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Potential role of genomic imprinted genes and brain developmental related genes in autism.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:Autism is a complex disease involving both environmental and genetic factors. Recent efforts have implicated the correlation of genomic imprinting and brain development in autism, however the pathogenesis of autism is not completely clear. Here, we used bioinformatic tools to provide a comprehensive analysis of the autism-related genes, genomic imprinted genes and the spatially and temporally differentially expressed genes of human brain, aiming to explore the relationship between autism, brain development and genomic imprinting. METHODS:This study analyzed the distribution correlation between autism-related genes and imprinted genes on chromosomes using sliding windows and statistical methods. The normal brains' gene expression microarray data were reanalyzed to construct a spatio-temporal coordinate system of gene expression during brain development. Finally, we intersected the autism-related genes, imprinted genes and brain spatio-temporally differentially expressed genes for further analysis to find the major biological processes that these genes involved. RESULTS:We found a positive correlation between the autism-related genes' and imprinted genes' distribution on chromosomes. Through the analysis of the normal brain microarray data, we constructed a spatio-temporal coordinate system of gene expression during human brain development, and obtained 13 genes that are differentially expressed in the process of brain development, which are both autism-related genes and imprinted genes. Furthermore, enrichment analysis illustrated that these genes are mainly involved in the biological processes, such as gamma-aminobutyric acid signaling pathway, neuron recognition, learning or memory, and regulation of synaptic transmission. Bioinformatic analysis implied that imprinted genes regulate the development and behavior of the brain. And its own mutation or changes in the epigenetic modification state of the imprinted control region could lead to some diseases, indicating that imprinted genes and brain development play an important role in diagnosis and prognosis of autism. CONCLUSION:This study systematically correlates brain development and genomic imprinting with autism, which provides a new perspective for the study of genetic mechanisms of autism, and selected the potential candidate biomarkers for early diagnosis of autism in clinic.

SUBMITTER: Li J

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7099798 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Potential role of genomic imprinted genes and brain developmental related genes in autism.

Li Jian J Lin Xue X Wang Mingya M Hu Yunyun Y Xue Kaiyu K Gu Shuanglin S Lv Li L Huang Saijun S Xie Wei W

BMC medical genomics 20200326 1

<h4>Background</h4>Autism is a complex disease involving both environmental and genetic factors. Recent efforts have implicated the correlation of genomic imprinting and brain development in autism, however the pathogenesis of autism is not completely clear. Here, we used bioinformatic tools to provide a comprehensive analysis of the autism-related genes, genomic imprinted genes and the spatially and temporally differentially expressed genes of human brain, aiming to explore the relationship bet ...[more]

PMID: 32216802

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Project description:Environmental factors during early life are critical for the later metabolic health of the individual and of future progeny. In our obesogenic environment, it is of great socioeconomic importance to investigate the mechanisms that contribute to the risk of metabolic ill health. Imprinted genes, a class of functionally mono-allelic genes critical for early growth and metabolic axis development, have been proposed to be uniquely susceptible to environmental change. Furthermore, it has also been suggested that perturbation of the epigenetic reprogramming of imprinting control regions (ICRs) may play a role in phenotypic heritability following early life insults. Alternatively, the presence of multiple layers of epigenetic regulation may in fact protect imprinted genes from such perturbation. Unbiased investigation of these alternative hypotheses requires assessment of imprinted gene expression in the context of the response of the whole transcriptome to environmental assault. We therefore analyse the role of imprinted genes in multiple tissues in two affected generations of an established murine model of the developmental origins of health and disease using microarrays and quantitative RT-PCR. We demonstrate that, despite the functional mono-allelicism of imprinted genes and their unique mechanisms of epigenetic dosage control, imprinted genes as a class are neither more susceptible nor protected from expression perturbation induced by maternal undernutrition in either the F1 or the F2 generation compared to other genes. Nor do we find any evidence that the epigenetic reprogramming of ICRs in the germline is susceptible to nutritional restriction. However, we propose that those imprinted genes that are affected may play important roles in the foetal response to undernutrition and potentially its long-term sequelae. We suggest that recently described instances of dosage regulation by relaxation of imprinting are rare and likely to be highly regulated.

