Split-Luciferase Reassembly Assay to Measure Endoplasmic Reticulum-Mitochondria Contacts in Live Cells.

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-mitochondria contact sites play a critical role in cell health and homeostasis, such as the regulation of Ca and lipid homeostasis, mitochondrial dynamics, autophagosome and mitophagosome biogenesis, and apoptosis. Failure to maintain normal ER-mitochondrial coupling is implicated in many neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and hereditary spastic paraplegia. It is of considerable significance to explore how the dysregulation of ER-mitochondrial contacts could lead to cell death and whether repairing these contacts to the normal level could ameliorate neurodegenerative conditions.

ARX regulates cortical interneuron differentiation and migration.

Mutations in aristaless-related homeobox ( ) are associated with neurodevelopmental disorders including developmental epilepsies, intellectual disabilities, and autism spectrum disorders, with or without brain malformations. Aspects of these disorders have been linked to abnormal cortical interneuron (cIN) development and function. To further understand ARX's role in cIN development, multiple mutant mouse lines were interrogated.

TMEM161B regulates cerebral cortical gyration, Sonic Hedgehog signaling, and ciliary structure in the developing central nervous system.

Sonic hedgehog signaling regulates processes of embryonic development across multiple tissues, yet factors regulating context-specific Shh signaling remain poorly understood. Exome sequencing of families with polymicrogyria (disordered cortical folding) revealed multiple individuals with biallelic deleterious variants in , which encodes a multi-pass transmembrane protein of unknown function. null mice demonstrated holoprosencephaly, craniofacial midline defects, eye defects, and spinal cord patterning changes consistent with impaired Shh signaling, but were without limb defects, suggesting a CNS-specific role of Tmem161b.

Modified Taq DNA Polymerase for Allele-Specific Ultra-Sensitive Detection of Genetic Variants.

Allele-specific PCR (AS-PCR) has been used as a simple, cost-effective method for genotyping and gene mapping in research and clinical settings. AS-PCR permits the detection of single nucleotide variants and insertion or deletion variants owing to the selective extension of a perfectly matched primer (to the template DNA) over a mismatched primer. Thus, the mismatch discrimination power of the DNA polymerase is critical.

Generation of FLAG-tagged Arx knock-in mouse model.

The Aristaless-related homeobox (ARX) is a paired-like homeodomain transcription factor playing important roles in brain development. Patients with mutations in ARX have a spectrum of neurodevelopmental disorders such as epilepsy, intellectual disability, and autism spectrum disorder, with or without structural abnormalities of the brain such as lissencephaly (smooth brain), microcephaly (small brain), and/or agenesis of the corpus callosum. Mouse models have provided important clues on the pathophysiologic roles of ARX in these disorders.

β2-adrenergic receptor regulates ER-mitochondria contacts.

Interactions between the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and mitochondria (Mito) are crucial for many cellular functions, and their interaction levels change dynamically depending on the cellular environment. Little is known about how the interactions between these organelles are regulated within the cell. Here we screened a compound library to identify chemical modulators for ER-Mito contacts in HEK293T cells.

Arx Expression Suppresses Ventralization of the Developing Dorsal Forebrain.

Early brain development requires a tight orchestration between neural tube patterning and growth. How pattern formation and brain growth are coordinated is incompletely understood. Previously we showed that aristaless-related homeobox (ARX), a paired-like transcription factor, regulates cortical progenitor pool expansion by repressing an inhibitor of cell cycle progression.

Ascorbate peroxidase proximity labeling coupled with biochemical fractionation identifies promoters of endoplasmic reticulum-mitochondrial contacts.

To maintain cellular homeostasis, subcellular organelles communicate with each other and form physical and functional networks through membrane contact sites coupled by protein tethers. In particular, endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-mitochondrial contacts (EMC) regulate diverse cellular activities such as metabolite exchange (Ca and lipids), intracellular signaling, apoptosis, and autophagy. The significance of EMCs has been highlighted by reports indicating that EMC dysregulation is linked to neurodegenerative diseases.

Aristaless Related Homeobox (ARX) Interacts with β-Catenin, BCL9, and P300 to Regulate Canonical Wnt Signaling.

Mutations in the Aristaless Related Homeobox (ARX) gene are associated with a spectrum of structural (lissencephaly) and functional (epilepsy and intellectual disabilities) neurodevelopmental disorders. How mutations in this single transcription factor can result in such a broad range of phenotypes remains poorly understood. We hypothesized that ARX functions through distinct interactions with specific transcription factors/cofactors to regulate unique target genes in different cell types.

Hereditary spastic paraplegia-linked REEP1 modulates endoplasmic reticulum/mitochondria contacts.

Objective: Mutations in receptor expression enhancing protein 1 (REEP1) are associated with hereditary spastic paraplegias (HSPs). Although axonal degeneration is thought to be a predominant feature in HSP, the role of REEP1 mutations in degeneration is largely unknown. Previous studies have implicated a role for REEP1 in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), whereas others localized REEP1 with mitochondria.

Arx together with FoxA2, regulates Shh floor plate expression.

