PUBLICATION

Mutations in Kinesin family member 6 reveal specific role in ependymal cell ciliogenesis and human neurological development

Authors
Konjikusic, M.J., Yeetong, P., Boswell, C.W., Lee, C., Roberson, E.C., Ittiwut, R., Suphapeetiporn, K., Ciruna, B., Gurnett, C.A., Wallingford, J.B., Shotelersuk, V., Gray, R.S.
ID
ZDB-PUB-181127-83
Date
2018
Source
PLoS Genetics   14: e1007817 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Ciruna, Brian, Gray, Ryan, Lee, Chanjae
Keywords
none
MeSH Terms
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Animals, Genetically Modified
  • Base Sequence
  • Child
  • Cilia/metabolism
  • Cilia/pathology
  • Consanguinity
  • Ependyma/abnormalities*
  • Ependyma/metabolism
  • Female
  • Gene Expression
  • Homozygote
  • Humans
  • Hydrocephalus/genetics
  • Intellectual Disability/genetics
  • Kinesins/deficiency
  • Kinesins/genetics*
  • Kinesins/metabolism
  • Kinesins/physiology
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Models, Animal
  • Mutation*
  • Neurodevelopmental Disorders/genetics*
  • Neurodevelopmental Disorders/metabolism
  • Neurodevelopmental Disorders/pathology
  • Pedigree
  • Sequence Deletion
  • Tissue Distribution
  • Xenopus laevis
  • Zebrafish
PubMed
30475797 Full text @ PLoS Genet.
Abstract
Cerebrospinal fluid flow is crucial for neurodevelopment and homeostasis of the ventricular system of the brain, with localized flow being established by the polarized beating of the ependymal cell (EC) cilia. Here, we report a homozygous one base-pair deletion, c.1193delT (p.Leu398Glnfs*2), in the Kinesin Family Member 6 (KIF6) gene in a child displaying neurodevelopmental defects and intellectual disability. To test the pathogenicity of this novel human KIF6 mutation we engineered an analogous C-terminal truncating mutation in mouse. These mutant mice display severe, postnatal-onset hydrocephalus. We generated a Kif6-LacZ transgenic mouse strain and report expression specifically and uniquely within the ependymal cells (ECs) of the brain, without labeling other multiciliated mouse tissues. Analysis of Kif6 mutant mice with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and immunofluorescence (IF) revealed specific defects in the formation of EC cilia, without obvious effect of cilia of other multiciliated tissues. Dilation of the ventricular system and defects in the formation of EC cilia were also observed in adult kif6 mutant zebrafish. Finally, we report Kif6-GFP localization at the axoneme and basal bodies of multi-ciliated cells (MCCs) of the mucociliary Xenopus epidermis. Overall, this work describes the first clinically-defined KIF6 homozygous null mutation in human and defines KIF6 as a conserved mediator of neurological development with a specific role for EC ciliogenesis in vertebrates.
Genes / Markers
Figures
Show all Figures
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping