Rachel Wevrick

A mouse model for Prader-Willi syndrome imprinting-centre mutations.

Imprinting in the 15q11–q13 region involves an ‘imprinting centre’ (IC), mapping in part to the promoter and first exon of SNRPN. Deletion of this IC abolishes local paternally derived gene expression and results in Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS). We have created two deletion mutations in mice to understand PWS and the mechanism of this IC. Mice harbouring an intragenic deletion in Snrpn are phenotypically normal, suggesting that mutations of SNRPN are not sufficient to induce PWS. Mice with a larger deletion involving both Snrpn and the putative PWS-IC lack expression of the imprinted genes Zfp127 (mouse homologue of ZNF127), Ndn and Ipw, and manifest several phenotypes common to PWS infants. These data demonstrate that both the position of the IC and its role in the coordinate expression of genes is conserved between mouse and human, and indicate that the mouse is a suitable model system in which to investigate the molecular mechanisms of imprinting in this region of the genome.

Disruption of the mouse necdin gene results in early post-natal lethality.

Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a neurobehavioural disorder characterized by neonatal respiratory depression, hypotonia and failure to thrive in infancy, followed by hyperphagia and obesity among other symptoms. PWS is caused by the loss of one or more paternally expressed genes on chromosome 15q11–q13, which can be due to gene deletions, maternal uniparental disomy or mutations disrupting the imprinting mechanism. Imprinted genes mapped to this region include SNRPN (refs 3 ,4), ZNF127 ( ref. 5), IPW (ref. 6) and NDN (which encodes the DNA-binding protein necdin; refs 7,8,9,10). The mouse homologues of these genes map to mouse chromosome 7 in a region syntenic with human chromosome 15q11–q13 (refs 7,11). Imprinting of the human genes is under the control of an imprinting center (IC), a long-range, cis-acting element located in the 5′ region of SNRPN (ref. 12). A related control element was isolated in the mouse Snrpn genomic region which, when deleted on the paternally inherited chromosome, resulted in the loss of expression of all four genes and early post-natal lethality. To determine the possible contribution of Ndn to the PWS phenotype, we generated Ndn mutant mice. Heterozygous mice inheriting the mutated maternal allele were indistinguishable from their wild-type littermates. Mice carrying a paternally inherited Ndn deletion allele demonstrated early post-natal lethality. This is the first example of a single gene being responsible for phenotypes associated with PWS.

The imprinted gene Magel2 regulates normal circadian output

Mammalian circadian rhythms of activity are generated within the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). Transcripts from the imprinted, paternally expressed Magel2 gene, which maps to the chromosomal region associated with Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS), are highly enriched in the SCN. The Magel2 message is circadianly expressed and peaks during the subjective day. Mice deficient in Magel2 expression entrain to light cycles and express normal running-wheel rhythms, but with markedly reduced amplitude of activity and increased daytime activity. These changes are associated with reductions in food intake and male fertility. Orexin levels and orexin-positive neurons in the lateral hypothalamus are substantially reduced, suggesting that some of the consequences of Magel2 loss are mediated through changes in orexin signaling. The robust rhythmicity of Magel2 expression in the SCN and the altered behavioral rhythmicity of null mice reveal Magel2 to be a clock-controlled circadian output gene whose disruption results in some of the phenotypes characteristic of PWS.

Developmental abnormalities of neuronal structure and function in prenatal mice lacking the prader-willi syndrome gene necdin.

Necdin (Ndn) is one of a cluster of genes deleted in the neurodevelopmental disorder Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS). Ndntm2Stw mutant mice die shortly after birth because of abnormal respiratory rhythmogenesis generated by a key medullary nucleus, the pre-Bötzinger complex (preBötC). Here, we address two fundamental issues relevant to its pathogenesis. First, we performed a detailed anatomical study of the developing medulla to determine whether there were defects within the preBötC or synaptic inputs that regulate respiratory rhythmogenesis. Second, in vitro studies determined if the unstable respiratory rhythm in Ndntm2Stw mice could be normalized by neuromodulators. Anatomical defects in Ndntm2Stw mice included defasciculation and irregular projections of axonal tracts, aberrant neuronal migration, and a major defect in the cytoarchitecture of the cuneate/gracile nuclei, including dystrophic axons. Exogenous application of neuromodulators alleviated the long periods of slow respiratory rhythms and apnea, but some instability of rhythmogenesis persisted. We conclude that deficiencies in the neuromodulatory drive necessary for preBötC function contribute to respiratory dysfunction of Ndntm2Stw mice. These abnormalities are part of a more widespread deficit in neuronal migration and the extension, arborization, and fasciculation of axons during early stages of central nervous system development that may account for respiratory, sensory, motor, and behavioral problems associated with PWS.

