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Maria H. Chahrour

Bio: Maria H. Chahrour is an academic researcher from University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. The author has contributed to research in topics: Autism spectrum disorder & MECP2. The author has an hindex of 19, co-authored 40 publications receiving 7442 citations. Previous affiliations of Maria H. Chahrour include Harvard University & Baylor College of Medicine.

Papers
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Journal ArticleDOI
Silvia De Rubeis1, Xin-Xin He2, Arthur P. Goldberg1, Christopher S. Poultney1, Kaitlin E. Samocha3, A. Ercument Cicek2, Yan Kou1, Li Liu2, Menachem Fromer1, Menachem Fromer3, R. Susan Walker4, Tarjinder Singh5, Lambertus Klei6, Jack A. Kosmicki3, Shih-Chen Fu1, Branko Aleksic7, Monica Biscaldi8, Patrick Bolton9, Jessica M. Brownfeld1, Jinlu Cai1, Nicholas G. Campbell10, Angel Carracedo11, Angel Carracedo12, Maria H. Chahrour3, Andreas G. Chiocchetti, Hilary Coon13, Emily L. Crawford10, Lucy Crooks5, Sarah Curran9, Geraldine Dawson14, Eftichia Duketis, Bridget A. Fernandez15, Louise Gallagher16, Evan T. Geller17, Stephen J. Guter18, R. Sean Hill3, R. Sean Hill19, Iuliana Ionita-Laza20, Patricia Jiménez González, Helena Kilpinen, Sabine M. Klauck21, Alexander Kolevzon1, Irene Lee22, Jing Lei2, Terho Lehtimäki, Chiao-Feng Lin17, Avi Ma'ayan1, Christian R. Marshall4, Alison L. McInnes23, Benjamin M. Neale24, Michael John Owen25, Norio Ozaki7, Mara Parellada26, Jeremy R. Parr27, Shaun Purcell1, Kaija Puura, Deepthi Rajagopalan4, Karola Rehnström5, Abraham Reichenberg1, Aniko Sabo28, Michael Sachse, Stephen Sanders29, Chad M. Schafer2, Martin Schulte-Rüther30, David Skuse31, David Skuse22, Christine Stevens24, Peter Szatmari32, Kristiina Tammimies4, Otto Valladares17, Annette Voran33, Li-San Wang17, Lauren A. Weiss29, A. Jeremy Willsey29, Timothy W. Yu19, Timothy W. Yu3, Ryan K. C. Yuen4, Edwin H. Cook18, Christine M. Freitag, Michael Gill16, Christina M. Hultman34, Thomas Lehner35, Aarno Palotie36, Aarno Palotie24, Aarno Palotie3, Gerard D. Schellenberg17, Pamela Sklar1, Matthew W. State29, James S. Sutcliffe10, Christopher A. Walsh3, Christopher A. Walsh19, Stephen W. Scherer4, Michael E. Zwick37, Jeffrey C. Barrett5, David J. Cutler37, Kathryn Roeder2, Bernie Devlin6, Mark J. Daly3, Mark J. Daly24, Joseph D. Buxbaum1 
13 Nov 2014-Nature
TL;DR: Using exome sequencing, it is shown that analysis of rare coding variation in 3,871 autism cases and 9,937 ancestry-matched or parental controls implicates 22 autosomal genes at a false discovery rate of < 0.05, plus a set of 107 genes strongly enriched for those likely to affect risk (FDR < 0.30).
Abstract: The genetic architecture of autism spectrum disorder involves the interplay of common and rare variants and their impact on hundreds of genes. Using exome sequencing, here we show that analysis of rare coding variation in 3,871 autism cases and 9,937 ancestry-matched or parental controls implicates 22 autosomal genes at a false discovery rate (FDR) < 0.05, plus a set of 107 autosomal genes strongly enriched for those likely to affect risk (FDR < 0.30). These 107 genes, which show unusual evolutionary constraint against mutations, incur de novo loss-of-function mutations in over 5% of autistic subjects. Many of the genes implicated encode proteins for synaptic formation, transcriptional regulation and chromatin-remodelling pathways. These include voltage-gated ion channels regulating the propagation of action potentials, pacemaking and excitability-transcription coupling, as well as histone-modifying enzymes and chromatin remodellers-most prominently those that mediate post-translational lysine methylation/demethylation modifications of histones.

