Publications by authors named "Tyler M Pierson"

E3 ubiquitin ligases have been linked to developmental diseases including autism, Angelman syndrome (UBE3A), and Johanson-Blizzard syndrome (JBS) (UBR1). Here, we report variants in the E3 ligase UBR5 in 29 individuals presenting with a neurodevelopmental syndrome that includes developmental delay, autism, intellectual disability, epilepsy, movement disorders, and/or genital anomalies. Their phenotype is distinct from JBS due to the absence of exocrine pancreatic insufficiency and the presence of autism, epilepsy, and, in some probands, a movement disorder.

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Article Synopsis
  • * The study focuses on 48 de novo missense variants in GRIN1, GRIN2A, and GRIN2B that affect the M3 transmembrane helix, identified in children with conditions like epilepsy and developmental delays.
  • * Most of these variants lead to a gain-of-function effect, promoting NMDAR channel activity, reinforcing the importance of the M3 region in receptor function, and providing insights into how certain drugs may affect these variant receptors.
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Neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (NCL), type 6 (CLN6) is a neurodegenerative disorder associated with progressive neurodegeneration leading to dementia, seizures, and retinopathy. encodes a resident-ER protein involved in trafficking lysosomal proteins to the Golgi. CLN6p deficiency results in lysosomal dysfunction and deposition of storage material comprised of Nile Red lipids/proteolipids that include subunit C of the mitochondrial ATP synthase (SUBC).

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GATAD2B (GATA zinc finger domain containing 2B) variants are associated with the neurodevelopmental syndrome GAND, characterized by intellectual disability (ID), infantile hypotonia, apraxia of speech, epilepsy, macrocephaly and distinct facial features. GATAD2B encodes for a subunit of the Nucleosome Remodeling and Histone Deacetylase (NuRD) complex. NuRD controls transcriptional programs critical for proper neurodevelopment by coupling histone deacetylase with ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling activity.

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  • - The NIH Undiagnosed Diseases Program (UDP) helps patients who have not been diagnosed despite extensive testing by using deep phenotyping and genomic testing under procedural anesthesia.
  • - A review of cases from 2008 to 2020 revealed that 249 pediatric patients underwent anesthesia for diagnostic reasons, with serious systemic and neurological conditions being common among them.
  • - The study found that while some perioperative complications occurred, most patients recovered fully, and nearly half received a diagnosis, largely thanks to the insights gained from the procedures done under anesthesia.
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  • - GATAD2A is a part of the NuRD complex, which influences gene expression and chromatin remodeling, playing a critical role in neural development.
  • - Variants in GATAD2A were found in five individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), showing symptoms like global developmental delay and brain defects.
  • - The identified mutations are believed to disrupt the protein's ability to interact with other NuRD components, contributing to a new type of developmental disorder classified as a NuRDopathy.
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The short pre-M1 helix within the S1-M1 linker (also referred to as the pre-M1 linker) between the agonist-binding domain (ABD, S1) and the M1 transmembrane helix of the NMDA receptor (NMDAR) is devoid of missense variants within the healthy population but is a locus for de novo pathogenic variants associated with neurological disorders. Several de novo variants within this helix have been identified in patients presenting early in life with intellectual disability, developmental delay, and/or epilepsy. In this study, we evaluated functional properties for twenty variants within the pre-M1 linker in GRIN1, GRIN2A, and GRIN2B genes, including six novel missense variants.

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ADP-ribosylation factor 1 (ARF1) is a small GTPase that regulates membrane traffic at the Golgi apparatus and endosomes through recruitment of several coat proteins and lipid-modifying enzymes. Here, we report a pediatric patient with an ARF1-related disorder because of a monoallelic de novo missense variant (c.296 G > A; p.

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  • De novo truncating and splicing pathogenic variants in the ASXL3 gene lead to various developmental and intellectual challenges, including delays and behavioral issues.
  • The study documents three families with inherited ASXL3-related disorders, detailing specific pathogenic variants affecting the father-son duo, mother-child trio, and a mother-daughter pair.
  • Findings highlight the variability of symptoms within affected families and confirm that ASXL3-related disorders can be inherited.
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  • The study explores the clinical and genetic aspects of ASXL3-related syndrome, a neurodevelopmental disorder caused by variants in the ASXL3 gene, analyzing 45 new cases alongside previously documented ones.
  • It highlights key characteristics of the syndrome, including significant neurodevelopmental delays and behavioral issues, as well as distinctive facial features observed in affected individuals.
  • The findings aim to enhance clinical management for those with ASXL3-related syndrome and aid in understanding new genetic variants of ASXL3.
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Muscular dystrophies due to heterozygous pathogenic variants in gene cover a broad spectrum of clinical presentations and severity with an age of onset ranging from the neonatal period to adulthood. The natural history of these conditions is not well defined, particularly in patients with congenital or early onset who arguably present with the highest disease burden. Thus the definition of natural history endpoints along with clinically revelant outcome measures is essential to establishing both clinical care planning and clinical trial readiness for this patient group.

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  • Human 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase-like (HPDL) is an iron-containing non-heme oxygenase linked to various neurological disorders in 34 individuals from 25 families with biallelic HPDL variants.
  • These neurological disorders presented as conditions ranging from juvenile-onset spastic paraplegia to infantile-onset spasticity, often accompanied by severe developmental delays and respiratory issues.
  • Experiments showed that HPDL is expressed in the nervous system, plays a role in motor function in zebrafish models, and its variants disrupt enzymatic function, suggesting a causative link between HPDL mutations and neurological diseases.
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SATB2-Associated syndrome (SAS) is an autosomal dominant, multisystemic, neurodevelopmental disorder due to alterations in SATB2 at 2q33.1. A limited number of individuals with 2q33.

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Background: Seizures are an under-reported feature of the SATB2-associated syndrome phenotype. We describe the electroencephalographic findings and seizure semiology and treatment in a population of individuals with SATB2-associated syndrome.

Methods: We performed a retrospective review of 101 individuals with SATB2-associated syndrome who were reported to have had a previous electroencephalographic study to identify those who had at least one reported abnormal result.

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  • An amendment to the original paper has been released.
  • The amendment can be accessed through a link located at the top of the paper.
  • Readers are encouraged to check the link for updated information.
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Developmental epileptic encephalopathies are devastating disorders characterized by intractable epileptic seizures and developmental delay. Here, we report an allelic series of germline recessive mutations in UGDH in 36 cases from 25 families presenting with epileptic encephalopathy with developmental delay and hypotonia. UGDH encodes an oxidoreductase that converts UDP-glucose to UDP-glucuronic acid, a key component of specific proteoglycans and glycolipids.

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Purpose: Determination of genotypic/phenotypic features of GATAD2B-associated neurodevelopmental disorder (GAND).

Methods: Fifty GAND subjects were evaluated to determine consistent genotypic/phenotypic features. Immunoprecipitation assays utilizing in vitro transcription-translation products were used to evaluate GATAD2B missense variants' ability to interact with binding partners within the nucleosome remodeling and deacetylase (NuRD) complex.

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Mutations in the cell membrane thyroid hormone (TH) transporter monocarboxylate transporter (MCT) 8 produce severe neuropsychomotor defects and characteristic thyroid function test (TFT) abnormalities. Two children with mild neurological phenotypes and normal TFTs were found to harbor gene variants of unknown significance (VUS), MCT8-R388Q that occurred and MCT8-Q212E. Normal TH transport and action in fibroblasts of MCT8-R388Q was demonstrated in a novel nonradioactive functional assay measuring the intracellular TH availability after L-T3 treatment.

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The nucleosome remodeling and deacetylase (NuRD) complex is a major regulator of gene expression involved in pluripotency, lineage commitment, and corticogenesis. This important complex is composed of seven different proteins, with mutations in CHD3, CHD4, and GATAD2B being associated with neurodevelopmental disorders presenting with macrocephaly and intellectual disability similar to other overgrowth and intellectual disability (OGID) syndromes. Pathogenic variants in CHD3 and CHD4 primarily involve disruption of enzymatic function.

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CHD8 has been reported as an autism susceptibility/intellectual disability gene but emerging evidence suggests that it additionally causes an overgrowth phenotype. This study reports 27 unrelated patients with pathogenic or likely pathogenic CHD8 variants (25 null variants, two missense variants) and a male:female ratio of 21:6 (3.5:1, p < .

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Two paternally-inherited missense variants in CACNA1H were identified and characterized in a 6-year-old child with generalized epilepsy. Febrile and unprovoked seizures were present in this child. Both variants were expressed in cis or isolation using human recombinant Cav3.

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Article Synopsis
  • This study investigates the CACNA1A gene mutations linked to developmental epileptic encephalopathies (DEEs) in children, focusing on their diverse genetic impacts.
  • Four specific de novo mutations were analyzed, revealing two (G230V and I1357S) cause loss-of-function effects, while two others (A713T and V1396M) exert gain-of-function effects on calcium channel activity.
  • The research emphasizes the importance of functional validation of these mutations to understand DEE pathways better and inform potential therapeutic approaches.
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Background: The X-chromosome gene USP9X encodes a deubiquitylating enzyme that has been associated with neurodevelopmental disorders primarily in female subjects. USP9X escapes X inactivation, and in female subjects de novo heterozygous copy number loss or truncating mutations cause haploinsufficiency culminating in a recognizable syndrome with intellectual disability and signature brain and congenital abnormalities. In contrast, the involvement of USP9X in male neurodevelopmental disorders remains tentative.

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Purpose: To investigate the effect of different DEAF1 variants on the phenotype of patients with autosomal dominant and recessive inheritance patterns and on DEAF1 activity in vitro.

Methods: We assembled a cohort of 23 patients with de novo and biallelic DEAF1 variants, described the genotype-phenotype correlation, and investigated the differential effect of de novo and recessive variants on transcription assays using DEAF1 and Eif4g3 promoter luciferase constructs.

Results: The proportion of the most prevalent phenotypic features, including intellectual disability, speech delay, motor delay, autism, sleep disturbances, and a high pain threshold, were not significantly different in patients with biallelic and pathogenic de novo DEAF1 variants.

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