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Mon-li Chu - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • A Mouse Model for Dominant Collagen VI Disorders HETEROZYGOUS DELETION OF Col6a3 EXON 16
    The Journal of biological chemistry, 2014
    Co-Authors: Te Cheng Pan, David E Birk, Raimund Wagener, Sudheer Kumar Gara, Rui Zhu Zhang, Machiko Arita, Sasha Bogdanovich, Sheila M. Adams, Tejvior S. Khurana, Mon-li Chu
    Abstract:

    Dominant and recessive mutations in collagen VI genes, COL6A1, COL6A2, and COL6A3, cause a continuous spectrum of disorders characterized by muscle weakness and connective tissue abnormalities ranging from the severe Ullrich congenital muscular dystrophy to the mild Bethlem myopathy. Herein, we report the development of a mouse model for dominant collagen VI disorders by deleting exon 16 in the Col6a3 gene. The resulting heterozygous mouse, Col6a3+/d16, produced comparable amounts of normal Col6a3 mRNA and a mutant transcript with an in-frame deletion of 54 bp of triple-helical coding sequences, thus mimicking the most common molecular defect found in dominant Ullrich congenital muscular dystrophy patients. Biosynthetic studies of mutant fibroblasts indicated that the mutant α3(VI) collagen protein was produced and exerted a dominant-negative effect on collagen VI microfibrillar assembly. The distribution of the α3(VI)-like chains of collagen VI was not altered in mutant mice during development. The Col6a3+/d16 mice developed histopathologic signs of myopathy and showed ultrastructural alterations of mitochondria and sarcoplasmic reticulum in muscle and abnormal collagen fibrils in tendons. The Col6a3+/d16 mice displayed compromised muscle contractile functions and thereby provide an essential preclinical platform for developing treatment strategies for dominant collagen VI disorders.

  • col6a3 protein deficiency in mice leads to muscle and tendon defects similar to human collagen vi congenital muscular dystrophy
    Journal of Biological Chemistry, 2013
    Co-Authors: Te Cheng Pan, David E Birk, Carsten G. Bönnemann, Rui Zhu Zhang, Machiko Arita, Sasha Bogdanovich, Tejvior S. Khurana, Dessislava Markova, Yejia Zhang, Mon-li Chu
    Abstract:

    Collagen VI is a ubiquitously expressed extracellular microfibrillar protein. Its most common molecular form is composed of the α1(VI), α2(VI), and α3(VI) collagen α chains encoded by the COL6A1, COL6A2, and COL6A3 genes, respectively. Mutations in any of the three collagen VI genes cause congenital muscular dystrophy types Bethlem and Ullrich as well as intermediate phenotypes characterized by muscle weakness and connective tissue abnormalities. The α3(VI) collagen α chain has much larger N- and C-globular domains than the other two chains. Its most C-terminal domain can be cleaved off after assembly into microfibrils, and the cleavage product has been implicated in tumor angiogenesis and progression. Here we characterize a Col6a3 mutant mouse that expresses a very low level of a non-functional α3(VI) collagen chain. The mutant mice are deficient in extracellular collagen VI microfibrils and exhibit myopathic features, including decreased muscle mass and contractile force. Ultrastructurally abnormal collagen fibrils were observed in tendon, but not cornea, of the mutant mice, indicating a distinct tissue-specific effect of collagen VI on collagen I fibrillogenesis. Overall, the mice lacking normal α3(VI) collagen chains displayed mild musculoskeletal phenotypes similar to mice deficient in the α1(VI) collagen α chain, suggesting that the cleavage product of the α3(VI) collagen does not elicit essential functions in normal growth and development. The Col6a3 mouse mutant lacking functional α3(VI) collagen chains thus serves as an animal model for COL6A3-related muscular dystrophy.

  • recessive COL6A2 c globular missense mutations in ullrich congenital muscular dystrophy role of the c2a splice variant
    Journal of Biological Chemistry, 2010
    Co-Authors: Rui Zhu Zhang, Carsten G. Bönnemann, Te Cheng Pan, Suely Kazue Nagahashi Marie, Dessislava Markova, Y Zou, Andrzej Fertala, Stefano Squarzoni, Umbertina Conti Reed, Mon-li Chu
    Abstract:

    Ullrich congenital muscular dystrophy (UCMD) is a disabling and life-threatening disorder resulting from either recessive or dominant mutations in genes encoding collagen VI. Although the majority of the recessive UCMD cases have frameshift or nonsense mutations in COL6A1, COL6A2, or COL6A3, recessive structural mutations in the COL6A2 C-globular region are emerging also. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms have remained elusive. Here we identified a homozygous COL6A2 E624K mutation (C1 subdomain) and a homozygous COL6A2 R876S mutation (C2 subdomain) in two UCMD patients. The consequences of the mutations were investigated using fibroblasts from patients and cells stably transfected with the mutant constructs. In contrast to expectations based on the clinical severity of these two patients, secretion and assembly of collagen VI were moderately affected by the E624K mutation but severely impaired by the R876S substitution. The E624K substitution altered the electrostatic potential of the region surrounding the metal ion-dependent adhesion site, resulting in a collagen VI network containing thick fibrils and spots with densely packed microfibrils. The R876S mutation prevented the chain from assembling into triple-helical collagen VI molecules. The minute amount of collagen VI secreted by the R876S fibroblasts was solely composed of a faster migrating chain corresponding to the C2a splice variant with an alternative C2 subdomain. In transfected cells, the C2a splice variant was able to assemble into short microfibrils. Together, the results suggest that the C2a splice variant may functionally compensate for the loss of the normal COL6A2 chain when mutations occur in the C2 subdomain.

  • Muscle Interstitial Fibroblasts Are the Main Source of Collagen VI Synthesis in Skeletal Muscle: Implications for Congenital Muscular Dystrophy Types Ullrich and Bethlem
    Journal of neuropathology and experimental neurology, 2008
    Co-Authors: Yaqun Zou, Patrizia Sabatelli, Rui Zhu Zhang, Mon-li Chu, Carsten G. Bönnemann
    Abstract:

    Mutations in the extracellular matrix molecule collagen VI underlie the congenital muscular dystrophy types Ullrich and Bethlem. Establishing the origin of collagen VI in muscle is important for understanding the pathophysiology of these diseases and for developing future treatment approaches involving cell-specific delivery. Because the cells that produce collagen VI cannot be identified by histologic analysis, we examined the production of collagen VI in pure cultures of primary myogenic cells and muscle interstitial fibroblasts from limb muscle of neonatal mice. Immunofluorescence staining and Western blot analysis revealed secretion and matrix deposition of collagen VI by interstitial fibroblasts but not by myogenic cells in vitro. Using Northern blot and real-time reverse-transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction analysis for the collagen VI genes col6a1 , COL6A2 , col6a3 , transcript levels for the 3 mRNAs were high in interstitial fibroblasts, whereas in primary myogenic cells, they were indistinguishable from background. Furthermore, retention of mutant collagen VI in muscle from 3 patients with collagen VI mutation was identified in interstitial fibroblastic cells but not in their myofibers. These results suggest that interstitial fibroblasts but not myogenic cells contribute significantly to the deposition of collagen VI in the extracellular matrix in skeletal muscle and imply major roles of this cell type and the extracellular matrix in the pathogenesis of these diseases.

  • new molecular mechanism for ullrich congenital muscular dystrophy a heterozygous in frame deletion in the col6a1 gene causes a severe phenotype
    American Journal of Human Genetics, 2003
    Co-Authors: Te Cheng Pan, Carsten G. Bönnemann, Rui Zhu Zhang, Suely Kazue Nagahashi Marie, Dominick Sudano, Mon-li Chu
    Abstract:

    Recessive mutations in two of the three collagen VI genes, COL6A2 and COL6A3, have recently been shown to cause Ullrich congenital muscular dystrophy (UCMD), a frequently severe disorder characterized by congenital muscle weakness with joint contractures and coexisting distal joint hyperlaxity. Dominant mutations in all three collagen VI genes had previously been associated with the considerably milder Bethlem myopathy. Here we report that a de novo heterozygous deletion of the COL6A1 gene can also result in a severe phenotype of classical UCMD precluding ambulation. The internal gene deletion occurs near a minisatellite DNA sequence in intron 8 that removes 1.1 kb of genomic DNA encompassing exons 9 and 10. The resulting mutant chain contains a 33–amino acid deletion near the amino-terminus of the triple-helical domain but preserves a unique cysteine in the triple-helical domain important for dimer formation prior to secretion. Thus, dimer formation and secretion of abnormal tetramers can occur and exert a strong dominant negative effect on microfibrillar assembly, leading to a loss of normal localization of collagen VI in the basement membrane surrounding muscle fibers. Consistent with this mechanism was our analysis of a patient with a much milder phenotype, in whom we identified a previously described Bethlem myopathy heterozygous in-frame deletion of 18 amino acids somewhat downstream in the triple-helical domain, a result of exon 14 skipping in the COL6A1 gene. This deletion removes the crucial cysteine, so that dimer formation cannot occur and the abnormal molecule is not secreted, preventing the strong dominant negative effect. Our studies provide a biochemical insight into genotype-phenotype correlations in this group of disorders and establish that UCMD can be caused by dominantly acting mutations.

Carsten G. Bönnemann - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • exon skipping oligonucleotides restore functional collagen vi by correcting a common col6a1 mutation in ullrich cmd
    Molecular therapy. Nucleic acids, 2020
    Co-Authors: Sara Aguti, Carsten G. Bönnemann, Francesco Muntoni, Pierpaolo Ala, Veronique Bolduc, Mark Turmaine, Haiyan Zhou
    Abstract:

    Collagen VI-related congenital muscular dystrophies (COL6-CMDs) are the second most common form of congenital muscular dystrophy. Currently, there is no effective treatment available. COL6-CMDs are caused by recessive or dominant mutations in one of the three genes encoding for the α chains of collagen type VI (COL6A1, COL6A2, and COL6A3). One of the most common mutations in COL6-CMD patients is a de novo deep intronic c.930+189C > T mutation in COL6A1 gene. This mutation creates a cryptic donor splice site and induces incorporation of a novel in-frame pseudo-exon in the mature transcripts. In this study, we systematically evaluated the splice switching approach using antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) to correct this mutation. Fifteen ASOs were designed using the RNA-tiling approach to target the misspliced pseudo-exon and its flanking sequences. The efficiency of ASOs was evaluated at RNA, protein, and structural levels in skin fibroblasts established from four patients carrying the c.930+189C > T mutation. We identified two additional lead ASO candidates that efficiently induce pseudo-exon exclusion from the mature transcripts, thus allowing for the restoration of a functional collagen VI microfibrillar matrix. Our findings provide further evidence for ASO exon skipping as a therapeutic approach for COL6-CMD patients carrying this common intronic mutation.

  • lower extremity muscle involvement in the intermediate and bethlem myopathy forms of col6 related dystrophy and duchenne muscular dystrophy a cross sectional study
    Journal of neuromuscular diseases, 2020
    Co-Authors: Abhinandan Batra, Carsten G. Bönnemann, Reghan A Foley, Jahannaz Dastgir, Donovan J Lott, Rebecca J Willcocks, Sean C Forbes, William T Triplett, Pomi Yun, Krista Vandenborne
    Abstract:

    Collagen VI-related dystrophies (COL6-RDs) and Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) cause progressive muscle weakness and disability. COL6-RDs are caused by mutations in the COL6 genes (COL6A1, COL6A2 and COL6A3) encoding the extracellular matrix protein collagen VI, and DMD is caused by mutations in the DMD gene encoding the cytoplasmic protein dystrophin. Both COL6-RDs and DMD are characterized by infiltration of the muscles by fatty and fibrotic tissue. This study examined the effect of disease pathology on skeletal muscles in lower extremity muscles of COL6-RDs using timed functional tests, strength measures and qualitative/ quantitative magnetic resonance imaging/spectroscopy measures (MRI/MRS) in comparison to unaffected (control) individuals. Patients with COL6-RD were also compared to age and gender matched patients with DMD.Patients with COL6-RD presented with a typical pattern of fatty infiltration of the muscle giving rise to an apparent halo effect around the muscle, while patients with DMD had evidence of fatty infiltration throughout the muscle areas imaged. Quantitatively, fat fraction, and transverse relaxation time (T2) were elevated in both COL6-RD and DMD patients compared to unaffected (control) individuals. Patients with COL6-RD had widespread muscle atrophy, likely contributing to weakness. In contrast, patients with DMD revealed force deficits even in muscle groups with increased contractile areas.

  • O.1 Collagen XII as a new disease gene for Bethlem-like myopathy
    Neuromuscular Disorders, 2013
    Co-Authors: Debbie Hicks, Carsten G. Bönnemann, James J Collins, Yaqun Zou, E Martoni, G. Torabi Farsani, Steve Laval, A. Shah, Manuel Koch, Hanns Lochmüller
    Abstract:

    Bethlem myopathy (BM) is a slowly progressive disorder characterized by contractures and a proximal myopathy, which can be caused by mutations in one of the collagen VI genes (COL6A1, COL6A2, and COL6A3), although genetic heterogeneity is predicted to be as high as 50%. Using whole exome sequencing (WES) we have identified mutations in a novel gene, COL12A1, a member of the FACIT collagens (fibril-associated collagens with interrupted triple helices) in five individuals from two families. In eighteen additional families we have excluded 12 other genes which were considered candidates for causative genes in non-collagen VI BM based on their function, including known binding partners of, and enzymes involved in correct post translational modification, assembly and secretion of collagen VI. Both families carry dominant mutations with a clinical phenotype indistinguishable from classical BM, apart from an intriguing improvement in disease course over time in one of the families and a different pattern of selective muscle involvement on MRI. Family 1 has a single-base substitution that leads to the replacement of one glycine residue in the triple helical domain, breaking the Gly-X-Y repeating pattern, which is known to destabilize the triple helix through a local disruption in hydrogen bonding. Family 2 has a missense mutation which creates a mutant protein with an unpaired cysteine residue. Deficiency at the protein level is confirmed in both families by the intracellular retention of collagen XII in patient dermal fibroblasts. Upregulation of genes associated with the endoplasmic reticulum-associated protein degradation (ERAD) pathway and swollen, dysmorphic rough-ER as determined by electron microscopy in three members of Family 2 lead to the hypothesis that the unfolded protein response (UPR) contributes to the disease pathomechanism in this family. We suggest that the spectrum of causative genes in BM be extended from the COL6A1-A3 genes to include COL12A1.

  • col6a3 protein deficiency in mice leads to muscle and tendon defects similar to human collagen vi congenital muscular dystrophy
    Journal of Biological Chemistry, 2013
    Co-Authors: Te Cheng Pan, David E Birk, Carsten G. Bönnemann, Rui Zhu Zhang, Machiko Arita, Sasha Bogdanovich, Tejvior S. Khurana, Dessislava Markova, Yejia Zhang, Mon-li Chu
    Abstract:

    Collagen VI is a ubiquitously expressed extracellular microfibrillar protein. Its most common molecular form is composed of the α1(VI), α2(VI), and α3(VI) collagen α chains encoded by the COL6A1, COL6A2, and COL6A3 genes, respectively. Mutations in any of the three collagen VI genes cause congenital muscular dystrophy types Bethlem and Ullrich as well as intermediate phenotypes characterized by muscle weakness and connective tissue abnormalities. The α3(VI) collagen α chain has much larger N- and C-globular domains than the other two chains. Its most C-terminal domain can be cleaved off after assembly into microfibrils, and the cleavage product has been implicated in tumor angiogenesis and progression. Here we characterize a Col6a3 mutant mouse that expresses a very low level of a non-functional α3(VI) collagen chain. The mutant mice are deficient in extracellular collagen VI microfibrils and exhibit myopathic features, including decreased muscle mass and contractile force. Ultrastructurally abnormal collagen fibrils were observed in tendon, but not cornea, of the mutant mice, indicating a distinct tissue-specific effect of collagen VI on collagen I fibrillogenesis. Overall, the mice lacking normal α3(VI) collagen chains displayed mild musculoskeletal phenotypes similar to mice deficient in the α1(VI) collagen α chain, suggesting that the cleavage product of the α3(VI) collagen does not elicit essential functions in normal growth and development. The Col6a3 mouse mutant lacking functional α3(VI) collagen chains thus serves as an animal model for COL6A3-related muscular dystrophy.

  • the collagen vi related myopathies ullrich congenital muscular dystrophy and bethlem myopathy
    Handbook of Clinical Neurology, 2011
    Co-Authors: Carsten G. Bönnemann
    Abstract:

    Abstract Mutations in the genes COL6A1, COL6A2, and COL6A3, coding for three α chains of collagen type VI, underlie a spectrum of myopathies, ranging from the severe congenital muscular dystrophy-type Ullrich (UCMD) to the milder Bethlem myopathy (BM), with disease manifestations of intermediate severity in between. UCMD is characterized by early‐onset weakness, associated with pronounced distal joint hyperlaxity and the early onset or early progression of more proximal contractures. In the most severe cases ambulation is not achieved, or it may be achieved only for a limited period of time. BM may be of early or later onset, but is milder in its manifestations, typically allowing for ambulation well into adulthood, whereas typical joint contractures are frequently prominent. A genetic spectrum is emerging, with BM being caused mostly by dominantly acting mutations, although rarely recessive inheritance of BM is also possible, whereas both dominantly as well as recessively acting mutations underlie UCMD.

Te Cheng Pan - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • A Mouse Model for Dominant Collagen VI Disorders HETEROZYGOUS DELETION OF Col6a3 EXON 16
    The Journal of biological chemistry, 2014
    Co-Authors: Te Cheng Pan, David E Birk, Raimund Wagener, Sudheer Kumar Gara, Rui Zhu Zhang, Machiko Arita, Sasha Bogdanovich, Sheila M. Adams, Tejvior S. Khurana, Mon-li Chu
    Abstract:

    Dominant and recessive mutations in collagen VI genes, COL6A1, COL6A2, and COL6A3, cause a continuous spectrum of disorders characterized by muscle weakness and connective tissue abnormalities ranging from the severe Ullrich congenital muscular dystrophy to the mild Bethlem myopathy. Herein, we report the development of a mouse model for dominant collagen VI disorders by deleting exon 16 in the Col6a3 gene. The resulting heterozygous mouse, Col6a3+/d16, produced comparable amounts of normal Col6a3 mRNA and a mutant transcript with an in-frame deletion of 54 bp of triple-helical coding sequences, thus mimicking the most common molecular defect found in dominant Ullrich congenital muscular dystrophy patients. Biosynthetic studies of mutant fibroblasts indicated that the mutant α3(VI) collagen protein was produced and exerted a dominant-negative effect on collagen VI microfibrillar assembly. The distribution of the α3(VI)-like chains of collagen VI was not altered in mutant mice during development. The Col6a3+/d16 mice developed histopathologic signs of myopathy and showed ultrastructural alterations of mitochondria and sarcoplasmic reticulum in muscle and abnormal collagen fibrils in tendons. The Col6a3+/d16 mice displayed compromised muscle contractile functions and thereby provide an essential preclinical platform for developing treatment strategies for dominant collagen VI disorders.

  • col6a3 protein deficiency in mice leads to muscle and tendon defects similar to human collagen vi congenital muscular dystrophy
    Journal of Biological Chemistry, 2013
    Co-Authors: Te Cheng Pan, David E Birk, Carsten G. Bönnemann, Rui Zhu Zhang, Machiko Arita, Sasha Bogdanovich, Tejvior S. Khurana, Dessislava Markova, Yejia Zhang, Mon-li Chu
    Abstract:

    Collagen VI is a ubiquitously expressed extracellular microfibrillar protein. Its most common molecular form is composed of the α1(VI), α2(VI), and α3(VI) collagen α chains encoded by the COL6A1, COL6A2, and COL6A3 genes, respectively. Mutations in any of the three collagen VI genes cause congenital muscular dystrophy types Bethlem and Ullrich as well as intermediate phenotypes characterized by muscle weakness and connective tissue abnormalities. The α3(VI) collagen α chain has much larger N- and C-globular domains than the other two chains. Its most C-terminal domain can be cleaved off after assembly into microfibrils, and the cleavage product has been implicated in tumor angiogenesis and progression. Here we characterize a Col6a3 mutant mouse that expresses a very low level of a non-functional α3(VI) collagen chain. The mutant mice are deficient in extracellular collagen VI microfibrils and exhibit myopathic features, including decreased muscle mass and contractile force. Ultrastructurally abnormal collagen fibrils were observed in tendon, but not cornea, of the mutant mice, indicating a distinct tissue-specific effect of collagen VI on collagen I fibrillogenesis. Overall, the mice lacking normal α3(VI) collagen chains displayed mild musculoskeletal phenotypes similar to mice deficient in the α1(VI) collagen α chain, suggesting that the cleavage product of the α3(VI) collagen does not elicit essential functions in normal growth and development. The Col6a3 mouse mutant lacking functional α3(VI) collagen chains thus serves as an animal model for COL6A3-related muscular dystrophy.

  • recessive COL6A2 c globular missense mutations in ullrich congenital muscular dystrophy role of the c2a splice variant
    Journal of Biological Chemistry, 2010
    Co-Authors: Rui Zhu Zhang, Carsten G. Bönnemann, Te Cheng Pan, Suely Kazue Nagahashi Marie, Dessislava Markova, Y Zou, Andrzej Fertala, Stefano Squarzoni, Umbertina Conti Reed, Mon-li Chu
    Abstract:

    Ullrich congenital muscular dystrophy (UCMD) is a disabling and life-threatening disorder resulting from either recessive or dominant mutations in genes encoding collagen VI. Although the majority of the recessive UCMD cases have frameshift or nonsense mutations in COL6A1, COL6A2, or COL6A3, recessive structural mutations in the COL6A2 C-globular region are emerging also. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms have remained elusive. Here we identified a homozygous COL6A2 E624K mutation (C1 subdomain) and a homozygous COL6A2 R876S mutation (C2 subdomain) in two UCMD patients. The consequences of the mutations were investigated using fibroblasts from patients and cells stably transfected with the mutant constructs. In contrast to expectations based on the clinical severity of these two patients, secretion and assembly of collagen VI were moderately affected by the E624K mutation but severely impaired by the R876S substitution. The E624K substitution altered the electrostatic potential of the region surrounding the metal ion-dependent adhesion site, resulting in a collagen VI network containing thick fibrils and spots with densely packed microfibrils. The R876S mutation prevented the chain from assembling into triple-helical collagen VI molecules. The minute amount of collagen VI secreted by the R876S fibroblasts was solely composed of a faster migrating chain corresponding to the C2a splice variant with an alternative C2 subdomain. In transfected cells, the C2a splice variant was able to assemble into short microfibrils. Together, the results suggest that the C2a splice variant may functionally compensate for the loss of the normal COL6A2 chain when mutations occur in the C2 subdomain.

