| 1. |
|
|
| 2. |
- Langer, Yeshaya, et al.
(author)
-
Mitochondrial PITRM1 peptidase loss-of-function in childhood cerebellar atrophy
- 2018
-
In: Journal of Medical Genetics. - : BMJ. - 0022-2593 .- 1468-6244. ; 55:9, s. 599-606
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective To identify the genetic basis of a childhood-onset syndrome of variable severity characterised by progressive spinocerebellar ataxia, mental retardation, psychotic episodes and cerebellar atrophy. Methods Identification of the underlying mutations by whole exome and whole genome sequencing. Consequences were examined in patients' cells and in yeast. Results Two brothers from a consanguineous Palestinian family presented with progressive spinocerebellar ataxia, mental retardation and psychotic episodes. Serial brain imaging showed severe progressive cerebellar atrophy. Whole exome sequencing revealed a novel mutation: pitrilysin metallopeptidase 1 (PITRM1) c.2795C>T, p.T931M, homozygous in the affected children and resulting in 95% reduction in PITRM1 protein. Whole genome sequencing revealed a chromosome X structural rearrangement that also segregated with the disease. Independently, two siblings from a second Palestinian family presented with similar, somewhat milder symptoms and the same PITRM1 mutation on a shared haplotype. PITRM1T931M carrier frequency was 0.027 (3/110) in the village of the first family evaluated, and 0/300 among Palestinians from other locales. PITRM1 is a mitochondrial matrix enzyme that degrades 10-65 amino acid oligopeptides, including the mitochondrial fraction of amyloid-beta peptide. Analysis of peptide cleavage activity by the PITRM1T931M protein revealed a significant decrease in the degradation capacity specifically of peptides >= 40 amino acids. Conclusion PITRM1T931M results in childhood-onset recessive cerebellar pathology. Severity of PITRM1-related disease may be affected by the degree of impairment in cleavage of mitochondrial long peptides. Disruption and deletion of X linked regulatory segments may also contribute to severity.
|
|
| 3. |
- Shaashua, Lee, et al.
(author)
-
BRCA mutational status shapes the stromal microenvironment of pancreatic cancer linking clusterin expression in cancer associated fibroblasts with HSF1 signaling
- 2022
-
In: Nature Communications. - : Nature Portfolio. - 2041-1723. ; 13:1
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Tumors initiate by mutations in cancer cells, and progress through interactions of the cancer cells with non-malignant cells of the tumor microenvironment. Major players in the tumor microenvironment are cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), which support tumor malignancy, and comprise up to 90% of the tumor mass in pancreatic cancer. CAFs are transcriptionally rewired by cancer cells. Whether this rewiring is differentially affected by different mutations in cancer cells is largely unknown. Here we address this question by dissecting the stromal landscape of BRCA-mutated and BRCA Wild-type pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. We comprehensively analyze pancreatic cancer samples from 42 patients, revealing different CAF subtype compositions in germline BRCA-mutated vs. BRCA Wild-type tumors. In particular, we detect an increase in a subset of immune-regulatory clusterin-positive CAFs in BRCA-mutated tumors. Using cancer organoids and mouse models we show that this process is mediated through activation of heat-shock factor 1, the transcriptional regulator of clusterin. Our findings unravel a dimension of stromal heterogeneity influenced by germline mutations in cancer cells, with direct implications for clinical research. Cancer-associated fibroblasts are transcriptionally rewired by signals from the cancer cells, resulting in heterogeneous populations. Here the authors show that loss of BRCA function in pancreatic cancer cells leads to HSF1-dependent accumulation of immune-regulatory clusterin-positive cancer associated fibroblasts.
|
|
