Project description:To investigate the clinical phenotype, genetic etiology, and diagnosis of 11q deletion (11q-) syndrome. The differences and severity of fetal phenotypes may depend on the types and quantities of functional genes contained in fragments of different sizes.
Project description:Although pulmonary stenosis (PS) is relatively common, the genetic etiology of congenital PS in fetuses is poorly studied. We used karyotype analysis and chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) to investigate the genetic aberrations associated with PS in fetuses.
Project description:Routine karyotyping combined with CMA testing should be provided for fetuses with omphalocele. WES is an option if karyotype and CMA tests are normal. In addition, if conventional karyotype, CMA detection and WES detection are normal, then further molecular biology methods can be used to rule out disease phenotypes like BWS syndrome. We analyzed the ultrasonographic features, genetic characteristics, and maternal and fetal outcomes of fetuses with omphalocele and provide a reference for perinatal management of such cases.
Project description:To explore the characteristics of m6A RNA modification in the Down syndrome brain, we collected cerebral cortex tissues of the fetuses diagnosed with Down syndrome and controls respectively, and performed an optimized methylated RNA immunoprecipitation combined with deep sequencing (MeRIP-seq).
Project description:Detailed analysis of 11q aberrations consisted of duplication, terminal deletion and inversion performed by SNP/aCGH on 11 patients with BLL,11q; BL and HGBL,NOS diagnosis.
Project description:Embryos generated with the use of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) can develop overgrowth syndromes. In ruminants, the condition is referred to as large offspring syndrome (LOS) and exhibits variable phenotypic abnormalities including overgrowth, enlarged tongue, and abdominal wall defects. These characteristics recapitulate those observed in the human loss-of-imprinting (LOI) overgrowth syndrome Beckwith-Wiedemann (BWS). We have recently shown LOI at the KCNQ1 locus in LOS, the most common epimutation in BWS. Although the first case of ART-induced LOS was reported in 1995, studies have not yet determined the extent of LOI in this condition. Here, we determined allele-specific expression of imprinted genes previously identified in human and/or mouse in day 105 Bos taurus indicus X Bos taurus taurus F1 hybrid control and LOS fetuses using RNAseq. Our analysis allowed us to determine the monoallelic expression of 20 genes in tissues of control fetuses. LOS fetuses displayed variable LOI when compared to controls. Biallelic expression of imprinted genes in LOS was associated with tissue-specific hypomethylation of the normally methylated parental allele. In addition, a positive correlation was observed between bodyweight and the number of biallelically expressed imprinted genes in LOS fetuses. Further, not only was there loss of allele-specific expression of imprinted genes in LOS, but we also observed differential transcript amounts of these genes between control and overgrown fetuses. In summary, we characterized previously unidentified imprinted genes in bovine and identified misregulation of imprinting at multiple loci in LOS. We concluded that LOS is a multi-locus loss-of-imprinting syndrome, as is BWS.
Project description:Despite recent consensus on eligibility of adjuvant systemic therapy in lymph-node negative breast cancer (NNBC) patients based on clinico-pathological criteria, specific biological markers are needed to predict sensitivity to the different therapeutic options. We examined the feasibility of developing a genomic predictor of chemotherapy response and recurrence risk in 185 patients with NNBC using assembled arrays containing 2,460 BAC clones for scanning the genome for DNA copy number changes. After surgery, 90 patients received anthracycline-based chemotherapy whereas ninety-five did not. Tamoxifen was administered to patients with hormone-receptor positive tumors. Association of genomic and clinico-pathological data and outcome was computed using Cox proportional hazard models and multiple testing adjustment procedures. Analysis of NNBC genomes revealed a common genomic signature. Specific DNA copy number aberrations were associated with hormonal receptor status, but not with other clinico-pathological parameters. In patients treated with chemotherapy, none of the genomic changes was significantly correlated with recurrence. In patients not receiving chemotherapy, deletion of eight BAC clones clustered to chromosome 11q was independently associated with relapse (DFS at 10 years±SE, 40±14% vs. 86±6%;p<00001). The 54 patients with deletion of 11q (29%) did not present more aggressive clinical-pathological features than those without 11q loss. The adverse influence of 11q deletion in clinical outcome was confirmed in an independent validation series of 88 NNBC patients. Our data suggest that NNBC patients with 11q deletion may benefit from anthracycline-based chemotherapy despite other clinical, pathological or genetic features. However, these initial findings should be evaluated in randomized clinical trials. Keywords: CGH, breast cancer
