RESUMO
Snyder-Robinson syndrome, also known as spermine synthase deficiency, is an X-linked intellectual disability syndrome (OMIM #390583). First described by Drs. Snyder and Robinson in 1969, this syndrome is characterized by an asthenic body habitus, facial dysmorphism, broad-based gait, and osteoporosis with frequent fractures. We report here a pediatric autopsy of a 4 year old male with a history of intellectual disability, gait abnormalities, multiple fractures, and seizures previously diagnosed with Snyder-Robinson syndrome with an SMS gene mutation (c.831G>T:p.L277F). The cause of death was hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy secondary to prolonged seizure activity. Although Snyder-Robinson syndrome is rare, the need to recognize clinical findings in order to trigger genetic testing has likely resulted in under diagnosis.
RESUMO
Snyder-Robinson syndrome, also known as spermine synthase deficiency, is an X-linked intellectual disability syndrome (OMIM #390583). First described by Drs. Snyder and Robinson in 1969, this syndrome is characterized by an asthenic body habitus, facial dysmorphism, broad-based gait, and osteoporosis with frequent fractures. We report here a pediatric autopsy of a 4 year old male with a history of intellectual disability, gait abnormalities, multiple fractures, and seizures previously diagnosed with Snyder-Robinson syndrome with an SMS gene mutation (c.831G>T:p.L277F). The cause of death was hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy secondary to prolonged seizure activity. Although Snyder-Robinson syndrome is rare, the need to recognize clinical findings in order to trigger genetic testing has likely resulted in under diagnosis.
Assuntos
Humanos , Masculino , Pré-Escolar , Deficiência Intelectual Ligada ao Cromossomo X/patologia , Autopsia , Evolução Fatal , Hipóxia-Isquemia Encefálica/patologia , Deficiência Intelectual/patologia , Deficiência Intelectual Ligada ao Cromossomo X/diagnóstico , Convulsões/patologia , Espermina SintaseRESUMO
Polyamines are ubiquitous positively charged metabolites that play an important role in wide fundamental cellular processes; because of their importance, the homeostasis of these amines is tightly regulated. Spermine synthase catalyzes the formation of polyamine spermine, which is necessary for growth and development in higher eukaryotes. Previously, we reported a stress inducible spermine synthase 1 (ZmSPMS1) gene from maize. The ZmSPMS1 enzyme differs from their dicot orthologous by a C-terminal extension, which contains a degradation PEST sequence involved in its turnover. Herein, we demonstrate that ZmSPMS1 protein interacts with itself in split yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) assays. A Bimolecular Fluorescence Complementation (BiFC) assay revealed that ZmSPMS1 homodimer has a cytoplasmic localization. In order to gain a better understanding about ZmSPMS1 interaction, two deletion constructs of ZmSPMS1 protein were obtained. The ΔN-ZmSPMS1 version, where the first 74 N-terminal amino acids were eliminated, showed reduced capability of dimer formation, whereas the ΔC-ZmSPMS1 version, lacking the last 40 C-terminal residues, dramatically abated the ZmSPMS1-ZmSPMS1 protein interaction. Recombinant protein expression in Escherichia coli of ZmSPMS1 derived versions revealed that deletion of its N-terminal domain affected the spermine biosynthesis, whereas C-terminal ZmSPMS1 truncated version fail to generate this polyamine. These data suggest that N- and C-terminal domains of ZmSPMS1 play a role in a functional homodimer.
Assuntos
Espaço Intracelular/metabolismo , Multimerização Proteica , Espermina Sintase/metabolismo , Zea mays/enzimologia , Fluorescência , Folhas de Planta/metabolismo , Poliaminas/metabolismo , Ligação Proteica , Nicotiana/metabolismo , Técnicas do Sistema de Duplo-Híbrido , Ubiquitina/metabolismoRESUMO
Polyamines are low molecular weight aliphatic compounds involved in various biochemical, cellular and physiological processes in all organisms. In plants, genes involved in polyamine biosynthesis and catabolism are regulated at transcriptional, translational, and posttranslational level. In this research, we focused on the characterization of a PEST sequence (rich in proline, glutamic acid, serine, and threonine) of the maize spermine synthase 1 (ZmSPMS1). To this aim, 123 bp encoding 40 amino acids of the C-terminal region of the ZmSPMS1 enzyme containing the PEST sequence were fused to the GUS reporter gene. This fusion was evaluated in Arabidopsis thaliana transgenic lines and onion monolayers transient expression system. The ZmSPMS1 PEST sequence leads to specific degradation of the GUS reporter protein. It is suggested that the 26S proteasome may be involved in GUS::PEST fusion degradation in both onion and Arabidopsis. The PEST sequences appear to be present in plant spermine synthases, mainly in monocots.
Assuntos
Glucuronidase/metabolismo , Proteínas de Plantas/metabolismo , Proteólise , Espermina Sintase/metabolismo , Zea mays/metabolismo , Sequência de Aminoácidos , Arabidopsis/genética , Arabidopsis/metabolismo , Western Blotting , Inibidores de Cisteína Proteinase/farmacologia , Genes de Plantas/genética , Glucuronidase/genética , Leupeptinas/farmacologia , Dados de Sequência Molecular , Cebolas/citologia , Cebolas/genética , Cebolas/metabolismo , Proteínas de Plantas/genética , Plantas Geneticamente Modificadas , Complexo de Endopeptidases do Proteassoma/metabolismo , Proteínas Recombinantes de Fusão/genética , Proteínas Recombinantes de Fusão/metabolismo , Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase Via Transcriptase Reversa , Espermina Sintase/genética , Zea mays/genéticaRESUMO
Polyamines play important roles in cell physiology including effects on the structure of cellular macromolecules, gene expression, protein function, nucleic acid and protein synthesis, regulation of ion channels, and providing protection from oxidative damage. Vertebrates contain two polyamines, spermidine and spermine, as well as their precursor, the diamine putrescine. Although spermidine has an essential and unique role as the precursor of hypusine a post-translational modification of the elongation factor eIF5A, which is necessary for this protein to function in protein synthesis, no unique role for spermine has been identified unequivocally. The existence of a discrete spermine synthase enzyme that converts spermidine to spermine suggest that spermine must be needed and this is confirmed by studies with Gy mice and human patients with Snyder-Robinson syndrome in which spermine synthase is absent or greatly reduced. In both cases, this leads to a severe phenotype with multiple effects among which are intellectual disability, other neurological changes, hypotonia, and reduced growth of muscle and bone. This review describes these alterations and focuses on the roles of spermine which may contribute to these phenotypes including reducing damage due to reactive oxygen species, protection from stress, permitting correct current flow through inwardly rectifying K(+) channels, controlling activity of brain glutamate receptors involved in learning and memory, and affecting growth responses. Additional possibilities include acting as storage reservoir for maintaining appropriate levels of free spermidine and a possible non-catalytic role for spermine synthase protein.