Histone H3.3 beyond cancer: Germline mutations in <i>Histone 3 Family 3A and 3B</i> cause a previously unidentified neurodegenerative disorder in 46 patients
Laura Bryant, Dong Li, Samuel G. Cox, Dylan M. Marchione, Evan F. Joiner, Khadija Wilson, Kevin A. Janssen, Pearl Lee, Michael March, Divya Nair, Elliott H. Sherr, Brieana Fregeau, Klaas J. Wierenga, Alexandrea Wadley, Grazia M.S. Mancini, Nina Powell‐Hamilton, Jiddeke van de Kamp, Theresa A. Grebe, John Dean, Alison Ross, Heather P. Crawford, Zöe Powis, Megan T. Cho, Marcia Willing, Linda Manwaring, Rachel Schot, Caroline Nava, Alexandra Afenjar, Davor Lessel, Matias Wagner, Thomas Klopstock, Juliane Winkelmann, Claudia B. Catarino, Kyle Retterer, Jane L. Schuette, Jeffrey W. Innis, Amy Pizzino, Sabine Lüttgen, Jonas Denecke, Tim M. Strom, Kristin G. Monaghan, DDD Study, Zuo‐Fei Yuan, Holly Dubbs, Renee Bend, Jennifer A. Lee, Michael J. Lyons, Julia Hoefele, Roman Günthner, Heiko Reutter, Boris Keren, Kelly Radtke, Omar Sherbini, Cameron Mrokse, Katherine L. Helbig, Sylvie Odent, Benjamin Cogné, Sandra Mercier, Stéphane Bezieau, Thomas Besnard, Sébastien Küry, Richard Redon, Karit Reinson, Monica H. Wojcik, Katrin Õunap, Pilvi Ilves, A. Micheil Innes, Kristin D. Kernohan, Gregory Costain, M. Stephen Meyn, David Chitayat, Elaine H. Zackai, Anna Lehman, Hilary Kitson, CAUSES Study, Martin G. Martin, Julián A. Martínez-Agosto, Undiagnosed Diseases Network, Stan F. Nelson, Christina G.S. Palmer, Jeanette C. Papp, Neil H. Parker, Janet S. Sinsheimer, Éric Vilain, Jijun Wan, Amanda J. Yoon, Allison Zheng, Elise Brimble, Giovanni Battista Ferrero, Francesca Clementina Radio, Diana Carli, Sabina Barresi, Alfredo Brusco, Marco Tartaglia, Jennifer Muncy Thomas, Luis A. Umaña, Marjan M. Weiss, Garrett Gotway, Kyra E. Stuurman, Michelle L. Thompson
Abstract
with progressive neurologic dysfunction and congenital anomalies without malignancies. Molecular modeling of all 37 variants demonstrated clear disruptions in interactions with DNA, other histones, and histone chaperone proteins. Patient histone posttranslational modifications (PTMs) analysis revealed notably aberrant local PTM patterns distinct from the somatic lysine mutations that cause global PTM dysregulation. RNA sequencing on patient cells demonstrated up-regulated gene expression related to mitosis and cell division, and cellular assays confirmed an increased proliferative capacity. A zebrafish model showed craniofacial anomalies and a defect in Foxd3-derived glia. These data suggest that the mechanism of germline mutations are distinct from cancer-associated somatic histone mutations but may converge on control of cell proliferation.