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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2024

Prenatal diagnosis of recurrent Kagami-Ogata syndrome inherited from a mother affected by Temple syndrome: a case report and literature review.

BACKGROUND: Kagami-Ogata syndrome (KOS) and Temple syndrome (TS) are two imprinting disorders characterized by the absence or reduced expression of maternal or paternal genes in the chromosome 14q32 region, respectively. We present a rare prenatally diagnosed case of recurrent KOS inherited from a mother affected by TS. CASE PRESENTATION: The woman's two affected pregnancies exhibited recurrent manifestations of prenatal overgrowth, polyhydramnios, and omphalocele, as well as a small bell-shaped thorax with coat-hanger ribs postnatally. Prenatal genetic testing using a single-nucleotide polymorphism array detected a 268.2-kb deletion in the chromosome 14q32 imprinted region inherited from the mother, leading to the diagnosis of KOS. Additionally, the woman carried a de novo deletion in the paternal chromosome 14q32 imprinted region and presented with short stature and small hands and feet, indicating a diagnosis of TS. CONCLUSIONS: Given the rarity of KOS as an imprinting disorder, accurate prenatal diagnosis of this rare imprinting disorder depends on two factors: (1) increasing clinician recognition of the clinical phenotype and related genetic mechanism, and (2) emphasizing the importance of imprinted regions in the CMA workflow for laboratory analysis.

Humans↗
PubMed2025

Rescue of imprinted genes by epigenome editing in human cellular models of Prader-Willi syndrome.

Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a genomic imprinting disorder caused by the loss of function of the paternal chromosome 15q11-13, resulting in a spectrum of symptoms associated with hypothalamic dysfunction. PWS patients lack the expression of paternally expressed genes (PEGs) in the 15q11-13 locus but possess an epigenetically silenced set of these genes in the maternal allele. Thus, activation of these silenced genes can serve as a therapeutic target for PWS. Here, we leverage CRISPR-based epigenome editing system to modulate the DNA methylation status of the PWS imprinting control region (PWS-ICR) in induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) derived from PWS patients. Successful demethylation in the PWS-ICR restores the PEG expression from the maternal allele and reorganizes the methylation patterns in other PWS-associated imprinted regions beyond the PWS-ICR. Remarkably, these corrected epigenomic patterns and PEG expression are maintained following the differentiation of these cells into hypothalamic organoids. Finally, the single-cell transcriptomic analysis of epigenome-edited organoids demonstrates a partial restoration of the transcriptomic dysregulation observed in PWS. This study highlights the utility of epigenome editing technology as a therapeutic approach in addressing PWS and potentially other imprinting disorders.

Prader-Willi Syndrome↗
PubMed2026

Convergent IGF2 overexpression in pheochromocytoma/paraganglioma: insights from Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome.

Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome (BWS) is an imprinting disorder characterized by overgrowth and tumor predisposition, caused by dysregulated expression of genes on chromosome 11p15.5. An association between BWS and pheochromocytoma/paraganglioma (PPGL) has been suggested in isolated case reports over the past fifty years, but the molecular basis for this link remains unclear. We identified four patients with BWS who developed metastatic PPGL and investigated IGF2 pathway activation in these tumors and in PPGL across various genotypes. Pan-cancer transcriptomic analysis of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) demonstrated that PPGL overexpresses IGF2, with pseudohypoxic tumors exhibiting higher expression compared to other molecular clusters. Loss of heterozygosity and loss of imprinting at 11p15.5 partially explain this overexpression, with PPGL additionally demonstrating globally elevated expression of imprinted genes compared to most other tumor types, suggesting a broader relaxation of genomic imprinting. Cognate receptor profiling revealed that PPGLs are equipped to respond to IGF2 signaling, with high expression of IGF1R and insulin receptor isoform A (IR-A). Immunohistochemistry confirmed IGF2 protein overexpression in both BWS-associated and genotypically diverse sporadic PPGLs. Our results indicate that IGF2 overexpression is a convergent molecular feature of PPGL across genotypes and suggest the IGF2 pathway as a potential diagnostic and therapeutic target.

