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- Wiessner, M., et al.
(author)
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Biallelic variants in HPDL cause pure and complicated hereditary spastic paraplegia
- 2021
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In: Brain : a journal of neurology. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0006-8950 .- 1460-2156. ; 144:5, s. 1422-1434
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Human 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase-like (HPDL) is a putative iron-containing non-heme oxygenase of unknown specificity and biological significance. We report 25 families containing 34 individuals with neurological disease associated with biallelic HPDL variants. Phenotypes ranged from juvenile-onset pure hereditary spastic paraplegia to infantile-onset spasticity and global developmental delays, sometimes complicated by episodes of neurological and respiratory decompensation. Variants included bona fide pathogenic truncating changes, although most were missense substitutions. Functionality of variants could not be determined directly as the enzymatic specificity of HPDL is unknown; however, when HPDL missense substitutions were introduced into 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD, an HPDL orthologue), they impaired the ability of HPPD to convert 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate into homogentisate. Moreover, three additional sets of experiments provided evidence for a role of HPDL in the nervous system and further supported its link to neurological disease: (i) HPDL was expressed in the nervous system and expression increased during neural differentiation; (ii) knockdown of zebrafish hpdl led to abnormal motor behaviour, replicating aspects of the human disease; and (iii) HPDL localized to mitochondria, consistent with mitochondrial disease that is often associated with neurological manifestations. Our findings suggest that biallelic HPDL variants cause a syndrome varying from juvenile-onset pure hereditary spastic paraplegia to infantile-onset spastic tetraplegia associated with global developmental delays. © 2021 The Author(s).
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- Juneja, M, et al.
(author)
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PFN2 and GAMT as common molecular determinants of axonal Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease
- 2018
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In: Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry. - : BMJ. - 1468-330X .- 0022-3050. ; 89:8, s. 870-878
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Charcot-Marie-Tooth type 2 (CMT2) neuropathy is characterised by a vast clinical and genetic heterogeneity complicating its diagnosis and therapeutic intervention. Identification of molecular signatures that are common to multiple CMT2 subtypes can aid in developing therapeutic strategies and measuring disease outcomes.MethodsA proteomics-based approach was performed on lymphoblasts from CMT2 patients genetically diagnosed with different gene mutations to identify differentially regulated proteins. The candidate proteins were validated through real-time quantitative PCR and western blotting on lymphoblast samples of patients and controls, motor neurons differentiated from patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and sciatic nerves of CMT2 mouse models.ResultsProteomic profiling of patient lymphoblasts resulted in the identification of profilin 2 (PFN2) and guanidinoacetate methyltransferase (GAMT) as commonly downregulated proteins in different genotypes compared with healthy controls. This decrease was also observed at the transcriptional level on screening 43 CMT2 patients and 22 controls, respectively. A progressive decrease in PFN2 expression with age was observed in patients, while in healthy controls its expression increased with age. Reduced PFN2 expression was also observed in motor neurons differentiated from CMT2 patient-derived iPSCs and sciatic nerves of CMT2 mice when compared with controls. However, no change in GAMT levels was observed in motor neurons and CMT2 mouse-derived sciatic nerves.ConclusionsWe unveil PFN2 and GAMT as molecular determinants of CMT2 with possible indications of the role of PFN2 in the pathogenesis and disease progression. This is the first study describing biomarkers that can boost the development of therapeutic strategies targeting a wider spectrum of CMT2 patients.
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- Asker, Mohammed, et al.
(author)
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Peripherally restricted oxytocin is sufficient to reduce food intake and motivation, while CNS entry is required for locomotor and taste avoidance effects
- 2023
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In: Diabetes Obesity & Metabolism. - : Wiley. - 1462-8902 .- 1463-1326. ; 25:3, s. 856-877
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- ObjectivesOxytocin (OT) has a well-established role in reproductive behaviours; however, it recently emerged as an important regulator of energy homeostasis. In addition to central nervous system (CNS), OT is found in the plasma and OT receptors (OT-R) are found in peripheral tissues relevant to energy balance regulation. Here, we aim to determine whether peripheral OT-R activation is sufficient to alter energy intake and expenditure.Methods and ResultsWe first show that systemic OT potently reduced food intake and food-motivated behaviour for a high-fat reward in male and female rats. As it is plausible that peripherally, intraperitoneally (IP) injected OT crosses the blood-brain barrier (BBB) to produce some of the metabolic effects within the CNS, we screened, with a novel fluorescently labelled-OT (fAF546-OT, Roxy), for the presence of IP-injected Roxy in CNS tissue relevant to feeding control and compared such with BBB-impermeable fluorescent OT-B-12 (fCy5-OT-B-12; BRoxy). While Roxy did penetrate the CNS, BRoxy did not. To evaluate the behavioural and thermoregulatory impact of exclusive activation of peripheral OT-R, we generated a novel BBB-impermeable OT (OT-B-12), with equipotent binding at OT-R in vitro. In vivo, IP-injected OT and OT-B-12 were equipotent at food intake suppression in rats of both sexes, suggesting that peripheral OT acts on peripheral OT-R to reduce feeding behaviour. Importantly, OT induced a potent conditioned taste avoidance, indistinguishable from that induced by LiCl, when applied peripherally. Remarkably, and in contrast to OT, OT-B-12 did not induce any conditioned taste avoidance. Limiting the CNS entry of OT also resulted in a dose-dependent reduction of emesis in male shrews. While both OT and OT-B-12 proved to have similar effects on body temperature, only OT resulted in home-cage locomotor depression.ConclusionsTogether our data indicate that limiting systemic OT CNS penetrance preserves the anorexic effects of the peptide and reduces the clinically undesired side effects of OT: emesis, taste avoidance and locomotor depression. Thus, therapeutic targeting of peripheral OT-R may be a viable strategy to achieve appetite suppression with better patient outcomes.
