We recently identified a nuclear variant of the BMP2 growth factor, called nBMP2. In an effort to understand the function of this variant protein, we generated a mouse line in which BMP2 is expressed and functions normally, but nBMP2 is excluded from the nucleus. This novel mutation allows the study of nBMP2 without compromising BMP2 function. To determine whether nBMP2 plays a role in immune function, we performed a series of experiments in which we compared mouse survival, organ weights, immune cells numbers, and bacterial load in wild type and nBmp2NLStm mice following primary and secondary challenges with Staphylococcus aureus. Following primary challenge with S. aureus, wild type and nBmp2NLStm mice showed no differences in survival or bacterial load and generated similar numbers and types of leukocytes, although mutant spleens were smaller than wild type. Secondary bacterial challenge with S. aureus, however, produced differences in survival, with increased mortality seen in nBmp2NLStm mice. This increased mortality corresponded to higher levels of bacteremia in nBmp2NLStm mice and to a reduced enlargement of mutant spleens in response to the secondary infection. Together, these results suggest that the recently described nuclear variant of BMP2 is necessary for efficient secondary immune responses.

Nephronophthisis-related ciliopathies (NPHP-RC) are a group of disorders that present with end-stage renal failure in childhood/adolescence, kidney cysts, retinal degeneration, and cerebellar hypoplasia. One disorder that shares clinical features with NPHP-RC is Bardet-Biedl Syndrome (BBS). Serologically defined colon cancer antigen 8 (SDCCAG8; also known as NPHP10 and BBS16) is an NPHP gene that is also associated with BBS. To better understand the patho-mechanisms of NPHP and BBS caused by loss of SDCCAG8 function, we characterized an SDCCAG8 mouse model (Sdccag8Tn(sb-Tyr)2161B.CA1C2Ove) generated by Sleeping Beauty Transposon (SBT)-mediated insertion mutagenesis. Consistent with the previously reported, independent SDCCAG8 mouse models, our mutant mice display pre-axial polydactyly in their hind limbs. In addition, we report patterning defects in the secondary palate, brain abnormalities, as well as neonatal lethality associated with developmental defects in the lung in our mouse model. The neonatal lethality phenotype is genetic background dependent and rescued by introducing 129S6/SvEvTac background. Genetic modifier(s) responsible for this effect were mapped to a region between SNPs rs3714172 and rs3141832 on chromosome 11. While determining the precise genetic lesion in our mouse model, we found that SBT insertion resulted in a deletion of multiple exons from both Sdccag8 and its neighboring gene Akt3. We ascribe the patterning defects in the limb and the secondary palate as well as lung abnormalities to loss of SDCCAG8, while the developmental defects in the brain are likely due to the loss of AKT3. This mouse model may be useful to study features not observed in other SDCCAG8 models but cautions are needed in interpreting data.

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Nuclear localized bone morphogenetic protein 2 (nBMP2) is a recently discovered protein produced by alternative translation of the BMP2 transcript. We have detected strong nBMP2 expression in numerous immortalized and tumor cell lines, but not in primary cells, suggesting that nBMP2 overexpression is correlated with cell cycle dysregulation. The objective of this study was to determine the impact of nBMP2 on the cell cycle. To accomplish this aim, we overexpressed nBMP2 in cultured cells, stained the cells with propidium iodide, and analyzed cell cycle distribution by flow cytometry. We found that overexpression of nBMP2 in the immortalized human cell line HEK293 and in the colon cancer cell line HT‐29 increased the percentage of cells in S phase. A yeast two‐hybrid screen identified the SCF E3 ligase ROC‐1 as an nBMP2 binding partner. ROC‐1 targets several cell cycle inhibitors (including p21, p27, and p57) for degradation by the proteasome, suggesting that overexpression of nBMP2 could promote the cell cycle by increasing degradation of one or more cell cycle inhibitors. Together, these data suggest that nBMP2 is a potential oncoprotein. Funding provided by NIH #AR048839.

As the diversity of genomic variation data increases with our growing understanding of the role of variation in health and disease, it is critical to develop standards for precise inter-system exchange of these data for research and clinical applications. The Global Alliance for Genomics and Health (GA4GH) Variation Representation Specification (VRS) meets this need through a technical terminology and information model for disambiguating and concisely representing variation concepts. Here we discuss the recent Genotype model in VRS, which may be used to represent the allelic composition of a genetic locus. We demonstrate the use of the Genotype model and the constituent Haplotype model for the precise and interoperable representation of pharmacogenomic diplotypes, HGVS variants, and VCF records using VRS and discuss how this can be leveraged to enable interoperable exchange and search operations between assayed variation and genomic knowledgebases.

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