Using an Atlas of Gene Regulation Across 44 Human Tissues to Inform Complex Disease- and Trait-Associated Variation
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(COMT) Gene As a Candidate for Psychiatric Phenotypes
Molecular Psychiatry (2006) 11, 446–458 & 2006 Nature Publishing Group All rights reserved 1359-4184/06 $30.00 www.nature.com/mp FEATURE REVIEW The catechol-O-methyl transferase (COMT) gene as a candidate for psychiatric phenotypes: evidence and lessons N Craddock, MJ Owen and MC O’Donovan Department of Psychological Medicine, The Henry Wellcome Building for Biomedical Research in Wales, Cardiff University, School of Medicine, Heath Park, Cardiff, UK The enzyme catechol-O-methyl transferase (COMT), identified in the 1950s, is involved in catabolism of monoamines that are influenced by psychotropic medications, including neuroleptics and antidepressants. The COMT gene lies in a chromosomal region of interest for psychosis and bipolar spectrum disorder and a common polymorphism within the gene alters the activity of the enzyme. As a consequence, COMT has been one of the most studied genes for psychosis. On the basis of prior probabilities it would seem surprising if functional variation at COMT did not have some influence either on susceptibility to psychiatric phenotypes, modification of the course of illness or moderation of response to treatment. There is now robust evidence that variation at COMT influences frontal lobe function. However, despite considerable research effort, it has not proved straightforward to demonstrate and characterise a clear relationship between genetic variation at COMT and psychiatric phenotypes. It is of course, possible that COMT will turn out to be an unusually intractable case but it seems more likely that the experiences with this gene will provide a foretaste of the complexity of genotype–phenotype relationships that will be found for psychiatric traits. -
Supplementary Data
Figure 2S 4 7 A - C 080125 CSCs 080418 CSCs - + IFN-a 48 h + IFN-a 48 h + IFN-a 72 h 6 + IFN-a 72 h 3 5 MRFI 4 2 3 2 1 1 0 0 MHC I MHC II MICA MICB ULBP-1 ULBP-2 ULBP-3 ULBP-4 MHC I MHC II MICA MICB ULBP-1 ULBP-2 ULBP-3 ULBP-4 7 B 13 080125 FBS - D 080418 FBS - + IFN-a 48 h 12 + IFN-a 48 h + IFN-a 72 h + IFN-a 72 h 6 080125 FBS 11 10 5 9 8 4 7 6 3 MRFI 5 4 2 3 2 1 1 0 0 MHC I MHC II MICA MICB ULBP-1 ULBP-2 ULBP-3 ULBP-4 MHC I MHC II MICA MICB ULBP-1 ULBP-2 ULBP-3 ULBP-4 Molecule Molecule FIGURE 4S FIGURE 5S Panel A Panel B FIGURE 6S A B C D Supplemental Results Table 1S. Modulation by IFN-α of APM in GBM CSC and FBS tumor cell lines. Molecule * Cell line IFN-α‡ HLA β2-m# HLA LMP TAP1 TAP2 class II A A HC§ 2 7 10 080125 CSCs - 1∞ (1) 3 (65) 2 (91) 1 (2) 6 (47) 2 (61) 1 (3) 1 (2) 1 (3) + 2 (81) 11 (80) 13 (99) 1 (3) 8 (88) 4 (91) 1 (2) 1 (3) 2 (68) 080125 FBS - 2 (81) 4 (63) 4 (83) 1 (3) 6 (80) 3 (67) 2 (86) 1 (3) 2 (75) + 2 (99) 14 (90) 7 (97) 5 (75) 7 (100) 6 (98) 2 (90) 1 (4) 3 (87) 080418 CSCs - 2 (51) 1 (1) 1 (3) 2 (47) 2 (83) 2 (54) 1 (4) 1 (2) 1 (3) + 2 (81) 3 (76) 5 (75) 2 (50) 2 (83) 3 (71) 1 (3) 2 (87) 1 (2) 080418 FBS - 1 (3) 3 (70) 2 (88) 1 (4) 3 (87) 2 (76) 1 (3) 1 (3) 1 (2) + 2 (78) 7 (98) 5 (99) 2 (94) 5 (100) 3 (100) 1 (4) 2 (100) 1 (2) 070104 CSCs - 1 (2) 1 (3) 1 (3) 2 (78) 1 (3) 1 (2) 1 (3) 1 (3) 1 (2) + 2 (98) 8 (100) 10 (88) 4 (89) 3 (98) 3 (94) 1 (4) 2 (86) 2 (79) * expression of APM molecules was evaluated by intracellular staining and cytofluorimetric analysis; ‡ cells were treatead or not (+/-) for 72 h with 1000 IU/ml of IFN-α; # β-2 microglobulin; § β-2 microglobulin-free HLA-A heavy chain; ∞ values are indicated as ratio between the mean of fluorescence intensity of cells stained with the selected mAb and that of the negative control; bold values indicate significant MRFI (≥ 2). -