Prader - Willi syndrome transcripts are expressed in phenotypically significant regions of the developing mouse brain

Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a neurobehavioral disorder that is due to the loss of multiple, paternally-expressed, imprinted genes on human chromosome 15q11-q13. The candidate genes are conserved in mice and are located in an orthologous region on mouse 7C. Several mouse models in which one or more of the PWS candidate genes are silenced do not recapitulate the full PWS phenotype. We examined the expression patterns of the mouse orthologues of PWS candidate genes throughout the development of the brain regions most implicated in PWS, including the hypothalamus, pituitary, forebrain and hindbrain. Snrpn, Ipw and Ndn are widely expressed at high levels throughout the mouse brain, whereas Magel2, Mkrn3 and the snoRNA MBII-85 are preferentially expressed in specific brain regions. Magel2 is most specifically expressed in developing hypothalamus, the region of the brain implicated in PWS hyperphagia and obesity. Although Snrpn, Ipw and MBII-85 are putatively transcribed from the same promoter, the transcripts are differentially detected in neural tissues. The analysis of expression patterns of murine orthologues of human disease genes is valuable for identifying sites of gene expression that correlate with disease phenotype.

Regionally reduced brain volume, altered serotonin neurochemistry, and abnormal behavior in mice null for the circadian rhythm output gene Magel2†

Magel2 belongs to the MAGE/necdin family of proteins, which have roles in cell cycle, differentiation, and apoptosis. The Magel2 gene is expressed in various brain regions, most notably the hypothalamus. Mice with a targeted deletion of Magel2 display hypoactivity, blunted circadian rhythm, decreased fertility, and increased adiposity. The human ortholog, MAGEL2, is one of a set of paternally expressed, imprinted genes inactivated in most cases of Prader–Willi syndrome, a complex neurodevelopmental disorder. To explore the role of Magel2, brain morphology, brain neurochemistry, and behavior were measured in Magel2‐null mice. Brain volume was reduced in specific regions, particularly in the parieto‐temporal lobe of the cerebral cortex, the amygdala, the hippocampus, and the nucleus accumbens, as measured by quantitative magnetic resonance imaging. Abnormal neurochemistry was detected in brain samples from adult mice, consisting of decreased serotonin and 5‐hydroxyindoleacetic acid in the cortex and the hypothalamus, and decreased dopamine in the hypothalamus. Magel2‐null mice displayed relatively normal motor and learning abilities, but exhibited abnormal behavior in novel environments. This study lends support to the important role of the circadian rhythm output gene Magel2 in brain structure and behavior.

Necdin, a Prader–Willi syndrome candidate gene, regulates gonadotropin-releasing hormone neurons during development

Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a complex genetic disorder characterized by hyperphagia, obesity and hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism, all highly suggestive of hypothalamic dysfunction. The NDN gene, encoding the MAGE family protein, necdin, maps to the PWS chromosome region and is highly expressed in mature hypothalamic neurons. Adult mice lacking necdin have reduced numbers of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons, but the mechanism for this reduction is unknown. Herein, we show that, although necdin is not expressed in an immature, migratory GnRH neuronal cell line (GN11), high levels are present in a mature GnRH neuronal cell line (GT1-7). Furthermore, overexpression of necdin activates GnRH transcription through cis elements bound by the homeodomain repressor Msx that are located in the enhancer and promoter of the GnRH gene, and knock-down of necdin expression reduces GnRH gene expression. In fact, overexpression of Necdin relieves Msx repression of GnRH transcription through these elements and necdin co-immunoprecipitates with Msx from GnRH neuronal cells, indicating that necdin may activate GnRH gene expression by preventing repression of GnRH gene expression by Msx. Finally, necdin is necessary for generation of the full complement of GnRH neurons during mouse development and extension of GnRH axons to the median eminence. Together, these results indicate that lack of necdin during development likely contributes to the hypogonadotrophic hypogonadal phenotype in individuals with PWS.

