Publications by authors named "Martina Rocco"

mutations underlie a spectrum of early-onset neurodevelopmental phenotypes having developmental delay/intellectual disability (ID), epilepsy, and movement disorders (MD) as major clinical features. encodes the widely expressed heavy polypeptide of clathrin, a major component of the coated vesicles mediating endocytosis, intracellular trafficking, and synaptic vesicle recycling. The underlying pathogenic mechanism is largely unknown.

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Aim: To evaluate clinical phenotype and molecular findings of 157 cases with GNAO1 pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants delineating the clinical spectrum, course, and response to treatments.

Method: Clinical phenotype, genetic data, and pharmacological and surgical treatment history of 11 novel cases and 146 previously published patients were analyzed.

Results: Complex hyperkinetic movement disorder (MD) characterizes 88% of GNAO1 patients.

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Article Synopsis
  • De novo mutations in the G protein α o subunit gene are linked to developmental delays, hyperkinetic movement disorders, and epilepsy in children.
  • The researchers created new gene-edited strains to study these mutations, observing varied effects on signaling and excessive neurotransmitter release leading to increased activity.
  • Caffeine was found to reduce hyperkinetic behavior across different mutations, showcasing its potential as a treatment, while another drug, istradefylline, had varying effectiveness based on the specific mutation.
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Over the last years, a constantly increasing number of genetic diseases associated with epilepsy and movement disorders have been recognized. An emerging group of conditions in this field is represented by genetic disorders affecting G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs)-cAMP signaling. This group of postsynaptic disorders includes genes encoding for proteins highly expressed in the central nervous system and involved in GPCR signal transduction and cAMP production (e.

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Background: Pathogenic missense variants in cell division control protein 42 (CDC42) differentially affect protein function, causing a clinically wide phenotypic spectrum variably affecting neurodevelopment, hematopoiesis, and immune response. More recently, 3 variants at the C-terminus of CDC42 were proposed to similarly impact protein function and cause a novel autoinflammatory disorder.

Objectives: We sought to clinically and functionally classify these variants to improve patient management.

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Article Synopsis
  • Dominant mutations in the GNAO1 gene lead to serious neurological disorders in children, including developmental delays and seizures, but effective treatments are lacking.
  • The study explored the functional impacts of two GNAO1 variants using the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans, finding that these mutations cause abnormal locomotion and increased neurotransmitter release in the worms.
  • Notably, caffeine was identified as a potential treatment, improving motor function in the affected C. elegans, suggesting a pathway for developing new therapies for GNAO1-related disorders.
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Chemosensory receptors play a crucial role in distinguishing the wide range of volatile/soluble molecules by binding them with high accuracy. Chemosensation is the main sensory modality in organisms lacking long-range sensory mechanisms like vision/hearing. Despite its low number of sensory neurons, the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans possesses several chemosensory receptors, allowing it to detect about as many odorants as mammals.

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Signal transduction through the RAF-MEK-ERK pathway, the first described mitogen-associated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade, mediates multiple cellular processes and participates in early and late developmental programs. Aberrant signaling through this cascade contributes to oncogenesis and underlies the RASopathies, a family of cancer-prone disorders. Here, we report that de novo missense variants in MAPK1, encoding the mitogen-activated protein kinase 1 (i.

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Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are emerging as a novel class of noncoding RNAs which potential role as gene regulators is quickly gaining interest. circRNAs have been studied in different tissues and cell types across several animal species. However, a thorough characterization of the circRNAome in ejaculated sperm remains unexplored.

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Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is characterized by immune dysregulation due to inadequate restraint of overactivated immune cells and is associated with a variable clinical spectrum having overlap with more common pathophysiologies. HLH is difficult to diagnose and can be part of inflammatory syndromes. Here, we identify a novel hematological/autoinflammatory condition (NOCARH syndrome) in four unrelated patients with superimposable features, including neonatal-onset cytopenia with dyshematopoiesis, autoinflammation, rash, and HLH.

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This work sought to address the effects of melatonin during in vitro capacitation (IVC) and progesterone-induced acrosome exocytosis (IVAE) in boar spermatozoa. With this purpose, two different experiments were set. In the first one, IVC and IVAE were induced in the absence or presence of melatonin, which was added either at the start of IVC or upon triggering the IVAE with progesterone.

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