Humans↗
PubMed2026

Population-scale detection of methylation outliers from long-read genome sequencing.

BACKGROUND: Aberrant DNA methylation can mediate the functional effects of rare genetic variation and contribute to imprinting disorders, repeat expansion diseases, and other pathogenic regulatory mechanisms. Long-read sequencing technologies now enable genome-wide detection of CpG methylation alongside genetic variation from a single assay. However, methods for systematic identification and interpretation of methylation outliers from long-read sequencing data remain limited. METHODS: We developed METAFORA, a computational workflow for detecting methylation outlier regions from PacBio and Oxford Nanopore long-read sequencing data. METAFORA constructs population-level methylation references, segments the genome into correlated CpG blocks, infers technical and biological sources of variation through hidden factor estimation, models uncertainty due to variable depth sequencing, and computes covariate-adjusted methylation outlier scores for individual samples. We applied METAFORA across large long-read sequencing cohorts and integrated methylation outliers with multi-omic data. METAFORA is implemented as a snakemake workflow available at https://github.com/tjense25/METAFORA. RESULTS: METAFORA identified methylation outlier regions associated with rare structural variants, tandem repeat expansions, and imprinting abnormalities. We found outlier regions were enriched for molecular outliers across transcriptomic and chromatin accessibility datasets, supporting their functional relevance in gene regulation. In a representative case, METAFORA identified an imprinting defect affecting the GNAS locus associated with an STX16 deletion. CONCLUSIONS: METAFORA enables scalable detection and interpretation of methylation outliers from long-read sequencing data and provides a framework for integrating epigenetic outliers with genomic and multi-omic analyses. These approaches may improve interpretation of rare regulatory variation and support discovery of clinically relevant epigenetic abnormalities in genomic medicine.

DNA methylation↗
PubMed2026

Loss of maternal PADI6 disrupts DNA methylation and genomic imprinting maintenance in late preimplantation mouse embryos.

BACKGROUND: The maternal-effect protein PADI6, which is part of the subcortical maternal complex, is involved in proper spindle assembly, organelle distribution, ribosome storage, and cytoplasmic lattice organization in mouse oocytes. In humans, variants of PADI6 are associated with female infertility and multilocus imprinting disturbance in offspring. Recently, it was demonstrated that PADI6 plays a role in the storage and cytoplasmic localization of epigenetic factors, including UHRF1 and DNMT1. Moreover, maternal PADI6 depletion leads to defective epigenetic reprogramming and zygotic genome activation but not to an imprinting defect in two-cell mouse embryos. These findings raise the possibility that imprinting disturbances arise later in development. RESULTS: By employing combined single-blastocyst RNA-seq/BS-seq and immunostaining validation in the embryos derived from Padi6P620A-mutant oocytes, we investigated the role of Padi6 in late preimplantation development. We demonstrated that embryos that overcame the two-cell stage block had a dramatic reduction in UHRF1 and DNMT1 protein levels, a decrease in H3K9me3, and whole-genome hypomethylation, including most imprinted loci and repetitive elements, at the blastocyst stage. Furthermore, these maternal mutant embryos showed deregulation of inner cell mass markers and defective blastocyst implantation, but no effect on trophoblast differentiation. CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrate that maternal PADI6 is a key regulator of the stability of epigenetic factors required to maintain repressive marks in late preimplantation mouse embryos. Its deficiency results in genomic imprinting defects that closely resemble those found in human patients and provide a mechanistic explanation for MLID caused by maternal PADI6 variants. Furthermore, the impairment of blastocyst implantation capacity, likely due to dysregulation of inner cell mass differentiation, provides new mechanistic insights into the control of female fertility and embryo development exerted by PADI6.

DNA Methylation↗
PubMed2026

Beckwith-Wiedemann spectrum exhibiting a 46,XY karyotype caused by genome-wide paternal uniparental heterodisomy: a case report.

BACKGROUNDS: Patients with genome-wide paternal uniparental disomy (GWpUPD) usually exhibit clinical features of Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome (BWS) and a 46,XX karyotype, with all chromosomes showing isodisomy. To date, male patients with GWpUPD and a complete 46,XY karyotype, specifically involving heterodisomy, have not been described. RESULTS: We report a male infant exhibiting classical BWS clinical features. DNA methylation analyses showed paternal-specific methylation across multiple imprinted loci, suggesting GWpUPD. Genetic analysis of autosomes and sex chromosomes indicated two distinct paternal genomes in peripheral blood leukocytes, whereas a normal biparental genome was detected in other tissues under chimeric conditions. These findings indicated that the patient had genome-wide paternal uniparental heterodisomy (GWpUPhD). The SNP array revealed the presence of one copy of the X chromosome and one copy of the Y chromosome, the patient is a chimera composed of 46,XY biparental cells (with maternal X) and 46,XY GWpUPhD cells (with paternal X). CONCLUSIONS: This is the first report of a male patient with a GWpUPhD chimera. We propose a potential mechanism of GWpUPhD formation. Our findings expand the molecular spectrum of GWpUPD and provide valuable insights into its pathogenesis in chimeric conditions. Furthermore, the potential for clinical manifestations unique to 46,XY heterodisomy warrants careful long-term follow-up.

Humans↗
PubMed1990

Genetic imprinting in clinical genetics.

Genetic, and indeed genomic, imprinting does occur in humans. This is manifest at the level of the genome, the individual chromosome, subchromosomal region or fragile site, or the single locus. The best evidence at the single gene level comes from a consideration of familial tumour syndromes. Chromosomal imprinting effects are revealed when uniparental disomy occurs, as in the Prader-Willi syndrome and doubtless other sporadic, congenital anomaly syndromes. Genomic imprinting is manifest in the developmental defects of hydatidiform mole, teratoma and triploidy. Fragile (X) mental retardation shows an unusual pattern of inheritance, and imprinting can account for these effects. Future work in clinical genetics may identify congenital anomalies and growth disorders caused by imprinting: the identification of imprinting effects for specific chromosomal regions in mice will allow the examination of the homologous chromosomal region in humans.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

How imprinting is relevant to human disease.

Genomic imprinting appears to be a ubiquitous process in mammals involving many chromosome segments whose affects are dependent on their parental origin. One of the challenges for clinical geneticists is to determine which disorders are manifesting imprinting effects and which families are affected. Re-evaluation of cases of chromosomal abnormalities and family histories of disease manifestations should give important clues. Examination of the regions of human chromosomes homologous to mouse imprinted chromosomal regions may yield useful information. Cases of discordance in monozygous twins may also provide important insights into imprinted modification of diseases.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

[Basis of the ontogeny of behavior--a contribution to the development of behavioral disorders].

The process of behaviour ontogeny occurs epigenetically, i.e. from the interaction at any one time between phenotype, active genes and the environment within the range of the phylogenetically formed "Reaktionsnorm". Particularly during the post-embryonic stage, learning processes, such as habituation, classical and operant conditioning, imitation, perceptive learning and imprinting, will influence behaviour ontogeny. In view of the restrictive housing conditions of farm and laboratory animals and of neurophysiological findings it may be postulated etiologically speaking that abnormal behaviour should be attributed to a changed network and differentiation within the brain which may have occurred during early ontogeny (e.g. deprivation and missing or misdirected imprinting). In addition, behaviour disorders may result directly from a dysfunction at the level of information coordination. Animals strive without success to adapt to a rigid, unavoidable and artificial housing environment and as a result develop coping strategies which are maladaptive (e.g. stereotypies, learned helplessness). In order to prevent behaviour disorders, research into their origin is indispensable, as indeed is an examination of the ontogeny of normal behaviour. Only in this way can new housing systems be developed where in spite of restriction crucial stimuli may nevertheless be provided which will enable animals to develop and to breed without suffering harm.

Animals↗
PubMed2025

Brinkmanship in intragenomic conflict.

When the Darwinian interests of genes in the genome collide, intragenomic conflicts evolve. Recent advances in social evolution predict that intragenomic conflicts shape diverse phenotypes. However, principles governing which side wins remain unresolved. Here, we use game theory to predict that power asymmetries arise from differences in appetite for risk between rival genes in 'wars of nerve'. We focus on 'genomic imprinting': differing expression between alleles inherited from mothers and fathers. Escalating conflict is commonly believed to risk damaging the whole organism. We show that genes can exploit risk strategically: genes prepared to take greater risks with the body's vulnerability to disorders and mortality gain coercive advantages, deterring countermoves. Kin selection generates differences in appetite for risk: for instance, if harm to the body frees resources for maternal siblings, genes from mothers have less to lose from gambling with the current body than do genes from fathers. Seemingly maladaptive developmental risks can be adaptively useful for higher-nerve genes, much as political states manipulate risk to coerce rivals. Our results suggest a determinant of power alongside the 'loudest voice prevails' principle, and call for empirical investigation of the extent and means by which risks of imprinting-related disorders are amplified by intragenomic brinkmanship.

Genomic Imprinting↗
PubMed2025

Dynamic allelic expression in mouse mammary glands across the adult developmental cycle.

The mammary gland, which primarily develops postnatally, undergoes significant changes during pregnancy and lactation to facilitate milk production. Through the generation and analysis of 480 transcriptomes, we provide the most detailed allelic expression map of the mammary gland, cataloguing cell-type-specific expression from ex-vivo purified cell populations over 10 developmental stages, enabling comparative analysis. The work identifies genes involved in the mammary gland cycle, parental-origin-specific and genetic background-specific expression at cellular and temporal resolution, genes associated with human lactation disorders and breast cancer. Genomic imprinting, a mechanism regulating gene expression based on parental origin, is crucial for controlling gene dosage and stem cell potential throughout development. The analysis identified 25 imprinted genes monoallelically expressed in the mammary gland, with several showing allele-specific expression in distinct cell types. No novel imprinted genes were identified and the absence of biallelically expressed imprinted genes suggests that, unlike in brain, selective absence of imprinting does not regulate gene dosage in the mammary gland. This research highlights transcriptional dynamics within mammary gland cells and identifies novel candidate genes potentially significant in the tissue during pregnancy and lactation. Overall, this comprehensive atlas represents a valuable resource for future studies on expression and transcriptional dynamics in mammary cells.

Animals↗
PubMed2026

Prader-Willi syndrome as a neurogenetic model for psychosis and obsessive-compulsive disorder: A review of clinical, behavioral, and biological insights.

Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder classically defined by hyperphagia and obesity. However, its profound psychiatric phenotype offers a unique genetic framework for understanding major mental illnesses. This review positions PWS as a potentially informative biological model for psychosis and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), bridging the gap between 15q11-q13 imprinting defects and neural circuit dysfunction. We synthesize evidence demonstrating that psychosis in PWS is not a uniform trait but is disproportionately linked to the maternal uniparental disomy (mUPD) subtype. This genotype-phenotype correlation suggests that overexpression of maternally imprinted genes and loss of paternal expression disrupt cortical excitatory-inhibitory balance, resembling the "schizophrenia-bipolar" genomic architecture. Furthermore, synthesized evidence characterizes the repetitive, ritualistic behaviors in PWS not merely as behavioral challenges, but as a developmentally arrested OCD-spectrum phenotype driven by distinct serotonergic-oxytocinergic imbalances and hypothalamic-limbic dysconnectivity. Mechanistic insights from preclinical models of MAGEL2, SNORD116, and NDN deficiency are integrated with clinical findings to highlight shared neurobiological substrates. Finally, we outline a roadmap for precision psychiatry in PWS, emphasizing the necessity of pharmacogenomics in antipsychotic management and the potential of targeted circuit-based therapeutics. By deconstructing the psychiatric comorbidities of PWS, we provide a framework for translating genomic architecture into mechanistic understanding and targeted treatment for complex neuropsychiatric disorders.

