TY - JOUR A1 - Liedtke, Daniel A1 - Hofmann, Christine A1 - Jakob, Franz A1 - Klopocki, Eva A1 - Graser, Stephanie T1 - Tissue-Nonspecific Alkaline Phosphatase—A Gatekeeper of Physiological Conditions in Health and a Modulator of Biological Environments in Disease JF - Biomolecules N2 - Tissue-nonspecific alkaline phosphatase (TNAP) is a ubiquitously expressed enzyme that is best known for its role during mineralization processes in bones and skeleton. The enzyme metabolizes phosphate compounds like inorganic pyrophosphate and pyridoxal-5′-phosphate to provide, among others, inorganic phosphate for the mineralization and transportable vitamin B6 molecules. Patients with inherited loss of function mutations in the ALPL gene and consequently altered TNAP activity are suffering from the rare metabolic disease hypophosphatasia (HPP). This systemic disease is mainly characterized by impaired bone and dental mineralization but may also be accompanied by neurological symptoms, like anxiety disorders, seizures, and depression. HPP characteristically affects all ages and shows a wide range of clinical symptoms and disease severity, which results in the classification into different clinical subtypes. This review describes the molecular function of TNAP during the mineralization of bones and teeth, further discusses the current knowledge on the enzyme’s role in the nervous system and in sensory perception. An additional focus is set on the molecular role of TNAP in health and on functional observations reported in common laboratory vertebrate disease models, like rodents and zebrafish. KW - TNAP KW - hypophosphatasia KW - HPP KW - zebrafish KW - mineralization KW - ALPL KW - craniosynostosis KW - teeth KW - nervous system Y1 - 2020 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-220096 SN - 2218-273X VL - 10 IS - 12 PB - MDPI ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hofrichter, Michaela A. H. A1 - Mojarad, Majid A1 - Doll, Julia A1 - Grimm, Clemens A1 - Eslahi, Atiye A1 - Hosseini, Neda Sadat A1 - Rajati, Mohsen A1 - Müller, Tobias A1 - Dittrich, Marcus A1 - Maroofian, Reza A1 - Haaf, Thomas A1 - Vona, Barbara T1 - The conserved p.Arg108 residue in S1PR2 (DFNB68) is fundamental for proper hearing: evidence from a consanguineous Iranian family JF - BMC Medical Genetics N2 - Background: Genetic heterogeneity and consanguineous marriages make recessive inherited hearing loss in Iran the second most common genetic disorder. Only two reported pathogenic variants (c.323G>C, p.Arg108Pro and c.419A>G, p.Tyr140Cys) in the S1PR2 gene have previously been linked to autosomal recessive hearing loss (DFNB68) in two Pakistani families. We describe a segregating novel homozygous c.323G>A, p.Arg108Gln pathogenic variant in S1PR2 that was identified in four affected individuals from a consanguineous five generation Iranian family. Methods: Whole exome sequencing and bioinformatics analysis of 116 hearing loss-associated genes was performed in an affected individual from a five generation Iranian family. Segregation analysis and 3D protein modeling of the p.Arg108 exchange was performed. Results: The two Pakistani families previously identified with S1PR2 pathogenic variants presented profound hearing loss that is also observed in the affected Iranian individuals described in the current study. Interestingly, we confirmed mixed hearing loss in one affected individual. 3D protein modeling suggests that the p.Arg108 position plays a key role in ligand receptor interaction, which is disturbed by the p.Arg108Gln change. Conclusion: In summary, we report the third overall mutation in S1PR2 and the first report outside the Pakistani population. Furthermore, we describe a novel variant that causes an amino acid exchange (p.Arg108Gln) in the same amino acid residue as one of the previously reported Pakistani families (p.Arg108Pro). This finding emphasizes the importance of the p.Arg108 amino acid in normal hearing and confirms and consolidates the role of S1PR2 in autosomal recessive hearing loss. KW - 3D modeling KW - autosomal recessive non-synstromic hearing loss KW - DFNB68 KW - mixed hearing loss KW - whole exome sequencing KW - S1PR2 Y1 - 2018 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-175755 VL - 19 IS - 81 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Fiedler, David A1 - Hirsch, Daniela A1 - El Hajj, Nady A1 - Yang, Howard H. A1 - Hu, Yue A1 - Sticht, Carsten A1 - Nanda, Indrajit A1 - Belle, Sebastian A1 - Rueschoff, Josef A1 - Lee, Maxwell P. A1 - Ried, Thomas A1 - Haaf, Thomas A1 - Gaiser, Timo T1 - Genome‐wide