ORCID Profile
0000-0002-6895-8819
Current Organisations
Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II
,
Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine
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Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 10-06-2015
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 27-09-2020
DOI: 10.1002/AJMG.A.61888
Publisher: Hindawi Limited
Date: 22-07-2020
DOI: 10.1002/HUMU.24079
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 22-09-2022
DOI: 10.1002/AJMG.A.62976
Abstract: Esophageal atresia/tracheoesophageal fistula (EA/TEF) is a life‐threatening birth defect that often occurs with other major birth defects (EA/TEF+). Despite advances in genetic testing, a molecular diagnosis can only be made in a minority of EA/TEF+ cases. Here, we analyzed clinical exome sequencing data and data from the DECIPHER database to determine the efficacy of exome sequencing in cases of EA/TEF+ and to identify phenotypic expansions involving EA/TEF. Among 67 in iduals with EA/TEF+ referred for clinical exome sequencing, a definitive or probable diagnosis was made in 11 cases for an efficacy rate of 16% (11/67). This efficacy rate is significantly lower than that reported for other major birth defects, suggesting that polygenic, multifactorial, epigenetic, and/or environmental factors may play a particularly important role in EA/TEF pathogenesis. Our cohort included in iduals with pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants that affect TCF4 and its downstream target NRXN1 , and FANCA , FANCB , and FANCC , which are associated with Fanconi anemia. These cases, previously published case reports, and comparisons to other EA/TEF genes made using a machine learning algorithm, provide evidence in support of a potential pathogenic role for these genes in the development of EA/TEF.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 21-10-2020
DOI: 10.1038/S41467-020-19289-5
Abstract: An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 06-12-2021
DOI: 10.1111/EPI.16784
Abstract: Chromosome 1q41-q42 deletion syndrome is a rare cause of intellectual disability, seizures, dysmorphology, and multiple anomalies. Two genes in the 1q41-q42 microdeletion, WDR26 and FBXO28, have been implicated in monogenic disease. Patients with WDR26 encephalopathy overlap clinically with those with 1q41-q42 deletion syndrome, whereas only one patient with FBXO28 encephalopathy has been described. Seizures are a prominent feature of 1q41-q42 deletion syndrome therefore, we hypothesized that pathogenic FBXO28 variants cause developmental and epileptic encephalopathies (DEEs). We describe nine new patients with FBXO28 pathogenic variants (four missense, including one recurrent, three nonsense, and one frameshift) and analyze all 10 known cases to delineate the phenotypic spectrum. All patients had epilepsy and 9 of 10 had DEE, including infantile spasms (3) and a progressive myoclonic epilepsy (1). Median age at seizure onset was 22.5 months (range 8 months to 5 years). Nine of 10 patients had intellectual disability, which was profound in six of nine and severe in three of nine. Movement disorders occurred in eight of 10 patients, six of 10 had hypotonia, four of 10 had acquired microcephaly, and five of 10 had dysmorphic features, albeit different to those typically seen in 1q41-q42 deletion syndrome and WDR26 encephalopathy. We distinguish FBXO28 encephalopathy from both of these disorders with more severe intellectual impairment, drug-resistant epilepsy, and hyperkinetic movement disorders.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 12-08-2003
DOI: 10.1034/J.1399-0004.2003.00132.X
Abstract: Spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia tarda (SEDT) is an X-linked recessive disorder, characterized by disproportionately short stature and degenerative joint disease, which manifests in the early teens. The gene responsible for SED tarda, SEDL, has been identified in Xp22. We report on three novel SEDL mutations. The first mutation is in the rare, non-canonical 5' splice site of intron 4 (IVS4+4T>C) in an Italian family. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis has revealed that this mutation causes alternative splicing of exon 5, and, as a consequence, inclusion of exon 4b sequence. This gives rise to an altered, truncated SEDL protein. We also describe two new deletions: one is a 4-bp deletion in exon 6 [333-336del(GAAT)], identified in a Slovak patient with SEDT, and one is a 1.335-kb deletion (in5/ex6del), found in a Belgian patient. The identification of these novel mutations in SEDL adds to the spectrum of 30 mutations previously identified. A short summary of all currently known SEDL gene mutations is presented.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 08-12-2019
