Joubert syndrome-related disorders (JSRD) are a group of syndromes sharing the neuroradiological features of cerebellar vermis hypoplasia and a peculiar brainstem malformation known as the 'molar tooth sign'. We identified mutations in the CEP290 gene in five families with variable neurological, retinal and renal manifestations. CEP290 expression was detected mostly in proliferating cerebellar granule neuron populations and showed centrosome and ciliary localization, linking JSRDs to other human ciliopathies.

Joubert syndrome (JS) is an autosomal recessive disorder marked by agenesis of the cerebellar vermis, ataxia, hypotonia, oculomotor apraxia, neonatal breathing abnormalities, and mental retardation. Despite the fact that this condition was described >30 years ago, the molecular basis has remained poorly understood. Here, we identify two frameshift mutations and one missense mutation in the AHI1 gene in three consanguineous families with JS, some with cortical polymicrogyria. AHI1, encoding the Jouberin protein, is an alternatively spliced signaling molecule that contains seven Trp-Asp (WD) repeats, an SH3 domain, and numerous SH3-binding sites. The gene is expressed strongly in embryonic hindbrain and forebrain, and our data suggest that AHI1 is required for both cerebellar and cortical development in humans. The recently described mutations in NPHP1, encoding a protein containing an SH3 domain, in a subset of patients with JS plus nephronophthisis, suggest a shared pathway.

Photoreceptor degeneration is a common feature of ciliopathies, owing to the importance of the highly specialized ciliary structure of these cells. Absence of AHI1, which encodes a cilium-localized protein, has been shown to cause a form of Joubert syndrome highly penetrant for retinal degeneration1,2. We show that Ahi1 knockout mice fail to form outer segments (OS), and show abnormal distribution of opsin throughout photoreceptors. Apoptotic cell death occurs rapidly between 2-4 weeks of age and is significantly delayed by reduced dosage of opsin. This phenotype also displays dosage-sensitive genetic interactions with Nphp1, another ciliopathy gene. Although not a primary cause of retinal blindness in humans, an allele of AHI1 modifies the relative risk of retinal degeneration greater than 7 fold within a nephronophthisis cohort. Our data support context-specific roles for AHI1 as a contributor to retinopathy and may explain a proportion of the variability of retinal phenotypes observed in nephronophthisis.

Cystic kidney disease represents a major cause of end-stage renal disease, yet the molecular mechanisms of pathogenesis remain largely unclear. Recent emphasis has been placed on a potential role for canonical Wnt signaling, but investigation of this pathway in adult renal homeostasis is lacking. Here we provide evidence of a previously unidentified canonical Wnt activity in adult mammalian kidney homeostasis, the loss of which leads to cystic kidney disease. Loss of the Jouberin (Jbn) protein in mouse leads to the cystic kidney disease nephronophthisis, owing to an unexpected decrease in endogenous Wnt activity. Jbn interacts with and facilitates β-catenin nuclear accumulation, resulting in positive modulation of downstream transcription. Finally, we show that Jbn is required in vivo for a Wnt response to injury and renal tubule repair, the absence of which triggers cystogenesis.Cystic kidney disorders include autosomal recessive and dominant polycystic kidney diseases as well as nephronophthisis 1,2 . Although the exact causes of these related disorders are not clear, various signaling pathways have been implicated. Specifically, several of the proteins encoded by the nephronophthisis-associated genes have been identified as negative modulators of the canonical Wnt pathway while activating the noncanonical Wnt pathway (planar cell polarity (PCP)) 3,4 , suggesting a specific link between cystic kidney disease and Wnt signaling. The emerging model is that cystogenesis is at least partly due to overactivation of canonical Wnt signaling. This is supported by work with mutants of negative Wnt regulators, which show embryonic kidney cysts 5,6 . However, similar embryonic kidney cysts have also been Correspondence should be addressed to J.G.G. (jogleeson@ucsd.edu). Note: Supplementary information is available on the Nature Medicine website.Author Contributions: M.A.L. designed the experimental approach, conducted the experiments and wrote the manuscript. J.G.G. supervised the project and experimental approach, interpreted data and contributed to manuscript preparation. C.M.L. designed and generated the Ahi1 −/− mouse mutant and provided feedback. J.L.S. generated mutant constructs and assisted in microscopy. L.S. contributed to in vitro localization experiments. M.D. contributed to IRI experiments. S.K.N. provided feedback regarding renal characterization and manuscript preparation. K.W. provided feedback and reagents for in vitro Wnt assays.Published online at http://www.nature.com/naturemedicine/. Reprints and permissions information is available online at http://npg.nature.com/reprintsandpermissions/. NIH Public Access Author ManuscriptNat Med. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2010 July 2. Results Ahi1 −/− mice show pathology consistent with nephronophthisisJbn is the protein product of the AHI1 gene that is mutated in Joubert syndrome 9,10 , a disorder associated with cerebellar hypoplasia, retinitis pigmentosa and nephronophthisis 11 . We used Ahi1-null mice generated by homologous recombination, whi...