DNA methylation analysis of colorectal adenomas with and without recurrence reveals an association between cytosine‐phosphate‐guanine methylation and histological subtypes JF - Genes, Chromosomes and Cancer N2 - Aberrant methylation of DNA is supposed to be a major and early driver of colonic adenoma development, which may result in colorectal cancer (CRC). Although gene methylation assays are used already for CRC screening, differential epigenetic alterations of recurring and nonrecurring colorectal adenomas have yet not been systematically investigated. Here, we collected a sample set of formalin‐fixed paraffin‐embedded colorectal low‐grade adenomas (n = 72) consisting of primary adenomas without and with recurrence (n = 59), recurrent adenomas (n = 10), and normal mucosa specimens (n = 3). We aimed to unveil differentially methylated CpG positions (DMPs) across the methylome comparing not only primary adenomas without recurrence vs primary adenomas with recurrence but also primary adenomas vs recurrent adenomas using the Illumina Human Methylation 450K BeadChip array. Unsupervised hierarchical clustering exhibited a significant association of methylation patterns with histological adenoma subtypes. No significant DMPs were identified comparing primary adenomas with and without recurrence. Despite that, a total of 5094 DMPs (false discovery rate <0.05; fold change >10%) were identified in the comparisons of recurrent adenomas vs primary adenomas with recurrence (674; 98% hypermethylated), recurrent adenomas vs primary adenomas with and without recurrence (241; 99% hypermethylated) and colorectal adenomas vs normal mucosa (4179; 46% hypermethylated). DMPs in cytosine‐phosphate‐guanine (CpG) islands were frequently hypermethylated, whereas open sea‐ and shelf‐regions exhibited hypomethylation. Gene ontology analysis revealed enrichment of genes associated with the immune system, inflammatory processes, and cancer pathways. In conclusion, our methylation data could assist in establishing a more robust and reproducible histological adenoma classification, which is a prerequisite for improving surveillance guidelines. KW - adenoma KW - DNA methylation KW - epigenetics KW - histological subtype KW - recurrence Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-212676 VL - 58 IS - 11 SP - 783 EP - 797 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kolokotronis, Konstantinos A1 - Pluta, Natalie A1 - Klopocki, Eva A1 - Kunstmann, Erdmute A1 - Messroghli, Daniel A1 - Maack, Christoph A1 - Tejman-Yarden, Shai A1 - Arad, Michael A1 - Rost, Simone A1 - Gerull, Brenda T1 - New Insights on Genetic Diagnostics in Cardiomyopathy and Arrhythmia Patients Gained by Stepwise Exome Data Analysis JF - Journal of Clinical Medicine N2 - Inherited cardiomyopathies are characterized by clinical and genetic heterogeneity that challenge genetic diagnostics. In this study, we examined the diagnostic benefit of exome data compared to targeted gene panel analyses, and we propose new candidate genes. We performed exome sequencing in a cohort of 61 consecutive patients with a diagnosis of cardiomyopathy or primary arrhythmia, and we analyzed the data following a stepwise approach. Overall, in 64% of patients, a variant of interest (VOI) was detected. The detection rate in the main sub-cohort consisting of patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) was much higher than previously reported (25/36; 69%). The majority of VOIs were found in disease-specific panels, while a further analysis of an extended panel and exome data led to an additional diagnostic yield of 13% and 5%, respectively. Exome data analysis also detected variants in candidate genes whose functional profile suggested a probable pathogenetic role, the strongest candidate being a truncating variant in STK38. In conclusion, although the diagnostic yield of gene panels is acceptable for routine diagnostics, the genetic heterogeneity of cardiomyopathies and the presence of still-unknown causes favor exome sequencing, which enables the detection of interesting phenotype–genotype correlations, as well as the identification of novel candidate genes. KW - cardiomyopathy KW - cardiogenetics KW - whole exome sequencing KW - targeted gene panel KW - candidate genes Y1 - 2020 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-236094 VL - 9 IS - 7 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Wagenhäuser, Laura A1 - Rickert, Vanessa A1 - Sommer, Claudia A1 - Wanner, Christoph A1 - Nordbeck, Peter A1 - Rost, Simone A1 - Üçeyler, Nurcan T1 - X-chromosomal