LARP7 variants and further delineation of the Alazami syndrome phenotypic spectrum among primordial dwarfisms: 2 sisters

Alazami syndrome (AS) (MIM# 615071) is an autosomal recessive microcephalic primordial dwarfism (PD) with recognizable facial features and severe intellectual disability due to depletion or loss of function variants in LARP7. To date, 15 patients with AS have been reported. Here we describe two consanguineous Algerian sisters with Alazami PD due to LARP7 homozygous pathogenic variants detected by whole exome sequencing. By comparing these two additional cases with those previously reported, we strengthen the key features of AS: severe growth restriction, severe intellectual disability and some distinguishing facial features such as broad nose, malar hypoplasia, wide mouth, full lips and abnormally set teeth. We also report significant new findings enabling further delineation of this syndrome: disproportionately mild microcephaly, stereotypic hand wringing and severe anxiety, thickened skin over the hands and feet, and skeletal, eye and heart malformations. From previous reviews, we summarize the main etiologies of PD according to the involved mechanisms and cellular pathways, highlighting their clinical core features.     

Mapping antigenic sites of an immunodominant surface lipoprotein of Mycoplasma agalactiae, AvgC, with the use of synthetic peptides

As a first step toward the design of an epitope vaccine to prevent contagious agalactia, the strongly immunogenic 55-kDa protein of Mycoplasma agalactiae was studied and found to correspond to the AvgC protein encoded by the avgC gene. The avg genes of M. agalactiae, which encode four variable surface lipoproteins, display a significant homology to the vsp (variable membrane surface lipoproteins) genes of the bovine pathogen Mycoplasma bovis at their promoter region as well as their N-terminus-encoding regions. Some members of the Vsp family are known to be involved in cytoadhesion to host cells. In order to localize immunogenic peptides in the AvgC antigen, the protein sequence was submitted to epitope prediction analysis, and five sets of overlapping peptides, corresponding to five selected regions, were synthesized by Spot synthesis. Reactive peptides were selected by immunobinding assay with sera from infected sheep. The three most immunogenic epitopes were shown to be surface exposed by immunoprecipitation assays, and one of these was specifically recognized by all tested sera. Our study indicates that selected epitopes of the AvgC lipoprotein may be used to develop a peptide-based vaccine which is effective against M. agalactiae infection.     

Modulatory effect of substance P to the brain stem locomotor command in lampreys

Substance P initiates locomotion when injected in the brain stem of mammals. This study examined the possible role of this peptide on the supraspinal locomotor command system in lampreys. Substance P was bath applied or locally injected into an in vitro isolated brain stem, and the effects of the drug were examined on reticulospinal cells and on the occurrence of swimming in a semi-intact preparation. Bath applications of substance P induced sustained depolarizations occurring rhythmically in intracellularly recorded reticulospinal cells. Spiking activity was superimposed on the depolarizations and swimming was induced. The sustained depolarizations were abolished by tetrodotoxin, and substance P did not affect the membrane resistance of reticulospinal cells nor their firing properties, suggesting that it did not directly effect reticulospinal cells. To establish where the effects were exerted, successive lesions of the brain stem were made as well as local applications of the drug in the brain stem. Removing the mesencephalon abolished the sustained depolarizations, whereas large ejections of the drug in the mesencephalon excited reticulospinal cells and elicited bouts of swimming. More local injections into the mesencephalic locomotor region (MLR) also elicited swimming. After an injection of substance P, the current threshold needed to induce locomotion by MLR stimulation was decreased, and the size of the postsynaptic responses of reticulospinal cells to MLR stimulation was increased. Substance P also reduced the frequency of miniature spontaneous postsynaptic currents in reticulospinal cells. Taken together, these results suggest that substance P plays a neuromodulatory role on the brain stem locomotor networks of lampreys.     

IgE-mediated anaphylaxis caused by bites of the pigeon tick Argas reflexus: cloning and expression of the major allergen Arg r 1

BACKGROUND: Anaphylactic reactions caused by bites of the European pigeon tick Argas reflexus are repeatedly reported. This soft-backed tick is a parasite of wild pigeons colonizing urban buildings and houses. Occasionally the ticks can bite human beings, inducing anaphylactic reactions in sensitized patients. OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to characterize the major allergen implicated in a series of anaphylactic reactions caused by Argas bites and to produce the allergen as recombinant protein for diagnostic purposes. METHODS: Protein extracts were prepared from whole A reflexus bodies, and IgE immunoblots were performed with sera from 13 patients who had an anaphylactic reaction with pigeon tick bites. A cDNA expression library was constructed from whole ticks and screened with a polyclonal rabbit antiserum raised against the major allergen. RESULTS: The cDNA coding for the dominant allergen Arg r 1 could be isolated. It encodes a protein belonging to the lipocalin family. Allergenicity of the recombinant Arg r 1 was confirmed by immunoblot, ELISA, and intradermal skin tests. CONCLUSION: The dominant allergen of A reflexus has been isolated and the corresponding cDNA cloned. The recombinant protein, a lipocalin, was expressed in Escherichia coli and was shown to be immunoreactive in vitro and in vivo. Recombinant Arg r 1 was used as a diagnostic tool in a series of anaphylactic reactions caused by pigeon tick bites.     

Evidence of two genetic entities inBothriocephalus funiculus (Cestoda) detected by arbitrary-primer polymerase chain reaction random amplified polymorphic DNA fingerprinting

The genetic diversity of two samples of Cestoda (Bothriocephalus funiculus, Renaud and Gabrion, 1984) parasitizing two sympatric teleostean species was assessed using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD). A total of 72Bothriocephalus were analyzed individually, and electrophoretic analysis of the amplification products of 65 primers among the 68 tested revealed monomorphic patterns, reflecting the close genetic relatedness within and between the parasites of the two samples. However, 3 primers showed polymorphic patterns at 6 RAPD sites. Analysis of the distribution of these genomic fragments, assuming random mating, showed strong linkage disequilibria (only 8 genetic combinations were observed among the 32 expected). Two genetic entities displaying a high degree of host specificity were evidence within our two samples ofB. funiculus. This powerful molecular technique can be used as a diagnostic tool in studies concerning the biodiversity of related genetic entities and could have broad applications in parasitology.     

WNT10B variants in split hand/foot malformation: Report of three novel families and review of the literature

Split‐hand/foot malformation (SHFM) is a genetically heterogeneous congenital limb malformation typically limited to a defect of the central rays of the autopod, presenting as a median cleft of hands and feet. It can be associated with long bone deficiency or included in more complex syndromes. Among the numerous genetic causes, WNT10B homozygous variants have been recently identified in consanguineous families, but remain still rarely described (SHFM6; MIM225300). We report on three novel SHFM families harboring WNT10B variants and review the literature, allowing us to highlight some clinical findings. The feet are more severely affected than the hands and there is a frequent asymmetry without obvious side‐bias. Syndactyly of third–fourth fingers was a frequent finding (62%). Polydactyly, which was classically described in SHFM6, was only present in 27% of patients. No genotype–phenotype correlation is delineated but heterozygous individuals might have mild features of SHFM, suggesting a dose‐effect of the WNT10B loss‐of‐function.     

An engineered biopolymer prevents mucositis induced by 5-fluorouracil in hamsters

Oral mucositis is a common, treatment-limiting, and costly side effect of cancer treatments whose biological underpinnings remain poorly understood. In this study, mucositis induced in hamsters by 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) was observed after cheek-pouch scarifications, with and without administration of RGTA (RG1503), a polymer engineered to mimic the protective effects of heparan sulfate. RG1503 had no effects on 5-FU-induced decreases in body weight, blood cell counts, or cheek-pouch and jejunum epithelium proliferation rates, suggesting absence of interference with the cytotoxic effects of 5-FU. Extensive mucositis occurred in all of the untreated animals, and consisted of severe damage to cheek pouch tissues (epithelium, underlying connective tissue, and muscle bundles). Only half of the RG1503-treated animals had mucositis, over a mean area 70% smaller than in the untreated animals. Basement membranes were almost completely destroyed in the untreated group but was preserved in the RG1503 group. RG1503 blunted or abolished the following 5-FU-induced effects: increases in matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2, MMP-9, and plasmin, and decreases in tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP)-1 and TIMP-2. These data indicate that mucositis lesions are related to massive release of proteolytic enzymes and are improved by RG1503 treatment, this effect being ascribable in part to restoration of the MMP-TIMP balance. RG1503 given with cancer treatment might protect patients from mucositis.     

Hearing impairment as an early sign of alpha‐mannosidosis in children with a mild phenotype: Report of seven new cases

Alpha‐mannosidosis (AM) is a very rare (prevalence: 1/500000 births) autosomal recessive lysosomal storage disorder. It is characterized by multi‐systemic involvement associated with progressive intellectual disability, hearing loss, skeletal anomalies, and coarse facial features. The spectrum is wide, from very severe and lethal to a milder phenotype that usually progresses slowly. AM is caused by a deficiency of lysosomal alpha‐mannosidase. A diagnosis can be established by measuring the activity of lysosomal alpha‐mannosidase in leucocytes and screening for abnormal urinary excretion of mannose‐rich oligosaccharides. Genetic confirmation is obtained with the identification of MAN2B1 mutations. Enzyme replacement therapy (LAMZEDE^R) was approved for use in Europe in August 2018. Here, we describe seven individuals from four families, diagnosed at 3–23 years of age, and who were referred to a clinical geneticist for etiologic exploration of syndromic hearing loss, associated with moderate learning disabilities. Exome sequencing had been used to establish the molecular diagnosis in five cases, including a two‐sibling pair. In the remaining two patients, the diagnosis was obtained with screening of urinary oligosaccharides excretion and the association of deafness and hypotonia. These observations emphasize that the clinical diagnosis of AM can be challenging, and that it is likely an underdiagnosed rare cause of syndromic hearing loss. Exome sequencing can contribute significantly to the early diagnosis of these nonspecific mild phenotypes, with advantages for treatment and management.