Signals from the brain and olfactory epithelium control shaping of the mammalian nasal capsule cartilage

Facial shape is the basis for facial recognition and categorization. Facial features reflect the underlying geometry of the skeletal structures. Here, we reveal that cartilaginous nasal capsule (corresponding to upper jaw and face) is shaped by signals generated by neural structures: brain and olfactory epithelium. Brain-derived Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) enables the induction of nasal septum and posterior nasal capsule, whereas the formation of a capsule roof is controlled by signals from the olfactory epithelium. Unexpectedly, the cartilage of the nasal capsule turned out to be important for shaping membranous facial bones during development. This suggests that conserved neurosensory structures could benefit from protection and have evolved signals inducing cranial cartilages encasing them. Experiments with mutant mice revealed that the genomic regulatory regions controlling production of SHH in the nervous system contribute to facial cartilage morphogenesis, which might be a mechanism responsible for the adaptive evolution of animal faces and snouts

Centers For Mendelian Genomics: a Decade of Facilitating Gene Discovery

PURPOSE: Mendelian disease genomic research has undergone a massive transformation over the past decade. With increasing availability of exome and genome sequencing, the role of Mendelian research has expanded beyond data collection, sequencing, and analysis to worldwide data sharing and collaboration. METHODS: Over the past 10 years, the National Institutes of Health-supported Centers for Mendelian Genomics (CMGs) have played a major role in this research and clinical evolution. RESULTS: We highlight the cumulative gene discoveries facilitated by the program, biomedical research leveraged by the approach, and the larger impact on the research community. Beyond generating a list of gene-phenotype relationships and participating in widespread data sharing, the CMGs have created resources, tools, and training for the larger community to foster understanding of genes and genome variation. The CMGs have participated in a wide range of data sharing activities, including deposition of all eligible CMG data into the Analysis, Visualization, and Informatics Lab-space (AnVIL), sharing candidate genes through the Matchmaker Exchange and the CMG website, and sharing variants in Genotypes to Mendelian Phenotypes (Geno2MP) and VariantMatcher. CONCLUSION: The work is far from complete; strengthening communication between research and clinical realms, continued development and sharing of knowledge and tools, and improving access to richly characterized data sets are all required to diagnose the remaining molecularly undiagnosed patients

Genetic Variation and Reproductive Timing: African American Women from the Population Architecture Using Genomics and Epidemiology (PAGE) Study

Age at menarche (AM) and age at natural menopause (ANM) define the boundaries of the reproductive lifespan in women. Their timing is associated with various diseases, including cancer and cardiovascular disease. Genome-wide association studies have identified several genetic variants associated with either AM or ANM in populations of largely European or Asian descent women. The extent to which these associations generalize to diverse populations remains unknown. Therefore, we sought to replicate previously reported AM and ANM findings and to identify novel AM and ANM variants using the Metabochip (n = 161,098 SNPs) in 4,159 and 1,860 African American women, respectively, in the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) and Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) studies, as part of the Population Architecture using Genomics and Epidemiology (PAGE) Study. We replicated or generalized one previously identified variant for AM, rs1361108/CENPW, and two variants for ANM, rs897798/BRSK1 and rs769450/APOE, to our African American cohort. Overall, generalization of the majority of previously-identified variants for AM and ANM, including LIN28B and MCM8, was not observed in this African American sample. We identified three novel loci associated with ANM that reached significance after multiple testing correction (LDLR rs189596789, p = 5×10-08; KCNQ1 rs79972789, p = 1.9×10-07; COL4A3BP rs181686584, p = 2.9×10-07). Our most significant AM association was upstream of RSF1, a gene implicated in ovarian and breast cancers (rs11604207, p = 1.6×10-06). While most associations were identified in either AM or ANM, we did identify genes suggestively associated with both: PHACTR1 and ARHGAP42. The lack of generalization coupled with the potentially novel associations identified here emphasize the need for additional genetic discovery efforts for AM and ANM in diverse populations. © 2013 Spencer et al

Genome-wide linkage analyses of non-Hispanic white families identify novel loci for familial late-onset Alzheimer's disease

INTRODUCTION: Few high penetrance variants that explain risk in late-onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD) families have been found. METHODS: We performed genome-wide linkage and identity-by-descent (IBD) analyses on 41 non-Hispanic white families exhibiting likely dominant inheritance of LOAD, and having no mutations at known familial Alzheimer's disease (AD) loci, and a low burden of APOE ε4 alleles. RESULTS: Two-point parametric linkage analysis identified 14 significantly linked regions, including three novel linkage regions for LOAD (5q32, 11q12.2-11q14.1, and 14q13.3), one of which replicates a genome-wide association LOAD locus, the MS4A6A-MS4A4E gene cluster at 11q12.2. Five of the 14 regions (3q25.31, 4q34.1, 8q22.3, 11q12.2-14.1, and 19q13.41) are supported by strong multipoint results (logarithm of odds [LOD*] ≥1.5). Nonparametric multipoint analyses produced an additional significant locus at 14q32.2 (LOD* = 4.18). The 1-LOD confidence interval for this region contains one gene, C14orf177, and the microRNA Mir_320, whereas IBD analyses implicates an additional gene BCL11B, a regulator of brain-derived neurotrophic signaling, a pathway associated with pathogenesis of several neurodegenerative diseases. DISCUSSION: Examination of these regions after whole-genome sequencing may identify highly penetrant variants for familial LOAD

New genetic loci link adipose and insulin biology to body fat distribution.

