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Uniparental disomy and somatic mosaicism: mechanisms for epigenetic deregulation of genomic imprinting

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Author(s):
Filipe Brum Machado
Total Authors: 1
Document type: Doctoral Thesis
Press: Ribeirão Preto.
Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto (PCARP/BC)
Defense date:
Examining board members:
Ester Silveira Ramos; Sonir Roberto Rauber Antonini; Celso Teixeira Mendes Junior; Jeremy Andrew Squire; Fernando Regla Vargas
Advisor: Ester Silveira Ramos
Abstract

Genomic imprinting is a epigenetically regulated process where the alleles are expressed in terms of their parental origin. On chromosome 11 (11p15.5) there are two regions controlling imprinting (ICR1 and ICR2), which control imprinted gene expression. The methylation patterns in these regions may be altered by uniparental disomy (UPD), which occurs when part or whole chromose is inherited from only one parent. Mitotic errors can lead to mosaicism with a cell line with DUP and other, biparental. The Silver-Russell syndrome (SRS) and Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome (BWS) are diseases of abnormal genomic imprinting, involving chromosomes 7 (SSR) and 11 (SRS and BWS). The Isolated Hemihiperplasia (IHH) seems to correspond to a milder form of the SBW. In the present study, we performed an in silico scan to search for new microsatellites on chromosomes 7 and 11, and selected six tetra- and/or pentanucleotides on chromosome 7, and 12 on chromosome 11. The pattern of methylation in ICRs was verified by three different techniques: MS-MLPA, DESM-RT and a new strategy developed in this work called DESM-QFPCR. We evaluated 32 patients with BWS, HHI 16, with 20 SSR and their parents, when available, and one patient with apparently normal phenotype with karyotype 46, XX/46, XY and whose placenta showed placental mesenchymal dysplasia (PMD) which is associated with SBW. The new markers showed a high heterozygosity rate (average 70%), and absence of undesirable characteristics of dinucleotides, predominantly used for detection of DUP. Six markers spans genes controlled by the ICRs 1 and 2. The paternal UPD for chromosome 11 (UPDpat Cr11), all restricted to 11p15.5, was responsible for 13% of cases of HHI and 19% of the SBW. Structural changes were confirmed by quantitative SNaPshot sequencing of SNPs and MS-MLPA. One patient had paternal duplication encompassing both ICRs. A not previously described deletion in the gene CDKN1C was observed in one patient and her mother. For patients with DUPpat Cr11, microsatellites were investigated in 13 autosomes and sex chromosomes to detect wide mosaicism. Only patients with DMP showed mosaicism [androgenetic cells (25-30%) and biparental], suggesting double fertilization. In patients with SRS, ICR1 hypomethylation was observed in 25% of cases. For BWS, ICR1 hypermethylation and in ICR2 hypomethylation were observed 6% and 42% of cases, respectively. All cases with UPDpat Cr11 presented abnormal methylation in both ICRs. The (epi) genetic change frequencies were similar to those previously described in the literature for BWS, SRR andIHH. In the present work, we developed a new technique to study DNA methylation of ICRs and tested novel microsatellite markers in the 11p15 region, which showed high correlation of results, when compared with more traditional methods such as RT-DESM and MS-MLPA. The results show the complex etiology of these diseases and the molecular data are essential for appropriate patient and families genetic counseling. (AU)

FAPESP's process: 09/10615-7 - Uniparental disomy and somatic mosaicism: alternative mechanisms for epigenetic deregulation of genomic imprinting in human disorders
Grantee:Filipe Brum Machado
Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate