@article {919, title = {DAAM2 Variants Cause Nephrotic Syndrome via Actin Dysregulation.}, journal = {Am J Hum Genet}, volume = {107}, year = {2020}, month = {2020 12 03}, pages = {1113-1128}, abstract = {

The discovery of >60 monogenic causes of nephrotic syndrome (NS) has revealed a central role for the actin regulators RhoA/Rac1/Cdc42 and their effectors, including the formin INF2. By whole-exome sequencing (WES), we here discovered bi-allelic variants in the formin DAAM2 in four unrelated families with steroid-resistant NS. We show that DAAM2 localizes to the cytoplasm in podocytes and in kidney sections. Further, the variants impair DAAM2-dependent actin remodeling processes: wild-type DAAM2 cDNA, but not cDNA representing missense variants found in individuals with NS, rescued reduced podocyte migration rate (PMR) and restored reduced filopodia formation in shRNA-induced DAAM2-knockdown podocytes. Filopodia restoration was also induced by the formin-activating molecule IMM-01. DAAM2 also co-localizes and co-immunoprecipitates with INF2, which is intriguing since variants in both formins cause NS. Using in~vitro bulk and TIRF microscopy assays, we find that DAAM2 variants alter actin assembly activities of the formin. In a Xenopus daam2-CRISPR knockout model, we demonstrate actin dysregulation in~vivo and glomerular maldevelopment that is rescued by WT-DAAM2 mRNA. We conclude that DAAM2 variants are a likely cause of monogenic human SRNS due to actin dysregulation in podocytes. Further, we provide evidence that DAAM2-associated SRNS may be amenable to treatment using actin regulating compounds.

}, keywords = {Actins, Alleles, Animals, Animals, Genetically Modified, Cell Movement, Cytoplasm, Formins, Genetic Variation, Humans, Kidney, Kidney Glomerulus, Microfilament Proteins, Mutation, Missense, Nephrotic Syndrome, Podocytes, Pseudopodia, rho GTP-Binding Proteins, RNA, Small Interfering, Whole Exome Sequencing, Xenopus}, issn = {1537-6605}, doi = {10.1016/j.ajhg.2020.11.008}, author = {Schneider, Ronen and Deutsch, Konstantin and Hoeprich, Gregory J and Marquez, Jonathan and Hermle, Tobias and Braun, Daniela A and Seltzsam, Steve and Kitzler, Thomas M and Mao, Youying and Buerger, Florian and Majmundar, Amar J and Onuchic-Whitford, Ana C and Kolvenbach, Caroline M and Schierbaum, Luca and Schneider, Sophia and Halawi, Abdul A and Nakayama, Makiko and Mann, Nina and Connaughton, Dervla M and Kl{\"a}mbt, Verena and Wagner, Matias and Riedhammer, Korbinian M and Renders, Lutz and Katsura, Yoshichika and Thumkeo, Dean and Soliman, Neveen A and Mane, Shrikant and Lifton, Richard P and Shril, Shirlee and Khokha, Mustafa K and Hoefele, Julia and Goode, Bruce L and Hildebrandt, Friedhelm} } @article {978, title = {POGLUT1 biallelic mutations cause myopathy with reduced satellite cells, α-dystroglycan hypoglycosylation and a distinctive radiological pattern.}, journal = {Acta Neuropathol}, volume = {139}, year = {2020}, month = {2020 03}, pages = {565-582}, abstract = {

Protein O-glucosyltransferase 1 (POGLUT1) activity is critical for the Notch signaling pathway, being one of the main enzymes responsible for the glycosylation of the extracellular domain of Notch receptors. A biallelic mutation in the POGLUT1 gene has been reported in one family as the cause of an adult-onset limb-girdle muscular dystrophy (LGMD R21; OMIM$\#$ 617232). As the result of a collaborative international effort, we have identified the first cohort of 15 patients with LGMD R21, from nine unrelated families coming from different countries, providing a reliable phenotype-genotype and mechanistic insight. Patients carrying novel mutations in POGLUT1 all displayed a clinical picture of limb-girdle muscle weakness. However, the age at onset was broadened from adult to congenital and infantile onset. Moreover, we now report that the unique muscle imaging pattern of "inside-to-outside" fatty degeneration observed in the original cases is indeed a defining feature of POGLUT1 muscular dystrophy. Experiments on muscle biopsies from patients revealed a remarkable and consistent decrease in the level of the NOTCH1 intracellular domain, reduction of the pool of satellite cells (SC), and evidence of α-dystroglycan hypoglycosylation. In vitro biochemical and cell-based assays suggested a pathogenic role of the novel POGLUT1 mutations, leading to reduced enzymatic activity and/or protein stability. The association between the POGLUT1 variants and the muscular phenotype was established by in vivo experiments analyzing the indirect flight muscle development in transgenic Drosophila, showing that the human POGLUT1 mutations reduced its myogenic activity. In line with the well-known role of the Notch pathway in the homeostasis of SC and muscle regeneration, SC-derived myoblasts from patients{\textquoteright} muscle samples showed decreased proliferation and facilitated differentiation. Together, these observations suggest that alterations in SC biology caused by reduced Notch1 signaling result in muscular dystrophy in LGMD R21 patients, likely with additional contribution from α-dystroglycan hypoglycosylation. This study settles the muscular clinical phenotype linked to POGLUT1 mutations and establishes the pathogenic mechanism underlying this muscle disorder. The description of a specific imaging pattern of fatty degeneration and muscle pathology with a decrease of α-dystroglycan glycosylation provides excellent tools which will help diagnose and follow up LGMD R21 patients.

}, keywords = {Animals, Animals, Genetically Modified, Drosophila melanogaster, Dystroglycans, Female, Genetic Association Studies, Glucosyltransferases, Glycosylation, Humans, Male, Muscle, Skeletal, Muscular Dystrophies, Limb-Girdle, Mutation, Pedigree, Satellite Cells, Skeletal Muscle}, issn = {1432-0533}, doi = {10.1007/s00401-019-02117-6}, author = {Servi{\'a}n-Morilla, E and Cabrera-Serrano, M and Johnson, K and Pandey, A and Ito, A and Rivas, E and Chamova, T and Muelas, N and Mongini, T and Nafissi, S and Claeys, K G and Grewal, R P and Takeuchi, M and Hao, H and B{\"o}nnemann, C and Lopes Abath Neto, O and Medne, L and Brandsema, J and T{\"o}pf, A and Taneva, A and Vilchez, J J and Tournev, I and Haltiwanger, R S and Takeuchi, H and Jafar-Nejad, H and Straub, V and Paradas, Carmen} } @article {637, title = {Clinically severe CACNA1A alleles affect synaptic function and neurodegeneration differentially.}, journal = {PLoS Genet}, volume = {13}, year = {2017}, month = {2017 Jul}, pages = {e1006905}, abstract = {

Dominant mutations in CACNA1A, encoding the α-1A subunit of the neuronal P/Q type voltage-dependent Ca2+ channel, can cause diverse neurological phenotypes. Rare cases of markedly severe early onset developmental delay and congenital ataxia can be due to de novo CACNA1A missense alleles, with variants affecting the S4 transmembrane segments of the channel, some of which are reported to be loss-of-function. Exome sequencing in five individuals with severe early onset ataxia identified one novel variant (p.R1673P), in a girl with global developmental delay and progressive cerebellar atrophy, and a recurrent, de novo p.R1664Q variant, in four individuals with global developmental delay, hypotonia, and ophthalmologic abnormalities. Given the severity of these phenotypes we explored their functional impact in Drosophila. We previously generated null and partial loss-of-function alleles of cac, the homolog of CACNA1A in Drosophila. Here, we created transgenic wild type and mutant genomic rescue constructs with the two noted conserved point mutations. The p.R1673P mutant failed to rescue cac lethality, displayed a gain-of-function phenotype in electroretinograms (ERG) recorded from mutant clones, and evolved a neurodegenerative phenotype in aging flies, based on ERGs and transmission electron microscopy. In contrast, the p.R1664Q variant exhibited loss of function and failed to develop a neurodegenerative phenotype. Hence, the novel R1673P allele produces neurodegenerative phenotypes in flies and human, likely due to a toxic gain of function.

}, keywords = {Alleles, Animals, Animals, Genetically Modified, Calcium Channels, Cerebellar Ataxia, Child, Child, Preschool, Drosophila melanogaster, Female, Genome, Human, Genome-Wide Association Study, Humans, Male, Microscopy, Electron, Transmission, Mutation, Missense, Neurodegenerative Diseases, Neuroimaging, Phenotype, Point Mutation}, issn = {1553-7404}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pgen.1006905}, author = {Luo, Xi and Rosenfeld, Jill A and Yamamoto, Shinya and Harel, Tamar and Zuo, Zhongyuan and Hall, Melissa and Wierenga, Klaas J and Pastore, Matthew T and Bartholomew, Dennis and Delgado, Mauricio R and Rotenberg, Joshua and Lewis, Richard Alan and Emrick, Lisa and Bacino, Carlos A and Eldomery, Mohammad K and Coban Akdemir, Zeynep and Xia, Fan and Yang, Yaping and Lalani, Seema R and Lotze, Timothy and Lupski, James R and Lee, Brendan and Bellen, Hugo J and Wangler, Michael F} }