Body fat distribution is a heritable trait and a well-established predictor of adverse metabolic outcomes, independent of overall adiposity. To increase our understanding of the genetic basis of body fat distribution and its molecular links to cardiometabolic traits, here we conduct genome-wide association meta-analyses of traits related to waist and hip circumferences in up to 224,459 individuals. We identify 49 loci (33 new) associated with waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for body mass index (BMI), and an additional 19 loci newly associated with related waist and hip circumference measures (P < 5 × 10(-8)). In total, 20 of the 49 waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for BMI loci show significant sexual dimorphism, 19 of which display a stronger effect in women. The identified loci were enriched for genes expressed in adipose tissue and for putative regulatory elements in adipocytes. Pathway analyses implicated adipogenesis, angiogenesis, transcriptional regulation and insulin resistance as processes affecting fat distribution, providing insight into potential pathophysiological mechanisms

Tcf7l2/Tcf4 Transcriptional Repressor Function Requires HDAC Activity in the Developing Vertebrate CNS

<div><p>The generation of functionally distinct neuronal subtypes within the vertebrate central nervous system (CNS) requires the precise regulation of progenitor gene expression in specific neuronal territories during early embryogenesis. Accumulating evidence has implicated histone deacetylase (HDAC) proteins in cell specification, proliferation, and differentiation in diverse embryonic and adult tissues. However, although HDAC proteins have shown to be expressed in the developing vertebrate neural tube, their specific role in CNS neural progenitor fate specification remains unclear. Prior work from our lab showed that the Tcf7l2/Tcf4 transcription factor plays a key role in ventral progenitor lineage segregation by differential repression of two key specification factors, Nkx2.2 and Olig2. In this study, we found that administration of HDAC inhibitors (Valproic Acid (VPA), Trichostatin-A (TSA), or sodium butyrate) in chick embryos <i>in ovo</i> disrupted normal progenitor gene segregation in the developing neural tube, indicating that HDAC activity is required for this process. Further, using functional and pharmacological approaches in vivo, we found that HDAC activity is required for the differential repression of Nkx2.2 and Olig2 by Tcf7l2/Tcf4. Finally, using dominant-negative functional assays, we provide evidence that Tcf7l2/Tcf4 repression also requires Gro/TLE/Grg co-repressor factors. Together, our data support a model where the transcriptional repressor activity of Tcf7l2/Tcf4 involves functional interactions with both HDAC and Gro/TLE/Grg co-factors at specific target gene regulatory elements in the developing neural tube, and that this activity is required for the proper segregation of the Nkx2.2 (p3) and Olig2 (pMN) expressing cells from a common progenitor pool.</p></div

The histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor VPA disrupts ventral progenitor boundaries.

<p>(A-F) Sections taken from E3 embryos treated with the indicated dilutions of VPA at E2 and stained for markers (Olig2, Nkx2.2, and FoxA2) that identify the three normally distinct ventral progenitor domains in the spinal cord. Inset schematic at bottom indicates the three progenitor domain boundaries analyzed and the corresponding markers used. pMN = motoneurons progenitor domain, p3 = V3 interneuron progenitor domain, FP = floor plate domain. Note that the number of double-labeled cells in both boundary regions increases significantly with increasing VPA concentrations (arrowheads) (A, D) controls; (B, E) VPA at 1mM; (C, F) VPA at 100mM). (G) Quantification of the results in A-F. *p<0.001.</p

Functional interactions between Grg4 and HDAC/Tcf4 are required to repress Gli2A induction of Nkx2.2 in vivo.

<p>(A) Co-transfection of Tcf4R with Gli2A (both at (at 2.0 μg/μl) suppresses induction of Nkx2.2. (B) Predicted repressor complex for Tcf4R-mediated repression. (C, D) Co-transfection of a full-length Grg4 construct with Gli2A+TcfR also suppresses Nkx2.2 induction. (E-H) Co-transfection of Grg4 deletion constructs with Gli2A+TcfR. Both Grg4-ΔQ and Grg4-Q domain proteins prevent Tcf4R from blocking Gli2A-mediated induction of Nkx2.2 (seen in A). Antibody staining for the Myc-epitope tag was used to detect Grg4 constructs in all figures; GFP expression marks cells transfected with Tcf4R, while Gli activity was monitored by assaying Nkx2.2 expression. (I) Quantification of induced Nkx2.2 cells in each experiment, (J) Model for the regulation of Nkx2.2 by Tcf repressors involving HDAC activity and chromatin remodeling. *p<0.001, **p>0.05.</p