inactivation patterns in women with Fabry disease JF - Molecular Genetics & Genomic Medicine N2 - Background Although Fabry disease (FD) is an X-linked lysosomal storage disorder caused by mutations in the α-galactosidase A gene (GLA), women may develop severe symptoms. We investigated X-chromosomal inactivation patterns (XCI) as a potential determinant of symptom severity in FD women. Patients and Methods We included 95 women with mutations in GLA (n = 18 with variants of unknown pathogenicity) and 50 related men, and collected mouth epithelial cells, venous blood, and skin fibroblasts for XCI analysis using the methylation status of the androgen receptor gene. The mutated X-chromosome was identified by comparison of samples from relatives. Patients underwent genotype categorization and deep clinical phenotyping of symptom severity. Results 43/95 (45%) women carried mutations categorized as classic. The XCI pattern was skewed (i.e., ≥75:25% distribution) in 6/87 (7%) mouth epithelial cell samples, 31/88 (35%) blood samples, and 9/27 (33%) skin fibroblast samples. Clinical phenotype, α-galactosidase A (GAL) activity, and lyso-Gb3 levels did not show intergroup differences when stratified for X-chromosomal skewing and activity status of the mutated X-chromosome. Conclusions X-inactivation patterns alone do not reliably reflect the clinical phenotype of women with FD when investigated in biomaterial not directly affected by FD. However, while XCI patterns may vary between tissues, blood frequently shows skewing of XCI patterns. KW - Fabry disease KW - Fabry genotype KW - Fabry phenotype KW - female Fabry patients KW - X-chromosomal inactivation Y1 - 2022 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-312795 VL - 10 IS - 9 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Lekszas, Caroline A1 - Nanda, Indrajit A1 - Vona, Barbara A1 - Böck, Julia A1 - Ashrafzadeh, Farah A1 - Donyadideh, Nahid A1 - Ebrahimzadeh, Farnoosh A1 - Ahangari, Najmeh A1 - Maroofian, Reza A1 - Karimiani, Ehsan Ghayoor A1 - Haaf, Thomas T1 - Unbalanced segregation of a paternal t(9;11)(p24.3;p15.4) translocation causing familial Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome: a case report JF - BMC Medical Genomics N2 - Background The vast majority of cases with Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome (BWS) are caused by a molecular defect in the imprinted chromosome region 11p15.5. The underlying mechanisms include epimutations, uniparental disomy, copy number variations, and structural rearrangements. In addition, maternal loss-of-function mutations in CDKN1C are found. Despite growing knowledge on BWS pathogenesis, up to 20% of patients with BWS phenotype remain without molecular diagnosis. Case presentation Herein, we report an Iranian family with two females affected with BWS in different generations. Bisulfite pyrosequencing revealed hypermethylation of the H19/IGF2: intergenic differentially methylated region (IG DMR), also known as imprinting center 1 (IC1) and hypomethylation of the KCNQ1OT1: transcriptional start site (TSS) DMR (IC2). Array CGH demonstrated an 8 Mb duplication on chromosome 11p15.5p15.4 (205,827-8,150,933) and a 1 Mb deletion on chromosome 9p24.3 (209,020-1,288,114). Chromosome painting revealed that this duplication-deficiency in both patients is due to unbalanced segregation of a paternal reciprocal t(9;11)(p24.3;p15.4) translocation. Conclusions This is the first report of a paternally inherited unbalanced translocation between the chromosome 9 and 11 short arms underlying familial BWS. Copy number variations involving the 11p15.5 region are detected by the consensus diagnostic algorithm. However, in complex cases which do not only affect the BWS region itself, characterization of submicroscopic chromosome rearrangements can assist to estimate the recurrence risk and possible phenotypic outcomes. KW - Familial Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome KW - copy number variation KW - duplication-deficiency KW - genomic imprinting KW - submicroscopic chromosome rearrangement KW - reciprocal translocation Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-200422 VL - 12 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Appel, Mirjam A1 - Scholz, Claus-Jürgen A1 - Müller, Tobias A1 - Dittrich, Marcus A1 - König, Christian A1 - Bockstaller, Marie A1 - Oguz, Tuba A1 - Khalili, Afshin A1 - Antwi-Adjei, Emmanuel A1 - Schauer, Tamas A1 - Margulies, Carla A1 - Tanimoto, Hiromu A1 - Yarali, Ayse T1 - Genome-Wide Association Analyses Point to Candidate Genes for Electric Shock