Medical Genetics Commons^™

Phenytoin Inhibits Cell Proliferation Through Microrna-196a-5p In Mouse Lip Mesenchymal Cells, Hiroki Yoshioka, Sai Shankar Ramakrishnan, Akiko Suzuki, Junichi Iwata

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Cleft lip (CL) is one of the most common birth defects. It is caused by either genetic mutations or environmental factors. Recent studies suggest that environmental factors influence the expression of noncoding RNAs [e.g., microRNA (miRNA)], which can regulate the expression of genes crucial for cellular functions. In this study, we examined which miRNAs are associated with CL. Among 10 candidate miRNAs (miR-98-3p, miR-101a-3p, miR-101b-3p, miR-141-3p, miR-144-3p, miR-181a-5p, miR-196a-5p, miR-196b-5p, miR-200a-3p, and miR-710) identified through our bioinformatic analysis of CL-associated genes, overexpression of miR-181a-5p, miR-196a-5p, miR-196b-5p, and miR-710 inhibited cell proliferation through suppression of genes associated with CL in cultured …

Impaired Eif5a Function Causes A Mendelian Disorder That Is Partially Rescued In Model Systems By Spermidine., Víctor Faundes, Martin D. Jennings, Siobhan Crilly, Sarah Legraie, Sarah E. Withers, Sara Cuvertino, Sally J. Davies, Andrew G L Douglas, Andrew E. Fry, Victoria Harrison, Jeanne Amiel, Daphné Lehalle, William G. Newman, Patricia Newkirk, Judith Ranells, Miranda Splitt, Laura A. Cross, Carol J. Saunders, Bonnie Sullivan, Jorge L. Granadillo, Christopher T. Gordon, Paul R. Kasher, Graham D. Pavitt, Siddharth Banka

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

The structure of proline prevents it from adopting an optimal position for rapid protein synthesis. Poly-proline-tract (PPT) associated ribosomal stalling is resolved by highly conserved eIF5A, the only protein to contain the amino acid hypusine. We show that de novo heterozygous EIF5A variants cause a disorder characterized by variable combinations of developmental delay, microcephaly, micrognathia and dysmorphism. Yeast growth assays, polysome profiling, total/hypusinated eIF5A levels and PPT-reporters studies reveal that the variants impair eIF5A function, reduce eIF5A-ribosome interactions and impair the synthesis of PPT-containing proteins. Supplementation with 1 mM spermidine partially corrects the yeast growth defects, improves the polysome profiles …

Epilepsy Risk Prediction Model For Patients With Tuberous Sclerosis Complex, Laura S Farach, Melissa A Richard, Philip J Lupo, Mustafa Sahin, Darcy A Krueger, Joyce Y Wu, Elizabeth M Bebin, Kit Sing Au, Hope Northrup, Tacern Study Group

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Individuals with tuberous sclerosis complex are at increased risk of epilepsy. Early seizure control improves developmental outcomes, making identifying at-risk patients critically important. Despite several identified risk factors, it remains difficult to predict. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the combined risk prediction of previously identified risk factors for epilepsy in individuals with tuberous sclerosis complex.

METHODS: The study group (n = 333) consisted of individuals with tuberous sclerosis complex who were enrolled in the Tuberous Sclerosis Complex Autism Center of Excellence Research Network and UT TSC Biobank. The outcome was defined as having an epilepsy diagnosis. …

Genetics Of Smoking Behaviors In American Indians, Jeffrey A Henderson, Dedra S Buchwald, Barbara V Howard, Patricia Nez Henderson, Yafang Li, Rachel F Tyndale, Christopher I Amos, Olga Y Gorlova, Collaborative To Improve Native Cancer Outcomes (Cinco), A P50 Center For Population Health And Health Disparities Program Project Sponsored By The National Cancer Institute

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: The smoking behavior of American Indians (AI) differs from that of non-Hispanic whites (NHW). Typically light smokers, cessation interventions in AIs are generally less effective. To develop more effective cessation programs for AIs, clinicians, researchers, and public health workers need a better understanding of the genetic factors involved in their smoking behavior. Our aim was to assess whether SNPs associated with smoking behavior in NHWs are also associated with smoking in AIs.

METHODS: We collected questionnaire data on smoking behaviors and analyzed blood and saliva samples from two Tribal populations with dramatically different cultures and smoking prevalence, one in …

Evidence For Craniofacial Enhancer Variation Underlying Nonsyndromic Cleft Lip And Palate, Vershanna E Morris, S Shahrukh Hashmi, Lisha Zhu, Lorena Maili, Christian Urbina, Steven Blackwell, Matthew R Greives, Edward P Buchanan, John B Mulliken, Susan H Blanton, W Jim Zheng, Jacqueline T Hecht, Ariadne Letra

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Nonsyndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate (NSCLP) is a common birth defect for which only ~ 20% of the underlying genetic variation has been identified. Variants in noncoding regions have been increasingly suggested to contribute to the missing heritability. In this study, we investigated whether variation in craniofacial enhancers contributes to NSCLP. Candidate enhancers were identified using VISTA Enhancer Browser and previous publications. Prioritization was based on patterning defects in knockout mice, deletion/duplication of craniofacial genes in animal models and results of whole exome/whole genome sequencing studies. This resulted in 20 craniofacial enhancers to be investigated. Custom amplicon-based …

Complete Chemical Structures Of Human Mitochondrial Trnas, Takeo Suzuki, Yuka Yashiro, Ittoku Kikuchi, Yuma Ishigami, Hironori Saito, Ikuya Matsuzawa, Shunpei Okada, Mari Mito, Shintaro Iwasaki, Ding Ma, Xuewei Zhao, Kana Asano, Huan Lin, Yohei Kirino, Yuriko Sakaguchi, Tsutomu Suzuki

Computational Medicine Center Faculty Papers

Mitochondria generate most cellular energy via oxidative phosphorylation. Twenty-two species of mitochondrial (mt-)tRNAs encoded in mtDNA translate essential subunits of the respiratory chain complexes. mt-tRNAs contain post-transcriptional modifications introduced by nuclear-encoded tRNA-modifying enzymes. They are required for deciphering genetic code accurately, as well as stabilizing tRNA. Loss of tRNA modifications frequently results in severe pathological consequences. Here, we perform a comprehensive analysis of post-transcriptional modifications of all human mt-tRNAs, including 14 previously-uncharacterized species. In total, we find 18 kinds of RNA modifications at 137 positions (8.7% in 1575 nucleobases) in 22 species of human mt-tRNAs. An up-to-date list of 34 …

Association Analysis Of Driver Gene-Related Genetic Variants Identified Novel Lung Cancer Susceptibility Loci With 20,871 Lung Cancer Cases And 15,971 Controls, Yuzhuo Wang, Olga Y Gorlova, Ivan P Gorlov, Meng Zhu, Juncheng Dai, Demetrius Albanes, Stephen Lam, Adonina Tardon, Chu Chen, Gary E Goodman, Stig E Bojesen, Maria Teresa Landi, Mattias Johansson, Angela Risch, Heunz-Erich Wichmann, Heike Bickeboller, David C Christiani, Gad Rennert, Susanne M Arnold, Paul Brennan, John K Field, Sanjay Shete, Loïc Le Marchand, Olle Melander, Hans Brunnstrom, Geoffrey Liu, Rayjean J Hung, Angeline S Andrew, Lambertus A Kiemeney, Shanbeh Zienolddiny, Kjell Grankvist, Mikael Johansson, Neil E Caporaso, Penella J Woll, Philip Lazarus, Matthew B Schabath, Melinda C Aldrich, Victoria L Stevens, Hongxia Ma, Guangfu Jin, Zhibin Hu, Christopher I Amos, Hongbing Shen

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: A substantial proportion of cancer driver genes (CDG) are also cancer predisposition genes. However, the associations between genetic variants in lung CDGs and the susceptibility to lung cancer have rarely been investigated.

METHODS: We selected expression-related single-nucleotide polymorphisms (eSNP) and nonsynonymous variants of lung CDGs, and tested their associations with lung cancer risk in two large-scale genome-wide association studies (20,871 cases and 15,971 controls of European descent). Conditional and joint association analysis was performed to identify independent risk variants. The associations of independent risk variants with somatic alterations in lung CDGs or recurrently altered pathways were investigated using data …

Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome: De Novo Variants And Evidence For Mutational Burden In Genes Associated With Atrial Fibrillation, Zeynep H Coban-Akdemir, Wu-Lin Charng, Mahshid Azamian, Ingrid S Paine, Jaya Punetha, Christopher M Grochowski, Tomasz Gambin, Santiago O Valdes, Bryan Cannon, Gladys Zapata, Patricia P Hernandez, Shalini Jhangiani, Harsha Doddapaneni, Jianhong Hu, Fatima Boricha, Donna M Muzny, Eric Boerwinkle, Yaping Yang, Richard A Gibbs, Jennifer E Posey, Xander H T Wehrens, John W Belmont, Jeffrey J Kim, Christina Y Miyake, James R Lupski, Seema R Lalani

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome is a relatively common arrhythmia affecting ~1-3/1,000 individuals. Mutations in PRKAG2 have been described in rare patients in association with cardiomyopathy. However, the genetic basis of WPW in individuals with a structurally normal heart remains poorly understood. Sudden death due to atrial fibrillation (AF) can also occur in these individuals. Several studies have indicated that despite ablation of an accessory pathway, the risk of AF remains high in patients compared to general population.

METHODS: We applied exome sequencing in 305 subjects, including 65 trios, 80 singletons, and 6 multiple affected families. We used de novo analysis, …

De Novo Frameshift Variants In The Neuronal Splicing Factor Nova2 Result In A Common C-Terminal Extension And Cause A Severe Form Of Neurodevelopmental Disorder, Francesca Mattioli, Gaelle Hayot, Nathalie Drouot, Bertrand Isidor, Jérémie Courraud, Maria-Victoria Hinckelmann, Frederic Tran Mau-Them, Chantal Sellier, Alica Goldman, Aida Telegrafi, Alicia Boughton, Candace Gamble, Sebastien Moutton, Angélique Quartier, Nolwenn Jean, Paul Van Ness, Sarah Grotto, Sophie Nambot, Ganka Douglas, Yue Cindy Si, Jamel Chelly, Zohra Shad, Elisabeth Kaplan, Richard Dineen, Christelle Golzio, Nicolas Charlet-Berguerand, Jean-Louis Mandel, Amélie Piton

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The neuro-oncological ventral antigen 2 (NOVA2) protein is a major factor regulating neuron-specific alternative splicing (AS), previously associated with an acquired neurologic condition, the paraneoplastic opsoclonus-myoclonus ataxia (POMA). We report here six individuals with de novo frameshift variants in NOVA2 affected with a severe neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by intellectual disability (ID), motor and speech delay, autistic features, hypotonia, feeding difficulties, spasticity or ataxic gait, and abnormal brain MRI. The six variants lead to the same reading frame, adding a common proline rich C-terminal part instead of the last KH RNA binding domain. We detected 41 genes differentially spliced after NOVA2 …

Whole Exome Sequencing Of Highly Aggregated Lung Cancer Families Reveals Linked Loci For Increased Cancer Risk On Chromosomes 12q, 7p, And 4q, Anthony M Musolf, Bilal A Moiz, Haiming Sun, Claudio W Pikielny, Yohan Bossé, Diptasri Mandal, Mariza De Andrade, Colette Gaba, Ping Yang, Yafang Li, Ming You, Ramaswamy Govindan, Richard K Wilson, Elena Y Kupert, Marshall W Anderson, Ann G Schwartz, Susan M Pinney, Christopher I Amos, Joan E Bailey-Wilson

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Lung cancer kills more people than any other cancer in the United States. In addition to environmental factors, lung cancer has genetic risk factors as well, though the genetic etiology is still not well understood. We have performed whole exome sequencing on 262 individuals from 28 extended families with a family history of lung cancer.

METHODS: Parametric genetic linkage analysis was performed on these samples using two distinct analyses-the lung cancer only (LCO) analysis, where only patients with lung cancer were coded as affected, and the all aggregated cancers (AAC) analysis, where other cancers seen in the pedigree were …

Development And Characterization Of A Wee1 Kinase Degrader, Zhengnian Li, Benika J Pinch, Calla M Olson, Katherine A Donovan, Radosław P Nowak, Caitlin E Mills, David A Scott, Zainab M Doctor, Nicholas A Eleuteri, Mirra Chung, Peter K Sorger, Eric S Fischer, Nathanael S Gray

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The G1/S cell cycle checkpoint is frequently dysregulated in cancer, leaving cancer cells reliant on a functional G2/M checkpoint to prevent excessive DNA damage. Wee1 regulates the G2/M checkpoint by phosphorylating CDK1 at Tyr15 to prevent mitotic entry. Previous drug development efforts targeting Wee1 resulted in the clinical-grade inhibitor, AZD1775. However, AZD1775 is burdened by dose-limiting adverse events, and has off-target PLK1 activity. In an attempt to overcome these limitations, we developed Wee1 degraders by conjugating AZD1775 to the cereblon (CRBN)-binding ligand, pomalidomide. The resulting lead compound, ZNL-02-096, degrades Wee1 while sparing PLK1, induces G2/M accumulation at 10-fold lower doses …

Single-Nuclei Rna-Seq On Human Retinal Tissue Provides Improved Transcriptome Profiling, Qingnan Liang, Rachayata Dharmat, Leah Owen, Akbar Shakoor, Yumei Li, Sangbae Kim, Albert Vitale, Ivana Kim, Denise Morgan, Shaoheng Liang, Nathaniel Wu, Ken Chen, Margaret M Deangelis, Rui Chen

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Single-cell RNA-seq is a powerful tool in decoding the heterogeneity in complex tissues by generating transcriptomic profiles of the individual cell. Here, we report a single-nuclei RNA-seq (snRNA-seq) transcriptomic study on human retinal tissue, which is composed of multiple cell types with distinct functions. Six samples from three healthy donors are profiled and high-quality RNA-seq data is obtained for 5873 single nuclei. All major retinal cell types are observed and marker genes for each cell type are identified. The gene expression of the macular and peripheral retina is compared to each other at cell-type level. Furthermore, our dataset shows an …

Rheumatoid Arthritis-Relevant Dna Methylation Changes Identified In Acpa-Positive Asymptomatic Individuals Using Methylome Capture Sequencing., Xiaojian Shao, Marie Hudson, Ines Colmegna, Celia M T Greenwood, Marvin J. Fritzler, Philip Awadalla, T Pastinen, Sasha Bernatsky

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

OBJECTIVE: To compare DNA methylation in subjects positive vs negative for anti-citrullinated protein antibodies (ACPA), a key serological marker of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) risk.

METHODS: With banked serum from a random subset (N = 3600) of a large general population cohort, we identified ACPA-positive samples and compared them to age- and sex-matched ACPA-negative controls. We used a custom-designed methylome panel to conduct targeted bisulfite sequencing of 5 million CpGs located in regulatory or hypomethylated regions of DNA from whole blood (red blood cell lysed). Using binomial regression models, we investigated the differentially methylated regions (DMRs) between ACPA-positive vs ACPA-negative subjects. …

New Insights Into Dna Methylation Signatures: Smarca2 Variants In Nicolaides-Baraitser Syndrome., Eric Chater-Diehl, Resham Ejaz, Cheryl Cytrynbaum, Michelle T. Siu, Andrei Turinsky, Sanaa Choufani, Sarah J. Goodman, Omar Abdul-Rahman, Melanie Bedford, Naghmeh Dorrani, Kendra Engleman, Josue Flores-Daboub, David Genevieve, Roberto Mendoza-Londono, Wendy Meschino, Laurence Perrin, Nicole Safina, Sharron Townshend, Stephen W. Scherer, Evdokia Anagnostou, Amelie Piton, Matthew Deardorff, Michael Brudno, David Chitayat, Rosanna Weksberg

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND: Nicolaides-Baraitser syndrome (NCBRS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder caused by pathogenic sequence variants in SMARCA2 which encodes the catalytic component of the chromatin remodeling BAF complex. Pathogenic variants in genes that encode epigenetic regulators have been associated with genome-wide changes in DNA methylation (DNAm) in affected individuals termed DNAm signatures.

METHODS: Genome-wide DNAm was assessed in whole-blood samples from the individuals with pathogenic SMARCA2 variants and NCBRS diagnosis (n = 8) compared to neurotypical controls (n = 23) using the Illumina MethylationEPIC array. Differential methylated CpGs between groups (DNAm signature) were identified and used to generate a model enabling classification …

Ucp1 Expression-Associated Gene Signatures Of Human Epicardial Adipose Tissue., Kanta Chechi, Jinchu Vijay, Pierre Voisine, Patrick Mathieu, Yohan Bossé, Andre Tchernof, Elin Grundberg, Denis Richard

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Multiple reports of uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) expression have established its presence in human epicardial adipose tissue (eAT). Its functional relevance to eAT, however, remains largely unknown. In a recent study, we reported that adrenergic stimulation of eAT was associated with downregulation of secreted proteins involved in oxidative stress-related and immune-related pathways. Here, we explored the UCP1-associated features of human eAT using next-generation deep sequencing. Paired biopsies of eAT, mediastinal adipose tissue (mAT), and subcutaneous adipose tissue (sAT) obtained from cardiac surgery patients, with specific criteria of high and low expression of UCP1 in eAT, were subjected to RNA sequencing. …

Splice-Altering Variant In Col11a1 As A Cause Of Nonsyndromic Hearing Loss Dfna37., Kevin T. Booth, James W. Askew, Zohreh Talebizadeh, Patrick L M Huygen, James Eudy, Judith Kenyon, Denise Hoover, Michael S. Hildebrand, Katherine R. Smith, Melanie Bahlo, William J. Kimberling, Richard J H Smith, Hela Azaiez, Shelley D. Smith

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to determine the genetic cause of autosomal dominant nonsyndromic hearing loss segregating in a multigenerational family.

METHODS: Clinical examination, genome-wide linkage analysis, and exome sequencing were carried out on the family.

RESULTS: Affected individuals presented with early-onset progressive mild hearing impairment with a fairly flat, gently downsloping or U-shaped audiogram configuration. Detailed clinical examination excluded any additional symptoms. Linkage analysis detected an interval on chromosome 1p21 with a logarithm of the odds (LOD) score of 8.29: designated locus DFNA37. Exome sequencing identified a novel canonical acceptor splice-site variant c.652-2A>C in the COL11A1 …