Title a New Centrosomal Protein Regulates Neurogenesis By
Title A new centrosomal protein regulates neurogenesis by microtubule organization Authors: Germán Camargo Ortega1-3†, Sven Falk1,2†, Pia A. Johansson1,2†, Elise Peyre4, Sanjeeb Kumar Sahu5, Loïc Broic4, Camino De Juan Romero6, Kalina Draganova1,2, Stanislav Vinopal7, Kaviya Chinnappa1‡, Anna Gavranovic1, Tugay Karakaya1, Juliane Merl-Pham8, Arie Geerlof9, Regina Feederle10,11, Wei Shao12,13, Song-Hai Shi12,13, Stefanie M. Hauck8, Frank Bradke7, Victor Borrell6, Vijay K. Tiwari§, Wieland B. Huttner14, Michaela Wilsch- Bräuninger14, Laurent Nguyen4 and Magdalena Götz1,2,11* Affiliations: 1. Institute of Stem Cell Research, Helmholtz Center Munich, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Munich, Germany. 2. Physiological Genomics, Biomedical Center, Ludwig-Maximilian University Munich, Germany. 3. Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences, Biocenter, Ludwig-Maximilian University Munich, Germany. 4. GIGA-Neurosciences, Molecular regulation of neurogenesis, University of Liège, Belgium 5. Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB), Mainz, Germany. 6. Instituto de Neurociencias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas and Universidad Miguel Hernández, Sant Joan d’Alacant, Spain. 7. Laboratory for Axon Growth and Regeneration, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany. 8. Research Unit Protein Science, Helmholtz Centre Munich, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Munich, Germany. 9. Protein Expression and Purification Facility, Institute of Structural Biology, Helmholtz Center Munich, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Munich, Germany. 10. Institute for Diabetes and Obesity, Monoclonal Antibody Core Facility, Helmholtz Center Munich, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Munich, Germany. 11. SYNERGY, Excellence Cluster of Systems Neurology, Biomedical Center, Ludwig- Maximilian University Munich, Germany. 12. Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, USA 13. -
Cooperativity of Imprinted Genes Inactivated by Acquired Chromosome 20Q Deletions
Cooperativity of imprinted genes inactivated by acquired chromosome 20q deletions Athar Aziz, … , Anne C. Ferguson-Smith, Anthony R. Green J Clin Invest. 2013;123(5):2169-2182. https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI66113. Research Article Oncology Large regions of recurrent genomic loss are common in cancers; however, with a few well-characterized exceptions, how they contribute to tumor pathogenesis remains largely obscure. Here we identified primate-restricted imprinting of a gene cluster on chromosome 20 in the region commonly deleted in chronic myeloid malignancies. We showed that a single heterozygous 20q deletion consistently resulted in the complete loss of expression of the imprinted genes L3MBTL1 and SGK2, indicative of a pathogenetic role for loss of the active paternally inherited locus. Concomitant loss of both L3MBTL1 and SGK2 dysregulated erythropoiesis and megakaryopoiesis, 2 lineages commonly affected in chronic myeloid malignancies, with distinct consequences in each lineage. We demonstrated that L3MBTL1 and SGK2 collaborated in the transcriptional regulation of MYC by influencing different aspects of chromatin structure. L3MBTL1 is known to regulate nucleosomal compaction, and we here showed that SGK2 inactivated BRG1, a key ATP-dependent helicase within the SWI/SNF complex that regulates nucleosomal positioning. These results demonstrate a link between an imprinted gene cluster and malignancy, reveal a new pathogenetic mechanism associated with acquired regions of genomic loss, and underline the complex molecular and cellular consequences of “simple” cancer-associated chromosome deletions. Find the latest version: https://jci.me/66113/pdf Research article Cooperativity of imprinted genes inactivated by acquired chromosome 20q deletions Athar Aziz,1,2 E. Joanna Baxter,1,2,3 Carol Edwards,4 Clara Yujing Cheong,5 Mitsuteru Ito,4 Anthony Bench,3 Rebecca Kelley,1,2 Yvonne Silber,1,2 Philip A. -
A Computational Approach for Defining a Signature of Β-Cell Golgi Stress in Diabetes Mellitus
Page 1 of 781 Diabetes A Computational Approach for Defining a Signature of β-Cell Golgi Stress in Diabetes Mellitus Robert N. Bone1,6,7, Olufunmilola Oyebamiji2, Sayali Talware2, Sharmila Selvaraj2, Preethi Krishnan3,6, Farooq Syed1,6,7, Huanmei Wu2, Carmella Evans-Molina 1,3,4,5,6,7,8* Departments of 1Pediatrics, 3Medicine, 4Anatomy, Cell Biology & Physiology, 5Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, the 6Center for Diabetes & Metabolic Diseases, and the 7Herman B. Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202; 2Department of BioHealth Informatics, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN, 46202; 8Roudebush VA Medical Center, Indianapolis, IN 46202. *Corresponding Author(s): Carmella Evans-Molina, MD, PhD ([email protected]) Indiana University School of Medicine, 635 Barnhill Drive, MS 2031A, Indianapolis, IN 46202, Telephone: (317) 274-4145, Fax (317) 274-4107 Running Title: Golgi Stress Response in Diabetes Word Count: 4358 Number of Figures: 6 Keywords: Golgi apparatus stress, Islets, β cell, Type 1 diabetes, Type 2 diabetes 1 Diabetes Publish Ahead of Print, published online August 20, 2020 Diabetes Page 2 of 781 ABSTRACT The Golgi apparatus (GA) is an important site of insulin processing and granule maturation, but whether GA organelle dysfunction and GA stress are present in the diabetic β-cell has not been tested. We utilized an informatics-based approach to develop a transcriptional signature of β-cell GA stress using existing RNA sequencing and microarray datasets generated using human islets from donors with diabetes and islets where type 1(T1D) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) had been modeled ex vivo. To narrow our results to GA-specific genes, we applied a filter set of 1,030 genes accepted as GA associated. -
Supplemental Information Proximity Interactions Among Centrosome
Current Biology, Volume 24 Supplemental Information Proximity Interactions among Centrosome Components Identify Regulators of Centriole Duplication Elif Nur Firat-Karalar, Navin Rauniyar, John R. Yates III, and Tim Stearns Figure S1 A Myc Streptavidin -tubulin Merge Myc Streptavidin -tubulin Merge BirA*-PLK4 BirA*-CEP63 BirA*- CEP192 BirA*- CEP152 - BirA*-CCDC67 BirA* CEP152 CPAP BirA*- B C Streptavidin PCM1 Merge Myc-BirA* -CEP63 PCM1 -tubulin Merge BirA*- CEP63 DMSO - BirA* CEP63 nocodazole BirA*- CCDC67 Figure S2 A GFP – + – + GFP-CEP152 + – + – Myc-CDK5RAP2 + + + + (225 kDa) Myc-CDK5RAP2 (216 kDa) GFP-CEP152 (27 kDa) GFP Input (5%) IP: GFP B GFP-CEP152 truncation proteins Inputs (5%) IP: GFP kDa 1-7481-10441-1290218-1654749-16541045-16541-7481-10441-1290218-1654749-16541045-1654 250- Myc-CDK5RAP2 150- 150- 100- 75- GFP-CEP152 Figure S3 A B CEP63 – – + – – + GFP CCDC14 KIAA0753 Centrosome + – – + – – GFP-CCDC14 CEP152 binding binding binding targeting – + – – + – GFP-KIAA0753 GFP-KIAA0753 (140 kDa) 1-496 N M C 150- 100- GFP-CCDC14 (115 kDa) 1-424 N M – 136-496 M C – 50- CEP63 (63 kDa) 1-135 N – 37- GFP (27 kDa) 136-424 M – kDa 425-496 C – – Inputs (2%) IP: GFP C GFP-CEP63 truncation proteins D GFP-CEP63 truncation proteins Inputs (5%) IP: GFP Inputs (5%) IP: GFP kDa kDa 1-135136-424425-4961-424136-496FL Ctl 1-135136-424425-4961-424136-496FL Ctl 1-135136-424425-4961-424136-496FL Ctl 1-135136-424425-4961-424136-496FL Ctl Myc- 150- Myc- 100- CCDC14 KIAA0753 100- 100- 75- 75- GFP- GFP- 50- CEP63 50- CEP63 37- 37- Figure S4 A siCtl -
