PUBLICATION
Kabuki syndrome genes KMT2D and KDM6A: functional analyses demonstrate critical roles in craniofacial, heart, and brain development
- Authors
- Van Laarhoven, P.M., Neitzel, L.R., Quintana, A.M., Geiger, E.A., Zackai, E.H., Clouthier, D.E., Artinger, K.B., Ming, J.E., Shaikh, T.H.
- ID
- ZDB-PUB-150515-6
- Date
- 2015
- Source
- Human molecular genetics 24(15): 4443-53 (Journal)
- Registered Authors
- Clouthier, David
- Keywords
- none
- MeSH Terms
-
- Brain/abnormalities
- Brain/growth & development
- Brain/physiopathology
- Animals
- Histone Demethylases/genetics*
- PubMed
- 25972376 Full text @ Hum. Mol. Genet.
Abstract
Kabuki syndrome (KS) is a rare multiple congenital anomaly syndrome characterized by distinctive facial features, global developmental delay, intellectual disability, and cardiovascular and musculoskeletal abnormalities. While mutations in KMT2D have been identified in a majority of KS patients, a few patients have mutations in KDM6A. We analyzed forty individuals clinically diagnosed with KS for mutations in KMT2D and KDM6A. Mutations were detected in KMT2D in 12 and KDM6A in 4 cases, respectively. Observed mutations included single nucleotide variations and indels leading to frameshifts, nonsense, missense or splice site alterations. In two cases, we discovered overlapping chromosome X microdeletions containing KDM6A. To further elucidate the functional roles of KMT2D and KDM6A, we knocked down the expression of their orthologs in zebrafish. Following knockdown of kmt2d and the two zebrafish paralogs kdm6a and kdm6al, we analyzed morphants for developmental abnormalities in tissues that are affected in individuals with KS, including craniofacial structures, heart and brain. The kmt2d morphants exhibited severe abnormalities in all tissues examined. Although the kdm6a and kdm6al morphants had similar brain abnormalities, kdm6a morphants exhibited craniofacial phenotypes, while kdm6al morphants had prominent defects in heart development. Our results provide further support for the similar roles of KMT2D and KDM6A in the etiology of KS by using a vertebrate model organism to provide direct evidence of their roles in the development of organs and tissues affected in KS patients.
Genes / Markers
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping