Publications by authors named "Grazia Mancini"

Individuals with monoallelic pathogenic variants in the histone lysine methyltransferase DOT1L display global developmental delay and varying congenital anomalies. However, the impact of monoallelic loss of remains unclear. Here, we present a largely female cohort of 11 individuals with variants with developmental delays and dysmorphic facial features.

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Neurodevelopmental disorder with or without autism or seizures (NEDAUS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by global developmental delay, speech delay, seizures, autistic features, and/or behavior abnormalities. It is caused by CUL3 (Cullin-3 ubiquitin ligase) haploinsufficiency. We collected clinical and molecular data from 26 individuals carrying pathogenic variants and variants of uncertain significance (VUS) in the CUL3 gene, including 20 previously unreported cases.

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  • Brain malformations are diverse abnormalities in brain development that affect neural structure and connectivity, often impacting brain size.
  • Effective prenatal detection of these malformations relies on a solid grasp of embryology and developmental anatomy at different stages of pregnancy.
  • This review aims to simplify the process of identifying and characterizing these structural brain issues by examining various neuroimaging techniques, such as prenatal neurosonography and MRI, and incorporating insights from post-mortem imaging throughout different developmental stages.
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  • Nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) are critical for transporting materials in and out of the nucleus, and their assembly relies on a transmembrane protein called NDC1, which is essential for recruiting another protein, ALADIN, to the nuclear envelope.
  • Biallelic mutations in the NDC1 gene have been identified in individuals with a triple A-like syndrome (excluding adrenal insufficiency), characterized by symptoms such as intellectual disability, motor impairment, and demyelinating polyneuropathy, which are similar to those seen in triple A syndrome caused by ALADIN mutations.
  • Research indicates that these mutations hinder the proper function of NDC1, affecting its ability to recruit ALADIN, thereby leading to the observed neurological symptoms and
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ANK3 encodes ankyrin-G, a protein involved in neuronal development and signaling. Alternative splicing gives rise to three ankyrin-G isoforms comprising different domains with distinct expression patterns. Mono- or biallelic ANK3 variants are associated with non-specific syndromic intellectual disability in 14 individuals (seven with monoallelic and seven with biallelic variants).

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Protein phosphatase 1 regulatory subunit 3F (PPP1R3F) is a member of the glycogen targeting subunits (GTSs), which belong to the large group of regulatory subunits of protein phosphatase 1 (PP1), a major eukaryotic serine/threonine protein phosphatase that regulates diverse cellular processes. Here, we describe the identification of hemizygous variants in PPP1R3F associated with a novel X-linked recessive neurodevelopmental disorder in 13 unrelated individuals. This disorder is characterized by developmental delay, mild intellectual disability, neurobehavioral issues such as autism spectrum disorder, seizures and other neurological findings including tone, gait and cerebellar abnormalities.

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SLC4A10 is a plasma-membrane bound transporter that utilizes the Na+ gradient to drive cellular HCO3- uptake, thus mediating acid extrusion. In the mammalian brain, SLC4A10 is expressed in principal neurons and interneurons, as well as in epithelial cells of the choroid plexus, the organ regulating the production of CSF. Using next generation sequencing on samples from five unrelated families encompassing nine affected individuals, we show that biallelic SLC4A10 loss-of-function variants cause a clinically recognizable neurodevelopmental disorder in humans.

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Purpose: The SF3B splicing complex is composed of SF3B1-6 and PHF5A. We report a developmental disorder caused by de novo variants in PHF5A.

Methods: Clinical, genomic, and functional studies using subject-derived fibroblasts and a heterologous cellular system were performed.

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  • The MCM complex is crucial for DNA replication and plays a role in cell cycle regulation, as well as in the formation of cilia; mutations in MCM genes can lead to growth and developmental disorders like Meier-Gorlin and Seckel syndromes.
  • Two unrelated individuals with a specific mutation in the MCM6 gene showed overlapping health issues, including growth retardation and developmental delays, indicating a likely harmful effect on DNA replication.
  • Additional cases of MCM6 mutations suggest a connection to various neurodevelopmental disorders, urging healthcare professionals to consider these variants when diagnosing patients with such conditions.
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  • The study investigates the process of centrosome reduction during cardiomyocyte maturation and its potential link to a rare infant case of dilated cardiomyopathy.
  • Researchers derived induced pluripotent stem cells from the patient, performed whole exome sequencing, and utilized CRISPR/Cas9 techniques to identify and validate the causal gene, RTTN (rotatin).
  • The findings suggest that a defect in the centrosomal protein RTTN is associated with impaired maturation and function of cardiomyocytes, marking it as a potential contributor to non-syndromic dilated cardiomyopathy.
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  • The study identifies biallelic loss-of-function variants in the SMPD4 gene as the cause of a severe neurodevelopmental disorder that leads to progressive microcephaly and early death, characterized by significant long-term complications like insulin-dependent diabetes.
  • SMPD4 encodes a sphingomyelinase that plays a crucial role in maintaining lipid balance in cell membranes, particularly at the nuclear envelope, affecting cell proliferation and division.
  • Research indicates that the lack of SMPD4 disrupts normal cell functions, leading to defective processes during cell division and impaired development of the brain and pancreatic beta cells, suggesting a direct link between SMPD4 deficiency and the observed clinical symptoms.
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Background And Objectives: The term autosomal recessive cerebellar ataxia (ARCA) encompasses a diverse group of heterogeneous degenerative disorders of the cerebellum. Spinocerebellar ataxia autosomal recessive 10 (SCAR10) is a distinct classification of cerebellar ataxia caused by variants in the gene. Little is known about the molecular role of ANO10 or its role in disease.