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- De Jonghe, Joachim, et al.
(author)
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A community effort to track commercial single-cell and spatial 'omic technologies and business trends
- 2024
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In: Nature Biotechnology. - : Springer Nature. - 1087-0156 .- 1546-1696. ; 42:7, s. 1017-1023
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- There is an ever-growing choice of single-cell and spatial 'omics platforms for industry and academia. The scTrends Consortium provides a brief historical overview of the established platforms and companies, revealing market trends and presenting possible angles for how technologies may differentiate themselves.
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- Baker, Naomi L., et al.
(author)
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Molecular consequences of dominant Bethlem myopathy collagen VI mutations
- 2007
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In: Annals of Neurology. - : Wiley. - 1531-8249 .- 0364-5134. ; 62:4, s. 390-405
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective: Dominant mutations in the three collagen VI genes cause Bethlem myopathy, a disorder characterized by proximal muscle weakness and commonly contractures of the fingers, wrists, and ankles. Although more than 20 different dominant mutations have been identified in Bethlem myopathy patients, the biosynthetic consequences of only a subset of these have been studied, and in many cases, the pathogenic mechanisms remain unknown. Methods: We have screened fourteen Bethlem myopathy patients for collagen VI mutations and performed detailed analyses of collagen VI biosynthesis and intracellular and extracellular assembly. Results: Collagen VI abnormalities were identified in eight patients. One patient produced around half the normal amount of alpha 1(VI) messenger RNA and reduced amounts of collagen VI protein. Two patients had a previously reported mutation causing skipping of COL6A1 exon 14, and three patients had novel mutations leading to in-frame deletions toward the N-terminal end of the triple-helical domain. These mutations have different and complex effects on collagen VI intracellular and extracellular assembly. Two patients had single amino acid substitutions in the A-domains of COL6A2 and COL6A3. Collagen VI intracellular and extracellular assembly was normal in one of these patients. Interpretation: The key to dissecting the pathogenic mechanisms of collagen VI mutations lies in detailed analysis of collagen VI biosynthesis and assembly. The majority of mutations result in secretion and deposition of structurally abnormal collagen VI. However, one A-domain mutation had no detectable effect on assembly, suggesting that it acts by compromising collagen VI interactions in the extracellular matrix of muscle.
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- Burgunder, J-M, et al.
(author)
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EFNS guidelines for the molecular diagnosis of neurogenetic disorders : motoneuron, peripheral nerve and muscle disorders
- 2011
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In: European Journal of Neurology. - : Wiley-Blackwell. - 1351-5101 .- 1468-1331. ; 18:2, s. 207-E20
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objectives: These EFNS guidelines on the molecular diagnosis of motoneuron disorders, neuropathies and myopathies are designed to summarize the possibilities and limitations of molecular genetic techniques and to provide diagnostic criteria for deciding when a molecular diagnostic work-up is indicated. Search strategy: To collect data about planning, conditions and performance of molecular diagnosis of these disorders, a literature search in various electronic databases was carried out and original papers, meta-analyses, review papers and guideline recommendations reviewed. Results: The best level of evidence for genetic testing recommendation (B) can be found for the disorders with specific presentations, including familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy, Charcot-Marie-Tooth 1A, myotonic dystrophy and Duchenne muscular dystrophy. For a number of less common disorders, a precise description of the phenotype, including the use of immunologic methods in the case of myopathies, is considered as good clinical practice to guide molecular genetic testing. Conclusion: These guidelines are provisional and the future availability of molecular-genetic epidemiological data about the neurogenetic disorders under discussion in this article will allow improved recommendation with an increased level of evidence.
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- Burgunder, J-M., et al.
(author)
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Molecular diagnosis of neurogenetic disorders : motoneuron, peripheral nerve and muscle disorders
- 2012. - 2
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In: European handbook of neurological management. - Oxford, UK : Wiley-Blackwell. - 9781444346268 - 9781405185349 ; , s. 97-109
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Book chapter (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objectives: The EFNS guidelines on the molecular diagnosis of motoneuron disorders, neuropathies and myopathies are designed to summarize the possibilities and limitations of molecular genetic techniques and to provide diagnostic criteria for deciding when a molecular diagnostic work-up is indicated.Search strategy: To collect data about the planning, conditions and performance of molecular diagnosis of these disorders, a literature search in various electronic databases was carried out and original papers, meta-analyses, review papers and guideline recommendations reviewed.Results: The best level of evidence for genetic testing recommendation (Level B) can be found for the disorders with specific presentations, including familial ALS, spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy, Charcot-Marie-Tooth 1A, myotonic dystrophy and Duchenne muscular dystrophy. For a number of less common disorders a precise description of the phenotype, including the use of immunological methods in the case of myopathies, is considered good clinical practice to guide molecular genetic testing.Conclusion: These guidelines are provisional and the availability of molecular-genetic epidemiological data in the future about the neurogenetic disorders under discussion in the present paper will allow improved recommendation with an increased level of evidence.
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