TY - JOUR AB - P-glycoprotein (ABCB1) and breast cancer resistance protein (ABCG2) restrict at the blood–brain barrier (BBB) the brain distribution of the majority of currently known molecularly targeted anticancer drugs. To improve brain delivery of dual ABCB1/ABCG2 substrates, both ABCB1 and ABCG2 need to be inhibited simultaneously at the BBB. We examined the feasibility of simultaneous ABCB1/ABCG2 inhibition with i.v. co-infusion of erlotinib and tariquidar by studying brain distribution of the model ABCB1/ABCG2 substrate [11C]erlotinib in mice and rhesus macaques with PET. Tolerability of the erlotinib/tariquidar combination was assessed in human embryonic stem cell-derived cerebral organoids. In mice and macaques, baseline brain distribution of [11C]erlotinib was low (brain distribution volume, VT,brain < 0.3 mL/cm3). Co-infusion of erlotinib and tariquidar increased VT,brain in mice by 3.0-fold and in macaques by 3.4- to 5.0-fold, while infusion of erlotinib alone or tariquidar alone led to less pronounced VT,brain increases in both species. Treatment of cerebral organoids with erlotinib/tariquidar led to an induction of Caspase-3-dependent apoptosis. Co-infusion of erlotinib/tariquidar may potentially allow for complete ABCB1/ABCG2 inhibition at the BBB, while simultaneously achieving brain-targeted EGFR inhibition. Our protocol may be applicable to enhance brain delivery of molecularly targeted anticancer drugs for a more effective treatment of brain tumors. AU - Tournier, N AU - Goutal, S AU - Mairinger, S AU - Lozano, IH AU - Filip, T AU - Sauberer, M AU - Caillé, F AU - Breuil, L AU - Stanek, J AU - Freeman, AF AU - Novarino, Gaia AU - Truillet, C AU - Wanek, T AU - Langer, O ID - 8730 IS - 7 JF - Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism SN - 0271-678x TI - Complete inhibition of ABCB1 and ABCG2 at the blood-brain barrier by co-infusion of erlotinib and tariquidar to improve brain delivery of the model ABCB1/ABCG2 substrate [11C]erlotinib VL - 41 ER - TY - JOUR AB - De novo loss of function mutations in the ubiquitin ligase-encoding gene Cullin3 lead to autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In mouse, constitutive haploinsufficiency leads to motor coordination deficits as well as ASD-relevant social and cognitive impairments. However, induction of Cul3 haploinsufficiency later in life does not lead to ASD-relevant behaviors, pointing to an important role of Cul3 during a critical developmental window. Here we show that Cul3 is essential to regulate neuronal migration and, therefore, constitutive Cul3 heterozygous mutant mice display cortical lamination abnormalities. At the molecular level, we found that Cul3 controls neuronal migration by tightly regulating the amount of Plastin3 (Pls3), a previously unrecognized player of neural migration. Furthermore, we found that Pls3 cell-autonomously regulates cell migration by regulating actin cytoskeleton organization, and its levels are inversely proportional to neural migration speed. Finally, we provide evidence that cellular phenotypes associated with autism-linked gene haploinsufficiency can be rescued by transcriptional activation of the intact allele in vitro, offering a proof of concept for a potential therapeutic approach for ASDs. AU - Morandell, Jasmin AU - Schwarz, Lena A AU - Basilico, Bernadette AU - Tasciyan, Saren AU - Dimchev, Georgi A AU - Nicolas, Armel AU - Sommer, Christoph M AU - Kreuzinger, Caroline AU - Dotter, Christoph AU - Knaus, Lisa AU - Dobler, Zoe AU - Cacci, Emanuele AU - Schur, Florian KM AU - Danzl, Johann G AU - Novarino, Gaia ID - 9429 IS - 1 JF - Nature Communications KW - General Biochemistry KW - Genetics and Molecular Biology TI - Cul3 regulates cytoskeleton protein homeostasis and cell migration during a critical window of brain development VL - 12 ER - TY - JOUR AB - In recent years, many genes have been associated with chromatinopathies classified as “Cornelia de Lange Syndrome‐like.” It is known that the phenotype of these patients becomes less recognizable, overlapping to features characteristic of other syndromes caused by genetic variants affecting different regulators of chromatin structure and function. Therefore, Cornelia de Lange syndrome diagnosis might be arduous due to the seldom discordance between unexpected molecular diagnosis and clinical evaluation. Here, we review the molecular features of Cornelia de Lange syndrome, supporting the hypothesis that “CdLS‐like syndromes” are part of a larger “rare disease family” sharing multiple clinical features and common disrupted molecular pathways. AU - Avagliano, Laura AU - Parenti, Ilaria AU - Grazioli, Paolo AU - Di Fede, Elisabetta AU - Parodi, Chiara AU - Mariani, Milena AU - Kaiser, Frank J. AU - Selicorni, Angelo AU - Gervasini, Cristina AU - Massa, Valentina ID - 7149 IS - 1 JF - Clinical Genetics SN - 0009-9163 TI - Chromatinopathies: A focus on Cornelia de Lange syndrome VL - 97 ER - TY - JOUR AB - Characteristic or classic phenotype of Cornelia de Lange syndrome (CdLS) is associated with a recognisable facial pattern. However, the heterogeneity in causal genes and the presence of overlapping syndromes have made it increasingly difficult to diagnose only by clinical features. DeepGestalt technology, and its app Face2Gene, is having a growing impact on the diagnosis and management of genetic diseases by analysing the features of affected individuals. Here, we performed a phenotypic study on a cohort of 49 individuals harbouring causative variants in known CdLS genes in order to evaluate Face2Gene utility and sensitivity in the clinical diagnosis of CdLS. Based on the profile images of patients, a diagnosis of CdLS was within the top five predicted syndromes for 97.9% of our cases and even listed as first prediction for 83.7%. The age of patients did not seem to affect the prediction accuracy, whereas our results indicate a correlation between the clinical score and affected genes. Furthermore, each gene presents a different pattern recognition that may be used to develop new neural networks with the goal of separating different genetic subtypes in CdLS. Overall, we conclude that computer-assisted image analysis based on deep learning could support the clinical diagnosis of CdLS. AU - Latorre-Pellicer, Ana AU - Ascaso, Ángela AU - Trujillano, Laura AU - Gil-Salvador, Marta AU - Arnedo, Maria AU - Lucia-Campos, Cristina AU - Antoñanzas-Pérez, Rebeca AU - Marcos-Alcalde, Iñigo AU - Parenti, Ilaria AU - Bueno-Lozano, Gloria AU - Musio, Antonio AU - Puisac, Beatriz AU - Kaiser, Frank J. AU - Ramos, Feliciano J. AU - Gómez-Puertas, Paulino AU - Pié, Juan ID - 7488 IS - 3 JF - International Journal of Molecular Sciences SN - 16616596 TI - Evaluating Face2Gene as a tool to identify Cornelia de Lange syndrome by facial phenotypes VL - 21 ER - TY - JOUR AB - CLC chloride/proton exchangers may support acidification of endolysosomes and raise their luminal Cl− concentration. Disruption of endosomal ClC‐3 causes severe neurodegeneration. To assess the importance of ClC‐3 Cl−/H+ exchange, we now generate Clcn3unc/unc mice in which ClC‐3 is converted into a Cl− channel. Unlike Clcn3−/− mice, Clcn3unc/unc mice appear normal owing to compensation by ClC‐4 with which ClC‐3 forms heteromers. ClC‐4 protein levels are strongly reduced in Clcn3−/−, but not