15q11-q13↗
PubMed1991

Uniparental disomy, isodisomy, and imprinting: probable effects in man and strategies for their detection.

The concept of uniparental disomy--the presence of a chromosome pair derived solely from one parent in a diploid offspring--was introduced in 1980 as a probable consequence of the high rate of germ cell aneuploidy in man, and has now been convincingly demonstrated through molecular analyses in several families. A most likely mechanism for the production of uniparental disomy is the chance reunion, and complementation, of 2 gametes aneuploid for the same chromosome member; uniparental disomy could also occur through other mechanisms including postzygotic non-segregation in a trisomic conceptus. Uniparental disomy may result in isodisomy, i.e., homozygosity of a series of contiguous alleles in a pair of homologues. The presence and degree of isodisomy in an offspring depend in turn on the occurrence, timing, and extent of the meiotic recombination that had occurred in the chromosome pair of the disomic gamete involved. Uniparental disomy with or without isodisomy can explain a number of unusual observations, such as the unexpected pattern of transmission of a genetic disorder. The two may be associated with an imprinting effect to produce pathological phenotypes, as has been observed in the mouse, and may be the basis for a number of syndromes of as yet unclear cause. The evidence for uniparental disomy, isodisomy, and imprinting in man is reviewed, and strategies for their detection presented.

Chromosome Aberrations↗
PubMed1990

[The perverse personality].

From the clinical point of view, the perverse personality is characterised by constant manipulation of others, transgression of laws and disrespect of limits. Perversity does not refer to the presence of a sexual perversion, whether primary or associated, but to the fact that a same basic principle underlies the organization of the perverse personality and of the perverse sexuality. Both forms could thus be understood as two different manifestations of intolerance to disappointment. This general hypothesis avoid some questionable speculations and ad-hoc hypotheses.

Antisocial Personality Disorder↗
PubMed2025

Activation of the imprinted Prader-Willi syndrome locus by CRISPR-based epigenome editing.

Epigenome editing with DNA-targeting technologies such as CRISPR-dCas9 can be used to dissect gene regulatory mechanisms and potentially treat associated disorders. For example, Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) results from loss of paternally expressed imprinted genes on chromosome 15q11.2-q13.3, although the maternal allele is intact but epigenetically silenced. Using CRISPR repression and activation screens in human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), we identified genomic elements that control the expression of the PWS gene SNRPN from the paternal and maternal chromosomes. We showed that either targeted transcriptional activation or DNA demethylation can activate the silenced maternal SNRPN and downstream PWS transcripts. However, these two approaches function at unique regions, preferentially activating different transcript variants and involving distinct epigenetic reprogramming mechanisms. Remarkably, transient expression of the targeted demethylase leads to stable, long-term maternal SNRPN expression in PWS iPSCs. This work uncovers targeted epigenetic manipulations to reprogram a disease-associated imprinted locus and suggests possible therapeutic interventions.

Prader-Willi Syndrome↗
PubMed1978

Lymph node and splenic imprints: their value in diagnosis.

Comparison was made of the value of information obtained from imprints and from histological sections of lymph nodes from 100 biopsies on patients with mainly haematological disorders and 55 spleens removed surgically. The sections provided the definitive diagnosis. It was seldom possible to make a definite diagnosis from imprints, but they provide additional information useful in interpreting the histology of sections.

Hematologic Diseases↗