Guiomar Perez de Nanclares

Recessive mutations in the INS gene result in neonatal diabetes through reduced insulin biosynthesis

Heterozygous coding mutations in the INS gene that encodes preproinsulin were recently shown to be an important cause of permanent neonatal diabetes. These dominantly acting mutations prevent normal folding of proinsulin, which leads to beta-cell death through endoplasmic reticulum stress and apoptosis. We now report 10 different recessive INS mutations in 15 probands with neonatal diabetes. Functional studies showed that recessive mutations resulted in diabetes because of decreased insulin biosynthesis through distinct mechanisms, including gene deletion, lack of the translation initiation signal, and altered mRNA stability because of the disruption of a polyadenylation signal. A subset of recessive mutations caused abnormal INS transcription, including the deletion of the C1 and E1 cis regulatory elements, or three different single base-pair substitutions in a CC dinucleotide sequence located between E1 and A1 elements. In keeping with an earlier and more severe beta-cell defect, patients with recessive INS mutations had a lower birth weight (−3.2 SD score vs. −2.0 SD score) and were diagnosed earlier (median 1 week vs. 10 weeks) compared to those with dominant INS mutations. Mutations in the insulin gene can therefore result in neonatal diabetes as a result of two contrasting pathogenic mechanisms. Moreover, the recessively inherited mutations provide a genetic demonstration of the essential role of multiple sequence elements that regulate the biosynthesis of insulin in man.

Mutations in GCK and HNF‐1α explain the majority of cases with clinical diagnosis of MODY in Spain

Objective  The aim of this study was to group patients with MODY (maturity‐onset diabetes of the young) according to the genetic alterations underlying the disease and to investigate their clinical characteristics.

New ABCC8 Mutations in Relapsing Neonatal Diabetes and Clinical Features

Activating mutations in the ABCC8 gene that encodes the sulfonylurea receptor 1 (SUR1) regulatory subunit of the pancreatic islet ATP-sensitive K+ channel (KATP channel) cause both permanent and transient neonatal diabetes. Recently, we have described the novel mechanism where basal Mg-nucleotide–dependent stimulatory action of SUR1 on the Kir6.2 pore is increased. In our present study, we identified six new heterozygous ABCC8 mutations, mainly in patients presenting the transient form of neonatal diabetes (six of eight), with a median duration of initial insulin therapy of 17 months (range 0.5–38.0). Most of these mutations map to key functional domains of SUR1. Whereas Kir6.2 mutations are a common cause of permanent neonatal diabetes and in a few cases associate with the DEND (developmental delay, epilepsy, and neonatal diabetes) syndrome, SUR1 mutations are more frequent in transient (52%) compared with permanent (14%) neonatal diabetes cases screened for ABCC8 in our series. Although ketoacidosis is frequent at presentation, SUR1 mutations associate mainly with transient hyperglycemia, with possible recurrence later in life. One-half of the SUR1 neonatal diabetic patients presented with de novo mutations. In some familial cases, diabetes is not always present in the adult carriers of SUR1 mutations, supporting variability in their clinical expressivity that remains to be fully explained.

Genome-Wide Allelic Methylation Analysis Reveals Disease-Specific Susceptibility to Multiple Methylation Defects in Imprinting Syndromes

Genomic imprinting is the parent‐of‐origin‐specific allelic transcriptional silencing observed in mammals, which is governed by DNA methylation established in the gametes and maintained throughout the development. The frequency and extent of epimutations associated with the nine reported imprinting syndromes varies because it is evident that aberrant preimplantation maintenance of imprinted differentially methylated regions (DMRs) may affect multiple loci. Using a custom Illumina GoldenGate array targeting 27 imprinted DMRs, we profiled allelic methylation in 65 imprinting defect patients. We identify multilocus hypomethylation in numerous Beckwith–Wiedemann syndrome, transient neonatal diabetes mellitus (TNDM), and pseudohypoparathyroidism 1B patients, and an individual with Silver–Russell syndrome. Our data reveal a broad range of epimutations exist in certain imprinting syndromes, with the exception of Prader–Willi syndrome and Angelman syndrome patients that are associated with solitary SNRPN‐DMR defects. A mutation analysis identified a 1 bp deletion in the ZFP57 gene in a TNDM patient with methylation defects at multiple maternal DMRs. In addition, we observe missense variants in ZFP57, NLRP2, and NLRP7 that are not consistent with maternal effect and aberrant establishment or methylation maintenance, and are likely benign. This work illustrates that further extensive molecular characterization of these rare patients is required to fully understand the mechanism underlying the etiology of imprint establishment and maintenance.