Tubulin glutamylation is a post-translational modification (PTM) occurring predominantly on ciliary axonemal tubulin and has been suggested to be important for ciliary function 1,2. However, its relationship to disorders of the primary cilium, termed ‘ciliopathies’, has not been explored. Here, in Joubert syndrome (JBTS) 3, we identify the JBTS15 locus and the responsible gene as CEP41, encoding a centrosomal protein of 41 KDa 4. We show that CEP41 is localized to the basal body/primary cilium, and regulates the ciliary entry of TTLL6, an evolutionarily conserved polyglutamylase enzyme 5. Depletion of CEP41 causes ciliopathy-related phenotypes in zebrafish and mouse, and induces cilia axonemal glutamylation defects. Our data identify loss of CEP41 as a cause of JBTS ciliopathy and highlight involvement of tubulin PTM in pathogenesis of the ciliopathy spectrum.

The ciliopathy Joubert syndrome is marked by cerebellar vermis hypoplasia, a phenotype for which the pathogenic mechanism is unclear1–3. In order to investigate Joubert syndrome pathogenesis, we have examined mice with mutated Ahi1, the first identified Joubert syndrome gene4,5. These mice exhibit cerebellar hypoplasia with a vermis/midline fusion defect early in development. This defect is concomitant with expansion of the roof plate and is also evident in a mouse mutant for another Joubert syndrome gene, Cep2906,7. Further, fetal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) from human subjects with Joubert syndrome reveals a similar midline cleft suggesting parallel pathogenic mechanisms. Previous evidence has suggested a role for Jouberin (Jbn), the protein encoded by Ahi1, in canonical Wnt signaling8. Consistent with this, we found decreased Wnt reporter activity at the site of hemisphere fusion in the developing cerebellum of Ahi1 mutant mice. This decrease was accompanied by reduced proliferation at the site of fusion. Finally, treatment with lithium, a Wnt pathway agonist9, partially rescued this phenotype. Our findings implicate a defect in Wnt signaling in the cerebellar midline phenotype seen in Joubert syndrome, which can be overcome with Wnt stimulation.

Usher 1 patients are born profoundly deaf and then develop retinal degeneration. Thus they are readily identified prior to the onset of retinal degeneration, making gene therapy a viable strategy to prevent their blindness. Here, we have investigated the use of adeno-associated viruses (AAV) for the delivery of the Usher 1B gene, MYO7A, to retinal cells in cell culture and in Myo7a-null mice. MYO7A cDNA, under control of a smCBA promoter, was packaged in single AAV2 and AAV5 vectors, and as two overlapping halves in dual AAV2 vectors. The 7.9-kb smCBA-MYO7A exceeds the capacity of an AAV vector; packaging of such oversized constructs into single AAV vectors may involve fragmentation of the gene. Nevertheless, the AAV2 and AAV5 single vector preparations successfully transduced photoreceptor and RPE cells, resulting in functional, full-length MYO7A protein and correction of mutant phenotypes, suggesting successful homologous recombination of gene fragments. With discrete, conventional-sized dual AAV2 vectors, full-length MYO7A was detected, but the level of protein expression was variable, and only a minority of cells showed phenotype correction. Our results show that MYO7A therapy with AAV2 or AAV5 single vectors is efficacious, however, the dual AAV2 approach proved to be less effective.

Over three decades have passed since Marie Joubert described the original proband for Joubert syndrome, a rare neurological disorder featuring absence of the cerebellar vermis (i.e. midline). Efforts at deciphering the molecular basis for this disease have been complicated by the clinical and genetic heterogeneity as well as extensive phenotypic overlap with other syndromes. However, progress has been made in recent years with the mapping of three genetic loci and the identification of mutations in two genes, AHI1 and NPHP1. These genes encode proteins with some shared functional domains, but their role in brain development is unclear. Clues may come from studies of related syndromes, including Bardet-Biedl syndrome and nephronophthisis, for which all of the encoded proteins localize to primary cilia. The data suggest a tantalizing connection between intraflagellar transport in cilia and brain development.