Epilepsy is a common and severe brain disease affecting >65 million people worldwide. Recent studies have shown that kinesin superfamily motor protein 17 (KIF17) is expressed in neurons and is involved in regulating the dendrite-targeted transport of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor subtype 2B (NR2B). However, the effect of KIF17 on epileptic seizures remains to be explored. We found that KIF17 was mainly expressed in neurons and that its expression was increased in epileptic brain tissue. In the kainic acid (KA)-induced epilepsy mouse model, KIF17 overexpression increased the severity of epileptic activity, whereas KIF17 knockdown had the opposite effect. In electrophysiological tests, KIF17 regulated excitatory synaptic transmission, potentially due to KIF17-mediated NR2B membrane expression. In addition, this report provides the first demonstration that KIF17 is modified by SUMOylation (SUMO, small ubiquitin-like modifier), which plays a vital role in the stabilization and maintenance of KIF17 in epilepsy.
Animals ; Epilepsy/metabolism* ; Kinesins/metabolism* ; Mice ; Neurons/metabolism* ; Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate/metabolism* ; Seizures/metabolism*

OBJECTIVES: To analyze the clinical and genetic characteristics of children with autosomal dominant neurodevelopmental disorders caused by kinesin family member 1A (KIF1A) gene variation. METHODS: Clinical and genetic testing data of 6 children with KIF1A gene de novo heterozygous variation diagnosed in Shanghai Children's Medical Center Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine from the year 2018 to 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. Pathogenic variants were identified based on whole exome sequencing, and verified by Sanger sequencing. Moreover, the effect of variants on three-dimensional structure and stability of protein was analyzed by bioinformatics. RESULTS: Among 6 patients there were 4 males and 2 females, and the age of consultation varied from 7 months to 18 years. All cases had varying degrees of motor developmental delay since childhood, and 4 of them had gait abnormalities or fell easily. In addition, 2 children were accompanied by delayed mental development, epilepsy and abnormal eye development. Genetic tests showed that all 6 cases had heterozygous de novo variations of KIF1A gene, including 4 missense mutations c.296C>T (p.T99M), c.761G>A (p.R254Q), c.326G>T (p.G109V), c.745C>G (p.L249V) and one splicing mutation c.798+1G>A, among which the last three variants have not been previously reported. Bioinformatics analysis showed that G109V and L249V may impair their interaction with the neighboring amino acid residues, thereby impacting protein function and reducing protein stability, and were assessed as "likely pathogenic". Meanwhile, c.798+1G>A may damage an alpha helix in the motor domain of the KIF1A protein, and was assessed as "likely pathogenic". CONCLUSIONS KIF1A-associated neurological diseases are clinically heterogeneous, with motor developmental delay and abnormal gait often being the most common clinical features. The clinical symptoms in T99M carriers are more severe, while those in R254Q carriers are relatively mild.
Male ; Female ; Humans ; Child ; Retrospective Studies ; China ; Mutation ; Epilepsy/genetics* ; Neurodevelopmental Disorders/genetics* ; Kinesins/genetics*

Hereditary gingival fibromatosis (HGF) is a rare inherited condition with fibromatoid hyperplasia of the gingival tissue that exhibits great genetic heterogeneity. Five distinct loci related to non-syndromic HGF have been identified; however, only two disease-causing genes, SOS1 and REST, inducing HGF have been identified at two loci, GINGF1 and GINGF5, respectively. Here, based on a family pedigree with 26 members, including nine patients with HGF, we identified double heterozygous pathogenic mutations in the ZNF513 (c.C748T, p.R250W) and KIF3C (c.G1229A, p.R410H) genes within the GINGF3 locus related to HGF. Functional studies demonstrated that the ZNF513 p.R250W and KIF3C p.R410H variants significantly increased the expression of ZNF513 and KIF3C in vitro and in vivo. ZNF513, a transcription factor, binds to KIF3C exon 1 and participates in the positive regulation of KIF3C expression in gingival fibroblasts. Furthermore, a knock-in mouse model confirmed that heterozygous or homozygous mutations within Zfp513 (p.R250W) or Kif3c (p.R412H) alone do not led to clear phenotypes with gingival fibromatosis, whereas the double mutations led to gingival hyperplasia phenotypes. In addition, we found that ZNF513 binds to the SOS1 promoter and plays an important positive role in regulating the expression of SOS1. Moreover, the KIF3C p.R410H mutation could activate the PI3K and KCNQ1 potassium channels. ZNF513 combined with KIF3C regulates gingival fibroblast proliferation, migration, and fibrosis response via the PI3K/AKT/mTOR and Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK pathways. In summary, these results demonstrate ZNF513 + KIF3C as an important genetic combination in HGF manifestation and suggest that ZNF513 mutation may be a major risk factor for HGF.
Animals ; Humans ; Mice ; Fibromatosis, Gingival/pathology* ; Gingiva ; Kinesins/genetics* ; Mutation/genetics* ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/genetics*

