OBJECTIVE: To analyze the clinical and genetic characteristics of a patient with congenital isolated adrenocorticotropic hormone deficiency (IAD). METHODS: Clinical characteristics of the patient was reviewed. Genomic DNA of the child was subjected to whole exome sequencing. RESULTS: Genetic testing has confirmed the diagnosis of congenital IAD by identification of compound heterozygous variants of the TBX19 gene, which included a pathogenic nonsense c.535C>T (p.R179X) variant inherited from his father and a novel missense c.298C>T (p.R100C) variant inherited from his mother. CONCLUSION Congenital IAD due to variants of the TBX19 gene is a rare autosomal recessive disease. It is characterized by low plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone and cortisol levels but normal levels of other pituitary hormones. Delayed diagnosis may lead to severe early-onset adrenal failure and wrong treatment which may result in neonatal mortality. Hydrocortisone replacement is effective. Detection of pathogenic variant of TBX19 gene is the key to diagnosis.
Adrenal Insufficiency/genetics* ; Child ; Homeodomain Proteins/genetics* ; Humans ; T-Box Domain Proteins/genetics*

Objective To explore the cell subsets and characteristics related to the prognosis of osteosarcoma by analyzing the cellular composition of tumor tissue samples from different osteosarcoma patients.Methods The single-cell sequencing data and bulk sequencing data of different osteosarcoma patients were downloaded.We extracted the information of cell samples for dimensionality reduction,annotation,and cell function analysis,so as to identify the cell subsets and clarify the cell characteristics related to the prognosis of osteosarcoma.The development trajectory of macrophages with prognostic significance was analyzed,and the prognostic model of osteosarcoma was established based on the differentially expressed genes of macrophage differentiation.Results The cellular composition presented heterogeneity in the patients with osteosarcoma.The infiltration of mononuclear phagocytes in osteosarcoma had prognostic significance(P=0.003).Four macrophage subsets were associated with prognosis,and their signature transcription factors included RUNX3(+),ETS1(+),HOXD11(+),ZNF281(+),and PRRX1(+).Prog_Macro2 and Prog_Macro4 were located at the end of the developmental trajectory,and the prognostic ability of macrophage subsets increased with the progression of osteosarcoma.The prognostic model established based on the differentially expressed genes involved in macrophage differentiation can distinguish the survival rate of osteosarcoma patients with different risks(P<0.001).Conclusion Macrophage subsets are closely related to the prognosis of osteosarcoma and can be used as the key target cells for the immunotherapy of osteosarcoma.
Humans ; Prognosis ; Osteosarcoma/genetics* ; Immunotherapy ; Macrophages ; Transcription Factors ; Bone Neoplasms/genetics* ; Homeodomain Proteins ; Repressor Proteins

The gene responsible for nail-patella syndrome, LMX1B, has recently been identified on chromosome 9q. Here we present a patient with nail-patella syndrome and an autosomal dominant pattern of inheritance. A 17-year-old girl visited our clinic for the evaluation and treatment of proteinuria. She had dystrophic nails, palpable iliac horns, and hypoplastic patellae. Electron microscopy of a renal biopsy showed irregular thickening of the glomerular basement membrane. A family history over three generations revealed five affected family members. Genetic analysis found a change of TCG to TCC, resulting in a synonymous alteration at codon 219 in exon 4 of the LMX1B gene in two affected family members. The same alteration was not detected in an unaffected family member. This is the first report of familial nail-patella syndrome associated with an LMX1B in Korea mutation, However, we can not completely rule out the possibility that the G-to-C change may be a single nucleotide polymorphism as this genetic mutation cause no alteration in amino acid sequence of LMX1B.
Adolescent ; Female ; Homeodomain Proteins/*genetics ; Humans ; *Mutation ; Nail-Patella Syndrome/*genetics/pathology ; Transcription Factors/*genetics

OBJECTIVE: To study the trinucleotide repeats of GCN (GCA, GCT, GCC, GCG) encoding Alanine in exon 3 of the PHOX2B gene among healthy individuals from southwest China and two patients with Congenital central hypoventilation syndrome (CCHS). METHODS: The number and sequence of the GCN repeats of the PHOX2B gene were analyzed by capillary electrophoresis, Sanger sequencing and cloning sequencing of 518 healthy individuals and two newborns with CCHS, respectively. RESULTS: Among the 1036 alleles of the 518 healthy individuals, five alleles were identified, including (GCN)₇, (GCN)₁₃, (GCN)₁₄, (GCN)₁₅ and (GCN)₂₀. The frequency of the (GCN)₂₀ allele was the highest (94.79%). And five genotypes were identified, which included (GCN)₇/(GCN)₂₀, (GCN)_13/(GCN)₂₀, (GCN)₁₄/(GCN)₂₀, (GCN)₁₅/(GCN)₂₀, (GCN)₂₀/(GCN)₂₀. The homozygous genotypes were all (GCN)₂₀/(GCN)₂₀, and the carrier rate was 89.58%. Four GCN sequences of the (GCN)₂₀ homozygous genotypes were identified among the 464 healthy individuals. The GCN repeat numbers in the exon 3 of the PHOX2B gene showed no significant difference between the expected and observed values, and had fulfilled the,Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The genotypes of the two CCHS patients were (GCN)₂₀/(GCN)₂₅ and (GCN)₂₀/(GCN)₃₀, respectively. CONCLUSION It is important to determine the GCN repeats and genotypic data of the exon 3 of the PHOX2B gene among the healthy individuals. The number of GCN repeats in 518 healthy individuals was all below 20. The selection of appropriate methods can accurately detect the polyalanine repeat mutations (PARMs) of the PHOX2B gene, which is conducive to the early diagnosis, intervention and treatment of CCHS.
Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Homeodomain Proteins/genetics* ; Hypoventilation/congenital* ; Mutation ; Sleep Apnea, Central/genetics* ; Transcription Factors/genetics*

Homeodomain Proteins/genetics* ; Humans ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/genetics* ; Nuclear Pore Complex Proteins ; Oncogene Proteins, Fusion/genetics* ; Translocation, Genetic

AIMTo study polyethylenimine (PEI)-mediated in vivo gene transfection into testis cells and preliminary functional research of spermatogenic cell-specific gene NYD-SP12 using this method.

METHODSPEI/DNA complexes were introduced into the seminiferous tubules of mouse testes using intratesticular injection. Transfection efficiency and speciality were analyzed on the third day of transfection with fluorescent microscopy and hematoxylin staining. The long-lasting expression of the GFP-NYD-SP12 fusion protein and its subcellular localization in spermatogenic cells at different stages were analyzed with fluorescent microscopy and propidium iodide staining.

RESULTSWith the mediation of PEI, the GFP-NYD-SP12 fusion gene was efficiently transferred and expressed in the germ cells (especially in primary spermatocytes). Transfection into Sertoli cells was not observed. The subcellular localization of the GFP-NYD-SP2 fusion protein showed dynamic shifts in spermatogenic cells at different stages during spermatogenesis.

CONCLUSIONPEI can efficiently mediate gene transfer into spermatocytes. Thus, it might be useful for the functional research of spermatogenic-cell specific genes such as the NYD-SP12 gene. In our study, the NYD-SP12 protein was visualized and was involved in the formation of acrosome during spermatogenesis. Our research will continue into the detailed function of NYD-SP12 in spermatocytes.

Animals ; Green Fluorescent Proteins ; Homeodomain Proteins ; genetics ; physiology ; Humans ; Male ; Mice ; Polyethyleneimine ; Spermatogenesis ; physiology ; Transfection ; methods

This study was purposed to construct the recombinant retroviral vector containing human homeobox gene hoxA10 and to establish the packaging cell lines which stably produce viruses. The whole coding region of hoxA10 gene was amplified by PCR and inserted into the retroviral vector MSCVneo. The recombinant vector was identified by DNA sequencing. The recombinant and control retroviral vectors were transfected into the packaging cell line PT67 by liposome Lipofectamine(TM) 2000. These cell lines stably producing retrovirus were isolated following G418 selection. The viral suspension was harvested and the viral titer was determined by NIH3T3 cells. The results showed that the recombinant retroviral vector was proved to encode hoxA10 genes by sequencing. The cell lines efficiently producing virus were screened by G418 and designated as PT67/MSCVneo and PT67/MSCVneo-hoxA10. The titers of them were 5 x 10(5) CFU/ml and 4 x 10(4) CFU/ml respectively. It is concluded that the recombinant retroviral vector containing homeobox gene hoxA10 and the stably packaging cell lines which efficiently and correctly produce viruses are successfully constructed, which provides a basis for further exploration of the hoxA10 gene function in the regulation of hematopoiesis.
Cell Line ; Genes, Homeobox ; Genetic Vectors ; Homeodomain Proteins ; genetics ; Humans ; Retroviridae ; genetics ; Transfection

OBJECTIVE: RAG1 plays important roles in lymphopoiesis and immune system, its dysfunction may result in the malignancies of hemopoietic system. The aim of this study was to investigate the characteristics of RAG1 expression in adult B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL), and to analyze the clinical significances. METHODS: Quantitative PCR (q-PCR) was performed to evaluate the expression of RAG1 in 104 newly diagnosed, 22 relapsed adult B-ALL patients and 30 normal controls, the clinical significances of RAG1 expression were analyzed. RESULTS: Compared with normal controls, newly diagnosed and relapsed adult B-ALL patients showed higher RAG1 expression level (3.94 vs 1.23) (P＜0.01), (5.86 vs 1.23) (P＜0.01). The analysis of paired simples from 6 cases of newly diagnosed and relapsed B-ALL showed that the expression level of RAG1 at relapse was significantly higher than that at new diagnosis (13.65 vs 2.31) (P＜0.01). The RAG1 expression level in IK6 positive patients was higher than that in IK6 negative patients (5.30 vs 2.11) (P＜0.05). The ratio of patients with LDH＞1 000 U/L in RAG1 high expression group was higher than that in RAG1 low expression group (42.2% vs 20.5%) (P＜0.05). CONCLUSION RAG1 up-regulation may play an important role in the development of adult B-ALL especially when relapsed, which may also take part in the formation of Ik6. Monitoring RAG1 expression may provide a new method to evaluate the prognosis of adult B-ALL patients.
Acute Disease ; Adult ; B-Lymphocytes ; Homeodomain Proteins ; genetics ; Humans ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma ; genetics ; Prognosis

