University of Basel investigators have reported an association between mutations in the COQ8B gene and nonsyndromic retinitis pigmentosa (RP). RP is a genetically heterogeneous retinal degeneration disorder, which has been found to be associated with mutations in more than 70 genes. However, there are still cases for which no genetic cause has been found.
Researchers from Landeskrankenhaus Salzburg (SALK) - Universitätsklinikum der PMU have identified a novel loss-of-function variant in the NDUFA7 gene in a patient with Leber’s hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON).
The export of RNA from the cell nucleus is a key mechanism in the cell and during developmental stages. The pathway involving NTF2-related export protein 1 (NXT1) and nuclear RNA export factor 1 (NXF1) mediates bulk polyA mRNA through the nuclear pores.
One in every 500 newborns worldwide are affected by nonsyndromic hearing loss (NSHL). Whole-exome sequencing may help in identifying the genetic cause of NSHL.
Germline variants that did not affect gene function nevertheless affected multiple aspects of breast cancer risk, via their visibility to the immune system and its reactions. Perhaps most surprisingly, the same genetic constellations that were protective at the very earliest stage of breast cancer, stage 0 or ductal carcinoma in situ, were associated with worse outcomes once a tumor had become invasive.
Alternative splicing is known to play an important role in tissue development. Scientists at Brigham and Women’s Hospital have looked into the association between a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) genetic variant and cell-specific splicing of putative ciliary rootlet coiled-coil protein-like 1 protein (CROCCP2).
The maintenance of mitochondrial homeostasis plays a crucial role in tumor cell survival and growth. Mitochondrial integrity is regulated by proteins in the mitochondrial inner membrane, such as prohibitin (PHB). PHB has been found overexpressed in several cancer types and contributes to tumorigenesis.
Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a multifactorial disease, the pathogenesis of which involves environmental exposure and genetic predisposition.
Based on findings from recent studies that have identified MUC5AC in mice infected with the nematode Trichuris trichiura and during colitis, researchers from Medical University of South Carolina aimed to assess the effects of Clostridioides difficile infection on MUC5AC in the intestinal mucosa.