Avoidance in Drosophila melanogaster JF - PLoS ONE N2 - Electric shock is a common stimulus for nociception-research and the most widely used reinforcement in aversive associative learning experiments. Yet, nothing is known about the mechanisms it recruits at the periphery. To help fill this gap, we undertook a genome-wide association analysis using 38 inbred Drosophila melanogaster strains, which avoided shock to varying extents. We identified 514 genes whose expression levels and/or sequences covaried with shock avoidance scores. We independently scrutinized 14 of these genes using mutants, validating the effect of 7 of them on shock avoidance. This emphasizes the value of our candidate gene list as a guide for follow-up research. In addition, by integrating our association results with external protein-protein interaction data we obtained a shock avoidance- associated network of 38 genes. Both this network and the original candidate list contained a substantial number of genes that affect mechanosensory bristles, which are hairlike organs distributed across the fly's body. These results may point to a potential role for mechanosensory bristles in shock sensation. Thus, we not only provide a first list of candidate genes for shock avoidance, but also point to an interesting new hypothesis on nociceptive mechanisms. KW - functional analysis KW - disruption project KW - natural variation KW - complex traits KW - networks KW - behavior KW - flies KW - temperature KW - genetics KW - painful Y1 - 2015 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-152006 VL - 10 IS - 5 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Vona, Barbara A1 - Mazaheri, Neda A1 - Lin, Sheng-Jia A1 - Dunbar, Lucy A. A1 - Maroofian, Reza A1 - Azaiez, Hela A1 - Booth, Kevin T. A1 - Vitry, Sandrine A1 - Rad, Aboulfazl A1 - Rüschendorf, Franz A1 - Varshney, Pratishtha A1 - Fowler, Ben A1 - Beetz, Christian A1 - Alagramam, Kumar N. A1 - Murphy, David A1 - Shariati, Gholamreza A1 - Sedaghat, Alireza A1 - Houlden, Henry A1 - Petree, Cassidy A1 - VijayKumar, Shruthi A1 - Smith, Richard J. H. A1 - Haaf, Thomas A1 - El-Amraoui, Aziz A1 - Bowl, Michael R. A1 - Varshney, Gaurav K. A1 - Galehdari, Hamid T1 - A biallelic variant in CLRN2 causes non-syndromic hearing loss in humans JF - Human Genetics N2 - Deafness, the most frequent sensory deficit in humans, is extremely heterogeneous with hundreds of genes involved. Clinical and genetic analyses of an extended consanguineous family with pre-lingual, moderate-to-profound autosomal recessive sensorineural hearing loss, allowed us to identify CLRN2, encoding a tetraspan protein, as a new deafness gene. Homozygosity mapping followed by exome sequencing identified a 14.96 Mb locus on chromosome 4p15.32p15.1 containing a likely pathogenic missense variant in CLRN2 (c.494C > A, NM_001079827.2) segregating with the disease. Using in vitro RNA splicing analysis, we show that the CLRN2 c.494C > A variant leads to two events: (1) the substitution of a highly conserved threonine (uncharged amino acid) to lysine (charged amino acid) at position 165, p.(Thr165Lys), and (2) aberrant splicing, with the retention of intron 2 resulting in a stop codon after 26 additional amino acids, p.(Gly146Lysfs*26). Expression studies and phenotyping of newly produced zebrafish and mouse models deficient for clarin 2 further confirm that clarin 2, expressed in the inner ear hair cells, is essential for normal organization and maintenance of the auditory hair bundles, and for hearing function. Together, our findings identify CLRN2 as a new deafness gene, which will impact future diagnosis and treatment for deaf patients. KW - deafness KW - CLRN2 KW - gene Y1 - 2021 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-267740 SN - 1432-1203 VL - 140 IS - 6 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Jansch, Charline A1 - Günther, Katharina A1 - Waider, Jonas A1 - Ziegler, Georg C. A1 - Forero, Andrea A1 - Kollert, Sina A1 - Svirin, Evgeniy A1 - Pühringer, Dirk A1 - Kwok, Chee Keong A1 - Ullmann, Reinhard A1 - Maierhofer, Anna A1 - Flunkert, Julia A1 - Haaf, Thomas A1 - Edenhofer, Frank A1 - Lesch, Klaus-Peter T1 - Generation of a human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) line from a 51-year-old female with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) carrying a duplication of SLC2A3 JF - Stem Cell Research N2 - Fibroblasts were isolated from a skin biopsy of a clinically diagnosed 51-year-old female attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) patient carrying a duplication of SLC2A3, a gene encoding neuronal glucose transporter-3 (GLUT3). Patient fibroblasts were infected with Sendai virus, a single-stranded RNA virus, to generate transgene-free human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). SLC2A3-D2-iPSCs showed expression of pluripotency-associated markers, were able to differentiate into cells of the three germ layers in vitro and had a normal female karyotype. This in vitro cellular model can be used to study the role of risk genes in the pathogenesis of ADHD, in a patient-specific manner. KW - ADHD KW - SLC2A3 KW - induced pluripotent stem cells Y1 - 2018 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-176654 VL - 28 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Mahyera, Alexis S. A1 - Schneider, Tamara A1 - Halliger-Keller, Birgit A1 - Schrooten, Katja A1 - Hörner, Eva-Maria A1 - Rost, Simone A1 - Kress, Wolfram T1 - Distribution and Structure of DM2 Repeat Tract Alleles in the German Population JF - Frontiers in Neurology N2 - Autosomal dominant inherited Myotonic dystrophy type 1 and 2 (DM1 and DM2) are the most frequent muscle dystrophies in the European population and are caused by repeat expansion mutations. For Germany cumulative empiric evidence suggests an estimated prevalence of DM2 of roughly 9 in 100,000, therefore being as prevalent as DM1. In DM2, a (CCTG)n repeat tract located in the first intron of the CNBP gene is expanded. The CCTG repeat tract is part of a complex repeat structure comprising not only CCTG tetraplets but also repeated TG dinucleotides and TCTG tetraplet elements as well as NCTG interruptions. Here, we provide the distribution of normal sized alleles in the German population, which was found to be highly similar to the Slovak population. Sequencing of 34 unexpanded healthy range alleles in DM2 positive patients (heterozygous for a full expansion) revealed that the CCTG repeat tract is usually interrupted by at least three tetraplets which according to current opinion is supposed to render it stable against expansion. Interestingly, only the largest analyzed normal allele had 23 uninterrupted CCTGs and consequently could represent an instable early premutation allele. In our diagnostic history of DM2 cases, a total of 18 premutations were detected in 16 independent cases. Here, we describe two premutation families, one with an expansion from a premutation allele and the other with a contraction of a full expansion down to a premutation allele. Our diagnostic results support the general assumption that the premutation range of unstable CCTG stretches lies obviously between 25 and 75 CCTGs. However, the clinical significance of premutation alleles is still unclear. In the light of the two described families we suggest incomplete penetrance. Thus, as it was proposed for other repeat expansion diseases (e.g., Huntington's disease), a fluid transition of penetrance is more likely rather than a clear cut CCTG number threshold. KW - DM2 KW - intergenerational contraction KW - expansion KW - premutation KW - penetrance KW - prevalence Y1 - 2018 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-196252 SN - 1664-2295 VL - 9 IS - 463 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Haertle, Larissa A1 - El Hajj, Nady A1 - Dittrich, Marcus A1 - Müller, Tobias A1 - Nanda, Indrajit A1 - Lehnen, Harald A1 - Haaf, Thomas T1 - Epigenetic signatures of gestational diabetes mellitus on cord blood methylation JF - Clinical Epigenetics N2 - Background: Intrauterine exposure to gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) confers a lifelong increased risk for metabolic and other complex disorders to the offspring. GDM-induced epigenetic modifications modulating gene regulation and persisting into later life are generally assumed to mediate these elevated disease susceptibilities. To identify candidate genes for fetal programming, we compared genome-wide methylation patterns of fetal cord bloods (FCBs) from GDM and control pregnancies. Methods and results: Using Illumina’s 450K methylation arrays and following correction for multiple testing, 65 CpG sites (52 associated with genes) displayed significant methylation differences between GDM and control samples. Four candidate genes, ATP5A1, MFAP4, PRKCH, and SLC17A4, from our methylation screen and one, HIF3A, from the literature were validated by bisulfite pyrosequencing. The effects remained significant after adjustment for the confounding factors maternal BMI, gestational week, and fetal sex in a multivariate regression model. In general, GDM effects on FCB methylation were more pronounced in women with insulin-dependent GDM who had a more severe metabolic phenotype than women with dietetically treated GDM. Conclusions: Our study supports an association between maternal GDM and the epigenetic status of the exposed offspring. Consistent with a multifactorial disease model, the observed FCB methylation changes are of small effect size but affect multiple genes/loci. The identified genes are primary candidates for transmitting GDM effects to the next generation. They also may provide useful biomarkers for the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of adverse prenatal exposures. KW - fetal programming KW - insulin treatment KW - DNA methylation KW - fetal cord blood KW - gestational diabetes mellitus Y1 - 2017 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-159459 VL - 9 IS - 28 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Blümel, Rabea A1 - Zink, Miriam A1 - Klopocki, Eva A1 - Liedtke, Daniel T1 - On the traces of tcf12: Investigation of the gene expression pattern during development and cranial suture patterning in zebrafish (Danio rerio) JF - PLoS ONE N2 - The transcription factor 12 (tcf12) is a basic Helix-Loop-Helix protein (bHLH) of the E-protein family, proven to play an important role in developmental processes like neurogenesis, mesoderm formation, and cranial vault development. In humans, mutations in TCF12 lead to craniosynostosis, a congenital birth disorder characterized by the premature fusion of one or several of the cranial sutures. Current research has been primarily focused on functional studies of TCF12, hence the cellular expression profile of this gene during embryonic development and early stages of ossification remains poorly understood. Here we present the establishment and detailed analysis of two transgenic tcf12:EGFP fluorescent zebrafish (Danio rerio) reporter lines. Using these transgenic lines, we analyzed the general spatiotemporal expression pattern of tcf12 during different developmental stages and put emphasis on skeletal development and cranial suture patterning. We identified robust tcf12 promoter-driven EGFP expression in the central nervous system (CNS), the heart, the pronephros, and the somites of zebrafish embryos. Additionally, expression was observed inside the muscles and bones of the viscerocranium in juvenile and adult fish. During cranial vault development, the transgenic fish show a high amount of tcf12 expressing cells at the growth fronts of the ossifying frontal and parietal bones and inside the emerging cranial sutures. Subsequently, we tested the transcriptional activity of three evolutionary conserved non-coding elements (CNEs) located in the tcf12 locus by transient transgenic assays and compared their in vivo activity to the expression pattern determined in the transgenic tcf12:EGFP lines. We could validate two of them as tcf12 enhancer elements driving specific gene expression in the CNS during embryogenesis. Our newly established transgenic lines enhance the understanding of tcf12 gene regulation and open up the possibilities for further functional investigation of these novel tcf12 enhancer elements in zebrafish. KW - Zebrafish KW - Neurons KW - Skull KW - Enhancer elements KW - Hindbrain KW - Cranial sutures KW - Embryos KW - Somites Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-201428 VL - 14 IS - 6 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Liedtke, Daniel A1 - Orth, Melanie A1 - Meissler, Michelle A1 - Geuer, Sinje A1 - Knaup, Sabine A1 - Köblitz, Isabell A1 - Klopocki, Eva T1 - ECM alterations in fndc3a (fibronectin domain containing protein 3A) deficient zebrafish cause temporal fin development and regeneration defects JF - Scientific Reports N2 - Fin development and regeneration are complex biological processes that are highly relevant in teleost fish. They share genetic factors, signaling pathways and cellular properties to coordinate formation of regularly shaped extremities. Especially correct tissue structure defined by extracellular matrix (ECM) formation is essential. Gene expression and protein localization studies demonstrated expression of fndc3a (fibronectin domain containing protein 3a) in both developing and regenerating caudal fins of zebrafish (Danio rerio). We established a hypomorphic fndc3a mutant line (fndc3a\(^{wue1/wue1}\)) via CRISPR/Cas9, exhibiting phenotypic malformations and changed gene expression patterns during early stages of median fin fold development. These developmental effects are mostly temporary, but result in a fraction of adults with permanent tail