Multiple acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiencies (MADDs) are a heterogeneous group of metabolic disorders with combined respiratory-chain deficiency and a neuromuscular phenotype. Despite recent advances in understanding the genetic basis of MADD, a number of cases remain unexplained. Here, we report clinically relevant variants in FLAD1, which encodes FAD synthase (FADS), as the cause of MADD and respiratory-chain dysfunction in nine individuals recruited from metabolic centers in six countries. In most individuals, we identified biallelic frameshift variants in the molybdopterin binding (MPTb) domain, located upstream of the FADS domain. Inasmuch as FADS is essential for cellular supply of FAD cofactors, the finding of biallelic frameshift variants was unexpected. Using RNA sequencing analysis combined with protein mass spectrometry, we discovered FLAD1 isoforms, which only encode the FADS domain. The existence of these isoforms might explain why affected individuals with biallelic FLAD1 frameshift variants still harbor substantial FADS activity. Another group of individuals with a milder phenotype responsive to riboflavin were shown to have single amino acid changes in the FADS domain. When produced in E. coli, these mutant FADS proteins resulted in impaired but detectable FADS activity; for one of the variant proteins, the addition of FAD significantly improved protein stability, arguing for a chaperone-like action similar to what has been reported in other riboflavin-responsive inborn errors of metabolism. In conclusion, our studies identify FLAD1 variants as a cause of potentially treatable inborn errors of metabolism manifesting with MADD and shed light on the mechanisms by which FADS ensures cellular FAD homeostasis.

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory dermatitis, affecting approximately 2% of the population. Major clinical features include red, scaly patches on scalp, elbows, and knees, with or without severe arthritis. Several putative susceptibility loci have been mapped by parametric and non-parametric linkage analysis to chromosome regions 2p, 4q, 6p, 8q, 16q, 17q, and 20p; however, the most significant results and confirmation of linkage are only available for the 17q and 6p chromosome regions at present. In this study, 22 multiplex Italian families were investigated for linkage to 6p and 17q susceptibility regions, using a set of four microsatellites. These analyses failed to detect significant linkage with any of the examined markers. A genome-wide scan was then performed on one of the largest pedigrees, searching for an additional susceptibility locus. This study disclosed a putative linkage to chromosome 1cen-q21 markers. When these microsatellites were analyzed in the remaining families of the sample, a significant linkage was observed using both parametric and non-parametric methods. The highest two-point lod score value was obtained with D1S305 marker (3.75 at 0 = 0.05). Non-parametric analysis at this locus also demonstrated a significant excess of allele sharing (p = 0.0001).

Myotonic dystrophy (DM) is caused by a (CTG) n expansion in the 3 0 -untranslated region of DMPK gene. Mutant transcripts are retained in nuclear RNA foci, which sequester RNA binding proteins thereby misregulating the alternative splicing. Controversy still surrounds the pathogenesis of the DM1 muscle distress, characterized by myotonia, weakness and wasting with distal muscle atrophy. Eight primary human cell lines from adult-onset (DM1) and congenital (cDM1) patients, (CTG) n range 90-1800, were successfully differentiated into aneural-immature and contracting-innervated-mature myotubes. Morphological, immunohistochemical, RT-PCR and western blotting analyses of several markers of myogenesis indicated that in vitro differentiation-maturation of DM1 myotubes was comparable to age-matched controls. In all pathological muscle cells, (CTG) n expansions were confirmed by long PCR and RNA fluorescence in situ hybridization. Moreover, the DM1 myotubes showed the splicing alteration of insulin receptor and muscleblind-like 1 (MBNL1) genes associated with the DM1 phenotype. Considerable myotube loss and atrophy of 15-day-differentiated DM1 myotubes indicated activated catabolic pathways, as confirmed by the presence of apoptotic (caspase-3 activation, cytochrome c release, chromatin fragmentation) and autophagic (P62/LC3) markers. Z-VAD treatment significantly reduced the decrease in myonuclei number and in average width in 15-day-differentiated DM1 myotubes. We thus propose that the muscle wasting typical in DM1 is due to impairment of muscle mass maintenanceregeneration, through premature apoptotic-autophagic activation, rather than altered myogenesis. Myotonic dystrophy (DM) is a multi-systemic disorder caused by two different microsatellite expansions in non-coding regions. Together, these two mutations affect 1 out of 8000 individuals and represent the most common form of muscular dystrophy in adults. DM1 and DM2 have common symptoms such as myotonia, muscle weakness and early cataract development. 1,2 Although DM1 and DM2 initially affect different muscles (distal versus proximal), histological analysis of the muscular tissues shows common aspects such as central nucleation. The classic form of DM1 is characterized by muscle distress with myotonia, progressive muscle weakness and wasting. Atrophy has also been reported, occurring preferentially in type-1 fibers in DM1 and in type-2 in DM2. 3 DM1 but not DM2 also presents a congenital form (cDM1), characterized by a high neonatal mortality and symptoms such as hypotonia, mental retardation and respiratory distress. 4,5 DM1 is associated with an unstable (CTG) n trinucleotide expansion located in the 3 0 -untranslated (3 0 -UTR) region of the DM protein kinase (DMPK) gene on chromosome 19q13.3. The mutant DMPK transcript, containing the expanded (CTG) n sequence, accumulates in discrete nuclear foci able to sequester various nuclear factors such as RNAbinding proteins or splicing regulators, causing different and highly variable downstream deleterious effects. 2,6...

Bacterially induced carbonate mineralization has been proposed as a new method for the restoration of limestones in historic buildings and monuments. We describe here the formation of calcite crystals by extracellular polymeric substances isolated from Bacillus firmus and Bacillus sphaericus. We isolated bacterial outer structures (glycocalix and parietal polymers), such as exopolysaccharides (EPS) and capsular polysaccharides (CPS) and checked for their influence on calcite precipitation. CPS and EPS extracted from both B. firmus and B. sphaericus were able to mediate CaCO3 precipitation in vitro. X-ray microanalysis showed that in all cases the formed crystals were calcite. Scanning electron microscopy showed that the shape of the crystals depended on the fractions utilized. These results suggest the possibility that biochemical composition of CPS or EPS influences the resulting morphology of CaCO3. There were no precipitates in the blank samples. CPS and EPS comprised of proteins and glycoproteins. Positive alcian blue staining also reveals acidic polysaccharides in CPS and EPS fractions. Proteins with molecular masses of 25-40 kDa and 70 kDa in the CPS fraction were highly expressed in the presence of calcium oxalate. This high level of synthesis could be related to the binding of calcium ions and carbonate deposition.

A differential CpG methylation profile upstreamof the expanded CTG array at the DMPK locus has been reported\ud in patientswith myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1), suggesting that hypermethylation mightmodulate DM1 phenotype,\ud possibly affecting expression levels of DMPK and/or flanking genes. To clarify this issue,we characterized\ud by methylation sensitive high resolution melting (MS-HRM) the CpG methylation pattern of DNA sequences\ud flanking the pathological CTG expansion in 13 childhood-onset, 37 juvenile/adult-onset, 7 congenital DM1 patients\ud carrying uninterrupted CTG expansions and in 9 DM1 patients carrying variant expansions vs 30 controls.\ud Association of methylation status with disease features (nCTG, age, sex, MIRS, disease duration) was also\ud assessed. Finally, DMPK and SIX5 expression levels were evaluated in leukocytes from controls, methylated and\ud unmethylated DM1 patients.\ud Wefound hypermethylation involving upstreamsequences ofDM1 locus in patientswith uninterrupted CTG expansions\ud N1000 CTG and affected by a congenital or childhood onset form. Besides the n(CTG) and early disease\ud onset, hypermethylation was also significantly associated with maternal transmission.\ud On the other hand, hypermethylation involved the 3′ of the CTG array in DM1 patients carrying variant expansions.\ud DMPK and SIX5 expression did not significantly differ in methylated vs unmethylated DM1 patients. Our\ud results suggest that either the inherited size of the expanded allele and the presence of interruptions at the 3′\ud end are associated with a highly polarized pattern of CpG methylation at the DM1 locus and that, at least in leukocytes,\ud DM1 locus hypermethylation would not significantly affect DMPK or SIX5 expression