Mapping genomic regulation of kidney disease and traits through high-resolution and interpretable eQTLs.

Expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) studies illuminate genomic variants that regulate specific genes and contribute to fine-mapped loci discovered via genome-wide association studies (GWAS). Efforts to maximize their accuracy are ongoing. Using 240 glomerular (GLOM) and 311 tubulointerstitial (TUBE) micro-dissected samples from human kidney biopsies, we discovered 5371 GLOM and 9787 TUBE genes with at least one variant significantly associated with expression (eGene) by incorporating kidney single-nucleus open chromatin data and transcription start site distance as an "integrative prior" for Bayesian statistical fine-mapping.

Reverse phenotyping facilitates disease allele calling in exome sequencing of patients with CAKUT.

Purpose: Congenital anomalies of the kidneys and urinary tract (CAKUT) constitute the leading cause of chronic kidney disease in children. In total, 174 monogenic causes of isolated or syndromic CAKUT are known. However, syndromic features may be overlooked when the initial clinical diagnosis of CAKUT is made.

Recessive Mutations in as a Candidate of Monogenic Nephrotic Syndrome.

Introduction: Most of the approximately 60 genes that if mutated cause steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome (SRNS) are highly expressed in the glomerular podocyte, rendering SRNS a "podocytopathy."

Methods: We performed whole-exome sequencing (WES) in 1200 nephrotic syndrome (NS) patients.

Results: We discovered homozygous truncating and homozygous missense mutation in (synaptopodin-2) (p.

Generation of Monogenic Candidate Genes for Human Nephrotic Syndrome Using 3 Independent Approaches.

Introduction: Steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome (SRNS) is the second most common cause of chronic kidney disease during childhood. Identification of 63 monogenic human genes has delineated 12 distinct pathogenic pathways.

Methods: Here, we generated 2 independent sets of nephrotic syndrome (NS) candidate genes to augment the discovery of additional monogenic causes based on whole-exome sequencing (WES) data from 1382 families with NS.

Mutations in Are a Novel Cause of Galloway-Mowat Syndrome.

Background: Galloway-Mowat syndrome (GAMOS) is characterized by neurodevelopmental defects and a progressive nephropathy, which typically manifests as steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome. The prognosis of GAMOS is poor, and the majority of children progress to renal failure. The discovery of monogenic causes of GAMOS has uncovered molecular pathways involved in the pathogenesis of disease.

Recessive variants impair actin remodeling and cause glomerulopathy in humans and mice.

Nephrotic syndrome (NS) is a leading cause of chronic kidney disease. We found recessive variants in two families with early-onset NS by exome sequencing. Overexpression of wild-type (WT) , but not cDNA constructs bearing patient variants, increased active CDC42 and promoted filopodia and podosome formation.

De novo TRIM8 variants impair its protein localization to nuclear bodies and cause developmental delay, epilepsy, and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis.

Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) is the main pathology underlying steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome (SRNS) and a leading cause of chronic kidney disease. Monogenic forms of pediatric SRNS are predominantly caused by recessive mutations, while the contribution of de novo variants (DNVs) to this trait is poorly understood. Using exome sequencing (ES) in a proband with FSGS/SRNS, developmental delay, and epilepsy, we discovered a nonsense DNV in TRIM8, which encodes the E3 ubiquitin ligase tripartite motif containing 8.

DAAM2 Variants Cause Nephrotic Syndrome via Actin Dysregulation.

The discovery of >60 monogenic causes of nephrotic syndrome (NS) has revealed a central role for the actin regulators RhoA/Rac1/Cdc42 and their effectors, including the formin INF2. By whole-exome sequencing (WES), we here discovered bi-allelic variants in the formin DAAM2 in four unrelated families with steroid-resistant NS. We show that DAAM2 localizes to the cytoplasm in podocytes and in kidney sections.

Mutations in transcription factor CP2-like 1 may cause a novel syndrome with distal renal tubulopathy in humans.

Background: An underlying monogenic cause of early-onset chronic kidney disease (CKD) can be detected in ∼20% of individuals. For many etiologies of CKD manifesting before 25 years of age, >200 monogenic causative genes have been identified to date, leading to the elucidation of mechanisms of renal pathogenesis.

Methods: In 51 families with echogenic kidneys and CKD, we performed whole-exome sequencing to identify novel monogenic causes of CKD.

Mutations of the Transcriptional Corepressor ZMYM2 Cause Syndromic Urinary Tract Malformations.

Congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract (CAKUT) constitute one of the most frequent birth defects and represent the most common cause of chronic kidney disease in the first three decades of life. Despite the discovery of dozens of monogenic causes of CAKUT, most pathogenic pathways remain elusive. We performed whole-exome sequencing (WES) in 551 individuals with CAKUT and identified a heterozygous de novo stop-gain variant in ZMYM2 in two different families with CAKUT.

Mutations Implicate RAB11-Dependent Vesicular Trafficking in the Pathogenesis of Nephrotic Syndrome.

Background: Mutations in about 50 genes have been identified as monogenic causes of nephrotic syndrome, a frequent cause of CKD. These genes delineated the pathogenetic pathways and rendered significant insight into podocyte biology.

Methods: We used whole-exome sequencing to identify novel monogenic causes of steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome (SRNS).