  • new molecular mechanism for ullrich congenital muscular dystrophy a heterozygous in frame deletion in the col6a1 gene causes a severe phenotype
    American Journal of Human Genetics, 2003
    Co-Authors: Te Cheng Pan, Carsten G. Bönnemann, Rui Zhu Zhang, Suely Kazue Nagahashi Marie, Dominick Sudano, Mon-li Chu
    Abstract:

    Recessive mutations in two of the three collagen VI genes, COL6A2 and COL6A3, have recently been shown to cause Ullrich congenital muscular dystrophy (UCMD), a frequently severe disorder characterized by congenital muscle weakness with joint contractures and coexisting distal joint hyperlaxity. Dominant mutations in all three collagen VI genes had previously been associated with the considerably milder Bethlem myopathy. Here we report that a de novo heterozygous deletion of the COL6A1 gene can also result in a severe phenotype of classical UCMD precluding ambulation. The internal gene deletion occurs near a minisatellite DNA sequence in intron 8 that removes 1.1 kb of genomic DNA encompassing exons 9 and 10. The resulting mutant chain contains a 33–amino acid deletion near the amino-terminus of the triple-helical domain but preserves a unique cysteine in the triple-helical domain important for dimer formation prior to secretion. Thus, dimer formation and secretion of abnormal tetramers can occur and exert a strong dominant negative effect on microfibrillar assembly, leading to a loss of normal localization of collagen VI in the basement membrane surrounding muscle fibers. Consistent with this mechanism was our analysis of a patient with a much milder phenotype, in whom we identified a previously described Bethlem myopathy heterozygous in-frame deletion of 18 amino acids somewhat downstream in the triple-helical domain, a result of exon 14 skipping in the COL6A1 gene. This deletion removes the crucial cysteine, so that dimer formation cannot occur and the abnormal molecule is not secreted, preventing the strong dominant negative effect. Our studies provide a biochemical insight into genotype-phenotype correlations in this group of disorders and establish that UCMD can be caused by dominantly acting mutations.

  • missense mutation in a von willebrand factor type a domain of the α3 vi collagen gene col6a3 in a family with bethlem myopathy
    Human Molecular Genetics, 1998
    Co-Authors: Te Cheng Pan, Rui Zhu Zhang, Mon-li Chu, Jeffrey M. Stajich, Rup Tandan, Timothy J. Fries, Jeffery M. Vance, Kristi D. Viles, Margaret A Pericakvance, Marcy C Speer
    Abstract:

    The Bethlem myopathy is a rare autosomal dominant proximal myopathy characterized by early childhood onset and joint contractures. Evidence for linkage and genetic heterogeneity has been established, with the majority of families linked to 21q22.3 and one large family linked to 2q37, implicating the three type VI collagen subunit genes, COL6A1 (chromosome 21), COL6A2 (chromosome 21) and COL6A3 (chromosome 2) as candidate genes. Mutations of the invariant glycine residues in the triple-helical domain-coding region of COL6A1 and COL6A2 have been reported previously in the chromosome 21-linked families. We report here the identification of a G∀ A mutation in the N-terminal globular domain-coding region of COL6A3 in a large American pedigree (19 affected, 12 unaffected), leading to the substitution of glycine by glutamic acid in the N2 motif, which is homologous to the type A domains of the von Willebrand factor. This mutation segregated to all affected family members, to no unaffected family members, and was not identified in 338 unrelated Caucasian control chromosomes. Thus mutations in either the triple-helical domain or the globular domain of type VI collagen appear to cause Bethlem myopathy.

Rui Zhu Zhang - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • A Mouse Model for Dominant Collagen VI Disorders HETEROZYGOUS DELETION OF Col6a3 EXON 16
    The Journal of biological chemistry, 2014
    Co-Authors: Te Cheng Pan, David E Birk, Raimund Wagener, Sudheer Kumar Gara, Rui Zhu Zhang, Machiko Arita, Sasha Bogdanovich, Sheila M. Adams, Tejvior S. Khurana, Mon-li Chu
    Abstract:

    Dominant and recessive mutations in collagen VI genes, COL6A1, COL6A2, and COL6A3, cause a continuous spectrum of disorders characterized by muscle weakness and connective tissue abnormalities ranging from the severe Ullrich congenital muscular dystrophy to the mild Bethlem myopathy. Herein, we report the development of a mouse model for dominant collagen VI disorders by deleting exon 16 in the Col6a3 gene. The resulting heterozygous mouse, Col6a3+/d16, produced comparable amounts of normal Col6a3 mRNA and a mutant transcript with an in-frame deletion of 54 bp of triple-helical coding sequences, thus mimicking the most common molecular defect found in dominant Ullrich congenital muscular dystrophy patients. Biosynthetic studies of mutant fibroblasts indicated that the mutant α3(VI) collagen protein was produced and exerted a dominant-negative effect on collagen VI microfibrillar assembly. The distribution of the α3(VI)-like chains of collagen VI was not altered in mutant mice during development. The Col6a3+/d16 mice developed histopathologic signs of myopathy and showed ultrastructural alterations of mitochondria and sarcoplasmic reticulum in muscle and abnormal collagen fibrils in tendons. The Col6a3+/d16 mice displayed compromised muscle contractile functions and thereby provide an essential preclinical platform for developing treatment strategies for dominant collagen VI disorders.

  • col6a3 protein deficiency in mice leads to muscle and tendon defects similar to human collagen vi congenital muscular dystrophy
    Journal of Biological Chemistry, 2013
    Co-Authors: Te Cheng Pan, David E Birk, Carsten G. Bönnemann, Rui Zhu Zhang, Machiko Arita, Sasha Bogdanovich, Tejvior S. Khurana, Dessislava Markova, Yejia Zhang, Mon-li Chu
    Abstract:

    Collagen VI is a ubiquitously expressed extracellular microfibrillar protein. Its most common molecular form is composed of the α1(VI), α2(VI), and α3(VI) collagen α chains encoded by the COL6A1, COL6A2, and COL6A3 genes, respectively. Mutations in any of the three collagen VI genes cause congenital muscular dystrophy types Bethlem and Ullrich as well as intermediate phenotypes characterized by muscle weakness and connective tissue abnormalities. The α3(VI) collagen α chain has much larger N- and C-globular domains than the other two chains. Its most C-terminal domain can be cleaved off after assembly into microfibrils, and the cleavage product has been implicated in tumor angiogenesis and progression. Here we characterize a Col6a3 mutant mouse that expresses a very low level of a non-functional α3(VI) collagen chain. The mutant mice are deficient in extracellular collagen VI microfibrils and exhibit myopathic features, including decreased muscle mass and contractile force. Ultrastructurally abnormal collagen fibrils were observed in tendon, but not cornea, of the mutant mice, indicating a distinct tissue-specific effect of collagen VI on collagen I fibrillogenesis. Overall, the mice lacking normal α3(VI) collagen chains displayed mild musculoskeletal phenotypes similar to mice deficient in the α1(VI) collagen α chain, suggesting that the cleavage product of the α3(VI) collagen does not elicit essential functions in normal growth and development. The Col6a3 mouse mutant lacking functional α3(VI) collagen chains thus serves as an animal model for COL6A3-related muscular dystrophy.

  • recessive COL6A2 c globular missense mutations in ullrich congenital muscular dystrophy role of the c2a splice variant
    Journal of Biological Chemistry, 2010
    Co-Authors: Rui Zhu Zhang, Carsten G. Bönnemann, Te Cheng Pan, Suely Kazue Nagahashi Marie, Dessislava Markova, Y Zou, Andrzej Fertala, Stefano Squarzoni, Umbertina Conti Reed, Mon-li Chu
    Abstract:

    Ullrich congenital muscular dystrophy (UCMD) is a disabling and life-threatening disorder resulting from either recessive or dominant mutations in genes encoding collagen VI. Although the majority of the recessive UCMD cases have frameshift or nonsense mutations in COL6A1, COL6A2, or COL6A3, recessive structural mutations in the COL6A2 C-globular region are emerging also. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms have remained elusive. Here we identified a homozygous COL6A2 E624K mutation (C1 subdomain) and a homozygous COL6A2 R876S mutation (C2 subdomain) in two UCMD patients. The consequences of the mutations were investigated using fibroblasts from patients and cells stably transfected with the mutant constructs. In contrast to expectations based on the clinical severity of these two patients, secretion and assembly of collagen VI were moderately affected by the E624K mutation but severely impaired by the R876S substitution. The E624K substitution altered the electrostatic potential of the region surrounding the metal ion-dependent adhesion site, resulting in a collagen VI network containing thick fibrils and spots with densely packed microfibrils. The R876S mutation prevented the chain from assembling into triple-helical collagen VI molecules. The minute amount of collagen VI secreted by the R876S fibroblasts was solely composed of a faster migrating chain corresponding to the C2a splice variant with an alternative C2 subdomain. In transfected cells, the C2a splice variant was able to assemble into short microfibrils. Together, the results suggest that the C2a splice variant may functionally compensate for the loss of the normal COL6A2 chain when mutations occur in the C2 subdomain.

  • Muscle Interstitial Fibroblasts Are the Main Source of Collagen VI Synthesis in Skeletal Muscle: Implications for Congenital Muscular Dystrophy Types Ullrich and Bethlem
    Journal of neuropathology and experimental neurology, 2008
    Co-Authors: Yaqun Zou, Patrizia Sabatelli, Rui Zhu Zhang, Mon-li Chu, Carsten G. Bönnemann
    Abstract:

    Mutations in the extracellular matrix molecule collagen VI underlie the congenital muscular dystrophy types Ullrich and Bethlem. Establishing the origin of collagen VI in muscle is important for understanding the pathophysiology of these diseases and for developing future treatment approaches involving cell-specific delivery. Because the cells that produce collagen VI cannot be identified by histologic analysis, we examined the production of collagen VI in pure cultures of primary myogenic cells and muscle interstitial fibroblasts from limb muscle of neonatal mice. Immunofluorescence staining and Western blot analysis revealed secretion and matrix deposition of collagen VI by interstitial fibroblasts but not by myogenic cells in vitro. Using Northern blot and real-time reverse-transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction analysis for the collagen VI genes col6a1 , COL6A2 , col6a3 , transcript levels for the 3 mRNAs were high in interstitial fibroblasts, whereas in primary myogenic cells, they were indistinguishable from background. Furthermore, retention of mutant collagen VI in muscle from 3 patients with collagen VI mutation was identified in interstitial fibroblastic cells but not in their myofibers. These results suggest that interstitial fibroblasts but not myogenic cells contribute significantly to the deposition of collagen VI in the extracellular matrix in skeletal muscle and imply major roles of this cell type and the extracellular matrix in the pathogenesis of these diseases.