OBJECTIVE: AP2/ERF (APETALA2/ethylene-responsive factor) superfamily is one of the largest gene families in plants and has been reported to participate in various biological processes, such as the regulation of biosynthesis of active lignan. However, few studies have investigated the genome-wide role of the AP2/ERF superfamily in Isatis indigotica. This study establishes a complete picture of the AP2/ERF superfamily in I. indigotica and contributes valuable information for further functional characterization of IiAP2/ERF genes and supports further metabolic engineering. METHODS: To identify the IiAP2/ERF superfamily genes, the AP2/ERF sequences from Arabidopsis thaliana and Brassica rapa were used as query sequences in the basic local alignment search tool. Bioinformatic analyses were conducted to investigate the protein structure, motif composition, chromosome location, phylogenetic relationship, and interaction network of the IiAP2/ERF superfamily genes. The accuracy of omics data was verified by quantitative polymerase chain reaction and heatmap analyses. RESULTS: One hundred and twenty-six putative IiAP2/ERF genes in total were identified from the I. indigotica genome database in this study. By sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis, the IiAP2/ERF genes were classified into 5 groups including AP2, ERF, DREB (dehydration-responsive element-binding factor), Soloist and RAV (related to abscisic acid insensitive 3/viviparous 1) subfamilies. Among which, 122 members were unevenly distributed across seven chromosomes. Sequence alignment showed that I. indigotica and A. thaliana had 30 pairs of orthologous genes, and we constructed their interaction network. The comprehensive analysis of gene expression pattern in different tissues suggested that these genes may play a significant role in organ growth and development of I. indigotica. Members that may regulate lignan biosynthesis in roots were also preliminarily identified. Ribonucleic acid sequencing analysis revealed that the expression of 76 IiAP2/ERF genes were up- or down-regulated under salt or drought treatment, among which, 33 IiAP2/ERF genes were regulated by both stresses. CONCLUSION This study undertook a genome-wide characterization of the AP2/ERF superfamily in I. indigotica, providing valuable information for further functional characterization of IiAP2/ERF genes and discovery of genetic targets for metabolic engineering.
Abscisic Acid ; Isatis/genetics* ; Multigene Family ; Phylogeny ; Homeodomain Proteins/genetics* ; Genome, Plant

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical phenotype and genetic features of a child with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). METHODS: Clinical data of the child who had presented at the Zhengzhou Children's Hospital on April 28, 2020 was collected. Trio-whole exome sequencing (trio-WES) was carried out for the child and her parents, and candidate variants were validated by Sanger sequencing. "FHL2" was taken as the key word to retrieve related literature from January 1, 1997 to October 31, 2021 in the PubMed database and was also searched in the ClinVar database as a supplement to analyze the correlation between genetic variants and clinical features. RESULTS: The patient was a 5-month-old female infant presented with left ventricular enlargement and reduced systolic function. A heterozygous missense variant c.391C>T (p.Arg131Cys) in FHL2 gene was identified through trio-WES. The same variant was not detected in either of her parents. A total of 10 patients with FHL2 gene variants have been reported in the literature, 6 of them had presented with DCM, 2 with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), and 2 with sudden unexplained death (SUD). Phenotypic analysis revealed that patients with variants in the LIM 3 domain presented hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and those with variants of the LIM 0~2 and LIM 4 domains had mainly presented DCM. The c.391C>T (p.Arg131Cys) has been identified in a child with DCM, though it has not been validated among the patient's family members. Based on the guidelines of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics, the c.391C>T(p.Arg131Cys) variant was re-classified as likely pathogenic (PS2+PM2_Supporting+PP3+PP5). CONCLUSION The heterozygous missense variant of c.391C>T (p.Arg131Cys) in the FHL2 gene probably predisposed to the DCM in this child, which has highlighted the importance of WES in the clinical diagnosis and genetic counseling.
Female ; Humans ; Cardiomyopathy, Dilated/genetics* ; Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic ; Genetic Counseling ; Genomics ; Heterozygote ; Muscle Proteins/genetics* ; Transcription Factors ; LIM-Homeodomain Proteins/genetics*