OBJECTIVE: To explore the genetic basis for a child featuring complex cortical dysplasia and other brain malformations (CDCBM3). METHODS: Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood samples from the patient and his parents. Whole exome sequencing (WES) was carried out for the family trio. Suspected variant was verified by Sanger sequencing. RESULTS: The proband, a 1-year-and-2-month old Chinese boy, had presented with motor developmental delay, lissencephaly, severe cognitive impairments, absent speech and congenital laryngomalacia. WES revealed that he has harbored a heterozygous missense variant of the KIF2A gene, namely NM_001098511.2: c.952G>A, p.Gly318Arg (GRCh37/hg19). The highly conserved residue is located around the ATP nucleotide-binding pocket in the kinesin motor domain (PM1). The variant was not found in the Genome Aggregation Database and the 1000 Genomes Project (PM2), and was predicted to be deleterious on the gene product by multiple in silico prediction tools (PP3). This variant was unreported previously and was de novo in origin (PS2). Based on the ACMG guidelines, it was categorized as likely pathogenic (PS2+PM1+PM2+PP3). Furthermore, the congenital laryngomalacia found in our patient was absent in previously reported CDCBM3 cases. CONCLUSION The novel variant of the KIF2A gene probably underlay the disorders in the proband. Above finding has expanded the phenotypic and mutational spectrum of CDCBM3.
Asians/genetics* ; Brain ; China ; Humans ; Infant ; Kinesins/genetics* ; Male ; Malformations of Cortical Development/genetics* ; Whole Exome Sequencing

OBJECTIVE: To explore the genetic basis for a Chinese pedigree affected with hereditary spastic paraplegia type 30 (HSP30). METHODS: A proband presented at the Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University in August 2021 was selected as the study subject. The proband was subjected to whole exome sequencing, and candidate variant was verified by Sanger sequencing and bioinformatic analysis. RESULTS: The proband was found to have harbored a heterozygous c.110T>C variant in exon 3 of the KIF1A gene, which can cause substitution of isoleucine by threonine at position 37 (p.I37T) and alter the function of its protein product. The same variant was not found in his parents, elder brother and elder sister, suggesting that it has a de novo origin. Based on the guidelines of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG), the variant was rated as likely pathogenic (PM2_Supporting+PP3+PS2). CONCLUSION The c.110T>C variant of the KIF1A gene probably underlay the HSP30 in the proband. Above finding has enable genetic counseling for this family.
Humans ; Male ; East Asian People ; Kinesins/genetics* ; Mutation ; Pedigree ; Spastic Paraplegia, Hereditary/genetics* ; Female

The clinical data for a patient with primary lung adenocarcinoma complicated with pulmonary hamartoma, who admitted to Zunyi Medical University Hospital in September 2020, was retrospectively analyzed. The 62-years-old male visited outpatient service because of dysphagia in March 2015, and the pulmonary nodules were found. In September 2020, the computed tomography indicated the enlarged nodule in the lower lobe of left lung with lobulation, and there was ground glass nodule in the upper lobe of left lung. After thoracoscopic wedge surgery, the primary pulmonary adenocarcinoma in the upper lobe of left lung and pulmonary hamartoma in the lower lobe of left lung were confirmed by pathology. Whole exon sequencing revealed that kinesin family member 20B (KIF20B) gene was not expressed in lung adenocarcinoma, but was expressed in pulmonary hamartoma. The clinical manifestations of lung adenocarcinoma complicated with pulmonary hamartoma was not typical, which could locate in the same side and different sides of the lung. The imaging manifestations of the 2 kinds of tumors were diverse and can not be completely distinguished. The pathological examination after surgery is the gold standard, and the possibility of malignant transformation of pulmonary hamartoma should be warned.
Adenocarcinoma of Lung/complications* ; Hamartoma/surgery* ; Humans ; Kinesins ; Lung/pathology* ; Lung Neoplasms/surgery* ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver malignancy and is the fourth-leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. HCC is refractory to many standard cancer treatments and the prognosis is often poor, highlighting a pressing need to identify biomarkers of aggressiveness and potential targets for future treatments. Kinesin family member 2C (KIF2C) is reported to be highly expressed in several human tumors. Nevertheless, the molecular mechanisms underlying the role of KIF2C in tumor development and progression have not been investigated. In this study, we found that KIF2C expression was significantly upregulated in HCC, and that KIF2C up-regulation was associated with a poor prognosis. Utilizing both gain and loss of function assays, we showed that KIF2C promoted HCC cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and metastasis both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, we identified TBC1D7 as a binding partner of KIF2C, and this interaction disrupts the formation of the TSC complex, resulting in the enhancement of mammalian target of rapamycin complex1 (mTORC1) signal transduction. Additionally, we found that KIF2C is a direct target of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, and acts as a key factor in mediating the crosstalk between Wnt/β-catenin and mTORC1 signaling. Thus, the results of our study establish a link between Wnt/β-catenin and mTORC1 signaling, which highlights the potential of KIF2C as a therapeutic target for the treatment of HCC.
Adult ; Aged ; Animals ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/pathology* ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Movement ; Cell Proliferation ; Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition/genetics* ; Female ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Humans ; Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins/metabolism* ; Kinesins/metabolism* ; Liver Neoplasms/pathology* ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Staging ; Prognosis ; Protein Binding ; RNA, Small Interfering/metabolism* ; Survival Analysis ; Tumor Burden ; Wnt Signaling Pathway ; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays ; beta Catenin/metabolism*