Project description:UnlabelledBackgroundMitochondrial dysfunction (MtD) has been observed in approximately five percent of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). MtD could impair highly energy-dependent processes such as neurodevelopment, thereby contributing to autism. Most of the previous studies of MtD in autism have been restricted to the biomarkers of energy metabolism, while most of the genetic studies have been based on mutations in the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). Despite the mtDNA, most of the proteins essential for mitochondrial replication and function are encoded by the genomic DNA; so far, there have been very few studies of those genes. Therefore, we carried out a detailed study involving gene expression and genetic association studies of genes related to diverse mitochondrial functions.MethodsFor gene expression analysis, postmortem brain tissues (anterior cingulate gyrus (ACG), motor cortex (MC) and thalamus (THL)) from autism patients (n=8) and controls (n=10) were obtained from the Autism Tissue Program (Princeton, NJ, USA). Quantitative real-time PCR arrays were used to quantify the expression of 84 genes related to diverse functions of mitochondria, including biogenesis, transport, translocation and apoptosis. We used the delta delta Ct (∆∆Ct) method for quantification of gene expression. DNA samples from 841 Caucasian and 188 Japanese families were used in the association study of genes selected from the gene expression analysis. FBAT was used to examine genetic association with autism.ResultsSeveral genes showed brain region-specific expression alterations in autism patients compared to controls. Metaxin 2 (MTX2), neurofilament, light polypeptide (NEFL) and solute carrier family 25, member 27 (SLC25A27) showed consistently reduced expression in the ACG, MC and THL of autism patients. NEFL (P = 0.038; Z-score 2.066) and SLC25A27 (P = 0.046; Z-score 1.990) showed genetic association with autism in Caucasian and Japanese samples, respectively. The expression of DNAJC19, DNM1L, LRPPRC, SLC25A12, SLC25A14, SLC25A24 and TOMM20 were reduced in at least two of the brain regions of autism patients.ConclusionsOur study, though preliminary, brings to light some new genes associated with MtD in autism. If MtD is detected in early stages, treatment strategies aimed at reducing its impact may be adopted.

Project description:Identifying the genetic input for fetal growth will help to understand common, serious complications of pregnancy such as fetal growth restriction. Genomic imprinting is an epigenetic process that silences one parental allele, resulting in monoallelic expression. Imprinted genes are important in mammalian fetal growth and development. Evidence has emerged showing that genes that are paternally expressed promote fetal growth, whereas maternally expressed genes suppress growth. We have assessed whether the expression levels of key imprinted genes correlate with fetal growth parameters during pregnancy, either early in gestation, using chorionic villus samples (CVS), or in term placenta. We have found that the expression of paternally expressing insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2), its receptor IGF2R, and the IGF2/IGF1R ratio in CVS tissues significantly correlate with crown-rump length and birthweight, whereas term placenta expression shows no correlation. For the maternally expressing pleckstrin homology-like domain family A, member 2 (PHLDA2), there is no correlation early in pregnancy in CVS but a highly significant negative relationship in term placenta. Analysis of the control of imprinted expression of PHLDA2 gave rise to a maternally and compounded grand-maternally controlled genetic effect with a birthweight increase of 93/155 g, respectively, when one copy of the PHLDA2 promoter variant is inherited. Expression of the growth factor receptor-bound protein 10 (GRB10) in term placenta is significantly negatively correlated with head circumference. Analysis of the paternally expressing delta-like 1 homologue (DLK1) shows that the paternal transmission of type 1 diabetes protective G allele of rs941576 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) results in significantly reduced birth weight (-132 g). In conclusion, we have found that the expression of key imprinted genes show a strong correlation with fetal growth and that for both genetic and genomics data analyses, it is important not to overlook parent-of-origin effects.

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Potential role of genomic imprinted genes and brain developmental related genes in autism.

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Potential role of genomic imprinted genes and brain developmental related genes in autism.

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