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PPIL4 is essential for brain angiogenesis and implicated in intracranial aneurysms in humans

Authors: 
Barak T, Ristori E, Ercan-Sencicek AG, Miyagishima DF, Nelson-Williams C, Dong W, Jin SC, Prendergast A, Armero W, Henegariu O, Erson-Omay EZ, Harmancı AS, Guy M, Gültekin B, Kilic D, Rai DK, Goc N, Aguilera SM, Gülez B, Altinok S, Ozcan K, Yarman Y, Coskun S, Sempou E, Deniz E, Hintzen J, Cox A, Fomchenko E, Jung SW, Ozturk AK, Louvi A, Bilgüvar K, Connolly ES, Kahle KT, Yasuno K, Lifton RP, Mishra-Gorur K, Nicoli S, Günel M
Citation: 
Nat Med. 2021:[Epub ahead of print]. doi:10.1038/s41591-021-01572-7
Abstract: 
Intracranial aneurysm (IA) rupture leads to subarachnoid hemorrhage, a sudden-onset disease that often causes death or severe disability. Although genome-wide association studies have identified common genetic variants that increase IA risk moderately, the contribution of variants with large effect remains poorly defined. Using whole-exome sequencing, we identified significant enrichment of rare, deleterious mutations in PPIL4, encoding peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase-like 4, in both familial and index IA cases. Ppil4 depletion in vertebrate models causes intracerebral hemorrhage, defects in cerebrovascular morphology and impaired Wnt signaling. Wild-type, but not IA-mutant, PPIL4 potentiates Wnt signaling by binding JMJD6, a known angiogenesis regulator and Wnt activator. These findings identify a novel PPIL4-dependent Wnt signaling mechanism involved in brain-specific angiogenesis and maintenance of cerebrovascular integrity and implicate PPIL4 gene mutations in the pathogenesis of IA.
Epub: 
Yes
Organism or Cell Type: 
Xenopus tropicalis
Delivery Method: 
microinjection