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) play crucial roles in tumor progression and immune responses. However, mechanisms of driving TAMs to antitumor function remain unknown. Here, transcriptome profiling analysis of human oral cancer tissues indicated that regulator of G protein signaling 12 (RGS12) regulates pathologic processes and immune-related pathways. Mice with RGS12 knockout in macrophages displayed decreased M1 TAMs in oral cancer tissues, and extensive proliferation and invasion of oral cancer cells. RGS12 increased the M1 macrophages with features of increased ciliated cell number and cilia length. Mechanistically, RGS12 associates with and activates MYC binding protein 2 (MYCBP2) to degrade the cilia protein kinesin family member 2A (KIF2A) in TAMs. Our results demonstrate that RGS12 is an essential oral cancer biomarker and regulator for immunosuppressive TAMs activation.
Mice ; Humans ; Animals ; Tumor-Associated Macrophages/metabolism* ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck ; Mouth Neoplasms ; GTP-Binding Proteins/metabolism* ; Head and Neck Neoplasms ; Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases/metabolism* ; Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing/metabolism* ; RGS Proteins/metabolism* ; Kinesins/metabolism* ; Repressor Proteins/metabolism*

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the distribution characteristics of hereditary peripheral neuropathy (HPN) pathogenic genes in Chinese Han population, and to explore the potential pathogenesis and treatment prospects of HPN and related diseases. METHODS: Six hundred and fifty-six index patients with HPN were enrolled in Peking University Third Hospital and China-Japan Friendship Hospital from January 2007 to May 2022. The PMP22 duplication and deletion mutations were screened and validated by multiplex ligation probe amplification technique. The next-generation sequencing gene panel or whole exome sequencing was used, and the suspected genes were validated by Sanger sequencing. RESULTS: Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) accounted for 74.3% (495/666) of the patients with HPN, of whom 69.1% (342/495) were genetically confirmed. The most common genes of CMT were PMP22 duplication, MFN2 and GJB1 mutations, which accounted for 71.3% (244/342) of the patients with genetically confirmed CMT. Hereditary motor neuropathy (HMN) accounted for 16.1% (107/666) of HPN, and 43% (46/107) of HPN was genetically confirmed. The most common genes of HMN were HSPB1, aminoacyl tRNA synthetases and SORD mutations, which accounted for 56.5% (26/46) of the patients with genetically confirmed HMN. Most genes associated with HMN could cause different phenotypes. HMN and CMT shared many genes (e.g. HSPB1, GARS, IGHMBP2). Some genes associated with dHMN-plus shared genes associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (KIF5A, FIG4, DCTN1, SETX, VRK1), hereditary spastic paraplegia (KIF5A, ZFYVE26, BSCL2) and spinal muscular atrophy (MORC2, IGHMBP, DNAJB2), suggesting that HMN was a continuum rather than a distinct entity. Hereditary sensor and autosomal neuropathy (HSAN) accounted for a small proportion of 2.6% (17/666) in HPN. The most common pathogenic gene was SPTLC1 mutation. TTR was the main gene causing hereditary amyloid peripheral neuropathy. The most common types of gene mutations were p.A117S and p.V50M. The symptoms were characterized by late-onset and prominent autonomic nerve involvement. CONCLUSION CMT and HMN are the most common diseases of HPN. There is a large overlap between HMN and motor-CMT2 pathogenic genes, and some HMN pathogenic genes overlap with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, hereditary spastic hemiplegia and spinal muscular atrophy, suggesting that there may be a potential common pathogenic pathway between different diseases.
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis ; Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease/genetics* ; DNA Helicases/genetics* ; DNA-Binding Proteins/genetics* ; Flavoproteins ; HSP40 Heat-Shock Proteins ; Humans ; Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins/genetics* ; Kinesins ; Ligases/genetics* ; Molecular Chaperones ; Multifunctional Enzymes ; Muscular Atrophy, Spinal/genetics* ; Mutation ; Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases ; Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases ; RNA Helicases/genetics* ; RNA, Transfer ; Transcription Factors/genetics*