New mechanisms involved in paternal 20q disomy associated with pseudohypoparathyroidism

PURPOSE Type I pseudohypoparathyroidism (PHP-I) can be subclassified into Ia and Ib, depending on the presence or absence of Albrights hereditary osteodystrophys phenotype, diminished α-subunit of the stimulatory G protein (G(s)α) activity and multihormonal resistance. Whereas PHP-Ia is mainly associated with heterozygous inactivating mutations in G(s)α-coding exons of GNAS, PHP-Ib is caused by imprinting defects of GNAS. To date, just one patient with PHP and complete paternal uniparental disomy (UPD) has been described. We sought to identify the underlining molecular defect in twenty patients with parathyroid hormone resistance, hypocalcemia and hyperphosphatemia, and abnormal methylation pattern at GNAS locus. METHODS Microsatellite typing and comparative genome hybridization were performed for proband and parents. RESULTS We describe four patients with partial paternal UPD of chromosome 20 involving pat20qUPD in one case, from 20q13.13-qter in two cases, and pat20p heterodisomy plus interstitial 20q isodisomy in one patient. CONCLUSIONS These observations demonstrate that mitotic recombination of chromosome 20 can also give rise to UPD and PHP, a situation similar to other imprinting disorders, such as Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome or neonatal diabetes.

PRKAR1A and PDE4D Mutations Cause Acrodysostosis but Two Distinct Syndromes with or without GPCR-Signaling Hormone Resistance

CONTEXT Acrodysostosis is a rare skeletal dysplasia that is associated with multiple resistance to G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling hormones in a subset of patients. Acrodysostosis is genetically heterogeneous because it results from heterozygous mutations in PRKAR1A or PDE4D, two key actors in the GPCR-cAMP-protein kinase A pathway. OBJECTIVE Our objective was to identify the phenotypic features that distinguish the two genotypes causing acrodysostosis. PATIENTS AND METHODS Sixteen unrelated patients with acrodysostosis underwent a candidate-gene approach and were investigated for phenotypic features. RESULTS All patients had heterozygous de novo mutations. Fourteen patients carried a PRKAR1A mutation (PRKAR1A patients), five each a novel PRKAR1A mutation (p.Q285R, p.G289E, p.A328V, p.R335L, or p.Q372X), nine the reported PRKAR1A p.R368X mutation; two patients harbored a mutation in PDE4D (PDE4D patients) (one novel mutation, p.A227S; one reported, p.E590A). All PRKAR1A, but none of the PDE4D mutated patients were resistant to PTH and TSH. Two PRKAR1A patients each with a novel mutation presented a specific pattern of brachydactyly. One PDE4D patient presented with acroskyphodysplasia. Additional phenotypic differences included mental retardation in PDE4D patients. In addition, we report the presence of pigmented skin lesions in PRKAR1A and PDE4D patients, a feature not yet described in the acrodysostosis entity. CONCLUSIONS All PRKAR1A and PDE4D patients present similar bone dysplasia characterizing acrodysostosis. Phenotypic differences, including the presence of resistance to GPCR-cAMP signaling hormones in PRKAR1A but not PDE4D patients, indicate phenotype-genotype correlations and highlight the specific contributions of PRKAR1A and PDE4D in cAMP signaling in different tissues.

Imprinting disorders: a group of congenital disorders with overlapping patterns of molecular changes affecting imprinted loci

Congenital imprinting disorders (IDs) are characterised by molecular changes affecting imprinted chromosomal regions and genes, i.e. genes that are expressed in a parent-of-origin specific manner. Recent years have seen a great expansion in the range of alterations in regulation, dosage or DNA sequence shown to disturb imprinted gene expression, and the correspondingly broad range of resultant clinical syndromes. At the same time, however, it has become clear that this diversity of IDs has common underlying principles, not only in shared molecular mechanisms, but also in interrelated clinical impacts upon growth, development and metabolism. Thus, detailed and systematic analysis of IDs can not only identify unifying principles of molecular epigenetics in health and disease, but also support personalisation of diagnosis and management for individual patients and families.