in Clcn3unc/unc mice because ClC‐3unc binds and stabilizes ClC‐4 like wild‐type ClC‐3. Although mice lacking ClC‐4 appear healthy, its absence in Clcn3unc/unc/Clcn4−/− mice entails even stronger neurodegeneration than observed in Clcn3−/− mice. A fraction of ClC‐3 is found on synaptic vesicles, but miniature postsynaptic currents and synaptic vesicle acidification are not affected in Clcn3unc/unc or Clcn3−/− mice before neurodegeneration sets in. Both, Cl−/H+‐exchange activity and the stabilizing effect on ClC‐4, are central to the biological function of ClC‐3. AU - Weinert, Stefanie AU - Gimber, Niclas AU - Deuschel, Dorothea AU - Stuhlmann, Till AU - Puchkov, Dmytro AU - Farsi, Zohreh AU - Ludwig, Carmen F. AU - Novarino, Gaia AU - López-Cayuqueo, Karen I. AU - Planells-Cases, Rosa AU - Jentsch, Thomas J. ID - 7586 JF - EMBO Journal SN - 02614189 TI - Uncoupling endosomal CLC chloride/proton exchange causes severe neurodegeneration VL - 39 ER - TY - JOUR AB - The NIPBL/MAU2 heterodimer loads cohesin onto chromatin. Mutations inNIPBLaccount for most cases ofthe rare developmental disorder Cornelia de Lange syndrome (CdLS). Here we report aMAU2 variant causing CdLS, a deletion of seven amino acids that impairs the interaction between MAU2 and the NIPBL N terminus.Investigating this interaction, we discovered that MAU2 and the NIPBL N terminus are largely dispensable fornormal cohesin and NIPBL function in cells with a NIPBL early truncating mutation. Despite a predicted fataloutcome of an out-of-frame single nucleotide duplication inNIPBL, engineered in two different cell lines,alternative translation initiation yields a form of NIPBL missing N-terminal residues. This form cannot interactwith MAU2, but binds DNA and mediates cohesin loading. Altogether, our work reveals that cohesin loading can occur independently of functional NIPBL/MAU2 complexes and highlights a novel mechanism protectiveagainst out-of-frame mutations that is potentially relevant for other genetic conditions. AU - Parenti, Ilaria AU - Diab, Farah AU - Gil, Sara Ruiz AU - Mulugeta, Eskeatnaf AU - Casa, Valentina AU - Berutti, Riccardo AU - Brouwer, Rutger W.W. AU - Dupé, Valerie AU - Eckhold, Juliane AU - Graf, Elisabeth AU - Puisac, Beatriz AU - Ramos, Feliciano AU - Schwarzmayr, Thomas AU - Gines, Macarena Moronta AU - Van Staveren, Thomas AU - Van Ijcken, Wilfred F.J. AU - Strom, Tim M. AU - Pié, Juan AU - Watrin, Erwan AU - Kaiser, Frank J. AU - Wendt, Kerstin S. ID - 7877 IS - 7 JF - Cell Reports TI - MAU2 and NIPBL variants impair the heterodimerization of the cohesin loader subunits and cause Cornelia de Lange syndrome VL - 31 ER - TY - JOUR AB - Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) are a class of disorders affecting brain development and function and are characterized by wide genetic and clinical variability. In this review, we discuss the multiple factors that influence the clinical presentation of NDDs, with particular attention to gene vulnerability, mutational load, and the two-hit model. Despite the complex architecture of mutational events associated with NDDs, the various proteins involved appear to converge on common pathways, such as synaptic plasticity/function, chromatin remodelers and the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway. A thorough understanding of the mechanisms behind these pathways will hopefully lead to the identification of candidates that could be targeted for treatment approaches. AU - Parenti, Ilaria AU - Garcia Rabaneda, Luis E AU - Schön, Hanna AU - Novarino, Gaia ID - 7957 IS - 8 JF - Trends in Neurosciences SN - 01662236 TI - Neurodevelopmental disorders: From genetics to functional pathways VL - 43 ER - TY - THES AB - The development of the human brain occurs through a tightly regulated series of dynamic and adaptive processes during prenatal and postnatal life. A disruption of this strictly orchestrated series of events can lead to a number of neurodevelopmental conditions, including Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs). ASDs are a very common, etiologically and phenotypically heterogeneous group of disorders sharing the core symptoms of social interaction and communication deficits and restrictive and repetitive interests and behaviors. They are estimated to affect one in 59 individuals in the U.S. and, over the last three decades, mutations in more than a hundred genetic loci have been convincingly linked to ASD pathogenesis. Yet, for the vast majority of these ASD-risk genes their role during brain development and precise molecular function still remain elusive. De novo loss of function mutations in the ubiquitin ligase-encoding gene Cullin 3 (CUL3) lead to ASD. In the study described here, we used Cul3 mouse models to evaluate the consequences of Cul3 mutations in vivo. Our results show that Cul3 heterozygous knockout mice exhibit deficits in motor coordination as well as ASD-relevant social and cognitive impairments. Cul3+/-, Cul3+/fl Emx1-Cre and Cul3fl/fl Emx1-Cre mutant brains display cortical lamination abnormalities due to defective migration of post-mitotic excitatory neurons, as well as reduced numbers of excitatory and inhibitory neurons. In line with the observed abnormal cortical organization, Cul3 heterozygous deletion is associated with decreased spontaneous excitatory and inhibitory activity in the cortex. At the molecular level we show that Cul3 regulates cytoskeletal and adhesion protein abundance in the mouse embryonic cortex. Abnormal regulation of cytoskeletal proteins in Cul3 mutant neural cells results in atypical organization of the actin mesh at the cell leading edge. Of note, heterozygous deletion of Cul3 in adult mice does not induce the majority of the behavioral defects observed in constitutive Cul3 haploinsufficient animals, pointing to a critical time-window for Cul3 deficiency. In conclusion, our data indicate that Cul3 plays a critical role in the regulation of cytoskeletal proteins and neuronal migration. ASD-associated defects and behavioral abnormalities are primarily due to dosage sensitive Cul3 functions at early brain developmental stages. AU - Morandell, Jasmin ID - 8620 SN - 2663-337X TI - Illuminating the role of Cul3 in autism spectrum disorder pathogenesis ER - TY - GEN AB - De novo loss of function mutations in the ubiquitin ligase-encoding gene Cullin3 (CUL3) lead to autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Here, we used Cul3 mouse models to evaluate the consequences of Cul3 mutations in vivo. Our results show that Cul3 haploinsufficient mice exhibit deficits in motor coordination as well as ASD-relevant social and cognitive impairments. Cul3 mutant brain displays cortical lamination abnormalities due to defective neuronal migration and reduced numbers of excitatory and inhibitory neurons. In line with the observed abnormal columnar organization, Cul3 haploinsufficiency is associated with decreased spontaneous excitatory and inhibitory activity in the cortex. At the molecular level, employing a quantitative proteomic approach, we show that Cul3 regulates cytoskeletal and adhesion protein abundance in mouse embryos. Abnormal regulation of cytoskeletal proteins in Cul3 mutant neuronal cells results in atypical organization of the actin mesh at the cell leading edge, likely causing the observed migration