Search results for "TSC2"

Functional Assessment of Variants in the TSC1 and TSC2 Genes Identified in Individuals with Tuberous Sclerosis Complex

2011

The effects of missense changes and small in-frame deletions and insertions on protein function are not easy to predict, and the identification of such variants in individuals at risk of a genetic disease can complicate genetic counselling. One option is to perform functional tests to assess whether the variants affect protein function. We have used this strategy to characterize variants identified in the TSC1 and TSC2 genes in individuals with, or suspected of having, Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC). Here we present an overview of our functional studies on 45 TSC1 and 107 TSC2 variants. Using a standardized protocol we classified 16 TSC1 variants and 70 TSC2 variants as pathogenic. In add…

2021

Mutations in TSC1 or TSC2 genes are linked to alterations in neuronal function which ultimately lead to the development of a complex neurological phenotype. Here we review current research on the effects that reduction in TSC1 or TSC2 can produce on the developing neural network. A crucial feature of the disease pathophysiology appears to be an early deviation from typical neurodevelopment, in the form of structural abnormalities. Epileptic seizures are one of the primary early manifestation of the disease in the CNS, followed by intellectual deficits and autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Research using mouse models suggests that morphological brain alterations might arise from the interacti…

Inflammatory Characteristics of Monocytes from Pediatric Patients with Tuberous Sclerosis.

2015

Objective  Therapeutic options for the tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) syndrome showed varying outcomes. Malfunctional tsc1 / tsc2 genes leave mTOR uninhibited, a positive downstream modulator of the innate proinflammatory immune system, which has not yet been described in pediatric patients with TSC. Methods  Using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) gene expression levels of monocytes after cultivation with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or with LPS + mTOR inhibitor rapamycin, patients with TSC ( n  = 16) were compared with healthy subjects ( n  = 20). Results  Compared with monocytes from healthy controls, LPS showed a more prominent gene expression pattern in patients with TSC (CCL24, CXCL10, IL…

Sustained activation of mTOR pathway in embryonic neural stem cells leads to development of tuberous sclerosis complex-associated lesions

2011

SummaryTuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC) is a multisystem genetic disorder characterized by hamartomatous neurological lesions that exhibit abnormal cell proliferation and differentiation. Hyperactivation of mTOR pathway by mutations in either the Tsc1 or Tsc2 gene underlies TSC pathogenesis, but involvement of specific neural cell populations in the formation of TSC-associated neurological lesions remains unclear. We deleted Tsc1 in Emx1-expressing embryonic telencephalic neural stem cells (NSCs) and found that mutant mice faithfully recapitulated TSC neuropathological lesions, such as cortical lamination defects and subependymal nodules (SENs). These alterations were caused by enhanced gen…