Project description:<p>Recently, we have identified that variants in <i>CIZ1</i> gene is associated with dystonia. To identify the prevalence of <i>CIZ1</i> mutations in dystonia population, we use High resolution melting (HRM) to examine all the coding sequence in 3976 subjects with primary dystonia as well as 1819 subjects of normal controls. Indels in Q rich region of exon 2 in <i>CIZ1</i> were identified in 21 subjects with dystonia but only 3 controls (P<0.05). Other single nucleotide change variants were also found in some of the patients which include a novel missense mutation (c.787A>G, p.R263G) found in a female patient with apparently familial dystonia. We confirmed that mutations in <i>CIZ1</i> could be associated with dystonia but in rare cases.</p>
Project description:Gene expression studies were performed to identify pathways possibly dysregulated by mutant in the gene GM-NM-1(olf). These experiments employed RNA derived from lymphoblastoid cell lines established for 4 affected carriers and 4 non-carriers. In comparison to endogenous control and other dystonia-associated genes, GNAL was expressed at relatively low levels in lymphoblastoid cell lines. Comparison of whole blood expression profiles of mutation carrying dystonia patients with normal controls
Project description:To elicit a dystonia-like phenotype in a genetically predisposed DYT-TOR1A mouse model (DYT1KI) by performing a right sciatic nerve crush injury. To identify novel pathophysiological pathways and possible biomarker, we performed a multi-omic analysis of three dystonia-relevant brain regions
Project description:Spinal interneurons are critical modulators of locomotor circuit function. In the dorsal spinal cord, a set of interneurons called GABApre presynaptically inhibits proprioceptive sensory afferent terminals, thus negatively regulating sensory-motor signaling. While deficits in presynaptic inhibition have been inferred in human locomotor diseases, including dystonia, it remains unknown whether GABApre circuit components are altered in these conditions. In this study, we use developmental timing to show that GABApre neurons are a late Ptf1a-expressing subclass and localize to the intermediate spinal cord. Using a microarray screen to identify genes expressed in this intermediate population, we find the kelch-like family member Klhl14, implicated in dystonia through its direct binding with torsion-dystonia related protein Tor1a. Furthermore, in Tor1a mutant mice in which Klhl14 and Tor1a binding is disrupted (Dyt1ΔE), GABApre-sensory afferent synapse formation is impaired. Our findings suggest a potential contribution of GABApre neurons to the deficits in presynaptic inhibition observed in dystonia.
Project description:DYT1 dystonia is an autosomal-dominantly inherited movement disorder, which is usually caused by a GAG deletion in the TOR1A gene. Due to the reduced penetrance of ~30-40%, the determination of the mutation in a subject is of limited use with regard to actual manifestation of symptoms. In the present study, we used Affymetrix oligonucleotide microarrays to analyze global gene expression in blood samples of 15 manifesting and 15 non-manifesting mutation carriers in order to identify a susceptibility profile beyond the GAG deletion which is associated with the manifestation of symptoms in DYT1 dystonia.We identified a genetic signature which distinguished between asymptomatic mutation carriers and symptomatic DYT1 patients with 86.7% sensitivity and 100% specificity. This genetic signature could correctly predict the disease state in an independent test set with a sensitivity of 87.5% and a specificity of 85.7%.Conclusively, this genetic signature might provide a possibility to distinguish DYT1 patients from asymptomatic mutation carriers. Comparison of whole blood expression profiles of patients with DYT1 dystonia with non manifesting mutation carriers and non mutation carriers