Mutacions que modifiquen l'expressió gènica associades a retinosi pigmentària autosòmica dominant : aproximació terapèutica mitjançant la interferència del mRNA /

Consultable des del TDXTítol obtingut de la portada digitalitzadaLa Retinosi Pigmentària (RP) és una malaltia hereditària que provoca degeneració retiniana. Pot presentar diferents tipus d'herència: autosòmica dominant, autosòmica recessiva, lligada al cromosoma X i algunes formes digèniques i mitocondrials. La retinosi pigmentària autosòmica dominant (RPAD) està causada majoritàriament per mutacions en gens amb expressió específica a la retina però en els darrers anys, s'ha vist que mutacions en alguns gens amb expressió ubiqua provoquen patologia únicament a la retina. Aquesta Tesi es centra en l'estudi de mutacions genètiques que afecten la regulació de l'expressió gènica. Així, s'estudien mutacions en el factor de transcripció NRL, en el factor de splicing de pre-mRNA PRPF8 i mutacions en cis de splicing en el gen de la Rodopsina. Pel que fa a les mutacions en senyals de splicing del gen RHO, s'han investigat els efectes d'aquestes mutacions sobre el processament del pre-mRNA de RHO. Els resultats suggereixen que les mutacions de splicing g.3811A>G i g.5167G>T associades a RPAD utilitzen un splicing alternatiu mentre que la mutació g.4335G>T associada a RPAR provoca l'eliminació d'un exó. Estudis de localització i expressió cel·lular d'aquests mutants suggereixen un efecte dominant negatiu com a mecanisme patogènic. Estudis funcionals de la mutació M96T trobada en el gen NRL suggereixen un caràcter dominant de la mutació. La cosegregació familiar suggereix la presència d'un segon factor genètic implicat en l'aparició de la malaltia. Com a aproximació terapèutica a la RPAD, s'han fet diferents estudis utilitzant ribozims i la tècnica del RNA d'interferència (RNAi). Els resultats obtinguts demostren la possibilitat d'utilitzar aquesta tecnologia per a eliminar els productes mutats causants de la malaltia. No obstant, mostren també la dificultat de dissenyar una molècula de siRNA específica per cada producte mutat. Per evitar aquesta limitació, s'ha aplicat la tècnica de supressió i substitució gènica sobre mutants de NRL.Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is an inherited and degenerative disease of the retina. This disease presents different types of inheritance: autosomal dominant, autosomal recessive, X-linked and some digenic and mitochondrial forms. In most cases, autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa (ADRP) is caused by mutations in genes specifically expressed in the retina. However, in the last years it seems that mutations in certain genes with ubiquitous expression only cause pathology in the retina. This Thesis is focused in the study of mutations that affect the regulation of gene expression. Mutations in the transcription factor NRL, the pre-mRNA splicing factor PRPF8 and cis acting splicing mutations in RHO gene have been studied. Effects that splicing mutations in RHO produce on the pre-mRNA splicing have been investigated. Results obtained suggest that while mutations g.3811A>G and g.5167G>T associated to ADRP use an alternative splicing site, the mutation g.4335G>T associated to ARRP produces the skipping of one exon. Expression and localization experiments carried out suggest a dominant negative effect as the pathogenic mechanism of RP. Functional studies of mutation M96T found in NRL gene correlate with a dominant inheritance of RP. However, the co-segregation in the family suggests the presence of a second factor implicated in the expression of RP phenotype. As a therapeutic approach, different studies using ribozymes and RNA interference have been performed. The results obtained show the possibility to use these techniques to eliminate the mutant products causing ADRP. However, the design of a specific siRNA is not always possible. To circumvent this limitation, the technique of suppression and replacement has been assayed with NRL mutants

Mutacions que modifiquen l'expressió gènica associades a Retinosi Pigmentària Autosòmica Dominant. Aproximació terapèutica mitjançant la interferència del mRNA