deficits. In contrast to these important functions early in development, Cul3 deficiency appears less relevant at adult stages. In fact, induction of Cul3 haploinsufficiency in adult mice does not result in the behavioral defects observed in constitutive Cul3 haploinsufficient animals. Taken together, our data indicate that Cul3 has a critical role in the regulation of cytoskeletal proteins and neuronal migration and that ASD-associated defects and behavioral abnormalities are primarily due to Cul3 functions at early developmental stages. AU - Morandell, Jasmin AU - Schwarz, Lena A AU - Basilico, Bernadette AU - Tasciyan, Saren AU - Nicolas, Armel AU - Sommer, Christoph M AU - Kreuzinger, Caroline AU - Knaus, Lisa AU - Dobler, Zoe AU - Cacci, Emanuele AU - Danzl, Johann G AU - Novarino, Gaia ID - 7800 T2 - bioRxiv TI - Cul3 regulates cytoskeleton protein homeostasis and cell migration during a critical window of brain development ER - TY - JOUR AB - The possibility to generate construct valid animal models enabled the development and testing of therapeutic strategies targeting the core features of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). At the same time, these studies highlighted the necessity of identifying sensitive developmental time windows for successful therapeutic interventions. Animal and human studies also uncovered the possibility to stratify the variety of ASDs in molecularly distinct subgroups, potentially facilitating effective treatment design. Here, we focus on the molecular pathways emerging as commonly affected by mutations in diverse ASD-risk genes, on their role during critical windows of brain development and the potential treatments targeting these biological processes. AU - Basilico, Bernadette AU - Morandell, Jasmin AU - Novarino, Gaia ID - 8131 IS - 12 JF - Current Opinion in Genetics and Development SN - 0959437X TI - Molecular mechanisms for targeted ASD treatments VL - 65 ER - TY - JOUR AB - Clinical Utility Gene Card. 1. Name of Disease (Synonyms): Pontocerebellar hypoplasia type 9 (PCH9) and spastic paraplegia-63 (SPG63). 2. OMIM# of the Disease: 615809 and 615686. 3. Name of the Analysed Genes or DNA/Chromosome Segments: AMPD2 at 1p13.3. 4. OMIM# of the Gene(s): 102771. AU - Marsh, Ashley AU - Novarino, Gaia AU - Lockhart, Paul AU - Leventer, Richard ID - 105 JF - European Journal of Human Genetics TI - CUGC for pontocerebellar hypoplasia type 9 and spastic paraplegia-63 VL - 27 ER - TY - JOUR AB - P-Glycoprotein (ABCB1) and breast cancer resistance protein (ABCG2) are two efflux transporters at the blood–brain barrier (BBB), which effectively restrict brain distribution of diverse drugs, such as tyrosine kinase inhibitors. There is a crucial need for pharmacological ABCB1 and ABCG2 inhibition protocols for a more effective treatment of brain diseases. In the present study, seven marketed drugs (osimertinib, erlotinib, nilotinib, imatinib, lapatinib, pazopanib, and cyclosporine A) and one nonmarketed drug (tariquidar), with known in vitro ABCB1/ABCG2 inhibitory properties, were screened for their inhibitory potency at the BBB in vivo. Positron emission tomography (PET) using the model ABCB1/ABCG2 substrate [11C]erlotinib was performed in mice. Tested inhibitors were administered as i.v. bolus injections at 30 min before the start of the PET scan, followed by a continuous i.v. infusion for the duration of the PET scan. Five of the tested drugs increased total distribution volume of [11C]erlotinib in the brain (VT,brain) compared to vehicle-treated animals (tariquidar, + 69%; erlotinib, + 19% and +23% for the 21.5 mg/kg and the 43 mg/kg dose, respectively; imatinib, + 22%; lapatinib, + 25%; and cyclosporine A, + 49%). For all drugs, increases in [11C]erlotinib brain distribution were lower than in Abcb1a/b(−/−)Abcg2(−/−) mice (+149%), which suggested that only partial ABCB1/ABCG2 inhibition was reached at the mouse BBB. The plasma concentrations of the tested drugs at the time of the PET scan were higher than clinically achievable plasma concentrations. Some of the tested drugs led to significant increases in blood radioactivity concentrations measured at the end of the PET scan (erlotinib, + 103% and +113% for the 21.5 mg/kg and the 43 mg/kg dose, respectively; imatinib, + 125%; and cyclosporine A, + 101%), which was most likely caused by decreased hepatobiliary excretion of radioactivity. Taken together, our data suggest that some marketed tyrosine kinase inhibitors may be repurposed to inhibit ABCB1 and ABCG2 at the BBB. From a clinical perspective, moderate increases in brain delivery despite the administration of high i.v. doses as well as peripheral drug–drug interactions due to transporter inhibition in clearance organs question the translatability of this concept. AU - Traxl, Alexander AU - Mairinger, Severin AU - Filip, Thomas AU - Sauberer, Michael AU - Stanek, Johann AU - Poschner, Stefan AU - Jäger, Walter AU - Zoufal, Viktoria AU - Novarino, Gaia AU - Tournier, Nicolas AU - Bauer, Martin AU - Wanek, Thomas AU - Langer, Oliver ID - 6088 IS - 3 JF - Molecular Pharmaceutics TI - Inhibition of ABCB1 and ABCG2 at the mouse blood-brain barrier with marketed drugs to improve brain delivery of the model ABCB1/ABCG2 substrate [11C]erlotinib VL - 16 ER - TY - JOUR AB - Investigating neuronal activity using genetically encoded Ca2+ indicators in behaving animals is hampered by inaccuracies in spike inference from fluorescent tracers. Here we combine two‐photon [Ca2+] imaging with cell‐attached recordings, followed by post hoc determination of the expression level of GCaMP6f, to explore how it affects the amplitude, kinetics and temporal summation of somatic [Ca2+] transients in mouse hippocampal pyramidal cells (PCs). The amplitude of unitary [Ca2+] transients (evoked by a single action potential) negatively correlates with GCaMP6f expression, but displays large variability even among PCs with similarly low expression levels. The summation of fluorescence signals is frequency‐dependent, supralinear and also shows remarkable cell‐to‐cell variability. We performed experimental data‐based simulations and found that spike inference error rates using MLspike depend strongly on unitary peak amplitudes and GCaMP6f expression levels. We provide simple methods for estimating the unitary [Ca2+] transients in individual weakly GCaMP6f‐expressing PCs, with which we achieve spike inference error rates of ∼5%. AU - Éltes, Tímea AU - Szoboszlay, Miklos AU - Szigeti, Margit Katalin AU - Nusser, Zoltan ID - 6470 IS - 11 JF - Journal of Physiology SN - 00223751 TI - Improved spike inference accuracy by estimating the peak amplitude of unitary [Ca2+] transients in weakly GCaMP6f-expressing hippocampal pyramidal cells VL - 597 ER - TY - JOUR AB - Until recently, a great amount of brain studies have been conducted in human post mortem tissues, cell lines and model organisms. These researches provided useful insights regarding cell-cell interactions occurring in the brain. However, such approaches suffer from technical limitations and inaccurate modeling of the tissue 3D cytoarchitecture. Importantly, they might lack a human genetic background essential for disease modeling. With the development of protocols to generate human cerebral organoids, we are now closer to reproducing the early stages of human brain development in vitro. As a result, more relevant cell-cell interaction studies can be conducted. In this review, we discuss the advantages of 3D cultures over 2D in modulating brain cell-cell interactions during physiological and pathological development, as well as the progress made in developing organoids in which neurons, macroglia, microglia and vascularization are present. Finally, we debate the limitations of those models and possible future directions. AU - Oliveira, Bárbara AU - Yahya, Aysan Çerağ AU - Novarino, Gaia ID - 6896 JF - Brain Research SN - 00068993 TI - Modeling cell-cell interactions in the brain using cerebral organoids VL - 1724 ER - TY - JOUR AU - Morandell, Jasmin AU - Nicolas, Armel AU - Schwarz, Lena A AU - Novarino, Gaia ID - 7415 IS - Supplement 6 JF - European Neuropsychopharmacology SN - 0924-977X TI - S.16.05 Illuminating the role of the e3 ubiquitin ligase cullin3 in brain development and autism VL - 29 ER - TY - JOUR AU - Knaus, Lisa AU - Tarlungeanu, Dora-Clara AU - Novarino, Gaia ID - 7414 IS - Supplement 6 JF - European Neuropsychopharmacology SN - 0924-977X TI - S.16.03 A homozygous missense mutation in SLC7A5 leads to autism spectrum disorder and microcephaly VL - 29 ER - TY - DATA AB - This dataset contains the supplementary data for the research paper "Haploinsufficiency of the intellectual disability gene SETD5 disturbs developmental gene expression and cognition". The contained files have the following content: 'Supplementary Figures.pdf' Additional figures (as referenced in the paper). 'Supplementary Table 1. Statistics.xlsx' Details on statistical tests performed in the paper. 'Supplementary Table 2. Differentially expressed gene analysis.xlsx' Results for the differential gene expression analysis for embryonic (E9.5; analysis with edgeR) and in vitro (ESCs, EBs, NPCs; analysis with DESeq2) samples. 'Supplementary Table 3. Gene Ontology (GO) term enrichment analysis.xlsx' Results for the GO term enrichment analysis for differentially expressed genes in embryonic (GO E9.5) and in vitro (GO ESC, GO EBs, GO NPCs) samples. Differentially expressed genes for in vitro samples were split into upregulated and downregulated genes (up/down) and the analysis was performed on each subset (e.g. GO ESC up / GO ESC down). 'Supplementary Table 4. Differentially expressed gene analysis for CFC samples.xlsx' Results for the differential gene expression analysis for samples from adult mice before (HC - Homecage) and 1h and 3h after contextual fear conditioning (1h and 3h, respectively). Each sheet shows the results for a different comparison. Sheets 1-3 show results for comparisons between timepoints for wild type (WT) samples only and sheets 4-6 for the same comparisons in mutant (Het) samples. Sheets 7-9 show results for comparisons between genotypes at each time point and sheet 10 contains the results for the analysis of differential expression trajectories between wild type and mutant. 'Supplementary Table 5. Cluster identification.xlsx' Results for k-means clustering of genes by expression. Sheet 1 shows clustering of just the genes with significantly different expression trajectories between genotypes. Sheet 2 shows clustering of all genes that are significantly differentially expressed in any of the comparisons (includes also genes with same trajectories). 'Supplementary Table 6. GO term cluster analysis.xlsx' Results for the GO term enrichment analysis and EWCE analysis for enrichment of cell type specific genes for each cluster identified by clustering genes with different expression trajectories (see Table S5, sheet 1). 'Supplementary Table 7. Setd5 mass spectrometry results.xlsx' Results showing proteins interacting with Setd5 as identified by mass spectrometry. Sheet 1 shows protein protein interaction data generated from these results (combined with data from the STRING database. Sheet 2 shows the results of the statistical analysis with limma. 'Supplementary Table 8. PolII ChIP-seq analysis.xlsx' Results for the Chip-Seq analysis for binding of RNA polymerase II (PolII). Sheet 1 shows results for differential binding of PolII at the transcription start site (TSS) between genotypes and sheets 2+3 show the corresponding GO enrichment analysis for these differentially bound genes. Sheet 4 shows RNAseq counts for genes with increased binding of PolII at the TSS. AU - Dotter, Christoph AU - Novarino, Gaia ID - 6074 TI - Supplementary data for the research paper "Haploinsufficiency of the intellectual disability gene SETD5 disturbs developmental gene expression and cognition" ER - TY - JOUR AB - Inhibition of the endoplasmic reticulum stress pathway may hold the key to Zika virus-associated microcephaly treatment. AU - Novarino, Gaia ID - 456 IS - 423 JF - Science Translational Medicine TI - Zika-associated microcephaly: Reduce the stress and race for the treatment VL - 10 ER - TY - JOUR AB - Despite the remarkable number of scientific breakthroughs of the last 100 years, the treatment of neurodevelopmental disorders (e.g., autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disability) remains a great challenge. Recent advancements in genomics, such as whole-exome or whole-genome sequencing, have enabled scientists to identify numerous mutations underlying neurodevelopmental disorders. Given the few hundred risk genes that have been discovered, the etiological variability and the heterogeneous clinical presentation, the need for genotype — along with phenotype- based diagnosis of individual patients has become a requisite. In this review we look at recent advancements in genomic analysis and their translation into clinical practice. AU - Tarlungeanu, Dora-Clara AU - Novarino, Gaia ID - 5888 IS - 8 JF - Experimental & Molecular Medicine SN - 2092-6413 TI - Genomics in neurodevelopmental disorders: an avenue to personalized medicine VL - 50 ER - TY - JOUR AB - The precise control of neural stem cell (NSC) proliferation and differentiation is crucial for the development and function of the human brain. Here, we review the emerging links between the alteration of embryonic and adult neurogenesis and the etiology of neuropsychiatric disorders (NPDs) such as autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) and schizophrenia (SCZ), as well as the advances in stem cell-based modeling and the novel therapeutic targets derived from these studies. AU - Sacco, Roberto AU - Cacci, Emanuele AU - Novarino, Gaia ID - 546 IS - 2 JF - Current Opinion in Neurobiology TI - Neural stem cells in neuropsychiatric disorders VL - 48 ER - TY - JOUR AB - Background: Transport protein particle (TRAPP) is a multisubunit complex that regulates membrane trafficking through the Golgi apparatus. The clinical phenotype associated with mutations in various TRAPP subunits has allowed elucidation of their functions in specific tissues. The role of some subunits in human disease, however, has not been fully established, and their functions remain uncertain. Objective: We aimed to expand the range of neurodevelopmental disorders associated with mutations in TRAPP subunits by exome sequencing of consanguineous families. Methods: Linkage and homozygosity mapping and candidate gene analysis were used to identify homozygous mutations in families. Patient fibroblasts were used to study splicing defect and zebrafish to