Project description:To allow accute charaterization of NF1 locus constitutional microdeletion in 70 NF1 patients, a custom array CGH was developped. Goal was to obtain genomic rearrangements fine characterization in order to perform genotype-phenotype correlation in NF1 microdeleted patients. To serve as a reference group in our genotype-phenotype correlation study in NF1 microdeletion patients, non-deleted NF1 patients (i.e. patients with an intragenic NF1 mutation) were also selected from our database. A total of 389 NF1 patients were included in the reference group of non-deleted patients. Multiple logistic regression was performed to test the association of each clinical feature individually with the type of constitutional NF1 mutation (intragenic mutation vs. microdeletion). The phenotypic traits of the 389 reference patients are available in the "GSE19730_control_patient_characteristics.txt" supplementary file on the Series record.
Project description:To allow accute charaterization of NF1 locus constitutional microdeletion in 70 NF1 patients, a custom array CGH was developped. Goal was to obtain genomic rearrangements fine characterization in order to perform genotype-phenotype correlation in NF1 microdeleted patients. To serve as a reference group in our genotype-phenotype correlation study in NF1 microdeletion patients, non-deleted NF1 patients (i.e. patients with an intragenic NF1 mutation) were also selected from our database. A total of 389 NF1 patients were included in the reference group of non-deleted patients. Multiple logistic regression was performed to test the association of each clinical feature individually with the type of constitutional NF1 mutation (intragenic mutation vs. microdeletion). The phenotypic traits of the 389 reference patients are available in the "GSE19730_control_patient_characteristics.txt" supplementary file on the Series record. NF1 locus microdeletions characterization vs reference sample (pool of six normal control DNAs)
Project description:NF1 germline mutation predisposes to breast cancer. NF1 mutations have also been proposed as oncogenic drivers in sporadic breast cancers. To understand the genomic and histological characteristics of these breast cancers, we examined the tumors with NF1 germline mutations.
Project description:We employed saturation genome editing (SGE) to assess the functional consequences of synonymous, missense, and nonsense variants across KARS1 exon 2. Deep DNA sequencing of fixed-amplicon PCR products targeting the endogenous KARS1 Exon 2 locus was used to determine variant frequencies as part of a larger study to identify a set of reproducible enrichment scores indicating effects of variants on KARS1 function.
Project description:We employed saturation genome editing (SGE) to assess the functional consequences of synonymous, missense, and nonsense variants across KARS1 exon 2. Deep DNA sequencing of fixed-amplicon PCR products targeting the endogenous KARS1 Exon 2 locus was used to determine variant frequencies as part of a larger study to identify a set of reproducible enrichment scores indicating effects of variants on KARS1 function.
Project description:Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder caused by a spectrum of distinct germline NF1 gene mutations, traditionally viewed as equivalent loss-of-function alleles. To specifically address the issue of mutational equivalency in a disease with considerable clinical heterogeneity, we engineered seven isogenic human induced pluripotent stem cell lines, each with a different NF1 patient NF1 mutation, to identify potential NF1 mutation-specific effects on human central nervous system cells and tissues. While all mutations increased proliferation and RAS activity in two-dimensional (2D) neural progenitor cells (NPCs) and astrocytes, we observed striking NF1 mutation-specific effects on 2D NPC dopamine levels and NPC proliferation, apoptosis, and neuronal differentiation in developing cerebral organoids. Together, these findings demonstrate NF1 mutational specificity at the cellular and tissue levels, suggesting that the germline NF1 gene mutation is one factor that underlies clinical variability.
