B, GRM7, FOXP4, MLLT1, and KDM2B. Overall, a potential molecular diagnosis was provided by variants in known disease genes in 17 families (54.8~\%) and by novel candidate disease genes in an additional 11 families, making the potential molecular diagnostic rate ~90~\%.

CONCLUSIONS: Molecular diagnostic rate from WES is improved by exome-predicted CNVs. Novel candidate disease gene discovery is facilitated by paralog studies and through the use of informatics tools and available databases to identify additional evidence for pathogenicity.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: Not applicable.

}, keywords = {Arabs, Cohort Studies, Consanguinity, Data Mining, Databases, Genetic, DNA Copy Number Variations, Exome, Female, High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing, Humans, Male, Molecular Diagnostic Techniques, Nervous System Diseases, Pedigree, Phenotype, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide, Sequence Analysis, DNA}, issn = {1755-8794}, doi = {10.1186/s12920-016-0208-3}, author = {Charng, Wu-Lin and Karaca, Ender and Coban Akdemir, Zeynep and Gambin, Tomasz and Atik, Mehmed M and Gu, Shen and Posey, Jennifer E and Jhangiani, Shalini N and Muzny, Donna M and Doddapaneni, Harsha and Hu, Jianhong and Boerwinkle, Eric and Gibbs, Richard A and Rosenfeld, Jill A and Cui, Hong and Xia, Fan and Manickam, Kandamurugu and Yang, Yaping and Faqeih, Eissa A and Al Asmari, Ali and Saleh, Mohammed A M and El-Hattab, Ayman W and Lupski, James R} } @article {71, title = {Genome-Wide Association and Exome Sequencing Study of Language Disorder in an Isolated Population.}, journal = {Pediatrics}, volume = {137}, year = {2016}, month = {2016 04}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Developmental language disorder (DLD) is a highly prevalent neurodevelopmental disorder associated with negative outcomes in different domains; the etiology of DLD is unknown. To investigate the genetic underpinnings of DLD, we performed genome-wide association and whole exome sequencing studies in a geographically isolated population with a substantially elevated prevalence of the disorder (ie, the AZ sample).

METHODS: DNA samples were collected from 359 individuals for the genome-wide association study and from 12 severely affected individuals for whole exome sequencing. Multifaceted phenotypes, representing major domains of expressive language functioning, were derived from collected speech samples.

RESULTS: Gene-based analyses revealed a significant association between SETBP1 and complexity of linguistic output (P = 5.47 {\texttimes} 10(-7)). The analysis of exome variants revealed coding sequence variants in 14 genes, most of which play a role in neural development. Targeted enrichment analysis implicated myocyte enhancer factor-2 (MEF2)-regulated genes in DLD in the AZ population. The main findings were successfully replicated in an independent cohort of children at risk for related disorders (n = 372).

CONCLUSIONS: MEF2-regulated pathways were identified as potential candidate pathways in the etiology of DLD. Several genes (including the candidate SETBP1 and other MEF2-related genes) seem to jointly influence certain, but not all, facets of the DLD phenotype. Even when genetic and environmental diversity is reduced, DLD is best conceptualized as etiologically complex. Future research should establish whether the signals detected in the AZ population can be replicated in other samples and languages and provide further characterization of the identified pathway.

}, keywords = {Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Child, Child, Preschool, Exome, Genome-Wide Association Study, Humans, Language Disorders, Middle Aged, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide, Russia, Sequence Analysis, DNA, Young Adult}, issn = {1098-4275}, doi = {10.1542/peds.2015-2469}, author = {Kornilov, Sergey A and Rakhlin, Natalia and Koposov, Roman and Lee, Maria and Yrigollen, Carolyn and {\c C}a{\u g}layan, Ahmet Okay and Magnuson, James S and Mane, Shrikant and Chang, Joseph T and Grigorenko, Elena L} } @article {13, title = {A genome-wide association study of congenital cardiovascular left-sided lesions shows association with a locus on chromosome 20.}, journal = {Hum Mol Genet}, volume = {25}, year = {2016}, month = {2016 06 01}, pages = {2331-2341}, abstract = {

Congenital heart defects involving left-sided lesions (LSLs) are relatively common birth defects with substantial morbidity and mortality. Previous studies have suggested a high heritability with a complex genetic architecture, such that only a few LSL loci have been identified. We performed a genome-wide case-control association study to address the role of common variants using a discovery cohort of 778 cases and 2756 controls. We identified a genome-wide significant association mapping to a 200 kb region on chromosome 20q11 [P= 1.72 {\texttimes} 10 for rs3746446; imputed Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) rs6088703 P= 3.01 {\texttimes} 10, odds ratio (OR)= 1.6 for both]. This result was supported by transmission disequilibrium analyses using a subset of 541 case families (lowest P in region= 4.51 {\texttimes} 10, OR= 1.5). Replication in a cohort of 367 LSL cases and 5159 controls showed nominal association (P= 0.03 for rs3746446) resulting in P= 9.49 {\texttimes} 10 for rs3746446 upon meta-analysis of the combined cohorts. In addition, a group of seven SNPs on chromosome 1q21.3 met threshold for suggestive association (lowest P= 9.35 {\texttimes} 10 for rs12045807). Both regions include genes involved in cardiac development-MYH7B/miR499A on chromosome 20 and CTSK, CTSS and ARNT on chromosome 1. Genome-wide heritability analysis using case-control genotyped SNPs suggested that the mean heritability of LSLs attributable to common variants is moderately high ([Formula: see text] range= 0.26-0.34) and consistent with previous assertions. These results provide evidence for the role of common variation in LSLs, proffer new genes as potential biological candidates, and give further insight to the complex genetic architecture of congenital heart disease.

}, keywords = {Chromosome Mapping, Chromosomes, Human, Pair 20, Cohort Studies, Female, Genetic Predisposition to Disease, Genome-Wide Association Study, Genotype, Heart Defects, Congenital, Heart Ventricles, Humans, Male, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide}, issn = {1460-2083}, doi = {10.1093/hmg/ddw071}, author = {Hanchard, Neil A and Swaminathan, Shanker and Bucasas, Kristine and Furthner, Dieter and Fernbach, Susan and Azamian, Mahshid S and Wang, Xueqing and Lewin, Mark and Towbin, Jeffrey A and D{\textquoteright}Alessandro, Lisa C A and Morris, Shaine A and Dreyer, William and Denfield, Susan and Ayres, Nancy A and Franklin, Wayne J and Justino, Henri and Lantin-Hermoso, M Regina and Ocampo, Elena C and Santos, Alexia B and Parekh, Dhaval and Moodie, Douglas and Jeewa, Aamir and Lawrence, Emily and Allen, Hugh D and Penny, Daniel J and Fraser, Charles D and Lupski, James R and Popoola, Mojisola and Wadhwa, Lalita and Brook, J David and Bu{\textquoteright}Lock, Frances A and Bhattacharya, Shoumo and Lalani, Seema R and Zender, Gloria A and Fitzgerald-Butt, Sara M and Bowman, Jessica and Corsmeier, Don and White, Peter and Lecerf, Kelsey and Zapata, Gladys and Hernandez, Patricia and Goodship, Judith A and Garg, Vidu and Keavney, Bernard D and Leal, Suzanne M and Cordell, Heather J and Belmont, John W and McBride, Kim L} } @article {373, title = {Identification of Rare Variants in Metabolites of the Carnitine Pathway by Whole Genome Sequencing Analysis.}, journal = {Genet Epidemiol}, volume = {40}, year = {2016}, month = {2016 09}, pages = {486-91}, abstract = {

We use whole genome sequence data and rare variant analysis methods to investigate a subset of the human serum metabolome, including 16 carnitine-related metabolites that are important components of mammalian energy metabolism. Medium pass sequence data consisting of 12,820,347 rare variants and serum metabolomics data were available on 1,456 individuals. By applying a penalization method, we identified two genes FGF8 and MDGA2 with significant effects on lysine and cis-4-decenoylcarnitine, respectively, using Δ-AIC and likelihood ratio test statistics. Single variant analyses in these regions did not identify a single low-frequency variant (minor allele count > 3) responsible for the underlying signal. The results demonstrate the utility of whole genome sequence and innovative analyses for identifying candidate regions influencing complex phenotypes.

}, keywords = {Biomarkers, Carnitine, Female, Fibroblast Growth Factor 8, Genetic Variation, GPI-Linked Proteins, High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing, Humans, Linkage Disequilibrium, Lysine, Male, Metabolomics, Middle Aged, Neural Cell Adhesion Molecules, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide, Sequence Analysis, DNA}, issn = {1098-2272}, doi = {10.1002/gepi.21980}, author = {Yazdani, Akram and Yazdani, Azam and Liu, Xiaoming and Boerwinkle, Eric} } @article {639, title = {Keratoacanthoma Shares Driver Mutations with Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma.}, journal = {J Invest Dermatol}, volume = {136}, year = {2016}, month = {2016 08}, pages = {1737-1741}, keywords = {Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Biomarkers, Tumor, Biopsy, Carcinoma, Squamous Cell, Cohort Studies, Diagnosis, Differential, Exome, Female, Humans, Keratoacanthoma, Loss of Heterozygosity, Male, Middle Aged, Mutation, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide, Skin, Skin Neoplasms, Whole Exome Sequencing}, issn = {1523-1747}, doi = {10.1016/j.jid.2016.04.002}, author = {Lim, Young H and Fisher, Jonathan M and Bosenberg, Marcus W and Choate, Keith A and Ko, Christine J} } @article {535, title = {Localized structural frustration for evaluating the impact of sequence variants.}, journal = {Nucleic Acids Res}, volume = {44}, year = {2016}, month = {2016 12 01}, pages = {10062-10073}, abstract = {

Population-scale sequencing is increasingly uncovering large numbers of rare single-nucleotide variants (SNVs) in coding regions of the genome. The rarity of these variants makes it challenging to evaluate their deleteriousness with conventional phenotype-genotype associations. Protein structures provide a way of addressing this challenge. Previous efforts have focused on globally quantifying the impact of SNVs on protein stability. However, local perturbations may severely impact protein functionality without strongly disrupting global stability (e.g. in relation to catalysis or allostery). Here, we describe a workflow in which localized frustration, quantifying unfavorable local interactions, is employed as a metric to investigate such effects. Using this workflow on the Protein Databank, we find that frustration produces many immediately intuitive results: for instance, disease-related SNVs create stronger changes in localized frustration than non-disease related variants, and rare SNVs tend to disrupt local interactions to a larger extent than common variants. Less obviously, we observe that somatic SNVs associated with oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes (TSGs) induce very different changes in frustration. In particular, those associated with TSGs change the frustration more in the core than the surface (by introducing loss-of-function events), whereas those associated with oncogenes manifest the opposite pattern, creating gain-of-function events.

}, keywords = {Computational Biology, Databases, Protein, Evolution, Molecular, Genes, Tumor Suppressor, Genetic Variation, Humans, Neoplasms, Oncogenes, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide, Proteins, Workflow}, issn = {1362-4962}, doi = {10.1093/nar/gkw927}, author = {Kumar, Sushant and Clarke, Declan and Gerstein, Mark} } @article {83, title = {Mitral regurgitation as a phenotypic manifestation of nonphotosensitive trichothiodystrophy due to a splice variant in MPLKIP.}, journal = {BMC Med Genet}, volume = {17}, year = {2016}, month = {2016 Feb 16}, pages = {13}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: Nonphotosensitive trichothiodystrophy (TTDN) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder of neuroectodermal origin. The condition is marked by hair abnormalities, intellectual impairment, nail dystrophies and susceptibility to infections but with no UV sensitivity.

METHODS: We identified three consanguineous Pakistani families with varied TTDN features and used homozygosity mapping, linkage analysis, and Sanger and exome sequencing in order to identify pathogenic variants. Haplotype analysis was performed and haplotype age estimated. A splicing assay was used to validate the effect of the MPLKIP splice variant on expression.

RESULTS: Affected individuals from all families exhibit several TTDN features along with a heart-specific feature, i.e. mitral regurgitation. Exome sequencing in the probands from families ED168 and ED241 identified a homozygous splice mutation c.339 + 1G > A within MPLKIP. The same splice variant co-segregates with TTDN in a third family ED210. The MPLKIP splice variant was not found in public databases, e.g. the Exome Aggregation Consortium, and in unrelated Pakistani controls. Functional analysis of the splice variant confirmed intron retention, which leads to protein truncation and loss of a phosphorylation site. Haplotype analysis identified a 585.1-kb haplotype which includes the MPLKIP variant, supporting the existence of a founder haplotype that is estimated to be 25,900 years old.

CONCLUSION: This study extends the allelic and phenotypic spectra of MPLKIP-related TTDN, to include a splice variant that causes cardiomyopathy as part of the TTDN phenotype.

}, keywords = {Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing, Adolescent, Adult, Alleles, Asian Continental Ancestry Group, Child, Cloning, Molecular, Exome, Female, Genetic Linkage, Haplotypes, HEK293 Cells, Homozygote, Humans, Introns, Male, Mitral Valve Insufficiency, Pakistan, Pedigree, Phenotype, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide, RNA Splicing, Sequence Analysis, DNA, Trichothiodystrophy Syndromes, Young Adult}, issn = {1471-2350}, doi = {10.1186/s12881-016-0275-5}, author = {Shah, Khadim and Ali, Raja Hussain and Ansar, Muhammad and Lee, Kwanghyuk and Chishti, Muhammad Salman and Abbe, Izoduwa and Li, Biao and Smith, Joshua D and Nickerson, Deborah A and Shendure, Jay and Coucke, Paul J and Steyaert, Wouter and Bamshad, Michael J and Santos-Cortez, Regie Lyn P and Leal, Suzanne M and Ahmad, Wasim} } @article {127, title = {Novel genetic causes for cerebral visual impairment.}, journal = {Eur J Hum Genet}, volume = {24}, year = {2016}, month = {2016 May}, pages = {660-5}, abstract = {

Cerebral visual impairment (CVI) is a major cause of low vision in children due to impairment in projection and/or interpretation of the visual input in the brain. Although acquired causes for CVI are well known, genetic causes underlying CVI are largely unidentified. DNAs of 25 patients with CVI and intellectual disability, but without acquired (eg, perinatal) damage, were investigated by whole-exome sequencing. The data were analyzed for de novo, autosomal-recessive, and X-linked variants, and subsequently classified into known, candidate, or unlikely to be associated with CVI. This classification was based on the Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man database, literature reports, variant characteristics, and functional relevance of the gene. After classification, variants in four genes known to be associated with CVI (AHDC1, NGLY1, NR2F1, PGAP1) in 5 patients (20\%) were identified, establishing a conclusive genetic diagnosis for CVI. In addition, in 11 patients (44\%) with CVI, variants in one or more candidate genes were identified (ACP6, AMOT, ARHGEF10L, ATP6V1A, DCAF6, DLG4, GABRB2, GRIN1, GRIN2B, KCNQ3, KCTD19, RERE, SLC1A1, SLC25A16, SLC35A2, SOX5, UFSP2, UHMK1, ZFP30). Our findings show that diverse genetic causes underlie CVI, some of which will provide insight into the biology underlying this disease process.

}, keywords = {Adolescent, Blindness, Cortical, Child, Child, Preschool, Female, Genetic Loci, Humans, Male, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide, Young Adult}, issn = {1476-5438}, doi = {10.1038/ejhg.2015.186}, author = {Bosch, Dani{\"e}lle G M and Boonstra, F Nienke and de Leeuw, Nicole and Pfundt, Rolph and Nillesen, Willy M and de Ligt, Joep and Gilissen, Christian and Jhangiani, Shalini and Lupski, James R and Cremers, Frans P M and de Vries, Bert B A} } @article {21, title = {Recurrent De Novo and Biallelic Variation of ATAD3A, Encoding a Mitochondrial Membrane Protein, Results in Distinct Neurological Syndromes.}, journal = {Am J Hum Genet}, volume = {99}, year = {2016}, month = {2016 Oct 06}, pages = {831-845}, abstract = {

ATPase family AAA-domain containing protein 3A (ATAD3A) is a nuclear-encoded mitochondrial membrane protein implicated in mitochondrial dynamics, nucleoid organization, protein translation, cell growth, and cholesterol metabolism. We identified a recurrent de novo ATAD3A c.1582C>T (p.Arg528Trp) variant by whole-exome sequencing (WES) in five unrelated individuals with a core phenotype of global developmental delay, hypotonia, optic atrophy, axonal neuropathy, and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. We also describe two families with biallelic variants in ATAD3A, including a homozygous variant in two siblings, and biallelic ATAD3A deletions mediated by nonallelic homologous recombination (NAHR) between ATAD3A and gene family members ATAD3B and ATAD3C. Tissue-specific overexpression of bor, the Drosophila mutation homologous to the human c.1582C>T (p.Arg528Trp) variant, resulted in a dramatic decrease in mitochondrial content, aberrant mitochondrial morphology, and increased autophagy. Homozygous null bor larvae showed a significant decrease of mitochondria, while overexpression of bor resulted in larger, elongated mitochondria. Finally, fibroblasts of an affected individual exhibited increased mitophagy. We conclude that the p.Arg528Trp variant functions through a dominant-negative mechanism that results in small mitochondria that trigger mitophagy, resulting in a reduction in mitochondrial content. ATAD3A variation represents an additional link between mitochondrial dynamics and recognizable neurological syndromes, as seen with MFN2, OPA1, DNM1L, and STAT2 mutations.

}, keywords = {Adenosine Triphosphatases, Adult, Alleles, Animals, ATPases Associated with Diverse Cellular Activities, Axons, Cardiomyopathies, Child, Child, Preschool, Developmental Disabilities, DNA Copy Number Variations, Drosophila melanogaster, Female, Fibroblasts, Homozygote, Humans, Infant, Infant, Newborn, Male, Membrane Proteins, Mitochondria, Mitochondrial Proteins, Muscle Hypotonia, Muscles, Mutation, Nervous System Diseases, Neurons, Optic Atrophy, Phenotype, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide, Syndrome, Young Adult}, issn = {1537-6605}, doi = {10.1016/j.ajhg.2016.08.007}, author = {Harel, Tamar and Yoon, Wan Hee and Garone, Caterina and Gu, Shen and Coban-Akdemir, Zeynep and Eldomery, Mohammad K and Posey, Jennifer E and Jhangiani, Shalini N and Rosenfeld, Jill A and Cho, Megan T and Fox, Stephanie and Withers, Marjorie and Brooks, Stephanie M and Chiang, Theodore and Duraine, Lita and Erdin, Serkan and Yuan, Bo and Shao, Yunru and Moussallem, Elie and Lamperti, Costanza and Donati, Maria A and Smith, Joshua D and McLaughlin, Heather M and Eng, Christine M and Walkiewicz, Magdalena and Xia, Fan and Pippucci, Tommaso and Magini, Pamela and Seri, Marco and Zeviani, Massimo and Hirano, Michio and Hunter, Jill V and Srour, Myriam and Zanigni, Stefano and Lewis, Richard Alan and Muzny, Donna M and Lotze, Timothy E and Boerwinkle, Eric and Gibbs, Richard A and Hickey, Scott E and Graham, Brett H and Yang, Yaping and Buhas, Daniela and Martin, Donna M and Potocki, Lorraine and Graziano, Claudio and Bellen, Hugo J and Lupski, James R} } @article {345, title = {The role of combined SNV and CNV burden in patients with distal symmetric polyneuropathy.}, journal = {Genet Med}, volume = {18}, year = {2016}, month = {2016 05}, pages = {443-51}, abstract = {

PURPOSE: Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease is a heterogeneous group of genetic disorders of the peripheral nervous system. Copy-number variants (CNVs) contribute significantly to CMT, as duplication of PMP22 underlies the majority of CMT1 cases. We hypothesized that CNVs and/or single-nucleotide variants (SNVs) might exist in patients with CMT with an unknown molecular genetic etiology.

METHODS: Two hundred patients with CMT, negative for both SNV mutations in several CMT genes and for CNVs involving PMP22, were screened for CNVs by high-resolution oligonucleotide array comparative genomic hybridization. Whole-exome sequencing was conducted on individuals with rare, potentially pathogenic CNVs.

RESULTS: Putatively causative CNVs were identified in five subjects (~2.5\%); four of the five map to known neuropathy genes. Breakpoint sequencing revealed Alu-Alu-mediated junctions as a predominant contributor. Exome sequencing identified MFN2 SNVs in two of the individuals.

CONCLUSION: Neuropathy-associated CNV outside of the PMP22 locus is rare in CMT. Nevertheless, there is potential clinical utility in testing for CNVs and exome sequencing in CMT cases negative for the CMT1A duplication. These findings suggest that complex phenotypes including neuropathy can potentially be caused by a combination of SNVs and CNVs affecting more than one disease-associated locus and contributing to a mutational burden.Genet Med 18 5, 443-451.