model the disease. Results: We identified six individuals from three unrelated families with a founder homozygous splice mutation in TRAPPC6B, encoding a core subunit of the complex TRAPP I. Patients manifested a neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by microcephaly, epilepsy and autistic features, and showed splicing defect. Zebrafish trappc6b morphants replicated the human phenotype, displaying decreased head size and neuronal hyperexcitability, leading to a lower seizure threshold. Conclusion: This study provides clinical and functional evidence of the role of TRAPPC6B in brain development and function. AU - Marin Valencia, Isaac AU - Novarino, Gaia AU - Johansen, Anide AU - Rosti, Başak AU - Issa, Mahmoud AU - Musaev, Damir AU - Bhat, Gifty AU - Scott, Eric AU - Silhavy, Jennifer AU - Stanley, Valentina AU - Rosti, Rasim AU - Gleeson, Jeremy AU - Imam, Farhad AU - Zaki, Maha AU - Gleeson, Joseph ID - 691 IS - 1 JF - Journal of Medical Genetics SN - 0022-2593 TI - A homozygous founder mutation in TRAPPC6B associates with a neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by microcephaly epilepsy and autistic features VL - 55 ER - TY - THES AB - Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are a group of genetic disorders often overlapping with other neurological conditions. Despite the remarkable number of scientific breakthroughs of the last 100 years, the treatment of neurodevelopmental disorders (e.g. autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disability, epilepsy) remains a great challenge. Recent advancements in geno mics, like whole-exome or whole-genome sequencing, have enabled scientists to identify numerous mutations underlying neurodevelopmental disorders. Given the few hundred risk genes that were discovered, the etiological variability and the heterogeneous phenotypic outcomes, the need for genotype -along with phenotype- based diagnosis of individual patients becomes a requisite. Driven by this rationale, in a previous study our group described mutations, identified via whole - exome sequencing, in the gene BCKDK – encoding for a key regulator of branched chain amin o acid (BCAA) catabolism - as a cause of ASD. Following up on the role of BCAAs, in the study described here we show that the solute carrier transporter 7a5 (SLC7A5), a large neutral amino acid transporter localized mainly at the blood brain barrier (BBB), has an essential role in maintaining normal levels of brain BCAAs. In mice, deletion of Slc7a5 from the endothelial cells of the BBB leads to atypical brain amino acid profile, abnormal mRNA translation and severe neurolo gical abnormalities. Additionally, deletion of Slc7a5 from the neural progenitor cell population leads to microcephaly. Interestingly, we demonstrate that BCAA intracerebroventricular administration ameliorates abnormal behaviors in adult mutant mice. Furthermore, whole - exome sequencing of patients diagnosed with neurological dis o r ders helped us identify several patients with autistic traits, microcephaly and motor delay carrying deleterious homozygous mutations in the SLC7A5 gene. In conclusion, our data elucidate a neurological syndrome defined by SLC7A5 mutations and support an essential role for t he BCAA s in human bra in function. Together with r ecent studies (described in chapter two) that have successfully made the transition into clinical practice, our findings on the role of B CAAs might have a crucial impact on the development of novel individualized therapeutic strategies for ASD. AU - Tarlungeanu, Dora-Clara ID - 395 SN - 2663-337X TI - The branched chain amino acids in autism spectrum disorders ER - TY - JOUR AB - SETD5 gene mutations have been identified as a frequent cause of idiopathic intellectual disability. Here we show that Setd5-haploinsufficient mice present developmental defects such as abnormal brain-to-body weight ratios and neural crest defect-associated phenotypes. Furthermore, Setd5-mutant mice show impairments in cognitive tasks, enhanced long-term potentiation, delayed ontogenetic profile of ultrasonic vocalization, and behavioral inflexibility. Behavioral issues are accompanied by abnormal expression of postsynaptic density proteins previously associated with cognition. Our data additionally indicate that Setd5 regulates RNA polymerase II dynamics and gene transcription via its interaction with the Hdac3 and Paf1 complexes, findings potentially explaining the gene expression defects observed in Setd5-haploinsufficient mice. Our results emphasize the decisive role of Setd5 in a biological pathway found to be disrupted in humans with intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder. AU - Deliu, Elena AU - Arecco, Niccoló AU - Morandell, Jasmin AU - Dotter, Christoph AU - Contreras, Ximena AU - Girardot, Charles AU - Käsper, Eva AU - Kozlova, Alena AU - Kishi, Kasumi AU - Chiaradia, Ilaria AU - Noh, Kyung AU - Novarino, Gaia ID - 3 IS - 12 JF - Nature Neuroscience TI - Haploinsufficiency of the intellectual disability gene SETD5 disturbs developmental gene expression and cognition VL - 21 ER - TY - JOUR AB - RNA-dependent RNA polymerases (RdRps) play a key role in the life cycle of RNA viruses and impact their immunobiology. The arenavirus lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) strain Clone 13 provides a benchmark model for studying chronic infection. A major genetic determinant for its ability to persist maps to a single amino acid exchange in the viral L protein, which exhibits RdRp activity, yet its functional consequences remain elusive. To unravel the L protein interactions with the host proteome, we engineered infectious L protein-tagged LCMV virions by reverse genetics. A subsequent mass-spectrometric analysis of L protein pulldowns from infected human cells revealed a comprehensive network of interacting host proteins. The obtained LCMV L protein interactome was bioinformatically integrated with known host protein interactors of RdRps from other RNA viruses, emphasizing interconnected modules of human proteins. Functional characterization of selected interactors highlighted proviral (DDX3X) as well as antiviral (NKRF, TRIM21) host factors. To corroborate these findings, we infected Trim21-/-mice with LCMV and found impaired virus control in chronic infection. These results provide insights into the complex interactions of the arenavirus LCMV and other viral RdRps with the host proteome and contribute to a better molecular understanding of how chronic viruses interact with their host. AU - Khamina, Kseniya AU - Lercher, Alexander AU - Caldera, Michael AU - Schliehe, Christopher AU - Vilagos, Bojan AU - Sahin, Mehmet AU - Kosack, Lindsay AU - Bhattacharya, Anannya AU - Májek, Peter AU - Stukalov, Alexey AU - Sacco, Roberto AU - James, Leo AU - Pinschewer, Daniel AU - Bennett, Keiryn AU - Menche, Jörg AU - Bergthaler, Andreas ID - 540 IS - 12 JF - PLoS Pathogens SN - 15537366 TI - Characterization of host proteins interacting with the lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus L protein VL - 13 ER - TY - CHAP AB - Genetic factors might be largely responsible for the development of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) that alone or in combination with specific environmental risk factors trigger the pathology. Multiple mutations identified in