Loss of Magel2, a Candidate Gene for Features of Prader-Willi Syndrome, Impairs Reproductive Function in Mice

Background MAGEL2 is one of several genes typically inactivated in the developmental obesity disorder Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS). The physiological consequences of loss of MAGEL2, but without the concurrent loss of other PWS genes, are not well understood. Gene-targeted mutation of Magel2 in mice disrupts circadian rhythm and metabolism causing reduced total activity, reduced weight gain before weaning, and increased adiposity after weaning. Principal Findings We now show that loss of Magel2 in mice causes reduced fertility in both males and females through extended breeding intervals and early reproductive decline and termination. Female Magel2-null mice display extended and irregular estrous cycles, while males show decreased testosterone levels, and reduced olfactory preference for female odors. Conclusions Our results suggest that loss of MAGEL2 contributes to the reproductive deficits seen in people with PWS, and further highlights the role of normal circadian rhythm in the maintenance of fertility.

Establishment and Maintenance of DNA Methylation Patterns in Mouse Ndn: Implications for Maintenance of Imprinting in Target Genes of the Imprinting Center

ABSTRACT Ndn is located on chromosome 7C, an imprinted region of the mouse genome. Imprinting of Ndn and adjacent paternally expressed genes is regulated by a regional imprinting control element known as the imprinting center (IC). An IC also controls imprint resetting of target genes in the region of conserved synteny on human chromosome 15q11-q13, which is deleted or rearranged in the neurodevelopmental disorder Prader-Willi syndrome. Epigenetic modifications such as DNA methylation, which occur in gametes and can be stably propagated, are presumed to establish and maintain the imprint in target genes of the IC. While most DNA becomes substantially demethylated by the blastocyst stage, some imprinted genes have regions that escape global demethylation and may maintain the imprint. We have now analyzed the methylation of 39 CpG dinucleotide sequences in the 5′ end of Ndn by sodium bisulfite sequencing in gametes and in preimplantation and adult tissues. While sperm DNA is completely unmethylated across this region, oocyte DNA is partially methylated. A distinctive but unstable maternal methylation pattern persists until the morula stage and is lost in the blastocyst stage, where low levels of methylation are present on most DNA strands of either parental origin. The methylation pattern is then substantially remodeled, and fewer than half of maternally derived DNA strands in adult brain resemble the oocyte pattern. We postulate that for Ndn, DNA methylation may initially preserve a gametic imprint during preimplantation development, but other epigenetic events may maintain the imprint later in embryonic development.

Identification of Novel Imprinted Transcripts in the Prader-Willi Syndrome and Angelman Syndrome Deletion Region: Further Evidence for Regional Imprinting Control

Deletions and other abnormalities of human chromosome 15q11-q13 are associated with two developmental disorders, Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) and Angelman syndrome (AS). Loss of expression of imprinted, paternally expressed genes has been implicated in PWS. However, the number of imprinted genes that contribute to PWS, and the range over which the imprinting signal acts to silence one copy of the gene in a parent-of-origin-specific manner, are unknown. To identify additional imprinted genes that could contribute to the PWS phenotype and to understand the regional control of imprinting in 15q11-q13, we have constructed an imprinted transcript map of the PWS-AS deletion interval. The imprinting status of 22 expressed sequence tags derived from the radiation-hybrid human transcript maps or physical maps was determined in a reverse transcriptase-PCR assay and correlated with the position of the transcripts on the physical map. Seven new paternally expressed transcripts localize to an approximately 1.5-Mb domain surrounding the SNRPN-associated imprinting center, which already includes four imprinted, paternally expressed genes. All other tested new transcripts in the deletion region were expressed from both alleles. A domain of exclusive paternal expression surrounding the imprinting center suggests strong regional control of the imprinting process. This study provides the means for further investigation of additional genes that cause or modify the phenotypes associated with rearrangements of 15q11-q13.