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Many proteins are causative for inherited partial lipodystrophies, including lamins, the essential constituents of the nuclear envelope scaffold called the lamina. By performing high throughput sequencing on a panel of genes involved in lipodystrophies, we identified a heterozygous mutation in LMNB2 gene (c.700C > T p.(Arg234Trp)) in a female patient presenting early onset type II diabetes, hypertriglyceridemia, and android fat distribution. This mutation is rare in the general population (frequency 0.013% in GnomAD) and was predicted pathogenic by a set of pathogenicity prediction software. Patient-derived fibroblasts showed nuclear shape abnormalities and premature senescence features, which are two typical cellular phenotypes associated with laminopathies. Moreover, we observed an atypical aggregation of lamin B2 in nucleoplasm, which co-distributes with emerin and lamin A/C, along with an abnormal distribution of lamin A/C at the nuclear envelope. Finally, reducing lamin B2 expression level by siRNA targeted toward LMNB2 transcripts resulted in decreased nuclear anomalies and senescence-associated beta-galactosidase, suggesting a role of the mutated protein in the occurrence of the observed cellular phenotype. Altogether, these results suggest that mutations in lamin B2 could produce premature senescence and partial lipodystrophy features as observed with certain mutants of lamin A/C.

This study details the clinical and cellular phenotypes associated with two missense heterozygous mutations in LMNA, c.1745G>T p.(Arg582Leu), and c.1892G>A p.(Gly631Asp), in two patients with early onset of diabetes mellitus, hypertriglyceridemia and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. In these two patients, subcutaneous adipose tissue was persistent, at least on the abdomen, and the serum leptin level remained in the normal range. Cellular studies showed elevated nuclear anomalies, an accelerated senescence rate and a decrease of replication capacity in patient cells. In cellular models, the overexpression of mutated prelamin A phenocopied misshapen nuclei, while the partial reduction of lamin A expression in patient cells significantly improved nuclear morphology. Altogether, these results suggest a link between lamin A mutant expression and senescence associated phenotypes. Transcriptome analysis of the whole subcutaneous adipose tissue from the two patients and three controls, paired for age and sex using RNA sequencing, showed the up regulation of genes implicated in immunity and the down regulation of genes involved in development and cell differentiation in patient adipose tissue. Therefore, our results suggest that some mutations in LMNA are associated with severe metabolic phenotypes without subcutaneous lipoatrophy, and are associated with nuclear misshaping.

ZMPSTE24 encodes the only metalloprotease, which transforms prelamin into mature lamin A. Up to now, mutations in ZMPSTE24 have been linked to Restrictive Dermopathy (RD), Progeria or Mandibulo-Acral Dysplasia (MAD). We report here the phenotype of a patient referred for severe metabolic syndrome and cardiomyopathy, carrying a mutation in ZMPSTE24. The patient presented with a partial lipodystrophic syndrome associating hypertriglyceridemia, early onset type 2 diabetes, and android obesity with truncal and abdominal fat accumulation but without subcutaneous lipoatrophy. Other clinical features included acanthosis nigricans, liver steatosis, dilated cardiomyopathy, and high myocardial and hepatic triglycerides content. Mutated fibroblasts from the patient showed increased nuclear shape abnormalities and premature senescence as demonstrated by a decreased Population Doubling Level, an increased beta-galactosidase activity and a decreased BrdU incorporation rate. Reduced prelamin A expression by siRNA targeted toward LMNA transcripts resulted in decreased nuclear anomalies. We show here that a central obesity without subcutaneous lipoatrophy is associated with a laminopathy due to a heterozygous missense mutation in ZMPSTE24. Given the high prevalence of metabolic syndrome and android obesity in the general population, and in the absence of familial study, the causative link between mutation and phenotype cannot be formally established. Nevertheless, altered lamina architecture observed in mutated fibroblasts are responsible for premature cellular senescence and could contribute to the phenotype observed in this patient.

Progeroid syndromes (PS), including Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome (HGPS), are premature and accelerated aging diseases, characterized by clinical features mimicking physiological aging. Most classical HGPS patients carry a de novo point mutation within exon 11 of the LMNA gene encoding A-type lamins. This mutation activates a cryptic splice site, leading to the production of a truncated prelamin A, called prelamin A ∆50 or progerin, that accumulates in HGPS cell nuclei and is a hallmark of the disease. Some patients with PS carry other LMNA mutations and are named “HGPS-like” patients. They produce progerin and/or other truncated prelamin A isoforms (∆35 and ∆90). We previously found that MG132, a proteasome inhibitor, induced progerin clearance in classical HGPS through autophagy activation and splicing regulation. Here, we show that MG132 induces aberrant prelamin A clearance and improves cellular phenotypes in HGPS-like patients’ cells other than those previously described in classical HGPS. These results provide preclinical proof of principle for the use of a promising class of molecules toward a potential therapy for children with HGPS-like or classical HGPS.

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) obtained by reprogramming primary somatic cells have revolutionized the fields of cell biology and disease modeling. However, the number protocols for generating mature muscle fibers with sarcolemmal organization using iPSCs remain limited, and partly mimic the complexity of mature skeletal muscle. Methods: We used a novel combination of small molecules added in a precise sequence for the simultaneous codifferentiation of human iPSCs into skeletal muscle cells and motor neurons. Results: We show that the presence of both cell types reduces the production time for millimeter-long multinucleated muscle fibers with sarcolemmal organization. Muscle fiber contractions are visible in 19–21 days, and can be maintained over long period thanks to the production of innervated multinucleated mature skeletal muscle fibers with autonomous cell regeneration of PAX7-positive cells and extracellular matrix synthesis. The sequential addition of specific molecules recapitulates key steps of human peripheral neurogenesis and myogenesis. Furthermore, this organoid-like culture can be used for functional evaluation and drug screening. Conclusion: Our protocol, which is applicable to hiPSCs from healthy individuals, was validated in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, Myotonic Dystrophy, Facio-Scapulo-Humeral Dystrophy and type 2A Limb-Girdle Muscular Dystrophy, opening new paths for the exploration of muscle differentiation, disease modeling and drug discovery.

Lung cancer represents the primary cause of cancer death in the world. Malignant cells identification and characterization are crucial for the diagnosis and management of patients with primary or metastatic cancers. In this context, the identification of new biomarkers is essential to improve the differential diagnosis between cancer subtypes, to select the most appropriate therapy, and to establish prognostic correlations. Nuclear abnormalities are hallmarks of carcinoma cells and are used as cytological diagnostic criteria of malignancy. Lamins (divided into A- and B-types) are localized in the nuclear matrix comprising nuclear lamina, where they act as scaffolding protein, involved in many nuclear functions, with regulatory effects on the cell cycle and differentiation, senescence and apoptosis. Previous studies have suggested that lamins are involved in tumor development and progression with opposite results concerning their prognostic role. This review provides an overview of lamins expression in lung cancer and the relevance of these findings for disease diagnosis and prognosis. Furthermore, we discuss the link between A-type lamins expression in lung carcinoma cells and nuclear deformability, epithelial to mesenchymal transition, and metastatic potential, and which mechanisms could regulate A-type lamins expression in lung cancer, such as the microRNA miR-9.

Progeroid laminopathies, including Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome (HGPS, OMIM #176670), are premature and accelerated aging diseases caused by defects in nuclear A-type Lamins. Most HGPS patients carry a de novo point mutation within exon 11 of the LMNA gene encoding A-type Lamins. This mutation activates a cryptic splice site leading to the deletion of 50 amino acids at its carboxy-terminal domain, resulting in a truncated and permanently farnesylated Prelamin A called Prelamin A Δ50 or Progerin. Some patients carry other LMNA mutations affecting exon 11 splicing and are named “HGPS-like” patients. They also produce Progerin and/or other truncated Prelamin A isoforms (Δ35 and Δ90) at the transcriptional and/or protein level. The results we present show that morpholino antisense oligonucleotides (AON) prevent pathogenic LMNA splicing, markedly reducing the accumulation of Progerin and/or other truncated Prelamin A isoforms (Prelamin A Δ35, Prelamin A Δ90) in HGPS-like patients’ cells. Finally, a patient affected with Mandibuloacral Dysplasia type B (MAD-B, carrying a homozygous mutation in ZMPSTE24, encoding an enzyme involved in Prelamin A maturation, leading to accumulation of wild type farnesylated Prelamin A), was also included in this study. These results provide preclinical proof of principle for the use of a personalized antisense approach in HGPS-like and MAD-B patients, who may therefore be eligible for inclusion in a therapeutic trial based on this approach, together with classical HGPS patients.