ASD patients that impair synaptic function in the central nervous system are well studied in animal models. How these mutations might interact with other risk factors is not fully understood though. Additionally, how systems outside of the brain are altered in the context of ASD is an emerging area of research. Extracerebral influences on the physiology could begin in utero and contribute to changes in the brain and in the development of other body systems and further lead to epigenetic changes. Therefore, multiple recent studies have aimed at elucidating the role of gene-environment interactions in ASD. Here we provide an overview on the extracerebral systems that might play an important associative role in ASD and review evidence regarding the potential roles of inflammation, trace metals, metabolism, genetic susceptibility, enteric nervous system function and the microbiota of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract on the development of endophenotypes in animal models of ASD. By influencing environmental conditions, it might be possible to reduce or limit the severity of ASD pathology. AU - Hill Yardin, Elisa AU - Mckeown, Sonja AU - Novarino, Gaia AU - Grabrucker, Andreas ED - Schmeisser, Michael ED - Boekers, Tobias ID - 623 SN - 03015556 T2 - Translational Anatomy and Cell Biology of Autism Spectrum Disorder TI - Extracerebral dysfunction in animal models of autism spectrum disorder VL - 224 ER - TY - CHAP AB - As autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is largely regarded as a neurodevelopmental condition, long-time consensus was that its hallmark features are irreversible. However, several studies from recent years using defined mouse models of ASD have provided clear evidence that in mice neurobiological and behavioural alterations can be ameliorated or even reversed by genetic restoration or pharmacological treatment either before or after symptom onset. Here, we review findings on genetic and pharmacological reversibility of phenotypes in mouse models of ASD. Our review should give a comprehensive overview on both aspects and encourage future studies to better understand the underlying molecular mechanisms that might be translatable from animals to humans. AU - Schroeder, Jan AU - Deliu, Elena AU - Novarino, Gaia AU - Schmeisser, Michael ED - Schmeisser, Michael ED - Boekers, Tobias ID - 634 T2 - Translational Anatomy and Cell Biology of Autism Spectrum Disorder TI - Genetic and pharmacological reversibility of phenotypes in mouse models of autism spectrum disorder VL - 224 ER - TY - JOUR AB - Human neurons transplanted into a mouse model for Alzheimer’s disease show human-specific vulnerability to β-amyloid plaques and may help to identify new therapeutic targets. AU - Novarino, Gaia ID - 656 IS - 381 JF - Science Translational Medicine SN - 19466234 TI - Modeling Alzheimer's disease in mice with human neurons VL - 9 ER - TY - JOUR AB - Perinatal exposure to penicillin may result in longlasting gut and behavioral changes. AU - Novarino, Gaia ID - 667 IS - 387 JF - Science Translational Medicine SN - 19466234 TI - The antisocial side of antibiotics VL - 9 ER - TY - JOUR AB - Rett syndrome modeling in monkey mirrors the human disorder. AU - Novarino, Gaia ID - 689 IS - 393 JF - Science Translational Medicine SN - 19466234 TI - Rett syndrome modeling goes simian VL - 9 ER - TY - JOUR AB - Leading autism-associated mutation in mouse partially mimics human disorder. AU - Novarino, Gaia ID - 702 IS - 399 JF - Science Translational Medicine SN - 19466234 TI - The riddle of CHD8 haploinsufficiency in autism spectrum disorder VL - 9 ER - TY - JOUR AB - To determine the dynamics of allelic-specific expression during mouse development, we analyzed RNA-seq data from 23 F1 tissues from different developmental stages, including 19 female tissues allowing X chromosome inactivation (XCI) escapers to also be detected. We demonstrate that allelic expression arising from genetic or epigenetic differences is highly tissue-specific. We find that tissue-specific strain-biased gene expression may be regulated by tissue-specific enhancers or by post-transcriptional differences in stability between the alleles. We also find that escape from X-inactivation is tissue-specific, with leg muscle showing an unexpectedly high rate of XCI escapers. By surveying a range of tissues during development, and performing extensive validation, we are able to provide a high confidence list of mouse imprinted genes including 18 novel genes. This shows that cluster size varies dynamically during development and can be substantially larger than previously thought, with the Igf2r cluster extending over 10 Mb in placenta. AU - Andergassen, Daniel AU - Dotter, Christoph AU - Wenzel, Dyniel AU - Sigl, Verena AU - Bammer, Philipp AU - Muckenhuber, Markus AU - Mayer, Daniela AU - Kulinski, Tomasz AU - Theussl, Hans AU - Penninger, Josef AU - Bock, Christoph AU - Barlow, Denise AU - Pauler, Florian AU - Hudson, Quanah ID - 713 JF - eLife SN - 2050084X TI - Mapping the mouse Allelome reveals tissue specific regulation of allelic expression VL - 6 ER - TY - JOUR AB - Background HIV-1 infection and drug abuse are frequently co-morbid and their association greatly increases the severity of HIV-1-induced neuropathology. While nucleus accumbens (NAcc) function is severely perturbed by drugs of abuse, little is known about how HIV-1 infection affects NAcc. Methods We used calcium and voltage imaging to investigate the effect of HIV-1 trans-activator of transcription (Tat) on rat NAcc. Based on previous neuronal studies, we hypothesized that Tat modulates intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis of NAcc neurons. Results We provide evidence that Tat triggers a Ca2+ signaling cascade in NAcc medium spiny neurons (MSN) expressing D1-like dopamine receptors leading to neuronal depolarization. Firstly, Tat induced inositol 1,4,5-trisphsophate (IP3) receptor-mediated Ca2+ release from endoplasmic reticulum, followed by Ca2+ and Na+ influx via transient receptor potential canonical channels. The influx of cations depolarizes the membrane promoting additional Ca2+ entry through voltage-gated P/Q-type Ca2+ channels and opening of tetrodotoxin-sensitive Na+ channels. By activating this mechanism, Tat elicits a feed-forward depolarization increasing the excitability of D1-phosphatidylinositol-linked NAcc MSN. We previously found that cocaine targets NAcc neurons directly (independent of the inhibition of dopamine transporter) only when IP3-generating mechanisms are concomitantly initiated. When tested here, cocaine produced a dose-dependent potentiation of the effect of Tat on cytosolic Ca2+. Conclusion We describe for the first time a HIV-1 Tat-triggered Ca2+ signaling in MSN of NAcc involving TRPC and depolarization and a potentiation of the effect of Tat by cocaine, which may be relevant for the reward axis in cocaine-abusing HIV-1-positive patients. AU - Brailoiu, Gabriela AU - Deliu, Elena AU - Barr, Jeffrey AU - Console Bram, Linda AU - Ciuciu, Alexandra AU - Abood, Mary AU - Unterwald, Ellen AU - Brǎiloiu, Eugen ID - 714 JF - Drug and Alcohol Dependence SN - 03768716 TI - HIV Tat excites D1 receptor-like expressing neurons from rat nucleus accumbens VL - 178 ER - TY - JOUR AB - D-cycloserine ameliorates breathing abnormalities