脆性X综合征的概况

脆性X综合征(fragile X syndrome,Fra(X)S)是X连锁不完全显性遗传病,该病由X染色体上的FMR-1基因改变引起FMRP表达异常造成.本文就脆性X综合征的遗传特征,FMR-1基因的致病机理,FMRP的功能,脆性X综合征的临床筛查与诊断等的国内外最新报道作一综述.     

mRNA and protein expression for novel GABAA receptors θ and ρ2 are altered in schizophrenia and mood disorders; relevance to FMRP-mGluR5 signaling pathway

Fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP) is an RNA-binding protein that targets ∼5% of all mRNAs expressed in the brain. Previous work by our laboratory demonstrated significantly lower protein levels for FMRP in lateral cerebella of subjects with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depression when compared with controls. Absence of FMRP expression in animal models of fragile X syndrome (FXS) has been shown to reduce expression of gamma-aminobutyric acid A (GABA_A) receptor mRNAs. Previous work by our laboratory has found reduced expression of FMRP, as well as multiple GABA_A and GABA_B receptor subunits in subjects with autism. Less is known about levels for GABA_A subunit protein expression in brains of subjects with schizophrenia and mood disorders. In the current study, we have expanded our previous studies to examine the protein and mRNA expression of two novel GABA_A receptors, theta (GABRθ) and rho 2 (GABRρ2) as well as FMRP, and metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5) in lateral cerebella of subjects with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression and healthy controls, and in superior frontal cortex (Brodmann Area 9 (BA9)) of subjects with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and healthy controls. We observed multiple statistically significant mRNA and protein changes in levels of GABRθ, GABRρ2, mGluR5 and FMRP molecules including concordant reductions in mRNA and proteins for GABRθ and mGluR5 in lateral cerebella of subjects with schizophrenia; for increased mRNA and protein for GABRρ2 in lateral cerebella of subjects with bipolar disorder; and for reduced mRNA and protein for mGluR5 in BA9 of subjects with bipolar disorder. There were no significant effects of confounds on any of the results.     

外周血淋巴细胞FMRP检测在脆性X综合征中的应用

目的 探讨外周血脆性X智力低下蛋白(fragile X mental retardation protein,FMRP)表达对脆性X综合征(fragile X syndrome,FXS)的诊断价值.方法 运用免疫细胞化学方法对38例不明原因的智力低下男性患儿的FMRP进行外周血淋巴细胞FMRP表达检测,并与38例年龄相近、智商或发育商均大于85的正常男性患儿比较,同时对FXS儿童FMRP表达水平与智力水平进行相关分析.结果 通过FMRP检测,智力低下组符合FXS诊断标准者5例,正常对照组外周血淋巴细胞FMRP表达均未达到诊断标准(P=0.022);FXS患儿FMRP表达率与发育商或智商间的相关性没有统计学意义(r=-0.610,P=0.275).结论 外周血淋巴细胞FMRP免疫细胞化学检测方法是一种具有快速、简便、价廉等优点的FXS实验诊断方法,可以用作FXS的诊断和筛查.     

Therapeutic Strategies in Fragile X Syndrome: Dysregulated mGluR Signaling and Beyond

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is an inherited neurodevelopmental disease caused by loss of function of the fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP). In the absence of FMRP, signaling through group 1 metabotropic glutamate receptors is elevated and insensitive to stimulation, which may underlie many of the neurological and neuropsychiatric features of FXS. Treatment of FXS animal models with negative allosteric modulators of these receptors and preliminary clinical trials in human patients support the hypothesis that metabotropic glutamate receptor signaling is a valuable therapeutic target in FXS. However, recent research has also shown that FMRP may regulate diverse aspects of neuronal signaling downstream of several cell surface receptors, suggesting a possible new route to more direct disease-targeted therapies. Here, we summarize promising recent advances in basic research identifying and testing novel therapeutic strategies in FXS models, and evaluate their potential therapeutic benefits. We provide an overview of recent and ongoing clinical trials motivated by some of these findings, and discuss the challenges for both basic science and clinical applications in the continued development of effective disease mechanism-targeted therapies for FXS.     

Functional brain activation during arithmetic processing in females with fragile X Syndrome is related to FMR1 protein expression

Arithmetic processing deficits in persons with fragile X Syndrome (fraX), the most common heritable cause of mental retardation, are well known. In this study, we characterize the neural underpinnings of these performance deficits using functional MRI. Given that a single gene defect (FMR1) is known to be responsible for this disorder, we also assess whether brain activation in arithmetic processing areas is related to amount of FMR1 protein expression (FMRP). Subjects included 16 females with fraX, and 16 female age-matched controls. Subjects viewed arithmetic equations with two (1 + 3 = 4) or three (2 + 3 - 1 = 5) operands, and were asked to judge whether the results were correct or not. Subjects with fraX showed significant impairment in behavioral performance on the 3-operand but not the 2-operand arithmetic equations. Significant brain activation was observed bilaterally in the prefrontal and parietal cortices for unaffected subjects, and bilateral prefrontal and left angular gyrus for subjects with fraX, for both trial types. Subjects with fraX exhibited less overall activation than did unaffected subjects in both types of trials; and, unlike the unaffected group, did not show increased extent of activation in association with greater task difficulty. During the 3-operand trials, activation in bilateral prefrontal and motor/premotor, and left supramarginal and angular gyri were positively correlated with FMRP, suggesting that decreased FMR1 protein expression underlies deficits in math performance in persons with fraX. More broadly, this investigation demonstrates a unique bridging of cognitive and molecular neuroscience and represents a useful approach for the study of brain development and function.     

Functional brain activation during cognition is related to FMR1 gene expression

Fragile X syndrome, the most common known cause of inherited mental retardation, is caused by alterations of the FMR1 gene encoding the FMRP protein. We investigated the relation between FMRP protein levels and functional brain activation during a working memory task. Our study provides the first evidence for a relation between FMR1 gene expression and neural activity during higher-order cognition. More broadly, our findings provide the first demonstration of how gene-brain-behavior investigations can help to bridge the gap between molecular and systems neuroscience.     

FMRP检测在儿童脆性X综合征中诊断价值的实验评价

目的对脆性X智力低下蛋白（fragile X mental retardation protein,FMRP）免疫细胞化学诊断方法并进行临床流行病学评价;利用ROC曲线确定适合本地筛查脆性X综合征的外周血淋巴细胞FMRP免疫组化法的诊断临界点。方法对临床拟诊为不明原因智力低下的的41例不明原因的智力低下患儿,同时进行免疫细胞化学方法进行外周血淋巴细胞FMRP表达检测和7-deza—dGTP PCR法两种方法检查,以目前较为公认的7-deza—dGTP PCR法为诊断金标准,对外周血淋巴细胞FMRP细胞免疫组化法（SP法）进行实验评价,计算其灵敏度、特异度、阳性似然比、阴性似然比等统计学指标。采用ROC曲线确定适合本地筛查脆性X综合征的外周血淋巴细胞FMRP表达率的诊断临界点。结果41例不明原因智力低下患儿中染色体核型分析均正常,其中染色体脆性位点检查异常的1例,约为2．4％。7-deza—dGTP PCR法诊断FXS患者11例,约占26．2％,其中男9例,女2例;ROC计算得出最佳的外周血淋巴细胞FMRP表达率的诊断临界点为46％,灵敏度为90．9％,特异度为93．5％。结论外周血淋巴细胞FMRP免疫细胞化学检测是一种可靠的FXS诊断和筛查方法,具有快速、简便、廉价、相对无创伤性等优点,可进行大样本筛查及标本邮寄快递检测,适宜在我国基层开展早期FXS患者诊断和筛查。