}, keywords = {Adult, Age of Onset, Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease, Child, Preschool, Comparative Genomic Hybridization, DNA Copy Number Variations, Exome, Female, Genetic Predisposition to Disease, GTP Phosphohydrolases, High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing, Humans, Male, Mitochondrial Proteins, Motor Neurons, Myelin P0 Protein, Myelin Proteins, Neural Conduction, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide, Polyneuropathies}, issn = {1530-0366}, doi = {10.1038/gim.2015.124}, author = {Pehlivan, Davut and Beck, Christine R and Okamoto, Yuji and Harel, Tamar and Akdemir, Zeynep H C and Jhangiani, Shalini N and Withers, Marjorie A and Goksungur, Meryem Tuba and Carvalho, Claudia M B and Czesnik, Dirk and Gonzaga-Jauregui, Claudia and Wiszniewski, Wojciech and Muzny, Donna M and Gibbs, Richard A and Rautenstrauss, Bernd and Sereda, Michael W and Lupski, James R} } @article {416, title = {Visceral myopathy: Clinical and molecular survey of a cohort of seven new patients and state of the art of overlapping phenotypes.}, journal = {Am J Med Genet A}, volume = {170}, year = {2016}, month = {2016 11}, pages = {2965-2974}, abstract = {

Visceral motility dysfunction is a key feature of genetic disorders such as megacystis-microcolon-intestinal hypoperistalsis syndrome (MMIHS, MIM moved from 249210 to 155310), chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction (CIPO, MIM609629), and multisystemic smooth muscle dysfunction syndrome (MSMDS, MIM613834). The genetic bases of these conditions recently begun to be clarified with the identification of pathogenic variants in ACTG2, ACTA2, and MYH11 in individuals with visceral motility dysfunction. The MMIHS was associated with the heterozygous variant in ACTG2 and homozygous variant in MYH11, while the heterozygous variant in ACTA2 was observed in patients with MSMDS. In this study, we describe the clinical data as well as the molecular investigation of seven individuals with visceral myopathy phenotypes. Five patients presented with MMIHS, including two siblings from consanguineous parents, one had CIPO, and the other had MSMDS. In three individuals with MMIHS and in one with CIPO we identified heterozygous variant in ACTG2, one being a novel variant (c.584C>T-p.Thr195Ile). In the individual with MSMDS we identified a heterozygous variant in ACTA2. We performed the whole-exome sequencing in one sibling with MMIHS and her parents; however, the pathogenic variant responsible for her phenotype could not be identified. These results reinforce the clinical and genetic heterogeneity of the visceral myopathies. Although many cases of MMIHS are associated with ACTG2 variants, we suggest that other genes, besides MYH11, could cause the MMIHS with autosomal recessive pattern. {\textcopyright} 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

}, keywords = {Abnormalities, Multiple, Actins, Child, Preschool, Colon, Consanguinity, DNA Mutational Analysis, Fatal Outcome, Female, Genetic Association Studies, Humans, Infant, Infant, Newborn, Intestinal Pseudo-Obstruction, Male, Mutation, Phenotype, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide, Treatment Outcome, Ultrasonography, Prenatal, Urinary Bladder}, issn = {1552-4833}, doi = {10.1002/ajmg.a.37857}, author = {Moreno, Carolina Araujo and Metze, Konradin and Lomazi, Elizete Aparecida and Bertola, D{\'e}bora Romeo and Barbosa, Ricardo Henrique Almeida and Cosentino, Viviana and Sobreira, Nara and Cavalcanti, Denise Pontes} } @article {185, title = {Absence of heterozygosity due to template switching during replicative rearrangements.}, journal = {Am J Hum Genet}, volume = {96}, year = {2015}, month = {2015 Apr 02}, pages = {555-64}, abstract = {

We investigated complex genomic rearrangements (CGRs) consisting of triplication copy-number variants (CNVs) that were accompanied by extended regions of copy-number-neutral absence of heterozygosity (AOH) in subjects with multiple congenital abnormalities. Molecular analyses provided observational evidence that in humans, post-zygotically generated CGRs can lead to regional uniparental disomy (UPD) due to template switches between homologs versus sister chromatids by using microhomology to prime DNA replication-a prediction of the replicative repair model, MMBIR. Our findings suggest that replication-based mechanisms might underlie the formation of diverse types of genomic alterations (CGRs and AOH) implicated in constitutional disorders.

}, keywords = {Base Sequence, DNA Copy Number Variations, DNA Repair, DNA Replication, Gene Rearrangement, Humans, In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence, Loss of Heterozygosity, Models, Genetic, Molecular Sequence Data, Netherlands, Polymerase Chain Reaction, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide, Sequence Analysis, DNA, Uniparental Disomy}, issn = {1537-6605}, doi = {10.1016/j.ajhg.2015.01.021}, author = {Carvalho, Claudia M B and Pfundt, Rolph and King, Daniel A and Lindsay, Sarah J and Zuccherato, Luciana W and Macville, Merryn V E and Liu, Pengfei and Johnson, Diana and Stankiewicz, Pawel and Brown, Chester W and Shaw, Chad A and Hurles, Matthew E and Ira, Grzegorz and Hastings, P J and Brunner, Han G and Lupski, James R} } @article {199, title = {Assessment of incidental findings in 232 whole-exome sequences from the Baylor-Hopkins Center for Mendelian Genomics.}, journal = {Genet Med}, volume = {17}, year = {2015}, month = {2015 Oct}, pages = {782-8}, abstract = {

PURPOSE: In March 2013 the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics published a list of 56 genes with the recommendation that pathogenic and likely pathogenic variants detected incidentally by clinical sequencing be reported to patients. As an initial step in determining the practical consequences of this recommendation in the research setting, we searched for variants in these genes in 232 whole-exome sequences from the Baylor-Hopkins Center for Mendelian Genomics.

METHODS: We identified rare, nonsynonymous, and splicing single-nucleotide variants and insertions/deletions and assessed variant classification using the Human Gene Mutation, Emory, and ClinVar databases. We analyzed the burden of mutation in each of the 56 genes and determined which variants should be reported to patients.

RESULTS: Our filtering resulted in 249 distinct variants, with a mean of 1.69 variants per individual. Half of these were novel missense mutations not classified by any of the three reference databases. Of 101 variants listed in the Human Gene Mutation Database, 48 were also in ClinVar and 3 were also in Emory; half of these shared variants were classified discordantly between databases. Some genes consistently had greater variation than others. In total, 0.86\% of individuals had a reportable incidental variant.

CONCLUSION: These observations demonstrate some current challenges of assessing phenotypic consequences of incidental variants for counseling patients.

}, keywords = {Databases, Nucleic Acid, Exome, Female, Genetic Diseases, Inborn, Genomics, High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing, Humans, Incidental Findings, Male, Mutation, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide}, issn = {1530-0366}, doi = {10.1038/gim.2014.196}, author = {Jurgens, Julie and Ling, Hua and Hetrick, Kurt and Pugh, Elizabeth and Schiettecatte, Fran{\c c}ois and Doheny, Kimberly and Hamosh, Ada and Avramopoulos, Dimitri and Valle, David and Sobreira, Nara} } @article {202, title = {Frequency and phenotypic spectrum of germline mutations in POLE and seven other polymerase genes in 266 patients with colorectal adenomas and carcinomas.}, journal = {Int J Cancer}, volume = {137}, year = {2015}, month = {2015 Jul 15}, pages = {320-31}, abstract = {

In a number of families with colorectal adenomatous polyposis or suspected Lynch syndrome/HNPCC, no germline alteration in the APC, MUTYH, or mismatch repair (MMR) genes are found. Missense mutations in the polymerase genes POLE and POLD1 have recently been identified as rare cause of multiple colorectal adenomas and carcinomas, a condition termed polymerase proofreading-associated polyposis (PPAP). The aim of the present study was to evaluate the clinical relevance and phenotypic spectrum of polymerase germline mutations. Therefore, targeted sequencing of the polymerase genes POLD1, POLD2, POLD3, POLD4, POLE, POLE2, POLE3 and POLE4 was performed in 266 unrelated patients with polyposis or fulfilled Amsterdam criteria. The POLE mutation c.1270C>G;p.Leu424Val was detected in four unrelated patients. The mutation was present in 1.5\% (4/266) of all patients, 4\% (3/77) of all familial cases and 7\% (2/30) of familial polyposis cases. The colorectal phenotype in 14 affected individuals ranged from typical adenomatous polyposis to a HNPCC phenotype, with high intrafamilial variability. Multiple colorectal carcinomas and duodenal adenomas were common, and one case of duodenal carcinoma was reported. Additionally, various extraintestinal lesions were evident. Nine further putative pathogenic variants were identified. The most promising was c.1306C>T;p.Pro436Ser in POLE. In conclusion, a PPAP was identified in a substantial number of polyposis and familial colorectal cancer patients. Screening for polymerase proofreading mutations should therefore be considered, particularly in unexplained familial cases. The present study broadens the phenotypic spectrum of PPAP to duodenal adenomas and carcinomas, and identified novel, potentially pathogenic variants in four polymerase genes.

