Premium
The effect of premature termination codon mutations on CFTR mRNA abundance in human nasal epithelium and intestinal organoids: a basis for read‐through therapies in cystic fibrosis
Author(s) -
Clarke Luka A.,
Awatade Nikhil T.,
Felício Veronica M.,
Silva Iris A.,
Calucho Maite,
Pereira Luisa,
Azevedo Pilar,
Cavaco José,
Barreto Celeste,
Bertuzzo Carmen,
Gartner Silvia,
Beekman Jeffrey,
Amaral Margarida D.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
human mutation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.981
H-Index - 162
eISSN - 1098-1004
pISSN - 1059-7794
DOI - 10.1002/humu.23692
Subject(s) - cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator , biology , cystic fibrosis , nonsense mediated decay , messenger rna , organoid , mutation , context (archaeology) , genotype , allele , microbiology and biotechnology , gene , genetics , rna , rna splicing , paleontology
A major challenge in cystic fibrosis (CF) research is applying mutation‐specific therapy to individual patients with diverse and rare CF transmembrane conductance regulator ( CFTR ) genotypes. Read‐through agents are currently the most promising approach for Class I mutations that introduce premature termination codons (PTCs) into CFTR mRNA. However, variations in degradation of PTC containing transcripts by nonsense mediated decay (NMD) might lower read‐through efficacy. Allele specific quantitative real time (qRT)‐PCR was used to measure variations in CFTR mRNA abundance for several PTC mutations in respiratory cells and intestinal organoids. The majority of PTC mutations were associated with reduced levels of relative mRNA transcript abundance (∼33% and 26% of total CFTR mRNA in respiratory cells and intestinal organoids, respectively, compared to >50% for non‐PTC causing mutations). These levels were generally not affected by PTC mutation type or position, but there could be twofold variations between individuals bearing the same genotype. Most PTC mutations in CFTR are subject to similar levels of NMD, which reduce but do not abolish PTC bearing mRNAs. Measurement of individual NMD levels in intestinal organoids and HNE cells might, therefore, be useful in predicting efficacy of PTC read‐through in the context of personalized CFTR modulator therapy.