fin deformations. In addition, caudal fin regeneration in adult fndc3a\(^{wue1/wue1}\) mutants is hampered by interference with actinotrichia formation and epidermal cell organization. Investigation of the ECM implies that loss of epidermal tissue structure is a common cause for both of the observed defects. Our results thereby provide a molecular link between these developmental processes and foreshadow Fndc3a as a novel temporal regulator of epidermal cell properties during extremity development and regeneration in zebrafish. KW - Extracellular matrix KW - Limb development KW - Self-renewal Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-202141 VL - 9 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Manukjan, Georgi A1 - Wiegering, Verena A1 - Reindl, Tobias A1 - Strauß, Gabriele A1 - Klopocki, Eva A1 - Schulze, Harald A1 - Andres, Oliver T1 - Novel variants in FERMT3 and RASGRP2 - Genetic linkage in Glanzmann-like bleeding disorders JF - Pediatric Blood & Cancer N2 - Defects of platelet intracellular signaling can result in severe platelet dysfunction. Several mutations in each of the linked genes FERMT3 and RASGRP2 on chromosome 11 causing a Glanzmann‐like bleeding phenotype have been identified so far. We report on novel variants in two unrelated pediatric patients with severe bleeding diathesis—one with leukocyte adhesion deficiency type III due to a homozygous frameshift in FERMT3 and the other with homozygous variants in both, FERMT3 and RASGRP2 . We focus on the challenging genetic and functional variant assessment and aim to accentuate the risk of obtaining misleading results due to the phenomenon of genetic linkage. KW - bleding disorders other than hemophilia KW - hematology KW - hemostasis and thrombosis KW - platelet disorders Y1 - 2020 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-208129 VL - 67 IS - 2 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hauer, Nadine N. A1 - Popp, Bernt A1 - Taher, Leila A1 - Vogl, Carina A1 - Dhandapany, Perundurai S. A1 - Büttner, Christian A1 - Uebe, Steffen A1 - Sticht, Heinrich A1 - Ferrazzi, Fulvia A1 - Ekici, Arif B. A1 - De Luca, Alessandro A1 - Klinger, Patrizia A1 - Kraus, Cornelia A1 - Zweier, Christiane A1 - Wiesener, Antje A1 - Abou Jamra, Rami A1 - Kunstmann, Erdmute A1 - Rauch, Anita A1 - Wieczorek, Dagmar A1 - Jung, Anna-Marie A1 - Rohrer, Tilman R. A1 - Zenker, Martin A1 - Doerr, Helmuth-Guenther A1 - Reis, André A1 - Thiel, Christian T. T1 - Evolutionary conserved networks of human height identify multiple Mendelian causes of short stature JF - European Journal of Human Genetics N2 - Height is a heritable and highly heterogeneous trait. Short stature affects 3% of the population and in most cases is genetic in origin. After excluding known causes, 67% of affected individuals remain without diagnosis. To identify novel candidate genes for short stature, we performed exome sequencing in 254 unrelated families with short stature of unknown cause and identified variants in 63 candidate genes in 92 (36%) independent families. Based on systematic characterization of variants and functional analysis including expression in chondrocytes, we classified 13 genes as strong candidates. Whereas variants in at least two families were detected for all 13 candidates, two genes had variants in 6 (UBR4) and 8 (LAMA5) families, respectively. To facilitate their characterization, we established a clustered network of 1025 known growth and short stature genes, which yielded 29 significantly enriched clusters, including skeletal system development, appendage development, metabolic processes, and ciliopathy. Eleven of the candidate genes mapped to 21 of these clusters, including CPZ, EDEM3, FBRS, IFT81, KCND1, PLXNA3, RASA3, SLC7A8, UBR4, USP45, and ZFHX3. Fifty additional growth-related candidates we identified await confirmation in other affected families. Our study identifies Mendelian forms of growth retardation as an important component of idiopathic short stature. KW - disease genetics KW - DNA sequencing KW - genetic counselling Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-227899 VL - 27 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Ghosh, Sujal A1 - Hönscheid, Andrea A1 - Dückers, Gregor A1 - Ginzel, Sebastian A1 - Gohlke, Holger A1 - Gombert, Michael A1 - Kempkes, Bettina A1 - Klapper, Wolfram A1 - Kuhlen, Michaela A1 - Laws, Hans-Jürgen A1 - Linka, René Martin A1 - Meisel, Roland A1 - Mielke, Christian A1 - Niehues, Tim A1 - Schindler, Detlev A1 - Schneider, Dominik A1 - Schuster, Friedhelm R. A1 - Speckmann, Carsten A1 - Borkhardt, Arndt T1 - Human RAD52 - a novel player in DNA repair in cancer and immunodeficiency JF - Haematologica N2 - No abstract available. KW - human medicine KW - DNA-Repair KW - cancer KW - immunodeficiency KW - RAD52 Y1 - 2017 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-180862 VL - 102 IS - 2 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hernández, Gonzalo A1 - José Ramírez, María A1 - Minguillón, Jordi A1 - Quiles, Paco A1 - Ruiz de Garibay, Gorka A1 - Aza-Carmona, Miriam A1 - Bogliolo, Massimo A1 - Pujol, Roser A1 - Prados-Carvajal, Rosario A1 - Fernández, Juana A1 - García, Nadia A1 - López, Adrià A1 - Gutiérrez-Enríquez, Sara A1 - Diez, Orland A1 - Benítez, Javier A1 - Salinas, Mónica A1 - Teulé, Alex A1 - Brunet, Joan A1 - Radice, Paolo A1 - Peterlongo, Paolo A1 - Schindler, Detlev A1 - Huertas, Pablo A1 - Puente, Xose S. A1 - Lázaro, Conxi A1 - Àngel Pujana, Miquel A1 - Surrallés, Jordi T1 - Decapping protein EDC4 regulates DNA repair and phenocopies BRCA1 JF - Nature Communications N2 - BRCA1 is a tumor suppressor that regulates DNA repair by homologous recombination. Germline mutations in BRCA1 are associated with increased risk of breast and ovarian cancer and BRCA1 deficient tumors are exquisitely sensitive to poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors. Therefore, uncovering additional components of this DNA repair pathway is of extreme importance for further understanding cancer development and therapeutic vulnerabilities. Here, we identify EDC4, a known component of processing-bodies and regulator of mRNA decapping, as a member of the BRCA1-BRIP1-TOPBP1 complex. EDC4 plays a key role in homologous recombination by stimulating end resection at double-strand breaks. EDC4 deficiency leads to genome instability and hypersensitivity to DNA interstrand cross-linking drugs and PARP inhibitors. Lack-of-function mutations in EDC4 were detected in BRCA1/2-mutation-negative breast cancer cases, suggesting a role in breast cancer susceptibility. Collectively, this study recognizes EDC4 with a dual role in decapping and DNA repair whose inactivation phenocopies BRCA1 deficiency. KW - cancer KW - double-strand DNA breaks KW - genomic instability KW - RNA metabolism Y1 - 2018 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-319929 VL - 9 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hauer, Nadine N. A1 - Popp, Bernt A1 - Schoeller, Eva A1 - Schuhmann, Sarah A1 - Heath, Karen E. A1 - Hisado-Oliva, Alfonso A1 - Klinger, Patricia A1 - Kraus, Cornelia A1 - Trautmann, Udo A1 - Zenker, Martin A1 - Zweier, Christiane A1 - Wiesener, Antje A1 - Jamra, Rami Abou A1 - Kunstmann, Erdmute A1 - Wieczorek, Dagmar A1 - Uebe, Steffen A1 - Ferrazzi, Fulvia A1 - Büttner, Christian A1 - Ekici, Arif B. A1 - Rauch, Anita A1 - Sticht, Heinrich A1 - Dörr, Helmuth-Günther A1 - Reis, André A1 - Thiel, Christian T. T1 - Clinical relevance of systematic phenotyping and exome sequencing in patients with short stature JF - Genetics in Medicine N2 - Purpose Short stature is a common condition of great concern to patients and their families. Mostly genetic in origin, the underlying cause often remains elusive due to clinical and genetic heterogeneity. Methods We systematically phenotyped 565 patients where common nongenetic causes of short stature were excluded, selected 200 representative patients for whole-exome sequencing, and analyzed the identified variants for pathogenicity and the affected genes regarding their functional relevance for growth. Results By standard targeted diagnostic and phenotype assessment, we identified a known disease cause in only 13.6% of the 565 patients. Whole-exome sequencing in 200 patients identified additional mutations in known short-stature genes in 16.5% of these patients who manifested only part of the symptomatology. In 15.5% of the 200 patients our findings were of significant clinical relevance. Heterozygous carriers of recessive skeletal dysplasia alleles represented 3.5% of the cases. Conclusion A combined approach of systematic phenotyping, targeted genetic testing, and whole-exome sequencing allows the identification of the underlying cause of short stature in at least 33% of cases, enabling physicians to improve diagnosis, treatment, and genetic counseling. Exome sequencing significantly increases the diagnostic yield and consequently care in patients with short stature. KW - growth KW - phenotypic spectrum KW - short stature KW - skeletal dysplasia KW - whole-exome sequencing Y1 - 2018 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-227888 VL - 20 ER -