DOI: 10.1002/ACN3.50960
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 04-2012
DOI: 10.4161/AUTO.19496
Publisher: Hindawi Limited
Date: 21-08-2022
DOI: 10.1002/HUMU.24446
Abstract: An expanding range of genetic syndromes are characterized by genome-wide disruptions in DNA methylation profiles referred to as episignatures. Episignatures are distinct, highly sensitive, and specific biomarkers that have recently been applied in clinical diagnosis of genetic syndromes. Episignatures are contained within the broader disorder-specific genome-wide DNA methylation changes, which can share significant overlap among different conditions. In this study, we performed functional genomic assessment and comparison of disorder-specific and overlapping genome-wide DNA methylation changes related to 65 genetic syndromes with previously described episignatures. We demonstrate evidence of disorder-specific and recurring genome-wide differentially methylated probes (DMPs) and regions (DMRs). The overall distribution of DMPs and DMRs across the majority of the neurodevelopmental genetic syndromes analyzed showed substantial enrichment in gene promoters and CpG islands, and under-representation of the more variable intergenic regions. Analysis showed significant enrichment of the DMPs and DMRs in gene pathways and processes related to neurodevelopment, including neurogenesis, synaptic signaling and synaptic transmission. This study expands beyond the diagnostic utility of DNA methylation episignatures by demonstrating correlation between the function of the mutated genes and the consequent genomic DNA methylation profiles as a key functional element in the molecular etiology of genetic neurodevelopmental disorders.
Publisher: Hindawi Limited
Date: 28-09-2020
DOI: 10.1002/HUMU.24115
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 10-2020
DOI: 10.1038/S41467-020-18723-Y
Abstract: Most genes associated with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) were identified with an excess of de novo mutations (DNMs) but the significance in case–control mutation burden analysis is unestablished. Here, we sequence 63 genes in 16,294 NDD cases and an additional 62 genes in 6,211 NDD cases. By combining these with published data, we assess a total of 125 genes in over 16,000 NDD cases and compare the mutation burden to nonpsychiatric controls from ExAC. We identify 48 genes (25 newly reported) showing significant burden of ultra-rare (MAF 0.01%) gene-disruptive mutations (FDR 5%), six of which reach family-wise error rate (FWER) significance ( p 1.25E−06). Among these 125 targeted genes, we also reevaluate DNM excess in 17,426 NDD trios with 6,499 new autism trios. We identify 90 genes enriched for DNMs (FDR 5% e.g., GABRG2 and UIMC1 ) of which, 61 reach FWER significance ( p 3.64E−07 e.g., CASZ1 ). In addition to doubling the number of patients for many NDD risk genes, we present phenotype–genotype correlations for seven risk genes ( CTCF , HNRNPU , KCNQ3 , ZBTB18 , TCF12 , SPEN , and LEO1 ) based on this large-scale targeted sequencing effort.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 02-01-2016
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 23-02-2023
DOI: 10.1038/S41467-023-36277-7
Abstract: Mutations in the mitochondrial or nuclear genomes are associated with a erse group of human disorders characterized by impaired mitochondrial respiration. Within this group, an increasing number of mutations have been identified in nuclear genes involved in mitochondrial RNA biology. The TEFM gene encodes the mitochondrial transcription elongation factor responsible for enhancing the processivity of mitochondrial RNA polymerase, POLRMT. We report for the first time that TEFM variants are associated with mitochondrial respiratory chain deficiency and a wide range of clinical presentations including mitochondrial myopathy with a treatable neuromuscular transmission defect. Mechanistically, we show muscle and primary fibroblasts from the affected in iduals have reduced levels of promoter distal mitochondrial RNA transcripts. Finally, tefm knockdown in zebrafish embryos resulted in neuromuscular junction abnormalities and abnormal mitochondrial function, strengthening the genotype-phenotype correlation. Our study highlights that TEFM regulates mitochondrial transcription elongation and its defect results in variable, tissue-specific neurological and neuromuscular symptoms.
No related grants have been discovered for Nicola Brunetti-Pierri.