About
Our team identified the first mutations in the SHANK3 gene, showing it’s role in autism and Phelan-McDermid Syndrome (PMS). Thanks to a donation from the French Association of Phelan-McDermid Syndrome, we will continue the whole genome sequencing of PMS patients in order to identify genomic regions associated with the severity of clinical symptoms. This study will lead to better diagnosis and to the identification of new therapeutic targets.
Phelan-McDermid syndrome (PMS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with non-specific clinical features. The main symptoms are hypotonia, intellectual disability (ID), absent or delayed speech together with minor dysmorphic features. More than half of the patients exhibit autism spectrum disorders (ASD).
PMS is a contiguous gene syndrome resulting from deletion of the distal long arm of chromosome 22. The type and the size of the deletion can vary from one patient to another. In the vast majority of the cases, the deletion is de novo.
There is a gradient of severity in PMS. Some patients have difficulty to walk or may have a severe intellectual disability while other patients can speak and go to high school. The size of the deletion seems to contribute to the presence of some features (speech problems are more frequent in patients with large deletions). In contrast, seizures, hypotonia, birth weight, and gestational age at birth do not seem to correlate with deletion size.
Among the genes located at 22q13, we previously identified deleterious de novo mutations of the SHANK3 gene in patients with ASD and ID. SHANK3 codes for a synaptic scaffolding protein that plays an important role in the formation of dendrites and glutamatergic synapses. While SHANK3 has been extensively studied as a candidate gene for the neurological symptoms of PMS, it is clear that many other genes in the region are involved in the pathogenesis of PMS.
Projects
The genetic and phenotypic diversity of patients with PMS in Europe
In order to identify the factors that can modulate the severity of the syndrome, we aim at analyzing the genotype-phenotype relationship in all patients with PMS in Europe. Instead of focusing on the size of the 22q13 deletion, we want to analyze the whole genome of all patients with PMS.
Cellular and mouse models of PMS
In order to identify the causative mechanisms and the main neuronal circuits involved in PMS, we are currently studying cellular and mouse models of the syndrome. Our cellular models consist of neurons derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) of patients with PMS or ASD carrying a de novo SHANK3 mutation. Our mouse models are based on mice lacking the SHANK3 gene.
Collaborators
Foundations and collaborative groups
- The Phelan-McDermid syndrome foundation in USA : http://www.pmsf.org
- The Phelan-McDermid syndrome foundation in France: http://22q13.fr
- The Phelan-McDermid syndrome foundation in Denmark : pmsf-danmark@youseeme.dk
- The Phelan-McDermid syndrome foundation in UK: http://www.pmsf.org.uk
- The Phelan-McDermid syndrome foundations in Italy: http://www.aisphem.it/; http://www.labbracciodiuma.it
- The EU-AIMS: http://www.eu-aims.eu/
- The “Association Téhani et les enfants Phelan-McDermid” in France
Clinicians/Geneticists
- USA: Prof. Katy Phelan: https://tulane.edu/som/hayward-genetics/faculty/katy-phelan.cfm
- France (Paris): Prof. Richard Delorme: https://research.pasteur.fr/en/member/richard-delorme/; http://robertdebre.aphp.fr/equipes-cliniques/pole-pediatrie/psychopathologie-enfant-adolescent/
- France (Paris): Dr. Anne Claude Tabet: http://robertdebre.aphp.fr/consultation/247/
- France (Paris): Prof. Thierry Bienvenu: http://www.orpha.net/consor/cgi-bin/Directory_Professionals.php?lng=FR&data_id=42&MISSING%20CONTENT=Dr-Thierry-BIENVENU&title=Dr-Thierry-BIENVENU&search=Directory_Professionals_Simple
- France (Nimes): Prof. Serge Lumbroso: http://www.chu-nimes.fr/pole-biologies/laboratoire-de-biochimie.html
- France (Angers): Prof. Dominique Bonneau : https://www.chu-angers.fr/offre-de-soins/pr-dominique-bonneau-52344.kjsp
- France (Clermont-Ferrand): Prof Christine Francannet: http://www.orpha.net/consor/cgi-bin/Directory_Professionals.php?lng=FR&data_id=176&MISSING%20CONTENT=Dr-Christine-FRANCANNET&title=Dr-Christine-FRANCANNET&search=Directory_Professionals_Simple
- Belgique (Leuven): Prof. Hilde Van Esch: http://www.kuleuven.be/wieiswie/nl/person/00010621
- Denmark (Odense) : Dr. Christina Fagerberg: http://www.ouh.dk
- Netherland (Groningen): Prof. Conny van Ravenswaaij-Arts: 22q13@umcg.nl; http://www.rug.nl/research/genetics/research/phelan-mcdermid-syndrome/
- Germany (Ulm): : sarah.jesse@uni-ulm.de; michael.schoen@uni-ulm.de
- United Kingdom (London): Eva Loth: eva.loth@kcl.ac.uk
- Italy (Milano): Istituto Neurologico Besta, Stefano D’Arrigo: Arrigo@istituto-besta.it
- Italy (Pisa): Istituto Stella Maris, Filippo Muratori, Filippo Santorelli: filippo.muratori@fsm.unipi.it, filippo.santorelli@fsm.unipi.it
- Italy (Roma):Università Cattolica Sacro Cuore, Zollino Marcella: marcella.zollino@unicatt.it
- Italy (Sicilia): Ospedale Oasi di Troina, Maurizio Elia: melia@oasi.en.it
Neurobiologists
- Germany (Ulm): Prof. Tobias Boeckers: tobias.boeckers@uni-ulm.de ; https://www.uni-ulm.de/med/med-auz/mitarbeiter/prof-dr-t-m-boeckers.html
- Italy (Milano): Dr. Carlo sala: http://www.in.cnr.it/index.php/it/9-people/58-carlo-sala
- Italy (Milano): Dr. Chiara Verpelli: http://www.in.cnr.it/index.php/it/9-people/60-chiara-verpelli
- France (Evry): Dr Alexandra Benchoua: http://www.istem.eu/en/biotherapies/neuroplasticity-and-therapeutic/
- France (Paris): Dr. David DiGregorio: https://research.pasteur.fr/en/team/dynamic-neuronal-imaging/
- France (Paris): Dr. Laure Rondi-Reig: http://www.ibps.upmc.fr/en/research/neuroscience/cezame
Please visit the Frontiers Research Topics on Shankopathies: Shank Protein Deficiency-Induced Synaptic Diseases
Our new papers on PMS and SHANK !
A framework to identify contributing genes in patients with Phelan-McDermid syndrome
Anne-Claude Tabet, Thomas Rolland et al.
Primers to PCR and sequence SHANK3
