Haiying Meng

TDT-association analysis of EKN1 and dyslexia in a Colorado twin cohort

A candidate gene, EKN1, was recently described in a cohort from Finland for the dyslexia locus on chromosome 15q, DYX1. This report described a (2;15) (q11;21) translocation disrupting EKN1 that cosegregated with dyslexia in a two-generation family. It also characterized a sequence polymorphism in the 5′ untranslated region and a missense mutation that showed significant association in 109 dyslexics compared to 195 controls (p=0.002 and p=0.006, respectively). To confirm these results we interrogated the same polymorphisms in a cohort of 150 nuclear families with dyslexia ascertained through the Colorado Learning Disabilities Research Center. Using QTDT analysis with nine individual quantitative tasks and two composite measures of reading performance, we could not replicate the reported association. We conclude that the polymorphisms identified in the Finland sample are unlikely to be functional DNA changes contributing to dyslexia, and that if variation in EKN1 is causal such changes are more likely to be in regulatory regions that were not sequenced in this study. Alternatively, the published findings of association with markers in EKN1 may reflect linkage disequilibrium with variation in another gene(s) in the region.

DCDC2 Genetic Variants and Susceptibility to Developmental Dyslexia

Objective(s) Developmental dyslexia is a heritable condition, with genetic factors accounting for 44–75% of the variance in performance tests of reading component subphenotypes. Compelling genetic linkage and association evidence supports a quantitative trait locus in the 6p21.3 region that encodes a gene called DCDC2. In this study, we explored the contribution of two DCDC2 markers to dyslexia, related reading and memory phenotypes in nuclear families of Italian origin. Methods The 303 nuclear families recruited on the basis of having a proband with developmental dyslexia have been studied with 6p21.3 markers, BV677278 and rs793862. Marker-trait association was investigated by the quantitative transmission disequilibrium test (version 2.5.1) that allows for the analyses of quantitative traits. Seven phenotypes were used in association analyses, that is, word and nonword reading, word and nonword spelling, orthographic choice, memory, and the affected status based on inclusion criteria. Results Quantitative transmission disequilibrium test analyses yielded evidence for association between reading skills and the BV677278 deletion (empirical P-values=0.025–0.029) and between memory and BV677278 allele 10 (empirical P-value=0.0001). Conclusion Our result adds further evidence in support of DCDC2 contributing to the deficits in developmental dyslexia. More specifically, our data support the view that DCDC2 influences both reading and memory impairments thus shedding further light into the etiologic basis and the phenotypic complexity of developmental dyslexia.

Polymorphism of DCDC2 Reveals Differences in Cortical Morphology of Healthy Individuals-A Preliminary Voxel Based Morphometry Study.

ObjectiveThe purpose of this investigation was to determine whether there is an association between the putative reading disability (RD) susceptibility gene Doublecortin Domain Containing 2 (DCDC2), and gray matter (GM) distribution in the brain, in a sample of healthy control individuals.MethodFifty-six control subjects were genotyped for an RD-associated deletion in intron 2 of DCDC2. Voxel based morphometry (VBM) was used to examine structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans to assess GM differences between the two groups.ResultsIndividuals heterozygous for the deletion exhibited significantly higher GM volumes in reading/language and symbol-decoding related brain regions including superior, medial and inferior temporal, fusiform, hippocampal/parahippocampal, inferior occipito-parietal, inferior and middle frontal gyri, especially in the left hemisphere. GM values correlated with published data on regional DCDC2 expression in a lateralized manner.ConclusionsThese data suggest a role for DCDC2 in GM distribution in language-related brain regions in healthy individuals.

Variants in the DYX2 locus are associated with altered brain activation in reading-related brain regions in subjects with reading disability.

Reading disability (RD) is a complex genetic disorder with unknown etiology. Genes on chromosome 6p22, including DCDC2, KIAA0319, and TTRAP, have been identified as RD associated genes. Imaging studies have shown both functional and structural differences between brains of individuals with and without RD. There are limited association studies performed between RD genes, specifically genes on 6p22, and regional brain activation during reading tasks. Using fourteen variants in DCDC2, KIAA0319, and TTRAP and exhaustive reading measures, we first tested for association with reading performance in 82 parent-offspring families (326 individuals). Next, we determined the association of these variants with activation of sixteen brain regions of interest during four functional magnetic resonance imaging-reading tasks. We nominally replicated associations between reading performance and variants of DCDC2 and KIAA0319. Furthermore, we observed a number of associations with brain activation patterns during imaging-reading tasks with all three genes. The strongest association occurred between activation of the left anterior inferior parietal lobe and complex tandem repeat BV677278 in DCDC2 (uncorrected p=0.00003, q=0.0442). Our results show that activation patterns across regions of interest in the brain are influenced by variants in the DYX2 locus. The combination of genetic and functional imaging data show a link between genes and brain functioning during reading tasks in subjects with RD. This study highlights the many advantages of imaging data as an endophenotype for discerning genetic risk factors for RD and other communication disorders and underscores the importance of integrating neurocognitive, imaging, and genetic data in future investigations.

A transcription map of the 6p22.3 reading disability locus identifying candidate genes

BackgroundReading disability (RD) is a common syndrome with a large genetic component. Chromosome 6 has been identified in several linkage studies as playing a significant role. A more recent study identified a peak of transmission disequilibrium to marker JA04 (G72384) on chromosome 6p22.3, suggesting that a gene is located near this marker.ResultsIn silico cloning was used to identify possible candidate genes located near the JA04 marker. The 2 million base pairs of sequence surrounding JA04 was downloaded and searched against the dbEST database to identify ESTs. In total, 623 ESTs from 80 different tissues were identified and assembled into 153 putative coding regions from 19 genes and 2 pseudogenes encoded near JA04. The identified genes were tested for their tissue specific expression by RT-PCR.ConclusionsIn total, five possible candidate genes for RD and other diseases mapping to this region were identified.