H3k27m Induces Defective Chromatin Spread Of Prc2-Mediated Repressive H3k27me2/Me3 And Is Essential For Glioma Tumorigenesis., Ashot S. Harutyunyan, Brian Krug, Haifen Chen, Simon Papillon-Cavanagh, Michele Zeinieh, Nicolas De Jay, Shriya Deshmukh, Carol C L Chen, Jad Belle, Leonie G. Mikael, Dylan M. Marchione, Rui Li, Hamid Nikbakht, Bo Hu, Gael Cagnone, Warren A. Cheung, Abdulshakour Mohammadnia, Denise Bechet, Damien Faury, Melissa K. Mcconechy, Manav Pathania, Siddhant U. Jain, Benjamin Ellezam, Alexander G. Weil, Alexandre Montpetit, Paolo Salomoni, Tomi Pastinen, Chao Lu, Peter W. Lewis, Benjamin A. Garcia, Claudia L. Kleinman, Nada Jabado, Jacek Majewski

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Lys-27-Met mutations in histone 3 genes (H3K27M) characterize a subgroup of deadly gliomas and decrease genome-wide H3K27 trimethylation. Here we use primary H3K27M tumor lines and isogenic CRISPR-edited controls to assess H3K27M effects in vitro and in vivo. We find that whereas H3K27me3 and H3K27me2 are normally deposited by PRC2 across broad regions, their deposition is severely reduced in H3.3K27M cells. H3K27me3 is unable to spread from large unmethylated CpG islands, while H3K27me2 can be deposited outside these PRC2 high-affinity sites but to levels corresponding to H3K27me3 deposition in wild-type cells. Our findings indicate that PRC2 recruitment and propagation on …

Dissecting Features Of Epigenetic Variants Underlying Cardiometabolic Risk Using Full-Resolution Epigenome Profiling In Regulatory Elements., Fiona Allum, Åsa K. Hedman, Xiaojian Shao, Warren A. Cheung, Jinchu Vijay, Frédéric Guénard, Tony Kwan, Marie-Michelle Simon, Bing Ge, Cristiano Moura, Elodie Boulier, Lars Rönnblom, Sasha Bernatsky, Mark Lathrop, Mark I. Mccarthy, Panos Deloukas, André Tchernof, T Pastinen, Marie-Claude Vohl, Elin Grundberg

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Sparse profiling of CpG methylation in blood by microarrays has identified epigenetic links to common diseases. Here we apply methylC-capture sequencing (MCC-Seq) in a clinical population of ~200 adipose tissue and matched blood samples (Ntotal~400), providing high-resolution methylation profiling (>1.3 M CpGs) at regulatory elements. We link methylation to cardiometabolic risk through associations to circulating plasma lipid levels and identify lipid-associated CpGs with unique localization patterns in regulatory elements. We show distinct features of tissue-specific versus tissue-independent lipid-linked regulatory regions by contrasting with parallel assessments in ~800 independent adipose tissue and blood samples from the general population. We follow-up …

The Copy Number Variation Landscape Of Congenital Anomalies Of The Kidney And Urinary Tract., Miguel Verbitsky, Rik Westland, Alejandra Perez, Krzysztof Kiryluk, Qingxue Liu, Priya Krithivasan, Adele Mitrotti, David A. Fasel, Ekaterina Batourina, Matthew G. Sampson, Monica Bodria, Max Werth, Charlly Kao, Jeremiah Martino, Valentina P. Capone, Asaf Vivante, Shirlee Shril, Byum Hee Kil, Maddalena Marasà, Jun Y. Zhang, Young-Ji Na, Tze Y. Lim, Dina Ahram, Patricia L. Weng, Erin L. Heinzen, Alba Carrea, Giorgio Piaggio, Loreto Gesualdo, Valeria Manca, Giuseppe Masnata, Maddalena Gigante, Daniele Cusi, Claudia Izzi, Francesco Scolari, Joanna A E Van Wijk, Marijan Saraga, Domenico Santoro, Giovanni Conti, Pasquale Zamboli, Hope White, Dorota Drozdz, Katarzyna Zachwieja, Monika Miklaszewska, Marcin Tkaczyk, Daria Tomczyk, Anna Krakowska, Przemyslaw Sikora, Tomasz Jarmoliński, Maria K. Borszewska-Kornacka, Robert Pawluch, Maria Szczepanska, Piotr Adamczyk, Malgorzata Mizerska-Wasiak, Grazyna Krzemien, Agnieszka Szmigielska, Marcin Zaniew, Mark G. Dobson, John M. Darlow, Prem Puri, David E. Barton, Susan L. Furth, Bradley A. Warady, Zoran Gucev, Vladimir J. Lozanovski, Velibor Tasic, Isabella Pisani, Landino Allegri, Lida M. Rodas, Josep M. Campistol, Cécile Jeanpierre, Shumyle Alam, Pasquale Casale, Craig S. Wong, Fangming Lin, Débora M. Miranda, Eduardo A. Oliveira, Ana Cristina Simões-E-Silva, Jonathan M. Barasch, Brynn Levy, Nan Wu, Friedhelm Hildebrandt, Gian Marco Ghiggeri, Anna Latos-Bielenska, Anna Materna-Kiryluk, Feng Zhang, Hakon Hakonarson, Virginia E. Papaioannou, Cathy L. Mendelsohn, Ali G. Gharavi, Simone Sanna-Cherchi