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For neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), a molecular diagnosis is key for management, predicting outcome, and counseling. Often, routine DNA-based tests fail to establish a genetic diagnosis in NDDs. Transcriptome analysis (RNA sequencing [RNA-seq]) promises to improve the diagnostic yield but has not been applied to NDDs in routine diagnostics.

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CLEC16A is a membrane-associated C-type lectin protein that functions as a E3-ubiquitin ligase. CLEC16A regulates autophagy and mitophagy, and reportedly localizes to late endosomes. GWAS studies have associated CLEC16A SNPs to various auto-immune and neurological disorders, including multiple sclerosis and Parkinson disease.

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Background: Malformations of cortical development (MCDs) have been reported in a subset of patients with pathogenic heterozygous variants in or , genes which encode for subunits of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR). The aim of this study was to further define the phenotypic spectrum of NMDAR-related MCDs.

Methods: We report the clinical, radiological and molecular features of 7 new patients and review data on 18 previously reported individuals with NMDAR-related MCDs.

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Calcium (Ca) is a universal second messenger involved in synaptogenesis and cell survival; consequently, its regulation is important for neurons. ATPase plasma membrane Ca transporting 1 (ATP2B1) belongs to the family of ATP-driven calmodulin-dependent Ca pumps that participate in the regulation of intracellular free Ca. Here, we clinically describe a cohort of 12 unrelated individuals with variants in ATP2B1 and an overlapping phenotype of mild to moderate global development delay.

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  • Nuclear deubiquitinase BAP1 is a crucial part of protein complexes that help regulate gene transcription by reversing the ubiquitination of histone 2A, and its loss can lead to cancer.
  • This study identified 11 rare, de novo germline BAP1 variants associated with a unique neurodevelopmental disorder, where most of these variants demonstrated a loss-of-function effect.
  • Functional analyses showed these variants impaired histone modifications, leading to significant changes in chromatin states and contributing to dysregulation of genes essential for development.
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TUBB2B codes for one of the isotypes of β-tubulin and dominant negative variants in this gene result in distinctive malformations of cortical development (MCD), including dysgyria, dysmorphic basal ganglia and cerebellar anomalies. We present a novel family with a heterozygous missense variant in TUBB2B and an unusually mild phenotype. First, at 21 37 weeks of gestation ultrasonography revealed a fetus with a relatively small head, enlarged lateral ventricles, borderline hypoplastic cerebellum and a thin corpus callosum.

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The increasing pace of gene discovery in the last decade has brought a major change in the way the genetic causes of brain malformations are being diagnosed. Unbiased genomic screening has gained the first place in the diagnostic protocol of a child with congenital (brain) anomalies and the detected variants are matched with the phenotypic presentation afterwards. This process is defined as "reverse phenotyping".

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Cohen syndrome (CS) is a rare syndromic form of rod-cone dystrophy. Recent case reports have suggested that cystoid maculopathy (CM) could affect CS patients with an early onset and high prevalence. Our study aims at improving our understanding and management of CM in CS patients through a retrospective case series of ten CS patients with identified pathogenic variants in VPS13B.

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TANK binding kinase 1 (TBK1) regulates IFN-I, NF-κB, and TNF-induced RIPK1-dependent cell death (RCD). In mice, biallelic loss of TBK1 is embryonically lethal. We discovered four humans, ages 32, 26, 7, and 8 from three unrelated consanguineous families with homozygous loss-of-function mutations in TBK1.

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Growth promoting variants in PIK3CA cause a spectrum of developmental disorders, depending on the developmental timing of the mutation and tissues involved. These phenotypically heterogeneous entities have been grouped as PIK3CA-Related Overgrowth Spectrum disorders (PROS). Deep sequencing technologies have facilitated detection of low-level mosaic, often necessitating testing of tissues other than blood.

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  • SPTBN1 gene encodes βII-spectrin, crucial for forming networks at plasma membranes, and its deficiency in mice leads to significant neurodevelopmental issues.
  • Heterozygous variants of SPTBN1 were identified in 29 individuals exhibiting a range of developmental challenges, including intellectual disabilities, language delays, and autistic features.
  • These variants weaken βII-spectrin stability and disrupt cellular organization, establishing SPTBN1 as a key contributor to certain neurodevelopmental syndromes.
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Purpose: Phosphatidylinositol Glycan Anchor Biosynthesis, class G (PIGG) is an ethanolamine phosphate transferase catalyzing the modification of glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI). GPI serves as an anchor on the cell membrane for surface proteins called GPI-anchored proteins (GPI-APs). Pathogenic variants in genes involved in the biosynthesis of GPI cause inherited GPI deficiency (IGD), which still needs to be further characterized.

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