  • new molecular mechanism for ullrich congenital muscular dystrophy a heterozygous in frame deletion in the col6a1 gene causes a severe phenotype
    American Journal of Human Genetics, 2003
    Co-Authors: Te Cheng Pan, Carsten G. Bönnemann, Rui Zhu Zhang, Suely Kazue Nagahashi Marie, Dominick Sudano, Mon-li Chu
    Abstract:

    Recessive mutations in two of the three collagen VI genes, COL6A2 and COL6A3, have recently been shown to cause Ullrich congenital muscular dystrophy (UCMD), a frequently severe disorder characterized by congenital muscle weakness with joint contractures and coexisting distal joint hyperlaxity. Dominant mutations in all three collagen VI genes had previously been associated with the considerably milder Bethlem myopathy. Here we report that a de novo heterozygous deletion of the COL6A1 gene can also result in a severe phenotype of classical UCMD precluding ambulation. The internal gene deletion occurs near a minisatellite DNA sequence in intron 8 that removes 1.1 kb of genomic DNA encompassing exons 9 and 10. The resulting mutant chain contains a 33–amino acid deletion near the amino-terminus of the triple-helical domain but preserves a unique cysteine in the triple-helical domain important for dimer formation prior to secretion. Thus, dimer formation and secretion of abnormal tetramers can occur and exert a strong dominant negative effect on microfibrillar assembly, leading to a loss of normal localization of collagen VI in the basement membrane surrounding muscle fibers. Consistent with this mechanism was our analysis of a patient with a much milder phenotype, in whom we identified a previously described Bethlem myopathy heterozygous in-frame deletion of 18 amino acids somewhat downstream in the triple-helical domain, a result of exon 14 skipping in the COL6A1 gene. This deletion removes the crucial cysteine, so that dimer formation cannot occur and the abnormal molecule is not secreted, preventing the strong dominant negative effect. Our studies provide a biochemical insight into genotype-phenotype correlations in this group of disorders and establish that UCMD can be caused by dominantly acting mutations.

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  • comprehensive target capture next generation sequencing as a second tier diagnostic approach for congenital muscular dystrophy in taiwan
    PLOS ONE, 2017
    Co-Authors: Wen-chen Liang, Ichizo Nishino, Xia Tian, Chung-yee Yuo, Wan-zi Chen, Tsu-min Kan, Lee-jun C. Wong, Yuh-jyh Jong
    Abstract:

    Purpose Congenital muscular dystrophy (CMD) is a heterogeneous disease entity. The detailed clinical manifestation and causative gene for each subgroup of CMD are quite variable. This study aims to analyze the phenotypes and genotypes of Taiwanese patients with CMD as the epidemiology of CMD varies among populations and has been scantly described in Asia. Methods A total of 48 patients suspected to have CMD were screened and categorized by histochemistry and immunohistochemistry studies. Different genetic analyses, including next-generation sequencing (NGS), were selected, based on the clinical and pathological findings. Results We identified 17 patients with sarcolemma-specific collagen VI deficiency (SSCD), 6 patients with merosin deficiency, two with reduced alpha-dystroglycan staining, and two with striking lymphocyte infiltration in addition to dystrophic change on muscle pathology. Fourteen in 15 patients with SSCD, were shown to have COL6A1, COL6A2 or COL6A3 mutations by NGS analysis; all showed marked distal hyperlaxity and normal intelligence but the overall severity was less than in previously reported patients from other populations. All six patients with merosin deficiency had mutations in LAMA2. They showed relatively uniform phenotype that were compatible with previous studies, except for higher proportion of mental retardation with epilepsy. With reduced alpha-dystroglycan staining, one patient was found to carry mutations in POMT1 while another patient carried mutations in TRAPPC11. LMNA mutations were found in the two patients with inflammatory change on muscle pathology. They were clinically characterized by neck flexion limitation and early joint contracture, but no cardiac problem had developed yet. Conclusion Muscle pathology remains helpful in guiding further molecular analyses by direct sequencing of certain genes or by target capture/NGS as a second-tier diagnostic tool, and is crucial for establishing the genotype-phenotype correlation. We also determined the frequencies of the different types of CMD in our cohort which is important for the development of a specific care system for each disease.

  • Comprehensive target capture/next-generation sequencing as a second-tier diagnostic approach for congenital muscular dystrophy in Taiwan
    2017
    Co-Authors: Wen-chen Liang, Ichizo Nishino, Xia Tian, Chung-yee Yuo, Wan-zi Chen, Tsu-min Kan, Lee-jun C. Wong, Yuh-jyh Jong
    Abstract:

    PurposeCongenital muscular dystrophy (CMD) is a heterogeneous disease entity. The detailed clinical manifestation and causative gene for each subgroup of CMD are quite variable. This study aims to analyze the phenotypes and genotypes of Taiwanese patients with CMD as the epidemiology of CMD varies among populations and has been scantly described in Asia.MethodsA total of 48 patients suspected to have CMD were screened and categorized by histochemistry and immunohistochemistry studies. Different genetic analyses, including next-generation sequencing (NGS), were selected, based on the clinical and pathological findings.ResultsWe identified 17 patients with sarcolemma-specific collagen VI deficiency (SSCD), 6 patients with merosin deficiency, two with reduced alpha-dystroglycan staining, and two with striking lymphocyte infiltration in addition to dystrophic change on muscle pathology. Fourteen in 15 patients with SSCD, were shown to have COL6A1, COL6A2 or COL6A3 mutations by NGS analysis; all showed marked distal hyperlaxity and normal intelligence but the overall severity was less than in previously reported patients from other populations. All six patients with merosin deficiency had mutations in LAMA2. They showed relatively uniform phenotype that were compatible with previous studies, except for higher proportion of mental retardation with epilepsy. With reduced alpha-dystroglycan staining, one patient was found to carry mutations in POMT1 while another patient carried mutations in TRAPPC11. LMNA mutations were found in the two patients with inflammatory change on muscle pathology. They were clinically characterized by neck flexion limitation and early joint contracture, but no cardiac problem had developed yet.ConclusionMuscle pathology remains helpful in guiding further molecular analyses by direct sequencing of certain genes or by target capture/NGS as a second-tier diagnostic tool, and is crucial for establishing the genotype-phenotype correlation. We also determined the frequencies of the different types of CMD in our cohort which is important for the development of a specific care system for each disease.

  • ullrich congenital muscular dystrophy clinicopathological features natural history and pathomechanism s
    Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, 2015
    Co-Authors: Takahiro Yonekawa, Ichizo Nishino
    Abstract:

    Collagen VI is widely distributed throughout extracellular matrices (ECMs) in various tissues. In skeletal muscle, collagen VI is particularly concentrated in and adjacent to basement membranes of myofibers. Ullrich congenital muscular dystrophy (UCMD) is caused by mutations in either COL6A1, COL6A2 or COL6A3 gene, thereby leading to collagen VI deficiency in the ECM. It is known to occur through either recessive or dominant genetic mechanism, the latter most typically by de novo mutations. UCMD is well defined by the clinicopathological hallmarks including distal hyperlaxity, proximal joint contractures, protruding calcanei, scoliosis and respiratory insufficiency. Recent reports have depicted the robust natural history of UCMD; that is, loss of ambulation by early teenage years, rapid decline in respiratory function by 10 years of age and early-onset, rapidly progressive scoliosis. Muscle pathology is characterised by prominent interstitial fibrosis disproportionate to the relative paucity of necrotic and regenerating fibres. To date, treatment for patients is supportive for symptoms such as joint contractures, respiratory failure and scoliosis. There have been clinical trials based on the theory of mitochondrion-mediated myofiber apoptosis or impaired autophagy. Furthermore, the fact that collagen VI producing cells in skeletal muscle are interstitial mesenchymal cells can support proof of concept for stem cell-based therapy.

  • allele specific gene silencing of mutant mrna restores cellular function in ullrich congenital muscular dystrophy fibroblasts
    Molecular therapy. Nucleic acids, 2014
    Co-Authors: Satoru Noguchi, Genri Kawahara, Megumu Ogawa, May Christine V Malicdan, Ichizo Nishino
    Abstract:

    Ullrich congenital muscular dystrophy (UCMD) is an inherited muscle disorder characterized clinically by muscle weakness, distal joint hyperlaxity, and proximal joint contractures. Sporadic and recessive mutations in the three collagen VI genes, COL6A1, COL6A2, and COL6A3, are reported to be causative. In the sporadic forms, a heterozygous point mutation causing glycine substitution in the triple helical domain has been identified in higher rate. In this study, we examined the efficacy of siRNAs, which target point mutation site, on specific knockdown toward transcripts from mutant allele and evaluated consequent cellular phenotype of UCMD fibroblasts. We evaluated the effect of siRNAs targeted to silence-specific COL6A1 alleles in UCMD fibroblasts, where simultaneous expression of both wild-type and mutant collagen VI resulted in defective collagen localization. Addition of mutant-specific siRNAs allowed normal extracellular localization of collagen VI surrounding fibroblasts, suggesting selective inhibition of mutant collagen VI. Targeting the single-nucleotide COL6A1 c.850G>A (p.G284R) mutation responsible a sporadic autosomal dominant form of UCMD can potently and selectively block expression of mutant collagen VI. These results suggest that allele-specific knockdown of the mutant mRNA can potentially be considered as a therapeutic procedure in UCMD due to COL6A1 point mutations.

  • Primary collagen VI deficiency is the second most common congenital muscular dystrophy in Japan
    Neurology, 2007
    Co-Authors: Mari Okada, Kazuma Sugie, Kumiko Murayama, Yukiko K Hayashi, Ikuya Nonaka, Genri Kawahara, Satoru Noguchi, Ichizo Nishino
    Abstract:

    Objectives: To determine the frequency of primary collagen VI deficiency in congenital muscular dystrophy (CMD) in Japan and to establish the genotype-phenotype correlation. Methods: We performed immunohistochemistry for collagen VI in muscles from 362 Japanese patients with CMD, and directly sequenced the three collagen VI genes, COL6A1 , COL6A2 , and COL6A3 , in patients found to have collagen VI deficiency. Results: In Japan, primary collagen VI deficiency accounts for 7.2% of congenital muscular deficiency. Among these patients, five had complete deficiency (CD) and 29 had sarcolemma-specific collagen VI deficiency (SSCD). We found two homozygous and three compound heterozygous mutations in COL6A2 and COL6A3 in all five patients with CD, and identified heterozygous missense mutations or in-frame small deletions in 21 patients with SSCD in the triple helical domain (THD) of COL6A1 , COL6A2 , and COL6A3 . All mutations in SSCD were sporadic dominant. No genotype-phenotype correlation was seen. Conclusion: Primary collagen VI deficiency is the second most common CMD after Fukuyama type CMD in Japan. Dominant mutations located in the N-terminal side from the cysteine residue in the THD of COL6A1, COL6A2 , and COL6A3 are closely associated with SSCD.