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Yanick Crow and colleagues show that mutations in CTC1 , which encodes a homolog of a yeast telomere maintenance protein, cause Coats plus, a highly pleiotropic disorder sharing phenotypic overlap with dyskeratosis congenita and other disorders of telomere maintenance. Coats plus is a highly pleiotropic disorder particularly affecting the eye, brain, bone and gastrointestinal tract. Here, we show that Coats plus results from mutations in CTC1 , encoding conserved telomere maintenance component 1, a member of the mammalian homolog of the yeast heterotrimeric CST telomeric capping complex. Consistent with the observation of shortened telomeres in an Arabidopsis CTC1 mutant and the phenotypic overlap of Coats plus with the telomeric maintenance disorders comprising dyskeratosis congenita, we observed shortened telomeres in three individuals with Coats plus and an increase in spontaneous γH2AX-positive cells in cell lines derived from two affected individuals. CTC1 is also a subunit of the α-accessory factor (AAF) complex, stimulating the activity of DNA polymerase-α primase, the only enzyme known to initiate DNA replication in eukaryotic cells. Thus, CTC1 may have a function in DNA metabolism that is necessary for but not specific to telomeric integrity.

Yanick Crow, Sun Hur and colleagues show that gain-of-function mutations in IFIH1 cause a spectrum of neural and immunological phenotypes associated with enhanced interferon signaling. The mutations increase the affinity of IFIH1 for RNA, leading to immune upregulation and inflammatory disease. The type I interferon system is integral to human antiviral immunity. However, inappropriate stimulation or defective negative regulation of this system can lead to inflammatory disease. We sought to determine the molecular basis of genetically uncharacterized cases of the type I interferonopathy Aicardi-Goutières syndrome and of other undefined neurological and immunological phenotypes also demonstrating an upregulated type I interferon response. We found that heterozygous mutations in the cytosolic double-stranded RNA receptor gene IFIH1 (also called MDA5 ) cause a spectrum of neuroimmunological features consistently associated with an enhanced interferon state. Cellular and biochemical assays indicate that these mutations confer gain of function such that mutant IFIH1 binds RNA more avidly, leading to increased baseline and ligand-induced interferon signaling. Our results demonstrate that aberrant sensing of nucleic acids can cause immune upregulation.

Microtubules and their associated proteins (MAPs) underpin the polarity of specialised cells. Adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) is one such MAP with a multifunctional agenda that requires precise intracellular localisations. Although APC has been found to associate with kinesin-2 subfamily members, the exact mechanism for the peripheral localization of APC remains unclear. Here we show that the heavy chain of kinesin-1 directly interacts with the APC C-terminus, contributing to the peripheral localisation of APC in fibroblasts. In rat hippocampal neurons the kinesin-1 binding domain of APC is required for its axon tip enrichment. Moreover, we demonstrate that APC requires interactions with both kinesin-2 and kinesin-1 for this localisation. Underlining the importance of the kinesin-1 association, neurons expressing APC lacking kinesin-1-binding domain have shorter axons. The identification of this novel kinesin-1-APC interaction highlights the complexity and significance of APC localisation in neurons.

Distal arthrogryposis (DA) is a group of rare, clinically and genetically heterogeneous disorders primarily characterized by congenital contractures of the distal limb joints without a neuromuscular disease. Mutations in at least 8 different genes have been shown to cause DA. Here, we report a 4-generation Indian family with 18 affected members presenting variable features of camptodactyly, brachydactyly, syndactyly, decreased flexion palmar creases, ulnar deviation of the hands, sandal gaps and club feet. We undertook exome sequencing of 3 distantly related affected individuals. Bioinformatics filtering revealed a known pathogenic missense mutation c.188G>A (p.Arg63His) in TNNT3 in all 3 affected individuals that segregated with the phenotype. The affected individuals exhibit significant phenotypic variability. This study demonstrates the value of exome sequencing helping to define the causative variant in genetically heterogeneous disorders.

Examines policy issues relative to making equal educational opportunities equally available to people of color in higher education 40 years after Brown v Board of Education. Specifically, it explores the relevance of issues of educational inequality and legal opinions to public elementary and secondary schools as well as higher education. (GR)

While skiing, I had an accident that involved both the Ski Patrol and the Kamloops Hospital Emergency Department.