Cited by 72Genetics and Neurodevelopmental DisordersGenomics and Rare DiseasesEpigenetics and DNA Methylation

Reduced Euchromatin histone methyltransferase 1 causes developmental delay, hypotonia, and cranial abnormalities associated with increased bone gene expression in Kleefstra syndrome mice

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Balemans, Monique C.M., Ansar, Muhammad, Oudakker, Astrid R., van Caam, Arjan P.M., Bakker, Brenda, Vitters, Elly L., van der Kraan, Peter M., de Bruijn, Diederik R.H. +11 more·2014·Developmental Biology

Abstract

Haploinsufficiency of Euchromatin histone methyltransferase 1 (EHMT1), a chromatin modifying enzyme, is the cause of Kleefstra syndrome (KS). KS is an intellectual disability (ID) syndrome, with general developmental delay, hypotonia, and craniofacial dysmorphisms as additional core features. Recent studies have been focused on the role of EHMT1 in learning and memory, linked to the ID phenotype of KS patients. In this study we used the Ehmt1(+/-) mouse model, and investigated whether the core features of KS were mimicked in these mice. When comparing Ehmt1(+/-) mice to wildtype littermates we observed delayed postnatal growth, eye opening, ear opening, and upper incisor eruption, indicating a delayed postnatal development. Furthermore, tests for muscular strength and motor coordination showed features of hypotonia in young Ehmt1(+/-) mice. Lastly, we found that Ehmt1(+/-) mice showed brachycephalic crania, a shorter or bent nose, and hypertelorism, reminiscent of the craniofacial dysmorphisms seen in KS. In addition, gene expression analysis revealed a significant upregulation of the mRNA levels of Runx2 and several other bone tissue related genes in P28 Ehmt1(+/-) mice. Runx2 immunostaining also appeared to be increased. The mRNA upregulation was associated with decreased histone H3 lysine 9 dimethylation (H3K9me2) levels, the epigenetic mark deposited by Ehmt1, in the promoter region of these genes. Together, Ehmt1(+/-) mice indeed recapitulate KS core features and can be used as an animal model for Kleefstra syndrome. The increased expression of bone developmental genes in the Ehmt1(+/-) mice likely contributes to their cranial dysmorphisms and might be explained by diminished Ehmt1-induced H3K9 dimethylation.

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  • COL22A1 and COL11A1 exhibit increased expression in the bone tissue and hippocampus of mice with some of the symptoms of Kleefstra Syndrome.

    “COL22A1 and COL11A1 exhibit increased expression in the bone tissue and hippocampus of mice with some of the symptoms of Kleefstra Syndrome (developmental delay, hypotonia, and craniofacial abnormalities), which is often accompanied by autistic symptoms and intellectual disability in humans [113, 114].”

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  1. Kleefstra, T., Nillesen, W.M., Yntema, H.G., 2010. Kleefstra syndrome. In: Pagon, R.A., Bird, T.D., Dolan, C.R., Stephens, K. (Eds.), SourceGeneReviews [Internet] Seattle (WA). University of Washington, Seattle.

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Authors
Balemans, M. C. M., Ansar, M., Oudakker, A. R., van Caam, A. P. M., Bakker, B., Vitters, E. L., van der Kraan, P. M., de Bruijn, D. R. H., Janssen, S. M., Kuipers, A. J., Huibers, M. M. H., Maliepaard, E. M., Walboomers, X. F., Benevento, M., Nadif Kasri, N., Kleefstra, T., Zhou, H., Van der Zee, C. E. E. M., & van Bokhoven, H.
Affiliations
  • Radboud University Medical Center (NL)
  • King Edward Medical University (PK)
  • Radboud University Nijmegen (NL)
Venue
Developmental Biology
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2014-02
Volume
386
Issue
2
Pages
395-407
ISSN
0012-1606 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2089343670
Cited by
72
References
51
Citations by year
2026: 2 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 8 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 8 · 2015: 9 · 2014: 6
FWCI
5.07
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Developmental Biology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Radboud Repository (Radboud University) (submittedVersion)
  • Radboud Repository (Radboud University) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
Funders
GENCODYS (241995)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Genetics and Neurodevelopmental Disorders
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Genomics and Rare Diseases
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Epigenetics and DNA Methylation
Keywords
Kleefstra syndrome, EHMT1, histone methyltransferase, haploinsufficiency, intellectual disability, developmental delay, hypotonia, craniofacial dysmorphism, brachycephaly, hypertelorism, Runx2, bone gene expression, H3K9 dimethylation, epigenetic regulation, mouse model, postnatal development
MeSH terms
Analysis of Variance, Animals, Bone and Bones, Developmental Disabilities, Chromosome Deletion, Chromosomes, Human, Pair 9, Heart Defects, Congenital, Male, Intellectual Disability, Muscle Hypotonia, Histone-Lysine N-Methyltransferase, Skull, Mice, Knockout, Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental, Craniofacial Abnormalities, Chromatin Immunoprecipitation, Mice, Osteopontin, Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction

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