}, keywords = {Adenoma, Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Child, Colorectal Neoplasms, DNA Polymerase II, DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase, Family Health, Female, Gene Frequency, Genetic Predisposition to Disease, Germ-Line Mutation, Humans, Isoenzymes, Male, Middle Aged, Mutation, Missense, Pedigree, Phenotype, Phospholipase D, Poly-ADP-Ribose Binding Proteins, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide, Sequence Analysis, DNA, Young Adult}, issn = {1097-0215}, doi = {10.1002/ijc.29396}, author = {Spier, Isabel and Holzapfel, Stefanie and Altm{\"u}ller, Janine and Zhao, Bixiao and Horpaopan, Sukanya and Vogt, Stefanie and Chen, Sophia and Morak, Monika and Raeder, Susanne and Kayser, Katrin and Stienen, Dietlinde and Adam, Ronja and N{\"u}rnberg, Peter and Plotz, Guido and Holinski-Feder, Elke and Lifton, Richard P and Thiele, Holger and Hoffmann, Per and Steinke, Verena and Aretz, Stefan} } @article {187, title = {Frequent somatic reversion of KRT1 mutations in ichthyosis with confetti.}, journal = {J Clin Invest}, volume = {125}, year = {2015}, month = {2015 Apr}, pages = {1703-7}, abstract = {

Widespread reversion of genetic disease is rare; however, such events are particularly evident in some skin disorders in which normal clones develop on a background of affected skin. We previously demonstrated that mutations in keratin 10 (KRT10) cause ichthyosis with confetti (IWC), a severe dominant disorder that is characterized by progressive development of hundreds of normal skin spots via revertant mosaicism. Here, we report on a clinical and histological IWC subtype in which affected subjects have red, scaly skin at birth, experience worsening palmoplantar keratoderma in childhood, and develop hundreds of normal skin spots, beginning at around 20 years of age, that increase in size and number over time. We identified a causal de novo mutation in keratin 1 (KRT1). Similar to IWC-causing KRT10 mutations, this mutation in KRT1 resulted in a C-terminal frameshift, replacing 22 C-terminal amino acids with an alternate 30-residue peptide. Mutant KRT1 caused partial collapse of the cytoplasmic intermediate filament network and mislocalized to the nucleus. As with KRT10 mutations causing IWC, reversion of KRT1 mutations occurred via mitotic recombination. Because reversion is not observed with other disease-causing keratin mutations, the results of this study implicate KRT1 and KRT10 C-terminal frameshift mutations in the high frequency of revertant mosaicism in IWC.

}, keywords = {Adult, Age of Onset, Amino Acid Sequence, Cell Line, Tumor, Cell Nucleus, Child, Child, Preschool, Chromosomes, Human, Pair 12, Cytoskeleton, Frameshift Mutation, Humans, Ichthyosis, Intermediate Filaments, Keratin-1, Keratinocytes, Loss of Heterozygosity, Male, Molecular Sequence Data, Mosaicism, Phenotype, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide, Protein Transport, Transfection}, issn = {1558-8238}, doi = {10.1172/JCI64415}, author = {Choate, Keith A and Lu, Yin and Zhou, Jing and Elias, Peter M and Zaidi, Samir and Paller, Amy S and Farhi, Anita and Nelson-Williams, Carol and Crumrine, Debra and Milstone, Leonard M and Lifton, Richard P} } @article {146, title = {GeneMatcher aids in the identification of a new malformation syndrome with intellectual disability, unique facial dysmorphisms, and skeletal and connective tissue abnormalities caused by de novo variants in HNRNPK.}, journal = {Hum Mutat}, volume = {36}, year = {2015}, month = {2015 Oct}, pages = {1009-1014}, abstract = {

We report a new syndrome due to loss-of-function variants in the heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein K gene (HNRNPK). We describe two probands: one with a de novo frameshift (NM_002140.3: c.953+1dup), and the other with a de novo splice donor site variant (NM_002140.3: c.257G>A). Both probands have intellectual disability, a shared unique craniofacial phenotype, and connective tissue and skeletal abnormalities. The identification of this syndrome was made possible by a new online tool, GeneMatcher, which facilitates connections between clinicians and researchers based on shared interest in candidate genes. This report demonstrates that new Web-based approaches can be effective in helping investigators solve exome sequencing projects, and also highlights the newer paradigm of "reverse phenotyping," where characterization of syndromic features follows the identification of genetic variants.

}, keywords = {Abnormalities, Multiple, Adolescent, Child, Craniofacial Abnormalities, Databases, Genetic, Genetic Predisposition to Disease, Heterogeneous-Nuclear Ribonucleoprotein K, Humans, Information Dissemination, Intellectual Disability, Male, Muscular Atrophy, Phenotype, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide, Ribonucleoproteins, Software, Web Browser}, issn = {1098-1004}, doi = {10.1002/humu.22837}, author = {Au, P Y Billie and You, Jing and Caluseriu, Oana and Schwartzentruber, Jeremy and Majewski, Jacek and Bernier, Francois P and Ferguson, Marcia and Valle, David and Parboosingh, Jillian S and Sobreira, Nara and Innes, A Micheil and Kline, Antonie D} } @article {182, title = {Genetic linkage analysis in the age of whole-genome sequencing.}, journal = {Nat Rev Genet}, volume = {16}, year = {2015}, month = {2015 May}, pages = {275-84}, abstract = {

For many years, linkage analysis was the primary tool used for the genetic mapping of Mendelian and complex traits with familial aggregation. Linkage analysis was largely supplanted by the wide adoption of genome-wide association studies (GWASs). However, with the recent increased use of whole-genome sequencing (WGS), linkage analysis is again emerging as an important and powerful analysis method for the identification of genes involved in disease aetiology, often in conjunction with WGS filtering approaches. Here, we review the principles of linkage analysis and provide practical guidelines for carrying out linkage studies using WGS data.

}, keywords = {Algorithms, Female, Genetic Linkage, Genome, Human, Genome-Wide Association Study, Genotyping Techniques, Humans, Lod Score, Male, Pedigree, Penetrance, Phenotype, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide, Sequence Analysis, DNA, Software}, issn = {1471-0064}, doi = {10.1038/nrg3908}, author = {Ott, Jurg and Wang, Jing and Leal, Suzanne M} } @article {237, title = {Mutations in COL27A1 cause Steel syndrome and suggest a founder mutation effect in the Puerto Rican population.}, journal = {Eur J Hum Genet}, volume = {23}, year = {2015}, month = {2015 Mar}, pages = {342-6}, abstract = {

Osteochondrodysplasias represent a large group of developmental structural disorders that can be caused by mutations in a variety of genes responsible for chondrocyte development, differentiation, mineralization and early ossification. The application of whole-exome sequencing to disorders apparently segregating as Mendelian traits has proven to be an effective approach to disease gene identification for conditions with unknown molecular etiology. We identified a homozygous missense variant p.(Gly697Arg) in COL27A1, in a family with Steel syndrome and no consanguinity. Interestingly, the identified variant seems to have arisen as a founder mutation in the Puerto Rican population.

}, keywords = {Amino Acid Sequence, Child, Preschool, Comparative Genomic Hybridization, Exome, Female, Fibrillar Collagens, Follow-Up Studies, Founder Effect, Genotype, Hispanic Americans, Humans, Infant, Male, Molecular Sequence Data, Mutation, Osteochondrodysplasias, Pedigree, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide, Prostaglandins F, Puerto Rico, Sequence Alignment}, issn = {1476-5438}, doi = {10.1038/ejhg.2014.107}, author = {Gonzaga-Jauregui, Claudia and Gamble, Candace N and Yuan, Bo and Penney, Samantha and Jhangiani, Shalini and Muzny, Donna M and Gibbs, Richard A and Lupski, James R and Hecht, Jacqueline T} } @article {151, title = {Non-coding genetic variants in human disease.}, journal = {Hum Mol Genet}, volume = {24}, year = {2015}, month = {2015 Oct 15}, pages = {R102-10}, abstract = {

Genetic variants, including single-nucleotide variants (SNVs) and copy number variants (CNVs), in the non-coding regions of the human genome can play an important role in human traits and complex diseases. Most of the genome-wide association study (GWAS) signals map to non-coding regions and potentially point to non-coding variants, whereas their functional interpretation is challenging. In this review, we discuss the human non-coding variants and their contributions to human diseases in the following four parts. (i) Functional annotations of non-coding SNPs mapped by GWAS: we discuss recent progress revealing some of the molecular mechanisms for GWAS signals affecting gene function. (ii) Technical progress in interpretation of non-coding variants: we briefly describe some of the technologies for functional annotations of non-coding variants, including the methods for genome-wide mapping of chromatin interaction, computational tools for functional predictions and the new genome editing technologies useful for dissecting potential functional consequences of non-coding variants. (iii) Non-coding CNVs in human diseases: we review our emerging understanding the role of non-coding CNVs in human disease. (iv) Compound inheritance of large genomic deletions and non-coding variants: compound inheritance at a locus consisting of coding variants plus non-coding ones is described.

}, keywords = {Animals, Disease, DNA Copy Number Variations, Genetic Variation, Genome-Wide Association Study, Humans, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide, Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid}, issn = {1460-2083}, doi = {10.1093/hmg/ddv259}, author = {Zhang, Feng and Lupski, James R} } @article {144, title = {Novel COL2A1 variant (c.619G>A, p.Gly207Arg) manifesting as a phenotype similar to progressive pseudorheumatoid dysplasia and spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia, Stanescu type.}, journal = {Hum Mutat}, volume = {36}, year = {2015}, month = {2015 Oct}, pages = {1004-8}, abstract = {

Progressive pseudorheumatoid dysplasia (PPRD) is a rare, autosomal-recessive condition characterized by mild spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia (SED) and severe, progressive, early-onset arthritis due to WISP3 mutations. SED, Stanescu type, is a vaguely delineated autosomal-dominant dysplasia of unknown genetic etiology. Here, we report three individuals from two unrelated families with radiological features similar to PPRD and SED, Stanescu type who share the same novel COL2A1 variant and were matched following discussion at an academic conference. In the first family, we performed whole-exome sequencing on three family members, two of whom have a PPRD-like phenotype, and identified a heterozygous variant (c.619G>A, p.Gly207Arg) in both affected individuals. Independently, targeted sequencing of the COL2A1 gene in an unrelated proband with a similar phenotype identified the same heterozygous variant. We suggest that the p.Gly207Arg variant causes a distinct type II collagenopathy with features of PPRD and SED, Stanescu type.

}, keywords = {Adolescent, Adult, Child, Collagen Type II, Exome, Female, Humans, Joint Diseases, Male, Osteochondrodysplasias, Pedigree, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide, Radiography, Sequence Analysis, DNA}, issn = {1098-1004}, doi = {10.1002/humu.22839}, author = {Jurgens, Julie and Sobreira, Nara and Modaff, Peggy and Reiser, Catherine A and Seo, Soo Hyun and Seong, Moon-Woo and Park, Sung Sup and Kim, Ok Hwa and Cho, Tae-Joon and Pauli, Richard M} } @article {106, title = {Safety and Proof-of-Concept Study of Oral QLT091001 in Retinitis Pigmentosa Due to Inherited Deficiencies of Retinal Pigment Epithelial 65 Protein (RPE65) or Lecithin:Retinol Acyltransferase (LRAT).}, journal = {PLoS One}, volume = {10}, year = {2015}, month = {2015}, pages = {e0143846}, abstract = {

UNLABELLED: Restoring vision in inherited retinal degenerations remains an unmet medical need. In mice exhibiting a genetically engineered block of the visual cycle, vision was recently successfully restored by oral administration of 9-cis-retinyl acetate (QLT091001). Safety and visual outcomes of a once-daily oral dose of 40 mg/m2/day QLT091001 for 7 consecutive days was investigated in an international, multi-center, open-label, proof-of-concept study in 18 patients with RPE65- or LRAT-related retinitis pigmentosa. Eight of 18 patients (44\%) showed a >=20\% increase and 4 of 18 (22\%) showed a >=40\% increase in functional retinal area determined from Goldmann visual fields; 12 (67\%) and 5 (28\%) of 18 patients showed a >=5 and >=10 ETDRS letter score increase of visual acuity, respectively, in one or both eyes at two or more visits within 2 months of treatment. In two patients who underwent fMRI, a significant positive response was measured to stimuli of medium contrast, moving, pattern targets in both left and right hemispheres of the occipital cortex. There were no serious adverse events. Treatment-related adverse events were transient and the most common included headache, photophobia, nausea, vomiting, and minor biochemical abnormalities. Measuring the outer segment length of the photoreceptor layer with high-definition optical coherence tomography was highly predictive of treatment responses with responders having a significantly larger baseline outer segment thickness (11.7 {\textpm} 4.8 μm, mean {\textpm} 95\% CI) than non-responders (3.5 {\textpm} 1.2 μm). This structure-function relationship suggests that treatment with QLT091001 is more likely to be efficacious if there is sufficient photoreceptor integrity.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01014052.

}, keywords = {Acyltransferases, Administration, Oral, Adult, Anticarcinogenic Agents, Cerebral Cortex, Child, cis-trans-Isomerases, Drug Dosage Calculations, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide, Radiography, Retinal Ganglion Cells, Retinal Neurons, Retinitis Pigmentosa, Treatment Outcome, Visual Acuity, Visual Fields, Vitamin A, Young Adult}, issn = {1932-6203}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0143846}, author = {Scholl, Hendrik P N and Moore, Anthony T and Koenekoop, Robert K and Wen, Yuquan and Fishman, Gerald A and van den Born, L Ingeborgh and Bittner, Ava and Bowles, Kristen and Fletcher, Emily C and Collison, Frederick T and Dagnelie, Gislin and Degli Eposti, Simona and Michaelides, Michel and Saperstein, David A and Schuchard, Ronald A and Barnes, Claire and Zein, Wadih and Zobor, Ditta and Birch, David G and Mendola, Janine D and Zrenner, Eberhart} } @article {169, title = {Somatic mosaicism: implications for disease and transmission genetics.}, journal = {Trends Genet}, volume = {31}, year = {2015}, month = {2015 Jul}, pages = {382-92}, abstract = {

Nearly all of the genetic material among cells within an organism is identical. However, single-nucleotide variants (SNVs), small insertions/deletions (indels), copy-number variants (CNVs), and other structural variants (SVs) continually accumulate as cells divide during development. This process results in an organism composed of countless cells, each with its own unique personal genome. Thus, every human is undoubtedly mosaic. Mosaic mutations can go unnoticed, underlie genetic disease or normal human variation, and may be transmitted to the next generation as constitutional variants. We review the influence of the developmental timing of mutations, the mechanisms by which they arise, methods for detecting mosaic variants, and the risk of passing these mutations on to the next generation.

}, keywords = {Animals, Genetic Diseases, Inborn, Genome, Human, Humans, Mosaicism, Mutagenesis, Insertional, Mutation, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide, Risk, Trinucleotide Repeat Expansion}, issn = {0168-9525}, doi = {10.1016/j.tig.2015.03.013}, author = {Campbell, Ian M and Shaw, Chad A and Stankiewicz, Pawel and Lupski, James R} } @article {266, title = {A general framework for estimating the relative pathogenicity of human genetic variants.}, journal = {Nat Genet}, volume = {46}, year = {2014}, month = {2014 Mar}, pages = {310-5}, abstract = {

Current methods for annotating and interpreting human genetic variation tend to exploit a single information type (for example, conservation) and/or are restricted in scope (for example, to missense changes). Here we describe Combined Annotation-Dependent Depletion (CADD), a method for objectively integrating many diverse annotations into a single measure (C score) for each variant. We implement CADD as a support vector machine trained to differentiate 14.7 million high-frequency human-derived alleles from 14.7 million simulated variants. We precompute C scores for all 8.6 billion possible human single-nucleotide variants and enable scoring of short insertions-deletions. C scores correlate with allelic diversity, annotations of functionality, pathogenicity, disease severity, experimentally measured regulatory effects and complex trait associations, and they highly rank known pathogenic variants within individual genomes. The ability of CADD to prioritize functional, deleterious and pathogenic variants across many functional categories, effect sizes and genetic architectures is unmatched by any current single-annotation method.

}, keywords = {Genetic Variation, Genome, Human, Genome-Wide Association Study, Humans, INDEL Mutation, Models, Genetic, Molecular Sequence Annotation, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide, Selection, Genetic, Support Vector Machine}, issn = {1546-1718}, doi = {10.1038/ng.2892}, author = {Kircher, Martin and Witten, Daniela M and Jain, Preti and O{\textquoteright}Roak, Brian J and Cooper, Gregory M and Shendure, Jay} } @article {225, title = {Increased frequency of de novo copy number variants in congenital heart disease by integrative analysis of single nucleotide polymorphism array and exome sequence data.}, journal = {Circ Res}, volume = {115}, year = {2014}, month = {2014 Oct 24}, pages = {884-896}, abstract = {

RATIONALE: Congenital heart disease (CHD) is among the most common birth defects. Most cases are of unknown pathogenesis.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the contribution of de novo copy number variants (CNVs) in the pathogenesis of sporadic CHD.

METHODS AND RESULTS: We studied 538 CHD trios using genome-wide dense single nucleotide polymorphism arrays and whole exome sequencing. Results were experimentally validated using digital droplet polymerase chain reaction. We compared validated CNVs in CHD cases with CNVs in 1301 healthy control trios. The 2 complementary high-resolution technologies identified 63 validated de novo CNVs in 51 CHD cases. A significant increase in CNV burden was observed when comparing CHD trios with healthy trios, using either single nucleotide polymorphism array (P=7{\texttimes}10(-5); odds ratio, 4.6) or whole exome sequencing data (P=6{\texttimes}10(-4); odds ratio, 3.5) and remained after removing 16\% of de novo CNV loci previously reported as pathogenic (P=0.02; odds ratio, 2.7). We observed recurrent de novo CNVs on 15q11.2 encompassing CYFIP1, NIPA1, and NIPA2 and single de novo CNVs encompassing DUSP1, JUN, JUP, MED15, MED9, PTPRE SREBF1, TOP2A, and ZEB2, genes that interact with established CHD proteins NKX2-5 and GATA4. Integrating de novo variants in whole exome sequencing and CNV data suggests that ETS1 is the pathogenic gene altered by 11q24.2-q25 deletions in Jacobsen syndrome and that CTBP2 is the pathogenic gene in 10q subtelomeric deletions.

CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrate a significantly increased frequency of rare de novo CNVs in CHD patients compared with healthy controls and suggest several novel genetic loci for CHD.

}, keywords = {Case-Control Studies, Cohort Studies, DNA Copy Number Variations, Exome, Gene Frequency, Gene Regulatory Networks, Heart Defects, Congenital, Humans, Molecular Sequence Data, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide}, issn = {1524-4571}, doi = {10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.115.304458}, author = {Glessner, Joseph T and Bick, Alexander G and Ito, Kaoru and Homsy, Jason and Rodriguez-Murillo, Laura and Fromer, Menachem and Mazaika, Erica and Vardarajan, Badri and Italia, Michael and Leipzig, Jeremy and DePalma, Steven R and Golhar, Ryan and Sanders, Stephan J and Yamrom, Boris and Ronemus, Michael and Iossifov, Ivan and Willsey, A Jeremy and State, Matthew W and Kaltman, Jonathan R and White, Peter S and Shen, Yufeng and Warburton, Dorothy and Brueckner, Martina and Seidman, Christine and Goldmuntz, Elizabeth and Gelb, Bruce D and Lifton, Richard and Seidman, Jonathan and Hakonarson, Hakon and Chung, Wendy K} } @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} } @article {274, title = {Mutations in TBC1D24, a gene associated with epilepsy, also cause nonsyndromic deafness DFNB86.}, journal = {Am J Hum Genet}, volume = {94}, year = {2014}, month = {2014 Jan 02}, pages = {144-52}, abstract = {

Inherited deafness is clinically and genetically heterogeneous. We recently mapped DFNB86, a locus associated with nonsyndromic deafness, to chromosome 16p. In this study, whole-exome sequencing was performed with genomic DNA from affected individuals from three large consanguineous families in which markers linked to DFNB86 segregate with profound deafness. Analyses of these data revealed homozygous mutation c.208G>T (p.Asp70Tyr) or c.878G>C (p.Arg293Pro) in TBC1D24 as the underlying cause of deafness in the three families. Sanger sequence analysis of TBC1D24 in an additional large family in which deafness segregates with DFNB86 identified the c.208G>T (p.Asp70Tyr) substitution. These mutations affect TBC1D24 amino acid residues that are conserved in orthologs ranging from fruit fly to human. Neither variant was observed in databases of single-nucleotide variants or in 634 chromosomes from ethnically matched control subjects. TBC1D24 in the mouse inner ear was immunolocalized predominantly to spiral ganglion neurons, indicating that DFNB86 deafness might be an auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder. Previously, six recessive mutations in TBC1D24 were reported to cause seizures (hearing loss was not reported) ranging in severity from epilepsy with otherwise normal development to epileptic encephalopathy resulting in childhood death. Two of our four families in which deafness segregates with mutant alleles of TBC1D24 were available for neurological examination. Cosegregation of epilepsy and deafness was not observed in these two families. Although the causal relationship between genotype and phenotype is not presently understood, our findings, combined with published data, indicate that recessive alleles of TBC1D24 can cause either epilepsy or nonsyndromic deafness.

