Characterization of Molecular Mechanisms and Tailored Correction Approaches for Inherited Disorders

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Applied Biosciences and Bioengineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2021) | Viewed by 4374

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
Interests: missense/nonsense mutations; ribosome readthrough; rare diseases; albumin fusion proteins
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor
Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnologies, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
Interests: splicing; RNA; inherited disease; snRNA; AON; gene therapy; mouse model
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Mutations affecting coding and non-coding gene regions result in the alteration of the normal flow of genetic information at different levels. To this purpose, the identification of novel mutations through next-generation or whole-exome sequencing and case reports in the context of rare disorders, as well as experimental tools such as cellular and animal models of disease, provide relevant qualitative and quantitive information.

The identification and characterization of the molecular mechanism(s) underlying these alterations are pivotal to understand the effect of a specific mutation and, as a consequence, offer the possibility to identify tailored correction approaches able to restore gene expression. Moreover, the knowledge of disease mechanisms paves the way for the development of tailored correction approaches, ranging from genome-oriented strategies to intervention at the transcriptional/post-transcriptional (e.g., promoter activation or splicing modulation) or translational/post-translational (e.g., modulation of ribosome activity) levels.

Overall, the identification and characterization of new disease-causing molecular mechanisms, the widening of gene mutational patterns, particularly for rare diseases, and/or the possibility to correct a specific gene defect, thus counteracting the detrimental effects of mutations, represent important issues to address in order to improve and deepen our knowledge of human genetic disorders.

Dr. Alessio Branchini
Dr. Dario Balestra
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • Genetic disorders
  • Gene mutation
  • Corraction approaches

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 2645 KiB  
Article
Antisense-Mediated Down-Regulation of Factor V-Short Splicing in a Liver Cell Line Model
by Alice M. Todaro, Tilman M. Hackeng and Elisabetta Castoldi
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(20), 9621; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11209621 - 15 Oct 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1703
Abstract
Coagulation factor V (FV) is a liver-derived protein encoded by the F5 gene. Alternative splicing of F5 exon 13 produces a low-abundance splicing isoform, known as FV-short, which binds the anticoagulant protein tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPIα) with high affinity, stabilising it in [...] Read more.
Coagulation factor V (FV) is a liver-derived protein encoded by the F5 gene. Alternative splicing of F5 exon 13 produces a low-abundance splicing isoform, known as FV-short, which binds the anticoagulant protein tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPIα) with high affinity, stabilising it in the circulation and potently enhancing its anticoagulant activity. Accordingly, rare F5 gene mutations that up-regulate FV-short splicing are associated with bleeding. In this study we have explored the possibility of decreasing FV-short splicing by antisense-based splicing modulation. To this end, we have designed morpholino antisense oligonucleotides (MAOs) targeting the FV-short-specific donor and acceptor splice sites and tested their efficacy in a liver cell line (HepG2) that naturally expresses full-length FV and FV-short. Cells were treated with 0–20 µM MAO, and full-length FV and FV-short mRNA expression was analysed by RT-(q)PCR. Both MAOs, alone or in combination, decreased the FV-short/full-length FV mRNA ratio down to ~50% of its original value in a specific and dose-dependent manner. This pilot study provides proof-of-principle for the possibility to decrease FV-short expression by antisense-mediated splicing modulation. In turn, this may form the basis for novel therapeutic approaches to bleeding disorders caused by FV-short over-expression and/or elevated TFPIα (activity) levels. Full article
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16 pages, 2402 KiB  
Article
The Factor VII Variant p.A354V-p.P464Hfs: Clinical versus Intracellular and Biochemical Phenotypes Induced by Chemical Chaperones
by Elisabeth Andersen, Maria Eugenia Chollet, Francesco Bernardi, Alessio Branchini, Marcello Baroni, Guglielmo Mariani, Alberto Dolce, Angelika Batorova, Ellen Skarpen, Christiane Filion Myklebust, Grethe Skretting and Per Morten Sandset
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(13), 5762; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11135762 - 22 Jun 2021
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Abstract
(1) Background: Congenital factor (F) VII deficiency is caused by mutations in the F7 gene. Patients with modest differences in FVII levels may display large differences in clinical severity. The variant p.A354V-p.P464Hfs is associated with reduced FVII antigen and activity. The aim of [...] Read more.
(1) Background: Congenital factor (F) VII deficiency is caused by mutations in the F7 gene. Patients with modest differences in FVII levels may display large differences in clinical severity. The variant p.A354V-p.P464Hfs is associated with reduced FVII antigen and activity. The aim of the study was to investigate the clinical manifestation of this variant and the underlying molecular mechanisms. (2) Methods: Analyses were conducted in 37 homozygous patients. The recombinant variant was produced in mammalian cells. (3) Results: We report a large variation in clinical phenotypes, which points out genetic and acquired components beyond F7 mutations as a source of variability. In contrast, patients displayed similarly reduced FVII plasma levels with antigen higher than its activity. Comparative analysis of the recombinant variant and of plasma samples from a subset of patients indicated the presence of an elongated variant with indistinguishable migration. Treatment of cells with the chemical chaperone 4-phenylbutyrate (4-PBA) improved the intracellular trafficking of the variant and increased its secretion to the conditioned medium up to 2-fold. However, the effect of 4-PBA on biological activity was marginal. (4) Conclusions: Chemical chaperones can be used as biochemical tools to study the intracellular fate of a trafficking-defective FVII variant. Full article
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