Novel Anterior Segment Phenotypes Resulting from Forkhead Gene Alterations: Evidence for Cross-Species Conservation of Function
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Novel Anterior Segment Phenotypes Resulting from Forkhead Gene Alterations: Evidence for Cross-Species Conservation of Function Ordan J. Lehmann,1 Stephen Tuft,2 Glen Brice,3 Richard Smith,4 Åsa Blixt,5 Rachel Bell,3 Bengt Johansson,6 Tim Jordan,1 Roger A. Hitchings,2 Peng T. Khaw,2 Simon W. M. John,4 Peter Carlsson,5 and Shomi S. Bhattacharya1 PURPOSE. Mutations in murine and human versions of an ances- cause it may affect the clinical management of certain trally related gene usually result in similar phenotypes. How- glaucoma subtypes and lead to excessive treatment. The ever, interspecies differences exist, and in the case of two FOXC1 and Foxe3 data, taken together with the novel ocular forkhead transcription factor genes (FOXC1 and FOXC2), phenotypes of FOXC2 mutations, highlight the remarkable these differences include corneal or anterior segment pheno- cross-species conservation of function among forkhead genes. types, respectively. This study was undertaken to determine (Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2003;44:2627–2633) DOI:10.1167/ whether such discrepancies provide an opportunity for iden- iovs.02-0609 tifying novel human–murine ocular phenotypes. METHODS. Four pedigrees with early-onset glaucoma pheno- types secondary to segmental chromosomal duplications or ecognition that mutations in orthologous genes frequently deletions encompassing FOXC1 and 18 individuals from 9 Rcause similar phenotypes has allowed the field of compar- FOXC2 mutation pedigrees underwent detailed ocular pheno- ative genetics to contribute to the understanding of human typing. Subsequently, mice with mutations in Foxc1 or a re- disease. As the human, murine, and Drosophila PAX6 mutants lated forkhead gene, Foxe3, were assessed for features of the (aniridia, Small eye, and eyeless) demonstrate, genotypic con- human phenotypes. servation can be mirrored in a phenotype extending across a considerable evolutionary time span. The same phenomenon is RESULTS. A significant increase in central corneal thickness was exhibited by members of the Forkhead Box (Fox) transcription present in affected individuals from the segmental duplication factor gene family, as the thyroid, immunodeficiency, and pedigrees compared with their unaffected relatives (mean in- Ͻ scurfy-related phenotypes of Foxe1/FOXE1, Foxn1/FOXN1 crease 13%, maximum 35%, P 0.05). Alterations in corneal and Foxp3/FOXP3 mutants illustrate. Forkhead genes also ex- thickness were present in mice heterozygous and homozygous hibit common functional characteristics, including sensitivity for Foxe3 mutations but neither in Foxc1 heterozygotes nor to altered gene dosage—a feature that is conserved between the small human segmental deletion pedigree. Mutations in such evolutionarily divergent organisms as mammals and ze- FOXC2 resulted in ocular anterior segment anomalies. These brafish.1–4 Despite this close relationship, appreciable differ- were more severe and prevalent with mutations involving the ences exist between the reported ocular phenotypes of certain forkhead domain. human (FOXC1/FOXC2) and murine (Foxc1/Foxc2) forkhead CONCLUSIONS. Normal corneal development is dependent on the orthologues, which may be attributable to real biological dif- precise dose and levels of activity of certain forkhead transcrip- ferences, variations in genetic background, and/or aspects of tion factors. The altered corneal thickness attributable to in- the phenotypes that had not been assessed. creased forkhead gene dosage is particularly important, be- Mutations in the FOXC1 gene, located on chromosome 6p25, principally result in a range of Axenfeld-Rieger pheno- types that are strongly associated with glaucoma.5–7 The natu- 1 ral murine Foxc1 mutant, congenital hydrocephalus, in the From the Department of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Oph- ch/ch thalmology, London, United Kingdom; 2Moorfields Eye Hospital, Lon- homozygous state (Foxc1 ) dies in the perinatal period 8 don, United Kingdom; the 3Department of Medical Genetics, St. with cerebral, cardiac, ocular, renal, and skeletal defects. The George’s Hospital Medical School, London, United Kingdom; 4The ocular abnormalities include iris anomalies similar to those in Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, humans, and, in addition, profound corneal changes. These Maine; and the Departments of 5Molecular Biology and 6Anatomy and include failure of the corneal endothelium and lens epithelium Cell Biology, Go¨teborg University, Go¨teborg, Sweden. to separate, resulting in absence of anterior chamber forma- Supported in part by grants from Moorfields Eye Hospital Special tion.1,8 Milder corneal (iris and systemic) disease occurs in Trustees and the International Glaucoma Association (and Tadpoles ch/ϩ ϩ/Ϫ Association). OJL was supported by a fellowship from the Iris Fund. heterozygous (Foxc1 and knockout Foxc1 ) mutant mice demonstrating a relationship between the severity of the SWMJ is an Associate Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical 2,9 Institute. phenotype and the dose of FOXC1. However, such corneal Submitted for publication June 19, 2002; revised August 21, 2002, phenotypes have not been a characteristic observation in ei- and January 7, 2003; accepted January 21, 2003. ther FOXC1 mutations or cytogenetic abnormalities that alter Disclosure: O.J. Lehmann, None; S. Tuft, None; G. Brice, None; FOXC1 gene dosage.8,10–12 Mutations in another forkhead R. Smith, None; Å. Blixt, None; R. Bell, None; B. Johansson, None; gene, Foxe3/FOXE3, cause a failure of corneolenticular sepa- T. Jordan, None; R.A. Hitchings, None; P.T. Khaw, None; S.W.M. ration similar to Foxc1ch/ch, resulting either in the (murine) John, None; P. Carlsson, None; S.S. Bhattacharya, None dysgenetic lens (dyl) phenotype or a proportion of (human) The publication costs of this article were defrayed in part by page 13–16 charge payment. This article must therefore be marked “advertise- Peters anomaly or anterior segment dysgenesis cases. The corneal phenotypes of Foxc1, Foxe3, and FOXE3 mutants plus ment” in accordance with 18 U.S.C. §1734 solely to indicate this fact. 8,17 Corresponding author: Ordan J. Lehmann, Department of Molec- the corneal expression of Foxc1/FOXC1, suggested the ular Genetics, Institute of Ophthalmology, Bath Street, London EC1V existence of an as yet unidentified role for FOXC1 in human 9EL, UK; [email protected]. corneal development. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, June 2003, Vol. 44, No. 6 Copyright © Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology 2627 Downloaded from tvst.arvojournals.org on 09/29/2021 2628 Lehmann et al. IOVS, June 2003, Vol. 44, No. 6 FOXC1 shares coordinated function and overlapping tissue Oberkochen, Germany]). Slit lamp biomicroscopy, pachymetry, and expression with FOXC2, as well as 97% amino acid identity specular microscopy of the cohort of patients with lymphedema- across their forkhead (DNA binding) domains.2–4 Mutations in distichiasis was performed by an ophthalmologist (OJL) masked to the FOXC2 cause an autosomal dominant disease characterized by presence or nature of any FOXC2 mutation. The iridocorneal angles, lymphedema of the limbs and distichiasis (additional diminu- assessed by gonioscopy, were graded as either normal or abnormal, tive eyelashes).18 In contrast, haploinsufficiency of Foxc2 in and abnormalities of the iris, cornea, and optic nerve were docu- knockout (Foxc2ϩ/Ϫ) mice causes iris, trabecular meshwork, mented with a digital slit lamp–mounted camera (DXC-950P; Sony and iridocorneal angle anomalies.2 The presence of murine Corp., Tokyo, Japan). This study adhered to the tenets of the Declara- anterior segment anomalies raises the possibility of an unrec- tion of Helsinki and to the ARVO Statement for the Use of Animals in ognized role for FOXC2 in iris and trabecular meshwork de- Ophthalmic and Vision Research. velopment (analogous to that of FOXC1 in corneal develop- ment). The close functional and phenotypic relationship between RESULTS forkhead orthologues suggests that scrutiny of differences be- tween the phenotypes caused by mutations in Foxc1/FOXC1 CCT was increased in affected individuals (mean 600 m, n ϭ and Foxc2/FOXC2 may provide a model for determining un- 27) from each of the three segmental duplication pedigrees recognized phenotypes. The results from a detailed ocular compared with their unaffected relatives (A, B, and C: P ϭ assessment of patients or model organisms with altered FOXC1 0.008, 0.044, and 0.003, respectively; Fig. 1). Elevated CCT was gene dosage or FOXC2 mutations illustrate how this simple present in affected individuals who had neither had glaucoma approach can elucidate aspects of gene function and have nor required glaucoma surgery. Specular microscopy in an implications for the management of certain developmental unselected subset of affected individuals (34/54 eyes) revealed glaucomas. normal corneal endothelial cell morphology and density (Ͼ2500 cells/mm2) (Fig. 2). CCT measurements from unaf- ϭ METHODS fected individuals (pedigrees A–C; mean, 532 m; n 20), patients with segmental 6p25 deletion (pedigree D; mean, 540 Four pedigrees (A–D) with 6p25 segmental duplications or deletions m; n ϭ 3), and control individuals with unaffected or glau- encompassing FOXC1 have been identified by microsatellite marker comatous eyes were very similar (Fig. 1) and closely matched genotyping or fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH)11,12 (Lehmann the published values for individuals in the United Kingdom.21 ϩ Ϫ OJ, Jordan TL, Ebenezer N, et