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract (CAKUT) are a major cause of pediatric kidney failure. We performed a genome-wide analysis of copy number variants (CNVs) in 2,824 cases and 21,498 controls. Affected individuals carried a significant burden of rare exonic (that is, affecting coding regions) CNVs and were enriched for known genomic disorders (GD). Kidney anomaly (KA) cases were most enriched for exonic CNVs, encompassing GD-CNVs and novel deletions; obstructive uropathy (OU) had a lower CNV burden and an intermediate prevalence of GD-CNVs; and vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) had the fewest GD-CNVs but was enriched for novel exonic CNVs, …

Melatonin Enhances Sorafenib-Induced Cytotoxicity In Flt3-Itd Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cells By Redox Modification, Tian Tian, Jiajun Li, Yizhuo Li, Yun-Xin Lu, Yan-Lai Tang, Hua Wang, Fufu Zheng, Dingbo Shi, Qian Long, Miao Chen, Guillermo Garcia-Manero, Yumin Hu, Lijun Qin, Wuguo Deng

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with an internal tandem duplication in Fms-related tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3-ITD) is identified as a subgroup with poor outcome and intrinsic resistance to chemotherapy and therefore urgent need for development of novel therapeutic strategies.

Methods: The antitumor effects of melatonin alone or combined with sorafenib were evaluated via flow cytometry and immunoblotting assays in FLT-ITD AML cells. Also, the ex vivo and in vivo models were used to test the synergistic effects of melatonin and sorafenib against leukemia with FLT3/ITD mutation.

Results: Our study shows for the first time that melatonin inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis …

Genomic Prediction Of Relapse In Recipients Of Allogeneic Haematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation., J Ritari, K Hyvärinen, S Koskela, M Itälä-Remes, R Niittyvuopio, A Nihtinen, U Salmenniemi, M Putkonen, L Volin, T Kwan, T Pastinen, J Partanen

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation currently represents the primary potentially curative treatment for cancers of the blood and bone marrow. While relapse occurs in approximately 30% of patients, few risk-modifying genetic variants have been identified. The present study evaluates the predictive potential of patient genetics on relapse risk in a genome-wide manner. We studied 151 graft recipients with HLA-matched sibling donors by sequencing the whole-exome, active immunoregulatory regions, and the full MHC region. To assess the predictive capability and contributions of SNPs and INDELs, we employed machine learning and a feature selection approach in a cross-validation framework to discover the …

Subject Level Clustering Using A Negative Binomial Model For Small Transcriptomic Studies., Qian Li, Janelle R. Noel-Macdonnell, Devin C. Koestler, Ellen L. Goode, Brooke L. Fridley

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND: Unsupervised clustering represents one of the most widely applied methods in analysis of high-throughput 'omics data. A variety of unsupervised model-based or parametric clustering methods and non-parametric clustering methods have been proposed for RNA-seq count data, most of which perform well for large samples, e.g. N ≥ 500. A common issue when analyzing limited samples of RNA-seq count data is that the data follows an over-dispersed distribution, and thus a Negative Binomial likelihood model is often used. Thus, we have developed a Negative Binomial model-based (NBMB) clustering approach for application to RNA-seq studies.

RESULTS: We have developed a Negative …

An Eqtl Landscape Of Kidney Tissue In Human Nephrotic Syndrome., Christopher E. Gillies, Rosemary Putler, Rajasree Menon, Edgar Otto, Kalyn Yasutake, Viji Nair, Paul Hoover, David Lieb, Shuqiang Li, Sean Eddy, Damian Fermin, Michelle T. Mcnulty, Nephrotic Syndrome Study Network (Neptune), Nir Hacohen, Krzysztof Kiryluk, Matthias Kretzler, Xiaoquan Wen, Matthew G. Sampson, Tarak Srivastava

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) studies illuminate the genetics of gene expression and, in disease research, can be particularly illuminating when using the tissues directly impacted by the condition. In nephrology, there is a paucity of eQTL studies of human kidney. Here, we used whole-genome sequencing (WGS) and microdissected glomerular (GLOM) and tubulointerstitial (TI) transcriptomes from 187 individuals with nephrotic syndrome (NS) to describe the eQTL landscape in these functionally distinct kidney structures. Using MatrixEQTL, we performed cis-eQTL analysis on GLOM (n = 136) and TI (n = 166). We used the Bayesian "Deterministic Approximation of Posteriors" (DAP) to fine-map …

The Zinc Transporter Zipt-7.1 Regulates Sperm Activation In Nematodes, Yanmei Zhao, Chieh-Hsiang Tan, Amber Krauchunas, Andrea Scharf, Nicholas Dietrich, Kurt Warnhoff, Zhiheng Yuan, Marina Druzhinina, Sam Guoping Gu, Long Miao, Andrew Singson, Ronald E Ellis, Kerry Kornfeld

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

Sperm activation is a fascinating example of cell differentiation, in which immotile spermatids undergo a rapid and dramatic transition to become mature, motile sperm. Because the sperm nucleus is transcriptionally silent, this transition does not involve transcriptional changes. Although Caenorhabditis elegans is a leading model for studies of sperm activation, the mechanisms by which signaling pathways induce this transformation remain poorly characterized. Here we show that a conserved transmembrane zinc transporter, ZIPT-7.1, regulates the induction of sperm activation in Caenorhabditis nematodes. The zipt-7.1 mutant hermaphrodites cannot self-fertilize, and males reproduce poorly, because mutant spermatids are defective in responding to activating …

Hla-Dqa1 And Apol1 As Risk Loci For Childhood-Onset Steroid-Sensitive And Steroid-Resistant Nephrotic Syndrome., Adebowale Adeyemo, Christopher Esezobor, Adaobi Solarin, Asiri Abeyagunawardena, Jameela A. Kari, Sherif El Desoky, Larry A. Greenbaum, Margret Kamel, Mahmoud Kallash, Cynthia Silva, Alex Young, Tracey E. Hunley, Nilka De Jesus-Gonzalez, Tarak Srivastava, Rasheed Gbadegesin

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Background: Few data exist for the genetic variants underlying the risk for steroid-sensitive nephrotic syndrome (SSNS) in children. The objectives of this study were to evaluate HLA-DQA1 and APOL1 variants as risk factors for SSNS in African American children and use classic HLA antigen types and amino acid inference to refine the HLA-DQA1 association.

Study design: Case-control study.

Setting & participants: African American children with SSNS or steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome (SRNS) were enrolled from Duke University and centers participating in the Midwest Pediatric Nephrology Consortium.

Factor: Genetic variants in HLA-DQA1 (C34Y [rs1129740]; F41S [rs1071630]) and APOL1 high-risk alleles.

Outcomes: SSNS …

Sooty Mangabey Genome Sequence Provides Insight Into Aids Resistance In A Natural Siv Host, David Palesch, Steven E. Bosinger, Gregory K. Tharp, Thomas H. Vanderford, Mirko Paiardini, Ann Chahroudi, Zachary P. Johnson, Frank Kirchhoff, Beatrice H. Hahn, Robert B. Norgren, Nirav B. Patel, Donald L. Sodora, Reem A. Dawoud, Caro-Beth Stewart, Sara M. Seepo, R. Alan Harris, Yue Liu, Muthuswamy Raveendran, Yi Han, Adam English, Gregg W.C. Thomas, Matthew W. Hahn, Lenore Pipes, Christopher E. Mason, Donna M. Muzny, Richard A. Gibbs, Daniel Sauter, Kim Worley, Jeffrey Rogers, Guido Silvestri

Journal Articles: Genetics, Cell Biology & Anatomy

In contrast to infections with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in humans and simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) in macaques, SIV infection of a natural host, sooty mangabeys (Cercocebus atys), is non-pathogenic despite high viraemia. Here we sequenced and assembled the genome of a captive sooty mangabey. We conducted genome-wide comparative analyses of transcript assemblies from C. atys and AIDS-susceptible species, such as humans and macaques, to identify candidates for host genetic factors that influence susceptibility. We identified several immune-related genes in the genome of C. atys that show substantial sequence divergence from macaques or humans. One of these sequence divergences, a …

Mechanotransduction Signaling In Podocytes From Fluid Flow Shear Stress., Tarak Srivastava, Hongying Dai, Daniel P. Heruth, Uri S. Alon, Robert E. Garola, Jianping Zhou, R Scott Duncan, Ashraf El-Meanawy, Ellen T. Mccarthy, Ram Sharma, Mark L. Johnson, Virginia J. Savin, Mukut Sharma

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Recently, we and others have found that hyperfiltration-associated increase in biomechanical forces, namely, tensile stress and fluid flow shear stress (FFSS), can directly and distinctly alter podocyte structure and function. The ultrafiltrate flow over the major processes and cell body generates FFSS to podocytes. Our previous work suggests that the cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2)-PGE2-PGE2 receptor 2 (EP2) axis plays an important role in mechanoperception of FFSS in podocytes. To address mechanotransduction of the perceived stimulus through EP2, cultured podocytes were exposed to FFSS (2 dyn/cm2) for 2 h. Total RNA from cells at the end of FFSS treatment, 2-h post-FFSS, and 24-h …

In Vivo Characterization Of Cyp2d6*12, *29 And *84 Using Dextromethorphan As A Probe Drug: A Case Report., Andrea Gaedigk, Greyson P. Twist, Emily G. Farrow, Jennifer Lowry, Sarah E. Soden, Neil A. Miller

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

CYP2D6*84 was first described in a Black South African subject, however, its function remains unknown. Astrolabe, a probabilistic scoring tool developed in our laboratory to call genotypes from whole genome sequence, identified CYP2D6*84 in a trio. The father presented with intermediate metabolism when challenged with the CYP2D6 probe drug dextromethorphan (DM/dextrorphan [DX] = 0.0839). Since his second allele, CYP2D6*12, is nonfunctional, the observed activity is derived by CYP2D6*84. This finding suggests that the allele's hallmark P267H causes decreased activity toward DM and that this allele should receive a value of 0.5 for Activity Score calculations. The mother's DM/DX of 0.0543 …

Metabolic And Molecular Insights Into An Essential Role Of Nicotinamide Phosphoribosyltransferase., Li Q. Zhang, Leon Van Haandel, Min Xiong, Peixin Huang, Daniel P. Heruth, Chengpeng Bi, R Gaedigk, Xun Jiang, Ding-You Li, Gerald Wyckoff, Dmitry N. Grigoryev, Li Gao, Linheng Li, Min Wu, J Steven Leeder, Shui Qing Ye

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT) is a pleiotropic protein implicated in the pathogenesis of acute respiratory distress syndrome, aging, cancer, coronary heart diseases, diabetes, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, obesity, rheumatoid arthritis, and sepsis. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms of NAMPT in these physiological and pathological processes are not fully understood. Here, we provide experimental evidence that a Nampt gene homozygous knockout (Nampt-/-) resulted in lethality at an early stage of mouse embryonic development and death within 5-10 days in adult mice accompanied by a 25.24±2.22% body weight loss, after the tamoxifen induction of NamptF/F × Cre mice. These results substantiate that Nampt …

Genetic Drivers Of Kidney Defects In The Digeorge Syndrome., Esther Lopez-Rivera, Yangfan P. Liu, Miguel Verbitsky, Blair R. Anderson, Valentina P. Capone, Edgar A. Otto, Zhonghai Yan, Adele Mitrotti, Jeremiah Martino, Nicholas J. Steers, David A. Fasel, Katarina Vukojevic, Rong Deng, Silvia E. Racedo, Qingxue Liu, Max Werth, Rik Westland, Asaf Vivante, Gabriel S. Makar, Monica Bodria, Matthew G. Sampson, Christopher E. Gillies, Virginia Vega-Warner, Mariarosa Maiorana, Donald S. Petrey, Barry Honig, Vladimir J. Lozanovski, Rémi Salomon, Laurence Heidet, Wassila Carpentier, Dominique Gaillard, Alba Carrea, Loreto Gesualdo, Daniele Cusi, Claudia Izzi, Francesco Scolari, Joanna A E Van Wijk, Adela Arapovic, Mirna Saraga-Babic, Marijan Saraga, Nenad Kunac, Ali Samii, Donna M. Mcdonald-Mcginn, Terrence B. Crowley, Elaine H. Zackai, Dorota Drozdz, Monika Miklaszewska, Marcin Tkaczyk, Przemyslaw Sikora, Maria Szczepanska, Malgorzata Mizerska-Wasiak, Grazyna Krzemien, Agnieszka Szmigielska, Marcin Zaniew, John M. Darlow, Prem Puri, David Barton, Emilio Casolari, Susan L. Furth, Bradley A. Warady, Zoran Gucev, Hakon Hakonarson, Hana Flogelova, Velibor Tasic, Anna Latos-Bielenska, Anna Materna-Kiryluk, Landino Allegri, Craig S. Wong, Iain A Drummond, Vivette D'Agati, Akira Imamoto, Jonathan M. Barasch, Friedhelm Hildebrandt, Krzysztof Kiryluk, Richard P. Lifton, Bernice E. Morrow, Cecile Jeanpierre, Virginia E. Papaioannou, Gian Marco Ghiggeri, Ali G. Gharavi, Nicholas Katsanis, Simone Sanna-Cherchi

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND: The DiGeorge syndrome, the most common of the microdeletion syndromes, affects multiple organs, including the heart, the nervous system, and the kidney. It is caused by deletions on chromosome 22q11.2; the genetic driver of the kidney defects is unknown.

METHODS: We conducted a genomewide search for structural variants in two cohorts: 2080 patients with congenital kidney and urinary tract anomalies and 22,094 controls. We performed exome and targeted resequencing in samples obtained from 586 additional patients with congenital kidney anomalies. We also carried out functional studies using zebrafish and mice.

RESULTS: We identified heterozygous deletions of 22q11.2 in 1.1% …