and survival rate in a mouse model of Rett syndrome. AU - Novarino, Gaia ID - 715 IS - 405 JF - Science Translational Medicine SN - 19466234 TI - More excitation for Rett syndrome VL - 9 ER - TY - JOUR AB - Genetic variations in the oxytocin receptor gene affect patients with ASD and ADHD differently. AU - Novarino, Gaia ID - 731 IS - 411 JF - Science Translational Medicine SN - 19466234 TI - The science of love in ASD and ADHD VL - 9 ER - TY - JOUR AB - Since 2006, reprogrammed cells have increasingly been used as a biomedical research technique in addition to neuro-psychiatric methods. These rapidly evolving techniques allow for the generation of neuronal sub-populations, and have sparked interest not only in monogenetic neuro-psychiatric diseases, but also in poly-genetic and poly-aetiological disorders such as schizophrenia (SCZ) and bipolar disorder (BPD). This review provides a summary of 19 publications on reprogrammed adult somatic cells derived from patients with SCZ, and five publications using this technique in patients with BPD. As both disorders are complex and heterogeneous, there is a plurality of hypotheses to be tested in vitro. In SCZ, data on alterations of dopaminergic transmission in vitro are sparse, despite the great explanatory power of the so-called DA hypothesis of SCZ. Some findings correspond to perturbations of cell energy metabolism, and observations in reprogrammed cells suggest neuro-developmental alterations. Some studies also report on the efficacy of medicinal compounds to revert alterations observed in cellular models. However, due to the paucity of replication studies, no comprehensive conclusions can be drawn from studies using reprogrammed cells at the present time. In the future, findings from cell culture methods need to be integrated with clinical, epidemiological, pharmacological and imaging data in order to generate a more comprehensive picture of SCZ and BPD. AU - Sauerzopf, Ulrich AU - Sacco, Roberto AU - Novarino, Gaia AU - Niello, Marco AU - Weidenauer, Ana AU - Praschak Rieder, Nicole AU - Sitte, Harald AU - Willeit, Matthaeus ID - 1228 IS - 1 JF - European Journal of Neuroscience TI - Are reprogrammed cells a useful tool for studying dopamine dysfunction in psychotic disorders? A review of the current evidence VL - 45 ER - TY - JOUR AB - Bradykinin (BK), a component of the kallikrein-kininogen-kinin system exerts multiple effects via B1 and B2 receptor activation. In the cardiovascular system, bradykinin has cardioprotective and vasodilator properties. We investigated the effect of BK on cardiac-projecting neurons of nucleus ambiguus, a key site for the parasympathetic cardiac regulation. BK produced a dose-dependent increase in cytosolic Ca2+ concentration. Pretreatment with HOE140, a B2 receptor antagonist, but not with R715, a B1 receptor antagonist, abolished the response to BK. A selective B2 receptor agonist, but not a B1 receptor agonist, elicited an increase in cytosolic Ca2+ similarly to BK. Inhibition of N-type voltage-gated Ca2+ channels with ω-conotoxin GVIA had no effect on the Ca2+ signal produced by BK, while pretreatment with ω-conotoxin MVIIC, a blocker of P/Q-type of Ca2+ channels, significantly diminished the effect of BK. Pretreatment with xestospongin C and 2-aminoethoxydiphenyl borate, antagonists of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors, abolished the response to BK. Inhibition of ryanodine receptors reduced the BK-induced Ca2+ increase, while disruption of lysosomal Ca2+ stores with bafilomycin A1 did not affect the response. BK produced a dose-dependent depolarization of nucleus ambiguus neurons, which was prevented by the B2 receptor antagonist. In vivo studies indicate that microinjection of BK into nucleus ambiguus elicited bradycardia in conscious rats via B2 receptors. In summary, in cardiac vagal neurons of nucleus ambiguus, BK activates B2 receptors promoting Ca2+ influx and Ca2+ release from endoplasmic reticulum, and membrane depolarization; these effects are translated in vivo by bradycardia. AU - Brǎiloiu, Eugen AU - Mcguire, Matthew AU - Shuler, Shadaria AU - Deliu, Elena AU - Barr, Jeffrey AU - Abood, Mary AU - Brailoiu, Gabriela ID - 747 JF - Neuroscience SN - 03064522 TI - Modulation of cardiac vagal tone by bradykinin acting on nucleus ambiguus VL - 365 ER - TY - JOUR AB - Background: Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are increasingly implicated as gene regulators and may ultimately be more numerous than protein-coding genes in the human genome. Despite large numbers of reported lncRNAs, reference annotations are likely incomplete due to their lower and tighter tissue-specific expression compared to mRNAs. An unexplored factor potentially confounding lncRNA identification is inter-individual expression variability. Here, we characterize lncRNA natural expression variability in human primary granulocytes. Results: We annotate granulocyte lncRNAs and mRNAs in RNA-seq data from 10 healthy individuals, identifying multiple lncRNAs absent from reference annotations, and use this to investigate three known features (higher tissue-specificity, lower expression, and reduced splicing efficiency) of lncRNAs relative to mRNAs. Expression variability was examined in seven individuals sampled three times at 1- or more than 1-month intervals. We show that lncRNAs display significantly more inter-individual expression variability compared to mRNAs. We confirm this finding in two independent human datasets by analyzing multiple tissues from the GTEx project and lymphoblastoid cell lines from the GEUVADIS project. Using the latter dataset we also show that including more human donors into the transcriptome annotation pipeline allows identification of an increasing number of lncRNAs, but minimally affects mRNA gene number. Conclusions: A comprehensive annotation of lncRNAs is known to require an approach that is sensitive to low and tight tissue-specific expression. Here we show that increased inter-individual expression variability is an additional general lncRNA feature to consider when creating a comprehensive annotation of human lncRNAs or proposing their use as prognostic or disease markers. AU - Kornienko, Aleksandra AU - Dotter, Christoph AU - Guenzl, Philipp AU - Gisslinger, Heinz AU - Gisslinger, Bettina AU - Cleary, Ciara AU - Kralovics, Robert AU - Pauler, Florian AU - Barlow, Denise ID - 1240 IS - 1 JF - Genome Biology TI - Long non-coding RNAs display higher natural expression variation than protein-coding genes in healthy humans VL - 17 ER - TY - JOUR AB - Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are a group of genetic disorders often overlapping with other neurological conditions. We previously described abnormalities in the branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) catabolic pathway as a cause of ASD. Here, we show that the solute carrier transporter 7a5 (SLC7A5), a large neutral amino acid transporter localized at the blood brain barrier (BBB), has an essential role in maintaining normal levels of brain BCAAs. In mice, deletion of Slc7a5 from the endothelial cells of the BBB leads to atypical brain amino acid profile, abnormal mRNA translation, and severe neurological abnormalities. Furthermore, we identified several patients with autistic traits and motor delay carrying