Mutations in the Aristaless related homeodomain transcription factor (ARX) are associated with a diverse set of X-linked mental retardation and epilepsy syndromes in humans. Although most studies have been focused on its function in the forebrain, ARX is also expressed in other regions of the developing nervous system including the floor plate (FP) of the spinal cord where its function is incompletely understood. To investigate the role of Arx in the FP, we performed gain-of-function studies in the chick using in ovo electroporation, and loss-of-function studies in Arx-deficient mice.

ARX regulates cortical intermediate progenitor cell expansion and upper layer neuron formation through repression of Cdkn1c.

Mutations in the Aristaless-related homeobox (ARX) gene are found in a spectrum of epilepsy and X-linked intellectual disability disorders. During development Arx is expressed in pallial ventricular zone (VZ) progenitor cells where the excitatory projection neurons of the cortex are born. Arx(-/Y) mice were shown to have decreased proliferation in the cortical VZ resulting in smaller brains; however, the basis for this reduced proliferation was not established.

Distinct DNA binding and transcriptional repression characteristics related to different ARX mutations.

Mutations in the Aristaless-related homeobox gene (ARX) are associated with a wide variety of neurologic disorders including lissencephaly, hydrocephaly, West syndrome, Partington syndrome, and X-linked intellectual disability with or without epilepsy. A genotype-phenotype correlation exists for ARX mutations; however, the molecular basis for this association has not been investigated. To begin understanding the molecular basis for ARX mutations, we tested the DNA binding sequence preference and transcriptional repression activity for Arx, deletion mutants and mutants associated with various neurologic disorders.

Differential effects of a polyalanine tract expansion in Arx on neural development and gene expression.

Polyalanine (poly-A) tracts exist in 494 annotated proteins; to date, expansions in these tracts have been associated with nine human diseases. The pathogenetic mechanism by which a poly-A tract results in these various human disorders remains uncertain. To understand the role of this mutation type, we investigated the change in functional properties of the transcription factor Arx when it has an expanded poly-A tract (Arx(E)), a mutation associated with infantile spasms and intellectual disabilities in humans.

XLMR candidate mouse gene, Zcchc12 (Sizn1) is a novel marker of Cajal-Retzius cells.

Sizn1 (Zcchc12) is a transcriptional co-activator that positively modulates bone morphogenic protein (BMP) signaling through its interaction with Smad family members and CBP. We have demonstrated a role for Sizn1 in basal forebrain cholinergic neuron specific gene expression. Furthermore, mutations in SIZN1 have been associated with X-linked mental retardation.

SUMO interaction motifs in Sizn1 are required for promyelocytic leukemia protein nuclear body localization and for transcriptional activation.

Mutations in Sizn1 (Zcchc12), a novel transcriptional co-activator in the BMP signaling pathway, are associated with X-linked mental retardation. Previously, we demonstrated that Sizn1 positively modulates the BMP signal by interacting with Smad family members and cAMP-responsive element-binding protein-binding protein. To further define the molecular basis of Sizn1 function, we have explored its subcellular localization and generated various deletion mutants to carry out domain analyses.

Identification of Arx transcriptional targets in the developing basal forebrain.

Mutations in the aristaless-related homeobox (ARX) gene are associated with multiple neurologic disorders in humans. Studies in mice indicate Arx plays a role in neuronal progenitor proliferation and development of the cerebral cortex, thalamus, hippocampus, striatum, and olfactory bulbs. Specific defects associated with Arx loss of function include abnormal interneuron migration and subtype differentiation.

Evidence that SIZN1 is a candidate X-linked mental retardation gene.

An estimated 1-3% of individuals within the United States are diagnosed with mental retardation (MR), yet the cause is unknown in nearly 50% of the patients. While several environmental, genetic and combined teratogenetic etiologies have been identified, many causative genes remain to be identified. Furthermore, the pathogenetic mechanisms underlying MR are known for very few of these genes.

Sizn1 is a novel protein that functions as a transcriptional coactivator of bone morphogenic protein signaling.

Bone morphogenic proteins (BMPs) play pleotrophic roles in nervous system development, and their signaling is highly regulated at virtually every step in the pathway. We have cloned a novel gene, Sizn1 (Smad-interacting zinc finger protein), which functions as a transcriptional coactivator of BMP signaling. It positively modulates BMP signaling by interacting with Smad family members and associating with CBP in the transcription complex.

Identification of a prosencephalic-specific enhancer of SALL1: comparative genomic approach using the chick embryo.

Comparative genomics is a promising approach for identifying regulatory elements governing the unique spatio-temporal expression patterns of morphogenetic genes. Conserved noncoding genomic sequences are candidate regulatory elements. Here we performed a survey for conserved noncoding elements (CNE) nested within the SALL1 gene; mutations in this gene result in the Townes-Brocks syndrome.

Altered BMP signaling disrupts chick diencephalic development.

The diencephalon is the caudal part of the forebrain and is organized into easily identifiable clusters of neurons called nuclei. Neurons in different nuclei project to discrete brain regions. Thus precise organization of the nuclei during forebrain development is necessary to build accurate neural circuits.