Publications by authors named "Ehsan Ghayoor Karimiani"

Background: Zellweger spectrum disorders (ZSDs) are a group of peroxisome biogenesis disorders (PBDs) with different variants in the PEX genes. The main biochemical marker for screening peroxisomal disorders is very long-chain fatty acids (VLCFAs). The study reveals a rare case of PBD in the Zellweger spectrum in which she had normal plasma VLCFA levels.

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  • - WDR83OS encodes a protein called Asterix, which works with another protein, CCDC47, to help fold large proteins correctly, specifically those with transmembrane domains.
  • - Recent findings linked mutations in CCDC47 and WDR83OS to trichohepatoneurodevelopmental syndrome, showing consistent symptoms like neurodevelopmental disorders, facial dysmorphism, and liver dysfunction across multiple families.
  • - A zebrafish model lacking Wdr83os function demonstrated its crucial role in the nervous system and lipid absorption, further establishing a connection between WDR83OS mutations and neurological diseases characterized by elevated bile acids.
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Epilepsy is a common neurological condition that arises from dysfunctional neuronal circuit control due to either acquired or innate disorders. Autophagy is an essential neuronal housekeeping mechanism, which causes severe proteotoxic stress when impaired. Autophagy impairment has been associated to epileptogenesis through a variety of molecular mechanisms.

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  • FLVCR1 is a protein involved in transporting essential compounds like heme and choline, with mutations linked to serious developmental disorders and neurodegenerative conditions in humans.
  • Researchers identified 30 patients with biallelic FLVCR1 variants who displayed severe developmental issues, including brain malformations and other complications, paralleling symptoms seen in mouse models and conditions like Diamond-Blackfan anemia (DBA).
  • The findings emphasize that FLVCR1 variants could cause a wide range of health problems, underscoring the need for diverse genetic testing and consideration of animal model data in understanding human genetic disorders.
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Patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing lipase 8 (PNPLA8), one of the calcium-independent phospholipase A2 enzymes, is involved in various physiological processes through the maintenance of membrane phospholipids. Biallelic variants in PNPLA8 have been associated with a range of paediatric neurodegenerative disorders. However, the phenotypic spectrum, genotype-phenotype correlations and the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood.

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Background: Plectinopathy-associated disorders are caused by mutations in the gene encoding Plectin protein. mutations cause a spectrum of diseases defined by varying degrees of signs, mostly with epidermolysis bullosa simplex with muscular dystrophy (EBS-MD) and plectinopathy-related disorder is limb-girdle muscular dystrophy type 2Q (LGMD2Q). Here we report three cases with EBS-MD and LGMD2Q disorders analyzed by exome sequencing followed by mutation confirmation.

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Background: Congenital liver disease refers to a group of heterogeneous diseases from a clinical genetic point of view. The most crucial features are hepatosplenomegaly and elevated liver enzymes. This study aims to identify genetic variants causing the disease in three Iranian families with congenital liver disease using molecular techniques.

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Brown-Vialetto-Van Laere syndrome (BVVLS) is a rare neurodegenerative disorder of childhood. According to the previous reports, it has various primary signs and symptoms. Because of the simple treatment with riboflavin supplementation, it is important to have suspicious to this disease and begin treatment even before genetic test confirm.

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  • * All affected individuals showed symptoms like muscle weakness and spasticity starting in childhood, with nerve conduction studies indicating axonal motor neuropathy.
  • * Research on C. elegans mutants and potential treatment options indicates that targeted therapies might help manage RTN2-related conditions despite no significant structural changes observed in patient fibroblasts.
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Background/objectives: Rare genetic disorders causing specific congenital developmental abnormalities often manifest in single families. Investigation of disease-causing molecular features are most times lacking, although these investigations may open novel therapeutic options for patients. In this study, we aimed to identify the genetic cause in an Iranian patient with severe skeletal dysplasia and to model its molecular function in zebrafish embryos.

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encodes Feline leukemia virus subgroup C receptor 1 (FLVCR1), a solute carrier (SLC) transporter within the Major Facilitator Superfamily. FLVCR1 is a widely expressed transmembrane protein with plasma membrane and mitochondrial isoforms implicated in heme, choline, and ethanolamine transport. While knockout mice die with skeletal malformations and defective erythropoiesis reminiscent of Diamond-Blackfan anemia, rare biallelic pathogenic variants are linked to childhood or adult-onset neurodegeneration of the retina, spinal cord, and peripheral nervous system.

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  • Many neurodevelopmental disorders are connected to mutations in genes responsible for ribosome biogenesis, and the exact impact of reduced ribosome production on brain development is not fully understood.
  • Research using human cerebral organoids has unveiled a mechanism where decreased ribosome levels affect the timing of cell fate specification during key early developmental stages.
  • Boosting mTOR activity through genetic or drug interventions shows promise in mitigating developmental issues related to ribosome deficits, suggesting new treatment avenues for certain brain disorders.
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PPFIA3 encodes the protein-tyrosine phosphatase, receptor-type, F-polypeptide-interacting-protein-alpha-3 (PPFIA3), which is a member of the LAR-protein-tyrosine phosphatase-interacting-protein (liprin) family involved in synapse formation and function, synaptic vesicle transport, and presynaptic active zone assembly. The protein structure and function are evolutionarily well conserved, but human diseases related to PPFIA3 dysfunction are not yet reported in OMIM. Here, we report 20 individuals with rare PPFIA3 variants (19 heterozygous and 1 compound heterozygous) presenting with developmental delay, intellectual disability, hypotonia, dysmorphisms, microcephaly or macrocephaly, autistic features, and epilepsy with reduced penetrance.

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The homologous genes GTPBP1 and GTPBP2 encode GTP-binding proteins 1 and 2, which are involved in ribosomal homeostasis. Pathogenic variants in GTPBP2 were recently shown to be an ultra-rare cause of neurodegenerative or neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs). Until now, no human phenotype has been linked to GTPBP1.

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Purpose: SLC4A10 encodes a plasma membrane-bound transporter, which mediates Na-dependent HCO import, thus mediating net acid extrusion. Slc4a10 knockout mice show collapsed brain ventricles, an increased seizure threshold, mild behavioral abnormalities, impaired vision, and deafness.

Methods: Utilizing exome/genome sequencing in families with undiagnosed neurodevelopmental disorders and international data sharing, 11 patients from 6 independent families with biallelic variants in SLC4A10 were identified.

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  • Biallelic variants in the OGDHL gene, linked to various neurological disorders, were investigated to better understand their gene-disease relationship through a new patient cohort and various genetic analyses.
  • Researchers utilized global sequencing data and zebrafish models to explore the functional effects of these variants, revealing significant clinical variability among affected individuals.
  • Findings indicated that OGDHL is not a straightforward Mendelian gene due to the presence of alternative allele interactions and compensatory mechanisms with related genes, suggesting a more complex role in neurodevelopmental disorders.
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  • The protein ACBD6 is important for lipid and protein acylation, but its exact role and effects of its defects on human health remain unclear.
  • Researchers found 45 individuals from 28 families with harmful mutations in ACBD6, leading to a variety of severe developmental and movement disorders.
  • Model organisms like zebrafish and Xenopus were used in studies to better understand ACBD6's function in protein modification and its localization in peroxisomes, which could help explain the associated disease symptoms.
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Lissencephaly (LIS) is a malformation of cortical development due to deficient neuronal migration and abnormal formation of cerebral convolutions or gyri. Thirty-one LIS-associated genes have been previously described. Recently, biallelic pathogenic variants in CRADD and PIDD1, have associated with LIS impacting the previously established role of the PIDDosome in activating caspase-2.

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encodes a conserved membrane protein that stabilizes the junctions of the tubular endoplasmic reticulum network playing crucial roles in diverse biological functions. Recently, homozygous variants in were shown to cause a neurodevelopmental disorder (OMIM#618090) in four patients displaying developmental delay, epilepsy and nonspecific brain malformations including corpus callosum hypoplasia and variable impairment of cerebellum. We sought to delineate the molecular and phenotypic spectrum of -related disorder.

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Highly conserved transport protein particle (TRAPP) complexes regulate subcellular trafficking pathways. Accurate protein trafficking has been increasingly recognized to be critically important for normal development, particularly in the nervous system. Variants in most TRAPP complex subunits have been found to lead to neurodevelopmental disorders with diverse but overlapping phenotypes.

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  • The study investigates limb-girdle muscular dystrophy (LGMD), focusing on genetic variations that cause different severities of the disease, particularly LGMD type 2B (LGMD2B).
  • Nine patients and their relatives underwent whole-exome sequencing (WES) and Sanger sequencing to identify disease-causing mutations, leading to the classification of most variants as pathogenic.
  • Eight variants were identified, including a novel frameshift mutation, with predictions indicating their likely damaging effects on the dysferlin protein, enhancing understanding and diagnosis of LGMD2B.
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MED27 is a subunit of the Mediator multiprotein complex, which is involved in transcriptional regulation. Biallelic MED27 variants have recently been suggested to be responsible for an autosomal recessive neurodevelopmental disorder with spasticity, cataracts and cerebellar hypoplasia. We further delineate the clinical phenotype of MED27-related disease by characterizing the clinical and radiological features of 57 affected individuals from 30 unrelated families with biallelic MED27 variants.

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