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Genetic modifiers of MeCP2 function in Drosophila.

ABSTRACT: The levels of methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (MeCP2) are critical for normal post-natal development and function of the nervous system. Loss of function of MeCP2, a transcriptional regulator involved in chromatin remodeling, causes classic Rett syndrome (RTT) as well as other related conditions characterized by autism, learning disabilities, or mental retardation. Increased dosage of MeCP2 also leads to clinically similar neurological disorders and mental retardation. To identify molecular mechanisms capable of compensating for altered MeCP2 levels, we generated transgenic Drosophila overexpressing human MeCP2. We find that MeCP2 associates with chromatin and is phosphorylated at serine 423 in Drosophila, as is found in mammals. MeCP2 overexpression leads to anatomical (i.e., disorganized eyes, ectopic wing veins) and behavioral (i.e., motor dysfunction) abnormalities. We used a candidate gene approach to identify genes that are able to compensate for abnormal phenotypes caused by MeCP2 increased activity. These genetic modifiers include other chromatin remodeling genes (Additional sex combs, corto, osa, Sex combs on midleg, and trithorax), the kinase tricornered, the UBE3A target pebble, and Drosophila homologues of the MeCP2 physical interactors Sin3a, REST, and N-CoR. These findings demonstrate that anatomical and behavioral phenotypes caused by MeCP2 activity can be ameliorated by altering other factors that might be more amenable to manipulation than MeCP2 itself.

SUBMITTER: Cukier HN

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2518867 | biostudies-other | 2008 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other

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Genetic modifiers of MeCP2 function in Drosophila.

Cukier Holly N HN Perez Alma M AM Collins Ann L AL Zhou Zhaolan Z Zoghbi Huda Y HY Botas Juan J

PLoS genetics 20080905 9

The levels of methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (MeCP2) are critical for normal post-natal development and function of the nervous system. Loss of function of MeCP2, a transcriptional regulator involved in chromatin remodeling, causes classic Rett syndrome (RTT) as well as other related conditions characterized by autism, learning disabilities, or mental retardation. Increased dosage of MeCP2 also leads to clinically similar neurological disorders and mental retardation. To identify molecular mechani ...[more]

PMID: 18773074

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Project description:Autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease (ARPKD) is caused by mutations in the PKHD1 gene in both humans and the orthologous PCK rat model. Although ARPKD results solely from PKHD1 mutations, the disease onset and severity are highly variable, indicating that other unknown genetic risk factor(s) modify ARPKD-associated phenotypes. To identify genetic modifiers of ARPKD severity, we created two genetically distinct Pkhd1 congenic rat strains on the Fawn-Hooded Hypertensive (FHH) and the Dahl S (SS) rat backgrounds (denoted FHH.Pkhd1 and SS.Pkhd1, respectively) that harbor the PCK-derived Pkhd1 allele. The FHH.Pkhd1 and SS.Pkhd1 strains had lower renal cyst formation at 30 days-of-age (5±2% and 8±2% cystic, respectively; P<0.001) compared to the PCK kidneys (26±4% cystic), which coincided with significantly reduced kidney weights in the FHH.Pkhd1 and SS.Pkhd1. Liver cyst formation and liver weight did not differ between PCK, FHH.Pkhd1, and SS.Pkhd1. These data indicated that the PCK genome harbors genetic modifier(s) of ARPKD severity that are not present in the FHH and SS genomes. Using high density SNP array genotyping and microarray expression analysis, we identified 50 potential modifiers of ARPKD severity in the PCK rat. Of these candidates, a damaging nonsynonymous variant in Nphp4 stood out as the most likely candidate based on variant segregation, protein modeling, network analysis, and gene ontology. Nphp4 is widely associated with the autosomal recessive cilliopathy and nephronopthisis, but had not been previously implicated in the molecular or cellular pathophysiology of ARPKD. Collectively, these data provide genetic evidence of disease modifier(s) in the PCK model of ARPKD and prioritized multiple candidates, including NPHP4, for further investigation in ARPKD pathogenesis. In this study, we used microarray to analyze transcript expression in the kidneys of 30 day old SD (n=4), PCK (n=4), FHH (n=4), FHH.Pkhd1 (n=4), SS (n=4), and SS.Pkhd1 (n=4). Samples were pooled and the pooled samples were run in triplicate. The 30 day timepoint was chosen because the differences in renal cyst formation between PCK, FHH.Pkhd1, and SS.Pkhd1 were greatest at this timepoint. To account for genetic strain differences that do not contribute to ARPKD severity, gene expression of each cystic rat strain was compared to its parental strain.

Dataset Information

Genetic modifiers of MeCP2 function in Drosophila.

Publications

Genetic modifiers of MeCP2 function in Drosophila.

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