La Retinosi Pigmentària (RP) és una malaltia hereditària que provoca degeneració retiniana. Pot presentar diferents tipus d'herència: autosòmica dominant, autosòmica recessiva, lligada al cromosoma X i algunes formes digèniques i mitocondrials. La retinosi pigmentària autosòmica dominant (RPAD) està causada majoritàriament per mutacions en gens amb expressió específica a la retina però en els darrers anys, s'ha vist que mutacions en alguns gens amb expressió ubiqua provoquen patologia únicament a la retina. Aquesta Tesi es centra en l'estudi de mutacions genètiques que afecten la regulació de l'expressió gènica. Així, s'estudien mutacions en el factor de transcripció NRL, en el factor de splicing de pre-mRNA PRPF8 i mutacions en cis de splicing en el gen de la Rodopsina.Pel que fa a les mutacions en senyals de splicing del gen RHO, s'han investigat els efectes d'aquestes mutacions sobre el processament del pre-mRNA de RHO. Els resultats suggereixen que les mutacions de splicing g.3811A>G i g.5167G>T associades a RPAD utilitzen un splicing alternatiu mentre que la mutació g.4335G>T associada a RPAR provoca l'eliminació d'un exó. Estudis de localització i expressió cel·lular d'aquests mutants suggereixen un efecte dominant negatiu com a mecanisme patogènic.Estudis funcionals de la mutació M96T trobada en el gen NRL suggereixen un caràcter dominant de la mutació. La cosegregació familiar suggereix la presència d'un segon factor genètic implicat en l'aparició de la malaltia. Com a aproximació terapèutica a la RPAD, s'han fet diferents estudis utilitzant ribozims i la tècnica del RNA d'interferència (RNAi). Els resultats obtinguts demostren la possibilitat d'utilitzar aquesta tecnologia per a eliminar els productes mutats causants de la malaltia. No obstant, mostren també la dificultat de dissenyar una molècula de siRNA específica per cada producte mutat. Per evitar aquesta limitació, s'ha aplicat la tècnica de supressió i substitució gènica sobre mutants de NRL.Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is an inherited and degenerative disease of the retina. This disease presents different types of inheritance: autosomal dominant, autosomal recessive, X-linked and some digenic and mitochondrial forms. In most cases, autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa (ADRP) is caused by mutations in genes specifically expressed in the retina. However, in the last years it seems that mutations in certain genes with ubiquitous expression only cause pathology in the retina.This Thesis is focused in the study of mutations that affect the regulation of gene expression. Mutations in the transcription factor NRL, the pre-mRNA splicing factor PRPF8 and cis acting splicing mutations in RHO gene have been studied.Effects that splicing mutations in RHO produce on the pre-mRNA splicing have been investigated. Results obtained suggest that while mutations g.3811A>G and g.5167G>T associated to ADRP use an alternative splicing site, the mutation g.4335G>T associated to ARRP produces the skipping of one exon. Expression and localization experiments carried out suggest a dominant negative effect as the pathogenic mechanism of RP.Functional studies of mutation M96T found in NRL gene correlate with a dominant inheritance of RP. However, the co-segregation in the family suggests the presence of a second factor implicated in the expression of RP phenotype.As a therapeutic approach, different studies using ribozymes and RNA interference have been performed. The results obtained show the possibility to use these techniques to eliminate the mutant products causing ADRP. However, the design of a specific siRNA is not always possible. To circumvent this limitation, the technique of suppression and replacement has been assayed with NRL mutants

Is being employed always better for mental wellbeing than being unemployed? Exploring the role of gender and welfare state regimes during the economic crisis