}, keywords = {Alleles, Amino Acid Sequence, Carrier Proteins, Chromosomes, Human, Pair 16, Consanguinity, Deafness, Epilepsy, Exome, Exons, Female, Genes, Recessive, Genetic Loci, Genome-Wide Association Study, Heterozygote, Homozygote, Humans, Male, Molecular Sequence Data, Mutation, Pakistan, Pedigree, Phenotype, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide, RNA, Messenger, Sequence Analysis, DNA}, issn = {1537-6605}, doi = {10.1016/j.ajhg.2013.12.004}, author = {Rehman, Atteeq U and Santos-Cortez, Regie Lyn P and Morell, Robert J and Drummond, Meghan C and Ito, Taku and Lee, Kwanghyuk and Khan, Asma A and Basra, Muhammad Asim R and Wasif, Naveed and Ayub, Muhammad and Ali, Rana A and Raza, Syed I and Nickerson, Deborah A and Shendure, Jay and Bamshad, Michael and Riazuddin, Saima and Billington, Neil and Khan, Shaheen N and Friedman, Penelope L and Griffith, Andrew J and Ahmad, Wasim and Riazuddin, Sheikh and Leal, Suzanne M and Friedman, Thomas B} } @article {280, title = {Effect of catechol-o-methyltransferase-gene (COMT) variants on experimental and acute postoperative pain in 1,000 women undergoing surgery for breast cancer.}, journal = {Anesthesiology}, volume = {119}, year = {2013}, month = {2013 Dec}, pages = {1422-33}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) metabolizes catecholamines in different tissues. Polymorphisms in COMT gene can attenuate COMT activity and increase sensitivity to pain. Human studies exploring the effect of COMT polymorphisms on pain sensitivity have mostly included small, heterogeneous samples and have ignored several important single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). This study examines the effect of COMT polymorphisms on experimental and postoperative pain phenotypes in a large ethnically homogeneous female patient cohort.

METHODS: Intensity of cold (+2-4{\textdegree}C) and heat (+48{\textdegree}C) pain and tolerance to cold pain were assessed in 1,000 patients scheduled for breast cancer surgery. Acute postoperative pain and oxycodone requirements were recorded. Twenty-two COMT SNPs were genotyped and their association with six pain phenotypes analyzed with linear regression.

RESULTS: There was no association between any of the tested pain phenotypes and SNP rs4680. The strongest association signals were seen between rs165774 and heat pain intensity as well as rs887200 and cold pain intensity. In both cases, minor allele carriers reported less pain. Neither of these results remained significant after strict multiple testing corrections. When analyzed further, the effect of rs887200 was, however, shown to be significant and consistent throughout the cold pressure test. No evidence of association between the SNPs and postoperative oxycodone consumption was found.

CONCLUSIONS: SNPs rs887200 and rs165774 located in the untranslated regions of the gene had the strongest effects on pain sensitivity. Their effect on pain is described here for the first time. These results should be confirmed in further studies and the potential functional mechanisms of the variants studied.

}, keywords = {Acute Pain, Adult, Aged, Analgesics, Opioid, Anesthesia, Breast Neoplasms, Catechol O-Methyltransferase, Cold Temperature, Databases, Genetic, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Genetic Variation, Genome-Wide Association Study, Genotype, Haplotypes, Hot Temperature, Humans, Middle Aged, Oxycodone, Pain Measurement, Pain, Postoperative, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide}, issn = {1528-1175}, doi = {10.1097/ALN.0000000000000013}, author = {Kambur, Oleg and Kaunisto, Mari A and Tikkanen, Emmi and Leal, Suzanne M and Ripatti, Samuli and Kalso, Eija A} } @article {287, title = {Mutations in VRK1 associated with complex motor and sensory axonal neuropathy plus microcephaly.}, journal = {JAMA Neurol}, volume = {70}, year = {2013}, month = {2013 Dec}, pages = {1491-8}, abstract = {

IMPORTANCE: Patients with rare diseases and complex clinical presentations represent a challenge for clinical diagnostics. Genomic approaches are allowing the identification of novel variants in genes for very rare disorders, enabling a molecular diagnosis. Genomics is also revealing a phenotypic expansion whereby the full spectrum of clinical expression conveyed by mutant alleles at a locus can be better appreciated.

OBJECTIVE: To elucidate the molecular cause of a complex neuropathy phenotype in 3 patients by applying genomic sequencing strategies.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Three affected individuals from 2 unrelated families presented with a complex neuropathy phenotype characterized by axonal sensorimotor neuropathy and microcephaly. They were recruited into the Centers for Mendelian Genomics research program to identify the molecular cause of their phenotype. Whole-genome, targeted whole-exome sequencing, and high-resolution single-nucleotide polymorphism arrays were performed in genetics clinics of tertiary care pediatric hospitals and biomedical research institutions.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Whole-genome and whole-exome sequencing identified the variants responsible for the patients{\textquoteright} clinical phenotype.

RESULTS: We identified compound heterozygous alleles in 2 affected siblings from 1 family and a homozygous nonsense variant in the third unrelated patient in the vaccinia-related kinase 1 gene (VRK1). In the latter subject, we found a common haplotype on which the nonsense mutation occurred and that segregates in the Ashkenazi Jewish population.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: We report the identification of disease-causing alleles in 3 children from 2 unrelated families with a previously uncharacterized complex axonal motor and sensory neuropathy accompanied by severe nonprogressive microcephaly and cerebral dysgenesis. Our data raise the question of whether VRK1 mutations disturb cell cycle progression and may result in apoptosis of cells in the nervous system. The application of unbiased genomic approaches allows the identification of potentially pathogenic mutations in unsuspected genes in highly genetically heterogeneous and uncharacterized neurological diseases.

}, keywords = {Child, Child, Preschool, DNA Mutational Analysis, Female, Genotype, Hereditary Sensory and Motor Neuropathy, Humans, Infant, Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Microcephaly, Mutation, Neural Conduction, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide, Protein-Serine-Threonine Kinases}, issn = {2168-6157}, doi = {10.1001/jamaneurol.2013.4598}, author = {Gonzaga-Jauregui, Claudia and Lotze, Timothy and Jamal, Leila and Penney, Samantha and Campbell, Ian M and Pehlivan, Davut and Hunter, Jill V and Woodbury, Suzanne L and Raymond, Gerald and Adesina, Adekunle M and Jhangiani, Shalini N and Reid, Jeffrey G and Muzny, Donna M and Boerwinkle, Eric and Lupski, James R and Gibbs, Richard A and Wiszniewski, Wojciech} }