Candidate gene resequencing in a large bicuspid aortic valve-associated thoracic aortic aneurysm cohort: SMAD6 as an important contributor

Bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) is the most common congenital heart defect. Although many BAV patients remain asymptomatic, at least 20% develop thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA). Historically, BAV-related TAA was considered as a hemodynamic consequence of the valve defect. Multiple lines of evidence currently suggest that genetic determinants contribute to the pathogenesis of both BAV and TAA in affected individuals. Despite high heritability, only very few genes have been linked to BAV or BAV/TAA, such as NOTCH1, SMAD6, and MAT2A. Moreover, they only explain a minority of patients. Other candidate genes have been suggested based on the presence of BAV in knockout mouse models (e.g., GATA5, NOS3) or in syndromic (e.g., TGFBR1/2, TGFB2/3) or non-syndromic (e.g., ACTA2) TAA forms. We hypothesized that rare genetic variants in these genes may be enriched in patients presenting with both BAV and TAA. We performed targeted resequencing of 22 candidate genes using Haloplex target enrichment in a strictly defined BAV/TAA cohort (n = 441; BAV in addition to an aortic root or ascendens diameter = 4.0 cm in adults, or a Z-score = 3 in children) and in a collection of healthy controls with normal echocardiographic evaluation (n = 183). After additional burden analysis against the Exome Aggregation Consortium database, the strongest candidate susceptibility gene was SMAD6 (p = 0.002), with 2.5% (n = 11) of BAV/TAA patients harboring causal variants, including two nonsense, one in-frame deletion and two frameshift mutations. All six missense mutations were located in the functionally important MH1 and MH2 domains. In conclusion, we report a significant contribution of SMAD6 mutations to the etiology of the BAV/TAA phenotype

Heterozygous Loss-of-Function SEC61A1 Mutations Cause Autosomal-Dominant Tubulo-Interstitial and Glomerulocystic Kidney Disease with Anemia

Autosomal-dominant tubulo-interstitial kidney disease (ADTKD) encompasses a group of disorders characterized by renal tubular and interstitial abnormalities, leading to slow progressive loss of kidney function requiring dialysis and kidney transplantation. Mutations in UMOD, MUC1, and REN are responsible for many, but not all, cases of ADTKD. We report on two families with ADTKD and congenital anemia accompanied by either intrauterine growth retardation or neutropenia. Ultrasound and kidney biopsy revealed small dysplastic kidneys with cysts and tubular atrophy with secondary glomerular sclerosis, respectively. Exclusion of known ADTKD genes coupled with linkage analysis, whole-exome sequencing, and targeted re-sequencing identified heterozygous missense variants in SEC61A1—c.553A>G (p.Thr185Ala) and c.200T>G (p.Val67Gly)—both affecting functionally important and conserved residues in SEC61. Both transiently expressed SEC6A1A variants are delocalized to the Golgi, a finding confirmed in a renal biopsy from an affected individual. Suppression or CRISPR-mediated deletions of sec61al2 in zebrafish embryos induced convolution defects of the pronephric tubules but not the pronephric ducts, consistent with the tubular atrophy observed in the affected individuals. Human mRNA encoding either of the two pathogenic alleles failed to rescue this phenotype as opposed to a complete rescue by human wild-type mRNA. Taken together, these findings provide a mechanism by which mutations in SEC61A1 lead to an autosomal-dominant syndromic form of progressive chronic kidney disease. We highlight protein translocation defects across the endoplasmic reticulum membrane, the principal role of the SEC61 complex, as a contributory pathogenic mechanism for ADTKD

Molecular insights into bicuspid aortic valve development and the associated aortopathy

Bicuspid Aortic valve (BAV) is one of the most common congenital cardiac malformations with a prevalence of 1–2% in the general population. Patients with BAV have a 9-fold increased risk of developing serious secondary complications including stenosis, endocarditis, regurgitation, dilation of the aorta, aortic aneurysms and subsequent dissection resulting in a significant increase in morbidity. Progressive decline in valve functionality and associated complications warrants surgical intervention in 27% of the affected individuals. The understanding of genetic and molecular mechanisms underlying disease pathology has been largely confounded by phenotypic heterogeneity, incomplete penetrance and variable expressivity. Additionally, the complex interplay between genetic, epigenetic and haemodynamic factors during and after development along with their dynamic expression depending on tissue type contribute to the elusiveness of the disease. While the exact mechanism of pathogenesis remains unclear, recent advances in genetics, propelled by large scale candidate gene discovery strategies employing next generation sequencing, epigenetics, haemodynamic modelling and imaging have provided insights into the development of BAV and associated aortopathy, thus accelerating advances in clinical management and diagnosis of the disease. This review aims at providing a comprehensive understanding of cardiac valve development and the underlying genetic and molecular mechanisms contributing to BAV associated aortopathy

A homozygous mutation in IBA57 involved in intramitochondrial iron-sulfur cluster synthesis causes severe encephalopathy and mypathy in two neonates

Background: Combined OXPHOS deficiencies involving complexes I and II have recently been detected in patients with deficient iron-sulfur cluster (ISC) biogenesis. So far, patients were reported with pathogenic mutations in NFU1 and BOLA3 presenting with severe encephalomyopathy at young age. Objective: Two siblings with combined deficiency of complex I and II were investigated for possible defect in ISC. Patients and methods: The siblings presented soon after birth with severe encephalomyopathy and died in the neonatal period. Biochemical investigations showed increased lactate in serum and increased glycine in CSF. Considering the consanguineous descent a search for genes in homozygous regions related to ISC metabolism was performed. Results: Isolating IBA57 as a strong candidate gene, sequencing detected a homozygous mutation (c.941A>C) in the two siblings and a heterozygous carrier status in both parents. Western blotting showed a severe decrease of CRM for the IBA57 protein. The protein amount in the complexes I and II was significantly decreased. Transfection experiments in HeLa cells demonstrated that the mutation was pathogenic and that excessive degradation of the IBA57 protein was responsible for the defective ISC biosynthesis. Conclusion: This is the first report of a pathogenic mutation in IBA57 in human