Bi-allelic variants in IPO8 cause a connective tissue disorder associated with cardiovascular defects, skeletal abnormalities, and immune dysregulation

Am J Hum Genet. 2021 Jun 3;108(6):1126-1137. doi: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2021.04.020. Epub 2021 May 18.

Abstract

Dysregulated transforming growth factor TGF-β signaling underlies the pathogenesis of genetic disorders affecting the connective tissue such as Loeys-Dietz syndrome. Here, we report 12 individuals with bi-allelic loss-of-function variants in IPO8 who presented with a syndromic association characterized by cardio-vascular anomalies, joint hyperlaxity, and various degree of dysmorphic features and developmental delay as well as immune dysregulation; the individuals were from nine unrelated families. Importin 8 belongs to the karyopherin family of nuclear transport receptors and was previously shown to mediate TGF-β-dependent SMADs trafficking to the nucleus in vitro. The important in vivo role of IPO8 in pSMAD nuclear translocation was demonstrated by CRISPR/Cas9-mediated inactivation in zebrafish. Consistent with IPO8's role in BMP/TGF-β signaling, ipo8-/- zebrafish presented mild to severe dorso-ventral patterning defects during early embryonic development. Moreover, ipo8-/- zebrafish displayed severe cardiovascular and skeletal defects that mirrored the human phenotype. Our work thus provides evidence that IPO8 plays a critical and non-redundant role in TGF-β signaling during development and reinforces the existing link between TGF-β signaling and connective tissue defects.

Keywords: IPO8; Loeys-Dietz syndrome; TGF-β signaling; arterial dilatation; connective tissue disorder; joint hyperlaxity.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Animals
  • Bone Diseases / etiology*
  • Bone Diseases / pathology
  • Cardiovascular Diseases / etiology*
  • Cardiovascular Diseases / pathology
  • Child
  • Connective Tissue Diseases / etiology*
  • Connective Tissue Diseases / pathology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immunity, Cellular / immunology*
  • Infant
  • Loss of Function Mutation*
  • Loss of Heterozygosity*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Pedigree
  • Phenotype
  • Signal Transduction
  • Transforming Growth Factor beta / genetics
  • Transforming Growth Factor beta / metabolism
  • Young Adult
  • Zebrafish
  • beta Karyopherins / genetics*
  • beta Karyopherins / metabolism

Substances

  • IPO8 protein, human
  • Transforming Growth Factor beta
  • beta Karyopherins