Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0004352 (autism)
 32,579 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Secretin is the most potent regulator of pancreatic bicarbonate, electrolyte and volume secretion. In this report, the organization of the human secretin receptor (hSR) gene was characterized by overlapping genomic phage clones. The hSR gene consists of 13 exons and 12 introns with all the splice donor and acceptor sites conforming to the canonical GT/AG rule. By transient reporter gene assays, the wild-type promoter, containing 3.0 kb of the hSR gene 5' flanking region, was able to drive 5.8 +/- 0.6 and 6.6 +/- 0.2-fold (P < 0.01) increases in luciferase activities in pancreatic ductule-derived PANC-1 and BPD-1 cells, respectively. By subsequent 5' and 3' deletion analysis, a promoter element was identified within -408 to -158, relative to the ATG codon. This promoter element was found to be cell-specific since it could drive reporter gene expression in PANC-1 and BPD-1 cells but not in Hs 262.St, Hs 746T and alphaT3-1 cells. The study of the transcriptional control of human secretin and its receptor should shed light on the pathological developments of pancreatic cancer and autism in the future.
 ...
PMID:The human secretin receptor gene: genomic organization and promoter characterization. 1043 74

Adenylosuccinate lyase (ADSL; also called "adenylosuccinase") catalyzes two steps in the synthesis of purine nucleotides: (1) the conversion of succinylaminoimidazolecarboxamide ribotide into aminoimidazolecarboxamide ribotide and (2) the conversion of adenylosuccinate into adenosine monophosphate. ADSL deficiency, a recessively inherited disorder, causes variable-but most often severe-mental retardation, frequently accompanied by epilepsy and/or autism. It is characterized by the accumulation, in body fluids, of succinylaminoimidazolecarboxamide riboside and succinyladenosine, the dephosphorylated derivatives of the two substrates of the enzyme. Analysis of the ADSL gene of three unrelated patients with ADSL deficiency, in whom one of the ADSL alleles displayed a normal coding sequence, revealed a -49T-->C mutation in the 5' untranslated region of this allele. Measurements of the amount of mRNA transcribed from the latter allele showed that it was reduced to approximately 33% of that transcribed from the alleles mutated in their coding sequence. Further investigations showed that the -49T-->C mutation provokes a reduction to 25% of wild-type control of promoter function, as evaluated by luciferase activity and mRNA level in transfection experiments. The mutation also affects the binding of nuclear respiratory factor 2 (NRF-2), a known activator of transcription, as assessed by gel-shift studies. Our findings indicate that a mutation of a regulatory region of the ADSL gene might be an unusually frequent cause of ADSL deficiency, and they suggest a role for NRF-2 in the gene regulation of the purine biosynthetic pathway.
 ...
PMID:Mutation of a nuclear respiratory factor 2 binding site in the 5' untranslated region of the ADSL gene in three patients with adenylosuccinate lyase deficiency. 1201 89

The human gene encoding Reelin (RELN), a pivotal protein in neurodevelopment, includes a polymorphic GGC repeat in its 5' untranslated region (UTR). CHO cells transfected with constructs encompassing the RELN 5'UTR with 4-to-13 GGC repeats upstream of the luciferase reporter gene show declining luciferase activity with increasing GGC repeat number (P < 0.005), as predicted by computer-based simulations. Conversely, RELN 5'UTR sequences boost reporter gene expression above control levels in neuronal SN56 and N2A cell lines, but 12- and 13-repeat alleles still yield 50-60% less luciferase activity compared to the more common 8- and 10-repeat alleles (P < 0.0001). RELN "long" GGC alleles significantly blunt gene expression and may, through this effect, confer vulnerability to human disorders, such as schizophrenia and autism.
 ...
PMID:Polymorphic GGC repeat differentially regulates human reelin gene expression levels. 1660 3

