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Trans-acting genetic variants causing multilocus imprinting disturbance (MLID): common mechanisms and consequences

Clinical Epigenetics, vol. 14, pp. 41

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Imprinting disorders are a group of congenital diseases which are characterized by molecular alterations affecting differentially methylated regions (DMRs). To date, at least twelve imprinting disorders have been defined with overlapping but variable clinical features including growth and metabolic disturbances, cognitive dysfunction, abdominal wall defects and asymmetry. In general, a single specific DMR is affected in an individual with a given imprinting disorder, but there are a growing number of reports on individuals with so-called multilocus imprinting disturbances (MLID), where aberrant imprinting marks (most commonly loss of methylation) occur at multiple DMRs. However, as the literature is fragmented, we reviewed the molecular and clinical data of 55 previously reported or newly identified MLID families with putative pathogenic variants in maternal effect genes (NLRP2, NLRP5, NLRP7, KHDC3L, OOEP, PADI6) and in other candidate genes (ZFP57, ARID4A, ZAR1, UHRF1, ZNF445). RESULTS: In 55 families, a total of 68 different candidate pathogenic variants were identified (7 in NLRP2, 16 in NLRP5, 7 in NLRP7, 17 in PADI6, 15 in ZFP57, and a single variant in each of the genes ARID4A, ZAR1, OOEP, UHRF1, KHDC3L and ZNF445). Clinical diagnoses of affected offspring included Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome spectrum, Silver-Russell syndrome spectrum, transient neonatal diabetes mellitus, or they were suspected for an imprinting disorder (undiagnosed). Some families had recurrent pregnancy loss. CONCLUSIONS: Genomic maternal effect and foetal variants causing MLID allow insights into the mechanisms behind the imprinting cycle of life, and the spatial and temporal function of the different factors involved in oocyte maturation and early development. Further basic research together with identification of new MLID families will enable a better understanding of the link between the different reproductive issues such as recurrent miscarriages and preeclampsia in maternal effect variant carriers/families and aneuploidy and the MLID observed in the offsprings. The current knowledge can already be employed in reproductive and genetic counselling in specific situations.

Authors 19

  1. RWTH Aachen University

    Affiliation as printed

    Institute of Human Genetics, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstr. 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany. teggermann@ukaachen.de

    Institute of Human Genetics, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstr. 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany

  2. RWTH Aachen University

    Affiliation as printed

    Institute of Human Genetics, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstr. 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany

  3. Amsterdam University Medical Centers

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Human Genetics, Laboratory for Genome Diagnostics, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, Netherlands

  4. Hospital Txagorritxu · Hospital Universitario Araba

    Affiliation as printed

    Molecular (Epi)Genetics Laboratory, Bioaraba Health Research Institute, Hospital Universitario Araba-Txagorritxu, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Alava, Spain

  5. RWTH Aachen University

    Affiliation as printed

    Institute of Human Genetics, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstr. 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany

  6. IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano

    Affiliation as printed

    Research Laboratory of Medical Cytogenetics and Molecular Genetics, Istituto Auxologico Italiano, IRCCS, Milan, Italy

  7. IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano

    Affiliation as printed

    Research Laboratory of Medical Cytogenetics and Molecular Genetics, Istituto Auxologico Italiano, IRCCS, Milan, Italy

  8. IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano

    Affiliation as printed

    Research Laboratory of Medical Cytogenetics and Molecular Genetics, Istituto Auxologico Italiano, IRCCS, Milan, Italy

  9. Hospital Txagorritxu · Hospital Universitario Araba

    Affiliation as printed

    Molecular (Epi)Genetics Laboratory, Bioaraba Health Research Institute, Hospital Universitario Araba-Txagorritxu, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Alava, Spain

  10. Amsterdam University Medical Centers

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Human Genetics, Laboratory for Genome Diagnostics, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, Netherlands

  11. University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust

    Affiliation as printed

    Wessex Clinical Genetics Service, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK

    Wessex Clinical Genetics Service, University Hospital Southampton, Southampton, UK

  12. University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust

    Affiliation as printed

    Wessex Clinical Genetics Service, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK

  13. University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli" · Institute of Genetics and Biophysics

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Environmental, Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Campania 'Luigi Vanvitelli', Caserta, Italy

    Institute of Genetics and Biophysics 'Adriano Buzzati-Traverso' CNR, Naples, Italy

    Institute of Genetics and Biophysics 'Adriano Buzzati–Traverso' CNR, Naples, Italy

  14. National Center For Child Health and Development

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Molecular Endocrinology, National Research Institute for Child Health and Development, Ohkura, Setagayaku, Tokyo, Japan

  15. Hamamatsu University School of Medicine · Hamamatsu Medical Center

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Biochemistry, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan

    Department of Pediatrics, Hamamatsu Medical Center, Hamamatsu, Japan

  16. Hospital Universitario La Paz · Instituto de Salud Carlos III · Centre for Biomedical Network Research on Rare Diseases · ERN ITHACA

    Affiliation as printed

    CIBERER-ISCIII and INGEMM, Institute of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Hospital Universitario La Paz, Madrid, Spain

    ERN-Ithaca, European Reference Networks, Madrid, Spain

  17. University of East Anglia

    Affiliation as printed

    School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK

  18. University of Cambridge · Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

    Affiliation as printed

    Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, UK

    Department of Medical Genetics, University of Cambridge and Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, UK

  19. University of Copenhagen · Copenhagen University Hospital · Rigshospitalet · Kennedy Center

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Clinical Genetics, Kennedy Center, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

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References 42