PUBLICATION

Functional and Genetic Analyses Unveil the Implication of CDC27 in Hemifacial Microsomia

Authors
Song, W., Xia, X., Fan, Y., Zhang, B., Chen, X.
ID
ZDB-PUB-240512-9
Date
2024
Source
International Journal of Molecular Sciences   25(9): (Journal)
Registered Authors
Zhang, Bo
Keywords
CDC27, CRISPR/Cas9, hemifacial microsomia, neural crest cell, rescue experiments, zebrafish
MeSH Terms
  • Animals
  • Apoptosis/genetics
  • Cell Proliferation/genetics
  • Exome Sequencing
  • Female
  • Gene Knockout Techniques
  • Goldenhar Syndrome*/genetics
  • Goldenhar Syndrome*/pathology
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mutation
  • Neural Crest/metabolism
  • Phenotype
  • Zebrafish*/genetics
PubMed
38731925 Full text @ Int. J. Mol. Sci.
Abstract
Hemifacial microsomia (HFM) is a rare congenital genetic syndrome primarily affecting the first and second pharyngeal arches, leading to defects in the mandible, external ear, and middle ear. The pathogenic genes remain largely unidentified. Whole-exome sequencing (WES) was conducted on 12 HFM probands and their unaffected biological parents. Predictive structural analysis of the target gene was conducted using PSIPRED (v3.3) and SWISS-MODEL, while STRING facilitated protein-to-protein interaction predictions. CRISPR/Cas9 was applied for gene knockout in zebrafish. In situ hybridization (ISH) was employed to examine the spatiotemporal expression of the target gene and neural crest cell (NCC) markers. Immunofluorescence with PH3 and TUNEL assays were used to assess cell proliferation and apoptosis. RNA sequencing was performed on mutant and control embryos, with rescue experiments involving target mRNA injections and specific gene knockouts. CDC27 was identified as a novel candidate gene for HFM, with four nonsynonymous de novo variants detected in three unrelated probands. Structural predictions indicated significant alterations in the secondary and tertiary structures of CDC27. cdc27 knockout in zebrafish resulted in craniofacial malformation, spine deformity, and cardiac edema, mirroring typical HFM phenotypes. Abnormalities in somatic cell apoptosis, reduced NCC proliferation in pharyngeal arches, and chondrocyte differentiation issues were observed in cdc27-/- mutants. cdc27 mRNA injections and cdkn1a or tp53 knockout significantly rescued pharyngeal arch cartilage dysplasia, while sox9a mRNA administration partially restored the defective phenotypes. Our findings suggest a functional link between CDC27 and HFM, primarily through the inhibition of CNCC proliferation and disruption of pharyngeal chondrocyte differentiation.
Genes / Markers
Figures
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Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping