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International audience; Editing the beta-globin locus in hematopoietic stem cells is an alternative therapeutic approach for gene therapy of beta-thalassemia and sickle cell disease. Using the CRISPR/Cas9 system, we genetically modified human hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) to mimic the large rearrangements in the beta-globin locus associated with hereditary persistence of fetal hemoglobin (HPFH), a condition that mitigates the clinical phenotype of patients with beta-hemoglobinopathies. We optimized and compared the efficiency of plasmid-, lentiviral vector (LV)-, RNA-, and ribonucleoprotein complex (RNP)-based methods to deliver the CRISPR/Cas9 system into HSPCs. Plasmid delivery of Cas9 and gRNA pairs targeting two HPFH-like regions led to high frequency of genomic rearrangements and HbF reactivation in erythroblasts derived from sorted, Cas9(+) HSPCs but was associated with significant cell toxicity. RNA-mediated delivery of CRISPR/Cas9 was similarly toxic but much less efficient in editing the beta-globin locus. Transduction of HSPCs by LVs expressing Cas9 and gRNA pairs was robust and minimally toxic but resulted in poor genome-editing efficiency. Ribonucleoprotein (RNP)-based delivery of CRISPR/Cas9 exhibited a good balance between cytotoxicity and efficiency of genomic rearrangements as compared to the other delivery systems and resulted in HbF upregulation in erythroblasts derived from unselected edited HSPCs.

Congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract (CAKUT) occur in three to six of 1000 live births, represent about 20% of the prenatally detected anomalies, and constitute the main cause of CKD in children. These disorders are phenotypically and genetically heterogeneous. Monogenic causes of CAKUT in humans and mice have been identified. However, despite high-throughput sequencing studies, the cause of the disease remains unknown in most patients, and several studies support more complex inheritance and the role of environmental factors and/or epigenetics in the pathophysiology of CAKUT. Here, we report the targeted exome sequencing of 330 genes, including genes known to be involved in CAKUT and candidate genes, in a cohort of 204 unrelated patients with CAKUT; 45% of the patients were severe fetal cases. We identified pathogenic mutations in 36 of 204 (17.6%) patients. These mutations included five de novo heterozygous loss of function mutations/deletions in the PBX homeobox 1 gene (PBX1), a gene known to have a crucial role in kidney development. In contrast, the frequency of SOX17 and DSTYK variants recently reported as pathogenic in CAKUT did not indicate causality. These findings suggest that PBX1 is involved in monogenic CAKUT in humans and call into question the role of some gene variants recently reported as pathogenic in CAKUT. Targeted exome sequencing also proved to be an efficient and cost-effective strategy to identify pathogenic mutations and deletions in known CAKUT genes.

Cardiospondylocarpofacial (CSCF) syndrome is characterized by growth retardation, dysmorphic facial features, brachydactyly with carpal-tarsal fusion and extensive posterior cervical vertebral synostosis, cardiac septal defects with valve dysplasia, and deafness with inner ear malformations. Whole-exome sequencing identified heterozygous MAP3K7 mutations in six distinct CSCF-affected individuals from four families and ranging in age from 5 to 37 years. MAP3K7 encodes transforming growth factor β (TGF-β)-activated kinase 1 (TAK1), which is involved in the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)-p38 signaling pathway. MAPK-p38 signaling was markedly altered when expression of non-canonical TGF-β-driven target genes was impaired. These findings support the loss of transcriptional control of the TGF-β-MAPK-p38 pathway in fibroblasts obtained from affected individuals. Surprisingly, although TAK1 is located at the crossroad of inflammation, immunity, and cancer, this study reports MAP3K7 mutations in a developmental disorder affecting mainly cartilage, bone, and heart.

Background Apolipoprotein L1 (APOL1) risk variants are strongly associated with sporadic focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) in populations with African ancestry. We determined the frequency of G1/G2 variants in steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome (SRNS)/FSGS patients with African or French West Indies ancestry in France and its relationships with other SRNS genes. Methods In a cohort of 152 patients (139 families), the APOL1 risk variants were genotyped by direct Sanger sequencing and pathogenic mutations were screened by next-generation sequencing with a panel including 35 SRNS genes. Results The two risk allele [high-risk (HR)] genotypes were found in 43.1% (66/152) of subjects compared with 18.9% (106/562) in a control population (P Conclusions The HR genotype is frequent in FSGS patients with African ancestry in our cohort, especially in those originating from the West Indies, and confer a poor renal prognosis. It is usually not associated with other causative mutations in monogenic SRNS genes.

BACKGROUND Bainbridge-Ropers syndrome (BRPS) is a recently identified severe disorder characterized by failure to thrive, facial dysmorphism, and severe developmental delay, caused by de novo dominant loss of function mutation in the ASXL3 gene. CASE We report here the first case of prenatal BRPS in a fetus presenting with arthrogryposis on ultrasound and for pontocerebellar hypoplasia type 1 (PCH1) following neuropathological examination. The diagnosis was done by whole exome sequencing that identified a novel de novo ASXL3 mutation. We review 29 previous published cases. DISCUSSION The fetopathological examination allowed to extend the phenotype to central nervous system and the genetic study highlights ASXL3 as a dominant gene responsible for PCH1 phenotype. Recognizing heterozygous ASXL3 mutation as a cause of prenatal PCH1 is essential for both large scale molecular analysis in the NGS era and genetic counseling.

We report two unrelated patients with Pierre Robin sequence (PRS) and a strikingly similar combination of associated features. Whole exome sequencing was performed for both patients. No single gene containing likely pathogenic point mutations in both patients could be identified, but the finding of an essential splice site mutation in mediator complex subunit 13 like (MED13L) in one patient prompted the investigation of copy number variants in MED13L in the other, leading to the identification of an intragenic deletion. Disruption of MED13L, encoding a component of the Mediator complex, is increasingly recognized as the cause of an intellectual disability syndrome with associated facial dysmorphism. Our findings suggest that MED13L-related disorders are a possible differential diagnosis for syndromic PRS.

Congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract (CAKUT) occur in three to six of 1000 live births, represent about 20% of the prenatally detected anomalies, and constitute the main cause of CKD in children. These disorders are phenotypically and genetically heterogeneous. Monogenic causes of CAKUT in humans and mice have been identified. However, despite high-throughput sequencing studies, the cause of the disease remains unknown in most patients, and several studies support more complex inheritance and the role of environmental factors and/or epigenetics in the pathophysiology of CAKUT. Here, we report the targeted exome sequencing of 330 genes, including genes known to be involved in CAKUT and candidate genes, in a cohort of 204 unrelated patients with CAKUT; 45% of the patients were severe fetal cases. We identified pathogenic mutations in 36 of 204 (17.6%) patients. These mutations included five de novo heterozygous loss of function mutations/deletions in the PBX homeobox 1 gene (PBX1), a gene known to have a crucial role in kidney development. In contrast, the frequency of SOX17 and DSTYK variants recently reported as pathogenic in CAKUT did not indicate causality. These findings suggest that PBX1 is involved in monogenic CAKUT in humans and call into question the role of some gene variants recently reported as pathogenic in CAKUT. Targeted exome sequencing also proved to be an efficient and cost-effective strategy to identify pathogenic mutations and deletions in known CAKUT genes.

Introduction Congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract (CAKUT) are a major cause of renal failure in children. CAKUT are phenotypically and genetically heterogeneous and more than 50 genes have been reported as mutated in patients. The most frequently mutated genes are those encoding transcription factors HNF1B, PAX2, EYA1 and SIX1. Most of the other genes are only mutated in a few patients and their implication is sometimes elusive. Methods We developped a targeted exome sequencing strategy («CAKUTOME», sureselect Agilent) focusing on 330 genes, including known validated or likely causative CAKUT genes, as well as candidate genes. A total of 215 unrelated patients were analysed, including 50 who had previously been tested for HNF1B, PAX2, EYA1 and/or SIX1 mutations by Sanger sequencing. Results/discussion/conclusion This approach proved to be an efficient and cost-effective strategy to identify pathogenic mutations and copy number variations in known CAKUT genes. The 25/165 rate of mutation we identified in HNF1B, PAX2, EYA1 or SIX1 is similar to the one obtained by Sanger sequencing. In addition, we identified heterozygous mutations in ANOS1 (Kallmann syndrome), GATA3 (hypoparathyroidism, deafness and kidney disease), or CHD7 (Charge syndrome), and biallelic mutation in KIF14 in 2, 3, 1 and 2 cases, respectively. Our data also led to the identification of a novel CAKUT gene, the mutation/deletion of which affected 5 unrelated cases in the cohort. Moreover, we identified variants in several other genes never reported as mutated in CAKUT patients, whose pathogenicity is being tested. Finally, no relevant variant was identified in 40 % of our series. Although mutations in gene(s), non-coding regions or microRNAs not targeted in our CAKUTOME could be involved in some of these cases, complex inheritance, somatic events, and/or environmental factors or epigenetic mechanisms likely explain this large fraction of cases.

International audience; Fungal communities are key components of soil, but the study of their ecological significance is limited by a lack of appropriated methods. For instance, the assessment of fungi occurrence and spatio-temporal variation in soil requires the analysis of a large number of samples. The molecular signature methods provide a useful tool to monitor these microbial communities and can be easily adapted to capillary electrophoresis (CE) allowing high-throughput studies. Here we assess the suitability of CE-FLA (Fragment Length Polymorphism, denaturing conditions) and CE-SSCP (Single-Stranded Conformation Polymorphism, native conditions) applied to environmental studies since they require a short molecular marker and no post-PCR treatments. We amplified the ITSI region from 22 fungal strains isolated from an alpine ecosystem and from total genomic DNA of alpine and infiltration basin soils. The CE-FLA and CE-SSCP separated 17 and 15 peaks respectively from a mixture of 19 strains. For the alpine soil-metagenomic DNA, the FLA displayed more peaks than the SSCP and the converse result was found for infiltration basin sediments. We concluded that CE-FLA and CE-SSCP of ITS I region provided complementary information. In order to improve CE-SSCP sensitivity. we tested its resolution according to migration temperature and found 32 degrees C to be optimal. Because of their simplicity, quickness and reproducibility. we found that these two methods were promising for high-throughput studies of soil fungal communities. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V All rights reserved.

Cerebro-costo-mandibular syndrome (CCMS) is a developmental disorder characterized by the association of Pierre Robin sequence and posterior rib defects. Exome sequencing and Sanger sequencing in five unrelated CCMS patients revealed five heterozygous variants in the small nuclear ribonucleoprotein polypeptides B and B1 (SNRPB) gene. This gene includes three transcripts, namely transcripts 1 and 2, encoding components of the core spliceosomal machinery (SmB' and SmB) and transcript 3 undergoing nonsense-mediated mRNA decay. All variants were located in the premature termination codon (PTC)-introducing alternative exon of transcript 3. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis revealed a significant increase in transcript 3 levels in leukocytes of CCMS individuals compared to controls. We conclude that CCMS is due to heterozygous mutations in SNRPB, enhancing inclusion of a SNRPB PTC-introducing alternative exon, and show that this developmental disease is caused by defects in the splicing machinery. Our finding confirms the report of SNRPB mutations in CCMS patients by Lynch et al. (2014) and further extends the clinical and molecular observations.