GENETIC STUDY of RENAL DISEASES (Nephroref Global®) by MASSIVE SEQUENCING (NGS)
Pablo Iglesias, 57 – Polígono Gran Via Sur 08908 L'Hospitalet de Llobregat (Barcelona) Tel. 932 593 700 – Fax. 932 845 000 GENETIC STUDY OF RENAL DISEASES (NephroRef Global®) BY MASSIVE SEQUENCING (NGS) Request No.: 000 Client: - Analysis code: 55580 Patient Name: xxx Date of Birth: N/A Patient Ref.: xxx Gender: Female Sample Type: Blood EDTA Sample Arrival Date: DD/MM/AAAA Date of Result: DD/MM/AAAA Clinical information: A 9-year-old patient with a nephrotic syndrome without response to corticosteroid therapy. She has nephrotic-range proteinuria with microhematuria, hypoalbuminemia with hypercholesterolemia and normal glomerular filtration. Paternal aunt with cortico-resistant nephrotic syndrome with evolution to end-stage renal failure that required renal transplantation at age 13. RESULT AND INTERPRETATION The presence of a heterozygous likely pathogenic variant has been identified. In addition, the presence of a heterozygous variant of uncertain clinical significance (VUS) has been identified.(See Interpretation and recommendations) The complete list of studied genes is available in Annex 1. (Methodology) The list of reported genes and coverage details is available in Table 1. (Methodology) Gene Variant* Zygosity Inheritance pattern Classification^ NPHS2 NM_014625.3: c.842A>C Heterozygosis Autosomal Recessive Likely Patogénica p.(Glu281Ala) INF2 NM_022489.3: c.67T>A Heterozygosis Autosomal Recessive VUS p.(Ser23Thr) * Nomenclature according to HGVS v15.11 ^ Based on the recommendations of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) Physician, technical specialist responsible for Clinical Analysis: Jaime Torrents Pont. The results relate to samples received and analysed. This report may not be reproduced in part without permission. This document is addressed to the addressee and contains confidential information. -
Supplementary Table 1: Adhesion Genes Data Set
Supplementary Table 1: Adhesion genes data set PROBE Entrez Gene ID Celera Gene ID Gene_Symbol Gene_Name 160832 1 hCG201364.3 A1BG alpha-1-B glycoprotein 223658 1 hCG201364.3 A1BG alpha-1-B glycoprotein 212988 102 hCG40040.3 ADAM10 ADAM metallopeptidase domain 10 133411 4185 hCG28232.2 ADAM11 ADAM metallopeptidase domain 11 110695 8038 hCG40937.4 ADAM12 ADAM metallopeptidase domain 12 (meltrin alpha) 195222 8038 hCG40937.4 ADAM12 ADAM metallopeptidase domain 12 (meltrin alpha) 165344 8751 hCG20021.3 ADAM15 ADAM metallopeptidase domain 15 (metargidin) 189065 6868 null ADAM17 ADAM metallopeptidase domain 17 (tumor necrosis factor, alpha, converting enzyme) 108119 8728 hCG15398.4 ADAM19 ADAM metallopeptidase domain 19 (meltrin beta) 117763 8748 hCG20675.3 ADAM20 ADAM metallopeptidase domain 20 126448 8747 hCG1785634.2 ADAM21 ADAM metallopeptidase domain 21 208981 8747 hCG1785634.2|hCG2042897 ADAM21 ADAM metallopeptidase domain 21 180903 53616 hCG17212.4 ADAM22 ADAM metallopeptidase domain 22 177272 8745 hCG1811623.1 ADAM23 ADAM metallopeptidase domain 23 102384 10863 hCG1818505.1 ADAM28 ADAM metallopeptidase domain 28 119968 11086 hCG1786734.2 ADAM29 ADAM metallopeptidase domain 29 205542 11085 hCG1997196.1 ADAM30 ADAM metallopeptidase domain 30 148417 80332 hCG39255.4 ADAM33 ADAM metallopeptidase domain 33 140492 8756 hCG1789002.2 ADAM7 ADAM metallopeptidase domain 7 122603 101 hCG1816947.1 ADAM8 ADAM metallopeptidase domain 8 183965 8754 hCG1996391 ADAM9 ADAM metallopeptidase domain 9 (meltrin gamma) 129974 27299 hCG15447.3 ADAMDEC1 ADAM-like, -
Identification of Sequence Variants
Wang et al. BMC Medical Genomics (2019) 12:28 https://doi.org/10.1186/s12920-019-0475-x RESEARCH ARTICLE Open Access Identification of sequence variants associated with severe microtia-astresia by targeted sequencing Pu Wang1, Yibei Wang1, Xinmiao Fan1, Yaping Liu2, Yue Fan1, Tao Liu3, Chongjian Chen3, Shuyang Zhang4*† and Xiaowei Chen1*† Abstract Background: Microtia-atresia is characterized by abnormalities of the auricle (microtia) and aplasia or hypoplasia of the external auditory canal, often associated with middle ear abnormalities. To date, no causal genetic mutations or genes have been identified in microtia-atresia patients. Methods: We designed a panel of 131 genes associated with external/middle or inner ear deformity. Targeted genomic capturing combined with next-generation sequencing (NGS) was utilized to screen for mutations in 40 severe microtia-atresia patients. Mutations detected by NGS were filtered and validated. And then mutations were divided into three categories—rare or novel variants, low-frequency variants and common variants—based on their frequency in the public database. The rare or novel mutations were prioritized by pathogenicity analysis. For the low-frequency variants and common variants, we used association studies to explore risk factors of severe microtia-atresia. Results: Sixty-five rare heterozygous mutations of 42 genes were identified in 27 (67.5%) severe microtia-atresia patients. Association studies to determine genes that were potentially pathogenic found that PLEC, USH2A, FREM2, DCHS1, GLI3, POMT1 and GBA genes were significantly associated with severe microtia-atresia. Of these, DCHS1 was strongly suggested to cause severe microtia-atresia as it was identified by both low-frequency and common variants association studies. -
Evidence of Oligogenic Inheritance in Nephronophthisis
JASN Express. Published on September 12, 2007 as doi: 10.1681/ASN.2007020243 CLINICAL RESEARCH www.jasn.org Evidence of Oligogenic Inheritance in Nephronophthisis Julia Hoefele,*† Matthias T.F. Wolf,* John F. O’Toole,* Edgar A. Otto,* Ulla Schultheiss,* Georges Deˆschenes,‡ Massimo Attanasio,* Boris Utsch,* Corinne Antignac,§ and ʈ Friedhelm Hildebrandt* ʈ Departments of *Pediatrics and Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan; †Department of Pediatrics, University Children’s Hospital, University of Munich, Munich, Germany; and ‡Hoˆpital Robert Debre´, Pediatric Nephrology, AP-HP, and §INSERM, U574, Universite´ Paris Descartes, Faculte de Me´dicine Rene´ Descartes, and Hoˆpital Necker-Enfants Malades, AP-HP, Department of Genetics, Paris, France ABSTRACT Nephronophthisis is a recessive cystic renal disease that leads to end-stage renal failure in the first two decades of life. Twenty-five percent of nephronophthisis cases are caused by large homozygous deletions of NPHP1, but six genes responsible for nephronophthisis have been identified. Because oligogenic inheritance has been described for the related Bardet-Biedl syndrome, we evaluated whether mutations in more than one gene may also be detected in cases of nephronophthisis. Because the nephrocystins 1 to 4 are known to interact, we examined patients with nephronophthisis from 94 different families and sequenced all exons of the NPHP1, NPHP2, NPHP3, and NPHP4 genes. In our previous studies involving 44 families, we detected two mutations in one of the NPHP1–4 genes. Here, we detected in six families two mutations in either NPHP1, NPHP3, or NPHP4, and identified a third mutation in one of the other NPHP genes. Furthermore, we found possible digenic disease by detecting one individual who carried one mutation in NPHP2 and a second mutation in NPHP3. -
Molecular Effects of Isoflavone Supplementation Human Intervention Studies and Quantitative Models for Risk Assessment
Molecular effects of isoflavone supplementation Human intervention studies and quantitative models for risk assessment Vera van der Velpen Thesis committee Promotors Prof. Dr Pieter van ‘t Veer Professor of Nutritional Epidemiology Wageningen University Prof. Dr Evert G. Schouten Emeritus Professor of Epidemiology and Prevention Wageningen University Co-promotors Dr Anouk Geelen Assistant professor, Division of Human Nutrition Wageningen University Dr Lydia A. Afman Assistant professor, Division of Human Nutrition Wageningen University Other members Prof. Dr Jaap Keijer, Wageningen University Dr Hubert P.J.M. Noteborn, Netherlands Food en Consumer Product Safety Authority Prof. Dr Yvonne T. van der Schouw, UMC Utrecht Dr Wendy L. Hall, King’s College London This research was conducted under the auspices of the Graduate School VLAG (Advanced studies in Food Technology, Agrobiotechnology, Nutrition and Health Sciences). Molecular effects of isoflavone supplementation Human intervention studies and quantitative models for risk assessment Vera van der Velpen Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of doctor at Wageningen University by the authority of the Rector Magnificus Prof. Dr M.J. Kropff, in the presence of the Thesis Committee appointed by the Academic Board to be defended in public on Friday 20 June 2014 at 13.30 p.m. in the Aula. Vera van der Velpen Molecular effects of isoflavone supplementation: Human intervention studies and quantitative models for risk assessment 154 pages PhD thesis, Wageningen University, Wageningen, NL (2014) With references, with summaries in Dutch and English ISBN: 978-94-6173-952-0 ABSTRact Background: Risk assessment can potentially be improved by closely linked experiments in the disciplines of epidemiology and toxicology. -
Null Mutation of the Fascin2 Gene by TALEN Leading to Progressive Hearing Loss and Retinal Degeneration in C57BL/6J Mice
G3: Genes|Genomes|Genetics Early Online, published on August 6, 2018 as doi:10.1534/g3.118.200405 Null mutation of the Fascin2 gene by TALEN leading to progressive hearing loss and retinal degeneration in C57BL/6J mice Xiang Liu1,3,§, Mengmeng Zhao1,2,§, Yi Xie1,2, §, Ping Li1, Oumei Wang1 , Bingxin Zhou1,2, Linlin Yang1,4, Yao Nie1, Lin Cheng1, Xicheng Song1,5, Changzhu Jin1,3,**, Fengchan Han1,2,* 1Key Laboratory for Genetic Hearing Disorders in Shandong, Binzhou Medical University, 346 Guanhai Road, Yantai264003, Shandong, P. R. China 2Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Binzhou Medical University, 346 Guanhai Road, Yantai264003, Shandong, P. R. China 3Department of Human Anatomy and Histology and Embryology, Binzhou Medical University, 346 Guanhai Road, Yantai264003, Shandong, P. R. China 4Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Yuhuangding Hospital, 20 East Yuhuangding Road, Yantai 264000, Shandong, P.R .China § These authors contribute equally *The First Corresponding Author: [email protected] **The Second Corresponding Author: [email protected] Key Laboratory for Genetic Hearing Disorders in Shandong, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Binzhou Medical University, 346 Guanhai Road, Yantai264003, Shandong, P. R. China © The Author(s) 2013. Published by the Genetics Society of America. Abstract Fascin2 (FSCN2) is an actin cross-linking protein that is mainly localized in retinas and in the stereocilia of hair cells. Earlier studies showed that a deletion mutation in human FASCIN2 (FSCN2) gene could cause autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa. Recent studies have indicated that a missense mutation in mouse Fscn2 gene (R109H) can contribute to the early onset of hearing loss in DBA/2J mice.