Rett syndrome (RTT) is an X-linked dominant disabling neurodevelopmental disorder caused by loss of function mutations in the MECP2 gene, located at Xq28, which encodes a multifunctional protein. MECP2 expression is regulated in a developmental stage and cell-type-specific manner. The need for tightly controlled MeCP2 levels in brain is strongly suggested by neurologically abnormal phenotypes of mouse models with mild overexpression and by mental retardation in human males with MECP2 duplication. We set out to identify long-range cis-regulatory sequences that differentially regulate MECP2 transcription and, when mutated, may contribute to the pathogenesis of RTT, autism or X-linked mental retardation. By inter-species sequence comparisons, we detected 27 highly conserved non-coding DNA sequences within a 210 kb region covering MECP2. We functionally confirmed four enhancer and two silencer elements by performing luciferase reporter assays in four different human cell lines. The transcription factor binding capability of the identified regulatory elements was tested by gel shift assays. To locate the human MECP2 core promoter, we dissected the promoter region by reporter assays with deletion constructs. We then used chromosome conformation capture methods to document long-range interactions of three enhancers and two silencers with the MECP2 promoter. Acting over distances of up to 130 kb, these elements may influence chromatin configurations and regulate MECP2 transcription. Our study has defined the "MECP2 functional expression module" and identified enhancer and silencer elements that are likely to be responsible for the tissue-specific, developmental stage-specific or splice-variant-specific control of MeCP2 protein expression.
 ...
PMID:Identification of cis-regulatory elements for MECP2 expression. 1661

The human potassium-chloride co-transporter 3 (KCC3, SLC12A6) is involved in cell proliferation and in electro-neutral movement of ions across the cell membrane. The gene (SLC12A6) is located on chromosome 15q14, a region that has previously shown linkage with bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, rolandic epilepsy, idiopathic generalized epilepsy, autism and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Furthermore, recessively inherited mutations of SLC12A6 cause Andermann syndrome, characterized by agenesis of the corpus callosum, which is associated with peripheral neuropathy and psychoses. Recently, we have demonstrated the association of two G/A promoter polymorphisms of SLC12A6 with bipolar disorder in a case-control study, and familial segregation of the rare variants as well as a trend toward association with schizophrenia. To investigate functional consequences of these polymorphisms, lymphocyte DNA was extracted, bisulfite modified, and subsequently sequenced. To investigate SLC12A6 promoter activity, various promoter constructs were generated and analyzed by luciferase reporter gene assays. We provide evidence that the G- allele showed a significant reduction of reporter gene expression. In human lymphocytes, the allele harboring the rare upstream G nucleotide was found to be methylated at the adjacent C position, possibly accountable for tissue-specific reduction in gene expression in vivo. Here we demonstrate functionality of an SNP associated with psychiatric disease and our results may represent a functional link between genetic variation and an epigenetic modification.
 ...
PMID:Functional analysis of a potassium-chloride co-transporter 3 (SLC12A6) promoter polymorphism leading to an additional DNA methylation site. 1853 2

Disrupted in schizophrenia 1 (DISC1) is a leading candidate susceptibility gene for schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and recurrent major depression, which has been implicated in other psychiatric illnesses of neurodevelopmental origin, including autism. DISC1 was initially identified at the breakpoint of a balanced chromosomal translocation, t(1;11) (q42.1;14.3), in a family with a high incidence of psychiatric illness. Carriers of the translocation show a 50% reduction in DISC1 protein levels, suggesting altered DISC1 expression as a pathogenic mechanism in psychiatric illness. Altered DISC1 expression in the post-mortem brains of individuals with psychiatric illness and the frequent implication of non-coding regions of the gene by association analysis further support this assertion. Here, we provide the first characterization of the DISC1 promoter region. Using dual luciferase assays, we demonstrate that a region -300 to -177 bp relative to the transcription start site (TSS) contributes positively to DISC1 promoter activity, while a region -982 to -301 bp relative to the TSS confers a repressive effect. We further demonstrate inhibition of DISC1 promoter activity and protein expression by forkhead-box P2 (FOXP2), a transcription factor implicated in speech and language function. This inhibition is diminished by two distinct FOXP2 point mutations, R553H and R328X, which were previously found in families affected by developmental verbal dyspraxia. Our work identifies an intriguing mechanistic link between neurodevelopmental disorders that have traditionally been viewed as diagnostically distinct but which do share varying degrees of phenotypic overlap.
 ...
PMID:The DISC1 promoter: characterization and regulation by FOXP2. 2243 23

