Project description:RBM20 is one of the genes predisposing to dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Variants in the RS domain and the RNA-recognition motif have been well studied, but the pathogenicity of variants outside the hotspot remains unknown. A human patient with the Q373fs-RBM20 variant without a typical DCM phenotype was identified in sudden death cohorts. In the mouse experiments, RNA seq analysis revealed that Q374fs-Rbm20 mice showed some different splicing patterns in such as Ttn, Ldb3, Camk2d,Obscn, and Ryr2. The expressions of Casq1, Mybpc2, and Myot were also upregulated in Q374fs-Rbm20 mice. The pathway analysis indicated the involvement of some of the 1770 differentially expressed genes in Cytoplasmic ribosomal proteins Calcium regulation in cardiac cells and Striated muscle contraction. Cardiac dysfunction such as cardiac dilation and extended duration of QRS and QTc were observed by ultrasound echocardiography and Electro-cardiogram. The Q373fs-RBM20 (Q374fs-Rbm20) variant changes gene splicing and affects gene expression of sarcomere structural genes and Ca handling genes and presented cardiac dysfunction, suggesting that Q373fs-RBM20 human patient may cause arrhythmogenic sudden death.
Project description:Sudden unexplained death in childhood (SUDC) is death of a child over one year of age that is unexplained after review of clinical history, circumstances of death, and complete autopsy with ancillary testing. Multiple etiologies may cause SUDC, with parallels to sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) in SUDC with a history of febrile seizures, suggesting possible abnormalities in hippocampus and cortex. To identify molecular signaling pathways underlying SUDC, we performed label-free quantitative mass spectrometry on microdissected frontal cortex, hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG), and cornu ammonis (CA1-3) in SUDC (n=19) and pediatric control cases (n=19) with an explained cause of death.
Project description:Deletion of VEGFR-1 signaling appears not to have an effect on normal cardiac function but it inhibits the development of early compensatory LVH, which in turn leads to diastolic dysfunction associated with atrial dilatation and increased risk of sudden cardiac death
Project description:Antemortem infection is a risk factor for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) – the leading postneonatal cause of infant mortality in the developed world. Manifestations of infection and attendant inflammation, however, are not always apparent in clinical settings or by standard autopsy, thus enhanced resolution approaches are needed. Here we screened postmortem SIDS tissues and fluids for inflammatory markers and applied metagenomics and transcriptomics to a subset of cases to look for evidence of occult infection and inflammation.