Cornelia de Lange syndrome (CdLS) is a dominantly inherited congenital malformation disorder caused by mutations in the cohesin-loading protein NIPBL1,2 for nearly 60% of individuals with classical CdLS3-5 and in the core cohesin components SMC1A (~5%) and SMC3 (<1%) for a smaller fraction of probands6,7. In humans, the multi-subunit complex cohesin is comprised of SMC1, SMC3, RAD21 and a STAG protein to form a ring structure proposed to encircle sister chromatids to mediate sister chromatid cohesion (SCC)8 as well as play key roles in gene regulation9. SMC3 is acetylated during S-phase to establish cohesiveness of chromatin-loaded cohesin10-13 and in yeast, HOS1, a class I histone deacetylase, deacetylates SMC3 during anaphase14-16. Here we report the identification of HDAC8 as the vertebrate SMC3 deacetylase as well as loss-of-function HDAC8 mutations in six CdLS probands. Loss of HDAC8 activity results in increased SMC3 acetylation (SMC3-ac) and inefficient dissolution of the “used” cohesin complex released from chromatin in both prophase and anaphase. While SMC3 with retained acetylation is loaded onto chromatin, ChIP-Seq analysis demonstrates decreased occupancy of cohesin localization sites that results in a consistent pattern of altered transcription seen in CdLS cell lines with either NIPBL or HDAC8 mutations.

The evolutionarily conserved cohesin complex was originally described for its role in regulating sister-chromatid cohesion during mitosis and meiosis. Cohesin and its regulatory proteins have been implicated in several human developmental disorders, including Cornelia de Lange (CdLS) and Roberts syndromes. Here we show that human mutations in the integral cohesin structural protein RAD21 result in a congenital phenotype consistent with a "cohesinopathy." Children with RAD21 mutations display growth retardation, minor skeletal anomalies, and facial features that overlap findings in individuals with CdLS. Notably, unlike children with mutations in NIPBL, SMC1A, or SMC3, these individuals have much milder cognitive impairment than those with classical CdLS. Mechanistically, these mutations act at the RAD21 interface with the other cohesin proteins STAG2 and SMC1A, impair cellular DNA damage response, and disrupt transcription in a zebrafish model. Our data suggest that, compared to loss-of-function mutations, dominant missense mutations result in more severe functional defects and cause worse structural and cognitive clinical findings. These results underscore the essential role of RAD21 in eukaryotes and emphasize the need for further understanding of the role of cohesin in human development.

Human genetic studies have established a link between a class of centrosome proteins and microcephaly. Current studies of microcephaly focus on defective centrosome/spindle orientation. Mutations in WDR62 are associated with microcephaly and other cortical abnormalities in humans. Here we create a mouse model of Wdr62 deficiency and find that the mice exhibit reduced brain size due to decreased neural progenitor cells (NPCs). Wdr62 depleted cells show spindle instability, spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) activation, mitotic arrest and cell death. Mechanistically, Wdr62 associates and genetically interacts with Aurora A to regulate spindle formation, mitotic progression and brain size. Our results suggest that Wdr62 interacts with Aurora A to control mitotic progression, and loss of these interactions leads to mitotic delay and cell death of NPCs, which could be a potential cause of human microcephaly.