title: Neurodevelopmental disorders associated with dosage imbalance of ZBTB20 correlate with the morbidity spectrum of ZBTB20 candidate target genes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recently, a number of patients have been described with structural rearrangements at 3q13.31, delineating a novel microdeletion syndrome with common clinical features including developmental delay and other neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD). A smallest region of overlapping deletions (SRO) involved five RefSeq genes, including the transcription factor gene ZBTB20 and the dopamine receptor gene DRD3, considered as candidate genes for the syndrome.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We used array comparative genomic hybridization and next-generation mate-pair sequencing to identify key structural rearrangements involving ZBTB20 in two patients with NDD. In a patient with developmental delay, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, psychosis, Tourette's syndrome and autistic traits, a de novo balanced t(3;18) translocation truncated ZBTB20. The other breakpoint did not disrupt any gene. In a second patient with developmental delay and autism, we detected the first microdeletion at 3q13.31, which truncated ZBTB20 but did not involve DRD3 or the other genes within the previously defined SRO. Zbtb20 directly represses 346 genes in the developing murine brain. Of the 342 human orthologous ZBTB20 candidate target genes, we found 68 associated with NDD. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation and quantitative PCR, we validated the in vivo binding of Zbtb20 in evolutionary conserved regions in six of these genes (Cntn4, Gad1, Nrxn1, Nrxn3, Scn2a, Snap25).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study links dosage imbalance of ZBTB20 to a range of neurodevelopmental, cognitive and psychiatric disorders, likely mediated by dysregulation of multiple ZBTB20 target genes, and provides new knowledge on the genetic background of the NDD seen in the 3q13.31 microdeletion syndrome.
authors: Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Wilhelm Johannsen Centre for Functional Genome Research, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors: Malene B
authors: MB
authors: Rasmussen
authors: Department of Neurobiology Research, Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, Odense C, Denmark.
authors: Jakob V
authors: JV
authors: Nielsen
authors: Neurogenetics Unit, Department of Neuroscience and Behavioral Sciences, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto-São Paulo, Brazil.
authors: Charles M
authors: CM
authors: Lourenço
authors: Laboratório de Citogenética e Genómica and CIMAGO, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors: Joana B
authors: JB
authors: Melo
authors: Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Wilhelm Johannsen Centre for Functional Genome Research, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors: Christina
authors: C
authors: Halgren
authors: Neurogenetics Unit, Department of Neuroscience and Behavioral Sciences, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto-São Paulo, Brazil.
authors: Camila V L
authors: CV
authors: Geraldi
authors: Neurogenetics Unit, Department of Neuroscience and Behavioral Sciences, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto-São Paulo, Brazil.
authors: Wilson
authors: W
authors: Marques
authors: Neurogenetics Unit, Department of Neuroscience and Behavioral Sciences, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto-São Paulo, Brazil.
authors: Guilherme R
authors: GR
authors: Rodrigues
authors: Department of Clinical Genetics, Odense University Hospital, Odense C, Denmark.
authors: Mads
authors: M
authors: Thomassen
authors: Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Wilhelm Johannsen Centre for Functional Genome Research, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors: Mads
authors: M
authors: Bak
authors: Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Wilhelm Johannsen Centre for Functional Genome Research, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors: Claus
authors: C
authors: Hansen
authors: Laboratório de Citogenética e Genómica, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors: Susana I
authors: SI
authors: Ferreira
authors: Serviço de Genética Médica, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors: Margarida
authors: M
authors: Venâncio
authors: Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Wilhelm Johannsen Centre for Functional Genome Research, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors: Karen F
authors: KF
authors: Henriksen
authors: Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Wilhelm Johannsen Centre for Functional Genome Research, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors: Allan
authors: A
authors: Lind-Thomsen
authors: Laboratório de Citogenética e Genómica and CIMAGO, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors: Isabel M
authors: IM
authors: Carreira
authors: Department of Neurobiology Research, Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, Odense C, Denmark.
authors: Niels A
authors: NA
authors: Jensen
authors: Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Wilhelm Johannsen Centre for Functional Genome Research, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors: Niels
authors: N
authors: Tommerup
mesh_terms: D047369:Chromatin Immunoprecipitation; D002872:Chromosome Deletion; D002893:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 3 / Q000235:genetics*; D055028:Comparative Genomic Hybridization; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology*; D018628:Gene Dosage / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA / Q000379:methods; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C427486:ZBTB20 protein, human
keywords: Cell biology; Chromosomal; Cytogenetics; Genetics; Psychiatry