Interconversion between phosphocreatine and creatine, catalyzed by creatine kinase is crucial in the supply of ATP to tissues with high energy demand. Creatine's importance has been established by its use as an ergogenic aid in sport, as well as the development of intellectual disability in patients with congenital creatine deficiency. Creatine biosynthesis is complemented by dietary creatine uptake. Intracellular transport of creatine is carried out by a creatine transporter protein (CT1/CRT/CRTR) encoded by the SLC6A8 gene. Most tissues express this gene, with highest levels detected in skeletal muscle and kidney. There are lower levels of the gene detected in colon, brain, heart, testis and prostate. The mechanism(s) by which this regulation occurs is still poorly understood. A duplicated unprocessed pseudogene of SLC6A8-SLC6A10P has been mapped to chromosome 16p11.2 (contains the entire SLC6A8 gene, plus 2293 bp of 5'flanking sequence and its entire 3'UTR). Expression of SLC6A10P has so far only been shown in human testis and brain. It is still unclear as to what is the function of SLC6A10P. In a patient with autism, a chromosomal breakpoint that intersects the 5'flanking region of SLC6A10P was identified; suggesting that SLC6A10P is a non-coding RNA involved in autism. Our aim was to investigate the presence of cis-acting factor(s) that regulate expression of the creatine transporter, as well as to determine if these factors are functionally conserved upstream of the creatine transporter pseudogene. Via gene-specific PCR, cloning and functional luciferase assays we identified a 1104 bp sequence proximal to the mRNA start site of the SLC6A8 gene with promoter activity in five cell types. The corresponding 5'flanking sequence (1050 bp) on the pseudogene also had promoter activity in all 5 cell lines. Surprisingly the pseudogene promoter was stronger than that of its parent gene in 4 of the cell lines tested. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first experimental evidence of a pseudogene with stronger promoter activity than its parental gene.
 ...
PMID:Cloning and characterization of the promoter regions from the parent and paralogous creatine transporter genes. 2414 41

Neuronal Per-Arnt-Sim homology (PAS) Factor 4 (NPAS4) is a neuronal activity-dependent transcription factor which heterodimerises with ARNT2 to regulate genes involved in inhibitory synapse formation. NPAS4 functions to maintain excitatory/inhibitory balance in neurons, while mouse models have shown it to play roles in memory formation, social interaction and neurodegeneration. NPAS4 has therefore been implicated in a number of neuropsychiatric or neurodegenerative diseases which are underpinned by defects in excitatory/inhibitory balance. Here we have explored a broad set of non-synonymous human variants in NPAS4 and ARNT2 for disruption of NPAS4 function. We found two variants in NPAS4 (F147S and E257K) and two variants in ARNT2 (R46W and R107H) which significantly reduced transcriptional activity of the heterodimer on a luciferase reporter gene. Furthermore, we found that NPAS4.F147S was unable to activate expression of the NPAS4 target gene BDNF due to reduced dimerisation with ARNT2. Homology modelling predicts F147 in NPAS4 to lie at the dimer interface, where it appears to directly contribute to protein/protein interaction. We also found that reduced transcriptional activation by ARNT2 R46W was due to disruption of nuclear localisation. These results provide insight into the mechanisms of NPAS4/ARNT dimerisation and transcriptional activation and have potential implications for cognitive phenotypic variation and diseases such as autism, schizophrenia and dementia.
...
PMID:Human variants in the neuronal basic helix-loop-helix/Per-Arnt-Sim (bHLH/PAS) transcription factor complex NPAS4/ARNT2 disrupt function. 2446 93

