Project description:Signal-transducer-and-activator-of-transcription-3 (STAT3) is a central regulator of immune homeostasis. STAT3 levels are strictly controlled and STAT3 impairment contributes to several diseases including the monogenic autosomal-dominant hyper-IgE syndrome (AD-HIES). We investigated patients of four consanguineous families with an autosomal-recessive disorder resembling the phenotype of AD-HIES, with symptoms of immunodeficiency, recurrent infections, skeletal abnormalities, and elevated IgE. Patients presented with reduced STAT3 expression and diminished Th17 cell numbers, in absence of STAT3 mutations. We identified homozygous nonsense mutations in ZNF341, encoding a zinc-finger transcription factor. Wildtype-ZNF341 bound to and activated the STAT3 promoter, whereas the mutant variants showed impaired transcriptional activation, partly due to nuclear translocation failure. In summary, nonsense mutations in ZNF341 account for the STAT3-like phenotype in four autosomal-recessive kindred. Thus, ZNF341 is a previously unrecognized regulator of immune homeostasis.
Project description:Human data demonstrates loss of function mutations of OGFRL1 are a cause of autosomal recessive forms of cherubism. However, the gene function of OGFRL1 is unknown. We performed scRNAseq to investigate the gene function in bone marrow cells.
Project description:Human data demonstrates loss of function mutations of OGFRL1 are a cause of autosomal recessive forms of cherubism. However, the gene function of OGFRL1 is unknown. We performed scRNAseq to investigate the cell types expressing Ogfrl1 in jawbone tissue.
Project description:Signal-transducer-and-activator-of-transcription-3 (STAT3) is a central regulator of immune homeostasis. STAT3 levels are strictly controlled and STAT3 impairment contributes to several diseases including the monogenic autosomal-dominant hyper-IgE syndrome (AD-HIES). We investigated patients of four consanguineous families with an autosomal-recessive disorder resembling the phenotype of AD-HIES, with symptoms of immunodeficiency, recurrent infections, skeletal abnormalities, and elevated IgE. Patients presented with reduced STAT3 expression and diminished Th17 cell numbers, in absence of STAT3 mutations. We identified homozygous nonsense mutations in ZNF341, encoding a zinc-finger transcription factor. Wildtype-ZNF341 bound to and activated the STAT3 promoter, whereas the mutant variants showed impaired transcriptional activation, partly due to nuclear translocation failure. In summary, nonsense mutations in ZNF341 account for the STAT3-like phenotype in four autosomal-recessive kindreds. Thus, ZNF341 is a previously unrecognized regulator of immune homeostasis.
Project description:The autosomal recessive immuno-osseus dysplasia spondyloenchondrodysplasia (SPENCD) is characterised by the variable combination of metaphyseal and vertebral bone lesions, immune dysfunction with features of both autoimmunity and immunodeficiency, and neurological involvement including developmental delay and spasticity with intracranial calcification and leukodystrophy. This transcription profiling study of blood compared four patients to two control subjects. A deficiency of ACP5 encoding tartrate resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) was found to cause this skeletal dysplasia demonstrating a type I interferon signature with autoimmunity.