Project description:Cancer treatment decisions are increasingly guided by which specific genes are mutated within each patient’s tumor. For example, agents inhibiting the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) benefit many colorectal cancer (CRC) patients, with the general exception of those whose tumor includes a KRAS mutation. However, among the various KRAS mutations, the G13D mutation behaves differently; for unknown reasons, CRC patients with the KRAS G13D mutation (also written KRASG13D) appear to benefit from the EGFR-blocking antibody cetuximab. Controversy surrounds this observation, because it appears to contradict the well-established mechanisms of EGFR signaling and of RAS mutations. Here, we identified a systems-level, mechanistic basis that explains why KRASG13D cancers respond to EGFR inhibition. We first investigated the problem with a computational model of RAS signaling, which unexpectedly revealed that the known biophysical differences between the three most common KRAS mutant proteins are sufficient to generate different sensitivities to inhibition. Computation and experimentation together revealed a non-intuitive, mutant-specific dependency of wild-type RAS activation by EGFR that is determined by the interaction strength between KRAS and the tumor suppressor neurofibromin (NF1). KRAS mutants that strongly interact with NF1 drive wild-type RAS activation in an EGFR independent manner through competitive inhibition of NF1, whereas KRAS G13D cells remain dependent upon EGFR for wild-type Ras activation because they cannot competitively inhibit NF1 due to a weak interaction between these two proteins. Overall, our work demonstrates how systems approaches enable mechanism-based inference in genomic medicine and can help identify patients for selective therapeutic strategies.
Project description:Analysis of the effect of NF1 second hit mutation to the reading of the whole human genome by comparing the gene expression profiles of neurofibroma derived Schwann cell cultures representing two different NF1 genotypes (NF1+/- and NF1-/-).
Project description:BACKGROUND: The NF1 tumor suppressor gene is the main negative regulator of the RAS pathway and is frequently mutated in various cancers. Women with Neurofibromatosis Type I (NF1) – a tumor predisposition syndrome caused by a germline NF1 mutation – have an increased risk of developing aggressive breast cancer with poorer prognosis. The mechanisms by which NF1 mutation leads to breast cancer tumorigenesis are not well understood. Therefore, the objective of this work was to identify stromal alterations before tumor formation that result in the increased risk and poorer outcome seen among NF1 patients with breast cancer. METHODS: To accurately model the germline monoallelic NF1 mutations in NF1 patients, we utilized an Nf1-deficient rat model with accelerated mammary development and develops highly penetrant breast cancer. RESULTS: We identified increased collagen content in Nf1-deficient rat mammary glands before tumor formation that correlated with age of tumor onset. Additionally, gene expression analysis revealed that Nf1-deficient rat mammary mature adipocytes have increased collagen expression and shifted to a fibroblast and preadipocyte expression profile. This alteration in lineage commitment was also observed with in vitro differentiation but flow cytometry analysis did not show a change mammary adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cell abundance. CONCLUSION: Collectively, these studies uncovered the previously undescribed role of Nf1 in mammary collagen deposition and regulating adipocyte differentiation. In addition to unraveling the mechanism of tumor formation, further investigation of adipocytes and collagen modifications in preneoplastic mammary gland will create a foundation for developing early detection strategies of breast cancer among NF1 patients.
Project description:Neurofibromatosis 1 (NF1) is a genetic, neurocutaneous syndrome caused by a mutation in the gene encoding neurofibromin. Individuals with NF1 develop growths that define the NF1 phenotype, including Lisch nodules, cafe-au-lait spots, and neurofibromas. However, more than 50% of individuals with NF1 have cognitive deficits, such as learning disorders and attention deficit/hyperactive disorder that are neuroanatomically unrelated to the neurofibromas. The purpose of this study is to determine the molecular basis of the neurodevelopmental changes that result from the primary gene mutation using a mouse model of NF. These mice are heterozygous for the Nf1 gene (NF+/-), and develop learning and memory difficulties that mimic humans, but do not develop tumors. By applying the technique of gene expression profiling to both NF+/- and control mice, we expect get a genetic fingerprint of 12,000 RNA molecules expressed in different parts of the brain during development. Comparison of the genetic fingerprints in these mice during development may help us identify key molecular changes that eventually result in cognitive deficits. Such an understanding of the molecular changes triggered by the primary gene mutation may eventually lead to treatments that prevent the cognitive deficits in NF1.