Alterations in gut microbiome composition have an emerging role in health and disease including brain function and behavior. Short chain fatty acids (SCFA) like propionic (PPA), and butyric acid (BA), which are present in diet and are fermentation products of many gastrointestinal bacteria, are showing increasing importance in host health, but also may be environmental contributors in neurodevelopmental disorders including autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Further to this we have shown SCFA administration to rodents over a variety of routes (intracerebroventricular, subcutaneous, intraperitoneal) or developmental time periods can elicit behavioral, electrophysiological, neuropathological and biochemical effects consistent with findings in ASD patients. SCFA are capable of altering host gene expression, partly due to their histone deacetylase inhibitor activity. We have previously shown BA can regulate tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) mRNA levels in a PC12 cell model. Since monoamine concentration is known to be elevated in the brain and blood of ASD patients and in many ASD animal models, we hypothesized that SCFA may directly influence brain monoaminergic pathways. When PC12 cells were transiently transfected with plasmids having a luciferase reporter gene under the control of the TH promoter, PPA was found to induce reporter gene activity over a wide concentration range. CREB transcription factor(s) was necessary for the transcriptional activation of TH gene by PPA. At lower concentrations PPA also caused accumulation of TH mRNA and protein, indicative of increased cell capacity to produce catecholamines. PPA and BA induced broad alterations in gene expression including neurotransmitter systems, neuronal cell adhesion molecules, inflammation, oxidative stress, lipid metabolism and mitochondrial function, all of which have been implicated in ASD. In conclusion, our data are consistent with a molecular mechanism through which gut related environmental signals such as increased levels of SCFA's can epigenetically modulate cell function further supporting their role as environmental contributors to ASD.
...
PMID:Enteric bacterial metabolites propionic and butyric acid modulate gene expression, including CREB-dependent catecholaminergic neurotransmission, in PC12 cells--possible relevance to autism spectrum disorders. 2517 Jul 69

Contactin-associated protein-like 2 gene (CNTNAP2), a member of the Neurexin gene superfamily, is one of the best-replicated risk genes for autism spectrum disorders (ASD). ASD are predominately genetically determined neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by impairments of language development, social interaction and communication, as well as stereotyped behavior and interests. Although CNTNAP2 expression levels were proposed to alter ASD risk, no study to date has focused on its 5' promoter. Here, we directly sequenced the CNTNAP2 5' promoter region of 236 German families with one child with ASD and detected four novel variants. Furthermore, we genotyped the three most frequent variants (rs150447075, rs34712024, rs71781329) in an additional sample of 356 families and found nominal association of rs34712024G with ASD and rs71781329GCG[7] with language development. The four novel and the three known minor alleles of the identified variants were predicted to alter transcription factor binding sites (TFBS). At the functional level, the respective sequences spanning these seven variants were bound by nuclear factors. In a luciferase promoter assay, the respective minor alleles showed cell line-specific and differentiation stage-dependent effects at the level of promoter activation. The novel potential rare risk-variant M2, a G>A mutation -215 base pairs 5' of the transcriptional start site, significantly reduced promoter efficiency in HEK293T and in undifferentiated and differentiated neuroblastoid SH-SY5Y cells. This variant was transmitted to a patient with autistic disorder. The under-transmitted, protective minor G allele of the common variant rs34712024, in contrast, increased transcriptional activity. These results lead to the conclusion that the pathomechanism of CNTNAP2 promoter variants on ASD risk is mediated by their effect on TFBSs, and thus confirm the hypothesis that a reduced CNTNAP2 level during neuronal development increases liability for ASD.
...
PMID:Variants of the CNTNAP2 5' promoter as risk factors for autism spectrum disorders: a genetic and functional approach. 2522 56


1 2 3 Next >>