DNA sequence variants in the NALP1 region are associated with the risk of several epidemiologically associated autoimmune and autoinflammatory diseases, implicating the innate immune system in the pathogenesis of these disorders.
Distinct classes of neurons are generated from progenitor cells distributed in characteristic dorsoventral patterns in the developing spinal neural tube. We define restricted neural progenitor populations by the discrete, nonoverlapping expression of Ngn1, Math1, and Mash1. Crossinhibition between these bHLH factors is demonstrated and provides a mechanism for the generation of discrete bHLH expression domains. This precise control of bHLH factor expression is essential for proper neural development since as demonstrated in both loss- and gain-of-function experiments, expression of Math1 or Ngn1 in dorsal progenitor cells determines whether LH2A/B- or dorsal Lim1/2-expressing interneurons will develop. Together, the data suggest that although Math1 and Ngn1 appear to be redundant with respect to neurogenesis, they have distinct functions in specifying neuronal subtype in the dorsal neural tube.
Some familial platelet disorders are associated with predisposition to leukemia, myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) or dyserythropoietic anemia.1,2 We identified a family with autosomal dominant thrombocytopenia, high erythrocyte mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and two occurrences of B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Whole exome sequencing identified a heterozygous single nucleotide change in ETV6 (Ets Variant Gene 6), c.641C>T, encoding a p.Pro214Leu substitution in the central domain, segregating with thrombocytopenia and elevated MCV. A screen of 23 families with similar phenotype found two with ETV6 mutations. One family had the p.Pro214Leu mutation and one individual with ALL. The other family had a c.1252A>G transition producing a p.Arg418Gly substitution in the DNA binding domain, with alternative splicing and exon-skipping. Functional characterization of these mutations showed aberrant cellular localization of mutant and endogenous ETV6, decreased transcriptional repression and altered megakaryocyte maturation. Our findings underscore a key role for ETV6 in platelet formation and leukemia predisposition.
In previous linkage and genome-wide association studies we identified 17 susceptibility loci for generalized vitiligo. By a second genome-wide association study, meta-analysis, and independent replication study, we have now identified 13 additional vitiligo-associated loci, including OCA2-HERC2, a region of 16q24.3 containing MC1R, a region of chromosome 11q21 near TYR, several immunoregulatory loci including IFIH1, CD80, CLNK, BACH2, SLA, CASP7, CD44, IKZF4, SH2B3, and a region of 22q13.2 where the causal gene remains uncertain. Functional pathway analysis shows that most vitiligo susceptibility loci encode immunoregulatory proteins or melanocyte components that likely mediate immune targeting and genetic relationships among vitiligo, malignant melanoma, and normal variation of eye, skin, and hair color.
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