HLA-DRB1 and MICA in Autoimmunity

Abstract: Autoimmune disorders such as type 1 diabetes (T1DM), celiac disease (CD), and Addisons disease (ADD) develop in individuals with genetic susceptibility that are exposed to environmental triggering factors not completely defined. Patients with an autoimmune disease (and their relatives) are at increased risk of developing another disorder, and this might be caused by a common genetic origin of autoimmunity; for example, HLA class II region in 6p21 shows a very strong association with most diseases. The aim of this study was to determine whether shared susceptibility markers extend from the central (DRB1) through the telomeric (MICA) HLA region. We analyzed three independent sets of families with one autoimmune disease, T1DM, CD, or ADD, and genotyped them for HLA‐DRB1 and for the exon 5 GCT polymorphism of MICA. For HLA‐DRB1, allele DRB1*0301 was the only one associated with risk for all three diseases; in the case of MICA, allele A9 was found to be the common protective allele. Haplotype analysis shows that haplotype A5.1‐DRB1*0301 confers risk to autoimmunity. Our results show that there are common risk and protection alleles in both loci, suggesting a core of genetic association with autoimmunity (HLA‐DRB1*0301 risk; A9 protection) that could be modulated by other alleles/loci or environmental factors toward one or another disease. Some alleles are part of conserved haplotypes (A5.1‐DR3, A5.1‐DR2), whereas others seem to have independent effect (A9) and support the idea of two independent loci in this region.

Gsα activity is reduced in erythrocyte membranes of patients with psedohypoparathyroidism due to epigenetic alterations at the GNAS locus.

In pseudohypoparathyroidism (PHP), PTH resistance results from impairment of signal transduction of G protein–coupled receptors caused by a deficiency of the Gsα‐cAMP signaling cascade due to diminished Gsα activity in maternally imprinted tissues. In PHP‐Ia, inactivating mutations of the GNAS gene lead to haploinsufficiency in some tissues with biallelic expression, so in addition to PHP, Albrights hereditary osteodystrophy (AHO) is also present. In PHP‐Ib, caused by methylation defects at the GNAS locus, diminished Gsα activity was thought to be limited to maternally imprinted tissues, such as the renal proximal tubule and the thyroid, leading to a lack of AHO. Recently, we demonstrated methylation defects in patients with AHO signs, indicating a connection between epigenetic changes and AHO. Our objective was to determine Gsα activity in erythrocyte membranes in patients with epigenetic defects at the GNAS locus compared to normal controls and patients with inactivating GNAS mutations. Gsα activity and expression, mutation of the GNAS locus, and methylation status were studied in patients with PHP and mild signs of AHO (PHP‐Ia: 12; PHP‐Ib: 17, of which 8 had some features of AHO). Then, we statistically compared the Gsα activity of the different PHP subtypes. Patients with methylation defects at the GNAS locus show a significant decrease in erythrocyte Gsα activity compared to normal controls (PHP‐Ib versus controls, p < .001). This was significantly lower in patients with AHO signs (PHP‐Ib + mild‐AHO versus PHP‐Ib, p < .05). Our research shows that PHP‐Ia and PHP‐Ib classification is not only overlapped genetically, as reported, but also in terms of Gsα activity. Reduced expression of GNAS due to methylation defects could downregulate Gsα activity in other tissues beyond those described and could also be causative of AHO.

Functional analysis of six Kir6.2 (KCNJ11) mutations causing neonatal diabetes

ATP-sensitive potassium (KATP) channels, composed of pore-forming Kir6.2 and regulatory sulphonylurea receptor (SUR) subunits, play an essential role in insulin secretion from pancreatic beta cells. Binding of ATP to Kir6.2 inhibits, whereas interaction of Mg-nucleotides with SUR, activates the channel. Heterozygous activating mutations in Kir6.2 (KCNJ11) are a common cause of neonatal diabetes (ND). We assessed the functional effects of six novel Kir6.2 mutations associated with ND: H46Y, N48D, E227K, E229K, E292G, and V252A. KATP channels were expressed in Xenopus oocytes and the heterozygous state was simulated by coexpression of wild-type and mutant Kir6.2 with SUR1 (the beta cell type of SUR). All mutations reduced the sensitivity of the KATP channel to inhibition by MgATP, and enhanced whole-cell KATP currents. Two mutations (E227K, E229K) also enhanced the intrinsic open probability of the channel, thereby indirectly reducing the channel ATP sensitivity. The other four mutations lie close to the predicted ATP-binding site and thus may affect ATP binding. In pancreatic beta cells, an increase in the KATP current is expected to reduce insulin secretion and thereby cause diabetes. None of the mutations substantially affected the sensitivity of the channel to inhibition by the sulphonylurea tolbutamide, suggesting patients carrying these mutations may respond to these drugs.