The growth of poor jobs related to economic crisis adds to its increase since the mid-1970s as a result of new forms of flexible employment. In Europe, there is no clear evidence on whether working in a poor-quality job is better for mental wellbeing than being unemployed. The objectives of this study were to compare mental wellbeing between the unemployed and those working in jobs with different quality levels and to examine gender and welfare state differences in Europe. We selected 8324 men and 7496 women from the European Social Survey, 2010. Hierarchical multiple logistic regression models were fitted, separated by sex and country group. No significant differences in mental wellbeing were shown between unemployed-non-active, unemployed-active, and those working in low-quality jobs in either sex. Only men from Conservative countries in low-quality jobs had better mental wellbeing than unemployed (non-active) men. Only having a good-quality job reduced the likelihood of poor mental wellbeing compared with being unemployed (non-active) among men in all countries (except Social-Democratic) and among women in Eastern and Southern European countries. No differences were observed among men or women in Social-Democratic countries, while strong gender differences were found in Conservative and Liberal countries. Our study indicates the need to take job quality into account, in addition to creating jobs during economic crises. The main mechanisms to explain the strong gender and welfare state differences identified could be social protection for unemployed, labor market regulations, and family models

Next-generation sequencing-based gene panel tests for the detection of rare variants and hypomorphic alleles associated with primary open-angle glaucoma.

Primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) is a complex disease with a strong hereditably component. Several genetic variants have recently been associated with POAG, partially due to technological improvements such as next-generation sequencing (NGS). The aim of this study was to genetically analyze patients with POAG to determine the contribution of rare variants and hypomorphic alleles associated with glaucoma as a future method of diagnosis and early treatment. Seventy-two genes potentially associated with adult glaucoma were studied in 61 patients with POAG. Additionally, we sequenced the coding sequence of CYP1B1 gene in 13 independent patients to deep analyze the potential association of hypomorphic CYP1B1 alleles in the pathogenesis of POAG. We detected nine rare variants in 16% of POAG patients studied by NGS. Those rare variants are located in CYP1B1, SIX6, CARD10, MFN1, OPTC, OPTN, and WDR36 glaucoma-related genes. Hypomorphic variants in CYP1B1 and SIX6 genes have been identified in 8% of the total POAG patient assessed. Our findings suggest that NGS could be a valuable tool to clarify the impact of genetic component on adult glaucoma. However, in order to demonstrate the contribution of these rare variants and hypomorphic alleles to glaucoma, segregation and functional studies would be necessary. The identification of new variants and hypomorphic alleles in glaucoma patients will help to configure the genetic identity of these patients, in order to make an early and precise molecular diagnosis

List of genes included in the custom glaucoma panel designed.

List of genes included in the custom glaucoma panel designed.</p

Description and classification of variants detected in this study.

Description and classification of variants detected in this study.</p

Ancillary tests of patient 13.

This figure shows the structural and functional damage of the right (RE) and left eye (LE). The optical coherence tomography shows severe peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer thinning that correlates with the visual field findings that depicts a marked inferior arcuate scotoma for the RE and tubular island of vision for the LE.</p

Fig 2 -

Pedigrees of patients in whom the p.Y81N variant in the CYP1B1 gene was detected in the NGS study: patient 1 (left) and patient 2 (right). Arrows indicate the index case. Black symbols indicate glaucoma phenotypes, and carriers of the variant are indicated by black dots in the symbols. wt: wild-type allele.</p

Clinical characteristics of patients and variants detected in this study.

Clinical characteristics of patients and variants detected in this study.</p

Ophthalmologic studies in patients 4 and 5 (siblings) with the variant p.T436M in the <i>CARD10</i> gene.

A: Optomap image of ocular fundus of the patient 4 showing macular whitening and a myriad of splinter retinal hemorrhages and venous tortuosity secondary to central retinal vein occlusion with cilioretinal artery occlusion in the right eye. B: Funduscopic image of the left eye of the patient 4 showing severe optic disk cupping in the context of advanced glaucoma with pigment dispersion syndrome. C: Optomap image of the right eye fundus of the patient 5 showing mild macular whitening with scant peripheral hemorrhages one month after non-ischemic central retinal vein occlusion associated with cilioretinal artery occlusion in the right eye. D: Retinography of the patient 5 (up) showing severe right optic disk cupping causing advanced visual field constriction seen on perimetry (below).</p