deleterious homozygous mutations in the SLC7A5 gene. Finally, we demonstrate that BCAA intracerebroventricular administration ameliorates abnormal behaviors in adult mutant mice. Our data elucidate a neurological syndrome defined by SLC7A5 mutations and support an essential role for the BCAA in human brain function. AU - Tarlungeanu, Dora-Clara AU - Deliu, Elena AU - Dotter, Christoph AU - Kara, Majdi AU - Janiesch, Philipp AU - Scalise, Mariafrancesca AU - Galluccio, Michele AU - Tesulov, Mateja AU - Morelli, Emanuela AU - Sönmez, Fatma AU - Bilgüvar, Kaya AU - Ohgaki, Ryuichi AU - Kanai, Yoshikatsu AU - Johansen, Anide AU - Esharif, Seham AU - Ben Omran, Tawfeg AU - Topcu, Meral AU - Schlessinger, Avner AU - Indiveri, Cesare AU - Duncan, Kent AU - Caglayan, Ahmet AU - Günel, Murat AU - Gleeson, Joseph AU - Novarino, Gaia ID - 1183 IS - 6 JF - Cell TI - Impaired amino acid transport at the blood brain barrier is a cause of autism spectrum disorder VL - 167 ER - TY - JOUR AB - Detecting allelic biases from high-throughput sequencing data requires an approach that maximises sensitivity while minimizing false positives. Here, we present Allelome.PRO, an automated user-friendly bioinformatics pipeline, which uses high-throughput sequencing data from reciprocal crosses of two genetically distinct mouse strains to detect allele-specific expression and chromatin modifications. Allelome.PRO extends approaches used in previous studies that exclusively analyzed imprinted expression to give a complete picture of the ‘allelome’ by automatically categorising the allelic expression of all genes in a given cell type into imprinted, strain-biased, biallelic or non-informative. Allelome.PRO offers increased sensitivity to analyze lowly expressed transcripts, together with a robust false discovery rate empirically calculated from variation in the sequencing data. We used RNA-seq data from mouse embryonic fibroblasts from F1 reciprocal crosses to determine a biologically relevant allelic ratio cutoff, and define for the first time an entire allelome. Furthermore, we show that Allelome.PRO detects differential enrichment of H3K4me3 over promoters from ChIP-seq data validating the RNA-seq results. This approach can be easily extended to analyze histone marks of active enhancers, or transcription factor binding sites and therefore provides a powerful tool to identify candidate cis regulatory elements genome wide. AU - Andergassen, Daniel AU - Dotter, Christoph AU - Kulinski, Tomasz AU - Guenzl, Philipp AU - Bammer, Philipp AU - Barlow, Denise AU - Pauler, Florian AU - Hudson, Quanah ID - 1497 IS - 21 JF - Nucleic Acids Research TI - Allelome.PRO, a pipeline to define allele-specific genomic features from high-throughput sequencing data VL - 43 ER - TY - JOUR AB - Intellectual disability (ID) has an estimated prevalence of 2-3%. Due to its extreme heterogeneity, the genetic basis of ID remains elusive in many cases. Recently, whole exome sequencing (WES) studies revealed that a large proportion of sporadic cases are caused by de novo gene variants. To identify further genes involved in ID, we performed WES in 250 patients with unexplained ID and their unaffected parents and included exomes of 51 previously sequenced child-parents trios in the analysis. Exome analysis revealed de novo intragenic variants in SET domain-containing 5 (SETD5) in two patients. One patient carried a nonsense variant, and the other an 81 bp deletion located across a splice-donor site. Chromosomal microarray diagnostics further identified four de novo non-recurrent microdeletions encompassing SETD5. CRISPR/Cas9 mutation modelling of the two intragenic variants demonstrated nonsense-mediated decay of the resulting transcripts, pointing to a loss-of-function (LoF) and haploinsufficiency as the common disease-causing mechanism of intragenic SETD5 sequence variants and SETD5-containing microdeletions. In silico domain prediction of SETD5, a predicted SET domain-containing histone methyltransferase (HMT), substantiated the presence of a SET domain and identified a novel putative PHD domain, strengthening a functional link to well-known histone-modifying ID genes. All six patients presented with ID and certain facial dysmorphisms, suggesting that SETD5 sequence variants contribute substantially to the microdeletion 3p25.3 phenotype. The present report of two SETD5 LoF variants in 301 patients demonstrates a prevalence of 0.7% and thus SETD5 variants as a relatively frequent cause of ID. AU - Kuechler, Alma AU - Zink, Alexander AU - Wieland, Thomas AU - Lüdecke, Hermann AU - Cremer, Kirsten AU - Salviati, Leonardo AU - Magini, Pamela AU - Najafi, Kimia AU - Zweier, Christiane AU - Czeschik, Johanna AU - Aretz, Stefan AU - Endele, Sabine AU - Tamburrino, Federica AU - Pinato, Claudia AU - Clementi, Maurizio AU - Gundlach, Jasmin AU - Maylahn, Carina AU - Mazzanti, Laura AU - Wohlleber, Eva AU - Schwarzmayr, Thomas AU - Kariminejad, Roxana AU - Schlessinger, Avner AU - Wieczorek, Dagmar AU - Strom, Tim AU - Novarino, Gaia AU - Engels, Hartmut ID - 1789 IS - 6 JF - European Journal of Human Genetics TI - Loss-of-function variants of SETD5 cause intellectual disability and the core phenotype of microdeletion 3p25.3 syndrome VL - 23 ER - TY - JOUR AB - Hereditary spastic paraplegias (HSPs) are neurodegenerative motor neuron diseases characterized by progressive age-dependent loss of corticospinal motor tract function. Although the genetic basis is partly understood, only a fraction of cases can receive a genetic diagnosis, and a global view of HSP is lacking. By using whole-exome sequencing in combination with network analysis, we identified 18 previously unknown putative HSP genes and validated nearly all of these genes functionally or genetically. The pathways highlighted by these mutations link HSP to cellular transport, nucleotide metabolism, and synapse and axon development. Network analysis revealed a host of further candidate genes, of which three were mutated in our cohort. Our analysis links HSP to other neurodegenerative disorders and can facilitate gene discovery and mechanistic understanding of disease. AU - Novarino, Gaia AU - Fenstermaker, Ali AU - Zaki, Maha AU - Hofree, Matan AU - Silhavy, Jennifer AU - Heiberg, Andrew AU - Abdellateef, Mostafa AU - Rosti, Başak AU - Scott, Eric AU - Mansour, Lobna AU - Masri, Amira AU - Kayserili, Hülya AU - Al Aama, Jumana AU - Abdel Salam, Ghada AU - Karminejad, Ariana AU - Kara, Majdi AU - Kara, Bülent AU - Bozorgmehri, Bita AU - Ben Omran, Tawfeg AU - Mojahedi, Faezeh AU - Mahmoud, Iman AU - Bouslam, Naïma AU - Bouhouche, Ahmed AU - Benomar, Ali AU - Hanein, Sylvain AU - Raymond, Laure AU - Forlani, Sylvie AU - Mascaro, Massimo AU - Selim, Laila AU - Shehata, Nabil AU - Al Allawi, Nasir AU - Bindu, Parayil AU - Azam, Matloob AU - Günel, Murat AU - Caglayan, Ahmet AU - Bilgüvar, Kaya AU - Tolun, Aslihan AU - Issa, Mahmoud AU - Schroth, Jana AU - Spencer, Emily AU - Rosti, Rasim AU - Akizu, Naiara AU - Vaux, Keith AU - Johansen, Anide AU - Koh, Alice AU - Megahed, Hisham AU - Dürr, Alexandra AU - Brice, Alexis AU - Stévanin, Giovanni AU - Gabriel, Stacy AU - Ideker, Trey AU - Gleeson, Joseph ID - 1916 IS - 6170 JF - Science TI - Exome sequencing links corticospinal motor neuron disease to common neurodegenerative disorders VL - 343 ER -