2,228 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
30 May 2008-Science
TL;DR: It is shown that MeCP2 associates with the transcriptional activator CREB1 at the promoter of an activated target but not a repressed target, and that it can function as both an activator and a repressor of transcription.
Abstract: Mutations in the gene encoding the transcriptional repressor methyl-CpG binding protein 2 (MeCP2) cause the neurodevelopmental disorder Rett syndrome Loss of function as well as increased dosage of the MECP2 gene cause a host of neuropsychiatric disorders To explore the molecular mechanism(s) underlying these disorders, we examined gene expression patterns in the hypothalamus of mice that either lack or overexpress MeCP2 In both models, MeCP2 dysfunction induced changes in the expression levels of thousands of genes, but unexpectedly the majority of genes (∼85%) appeared to be activated by MeCP2 We selected six genes and confirmed that MeCP2 binds to their promoters Furthermore, we showed that MeCP2 associates with the transcriptional activator CREB1 at the promoter of an activated target but not a repressed target These studies suggest that MeCP2 regulates the expression of a wide range of genes in the hypothalamus and that it can function as both an activator and a repressor of transcription

1,672 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
08 Nov 2007-Neuron
TL;DR: To investigate the potential for restoring neuronal function in RTT patients, it is essential to identify MeCP2 targets or modifiers of the phenotype that can be therapeutically modulated.

1,134 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
11 Nov 2010-Nature
TL;DR: It is shown that mice lacking Mecp2 from GABA-releasing neurons recapitulate numerous Rett syndrome and autistic features, including repetitive behaviours, and that subtle dysfunction of GABAergic neurons contributes to numerous neuropsychiatric phenotypes.
Abstract: Mutations in the X-linked MECP2 gene, which encodes the transcriptional regulator methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (MeCP2), cause Rett syndrome and several neurodevelopmental disorders including cognitive disorders, autism, juvenile-onset schizophrenia and encephalopathy with early lethality. Rett syndrome is characterized by apparently normal early development followed by regression, motor abnormalities, seizures and features of autism, especially stereotyped behaviours. The mechanisms mediating these features are poorly understood. Here we show that mice lacking Mecp2 from GABA (γ-aminobutyric acid)-releasing neurons recapitulate numerous Rett syndrome and autistic features, including repetitive behaviours. Loss of MeCP2 from a subset of forebrain GABAergic neurons also recapitulates many features of Rett syndrome. MeCP2-deficient GABAergic neurons show reduced inhibitory quantal size, consistent with a presynaptic reduction in glutamic acid decarboxylase 1 (Gad1) and glutamic acid decarboxylase 2 (Gad2) levels, and GABA immunoreactivity. These data demonstrate that MeCP2 is critical for normal function of GABA-releasing neurons and that subtle dysfunction of GABAergic neurons contributes to numerous neuropsychiatric phenotypes.

1,009 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
02 Jun 2006-Cell
TL;DR: It is shown that Satb2, encoding a nuclear matrix protein, is expressed in branchial arches and in cells of the osteoblast lineage and directly interacts with and enhances the activity of both Runx2 and ATF4, transcription factors that regulate osteOBlast differentiation.

487 citations


Cited by
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01 Feb 2015
TL;DR: In this article, the authors describe the integrative analysis of 111 reference human epigenomes generated as part of the NIH Roadmap Epigenomics Consortium, profiled for histone modification patterns, DNA accessibility, DNA methylation and RNA expression.
Abstract: The reference human genome sequence set the stage for studies of genetic variation and its association with human disease, but epigenomic studies lack a similar reference. To address this need, the NIH Roadmap Epigenomics Consortium generated the largest collection so far of human epigenomes for primary cells and tissues. Here we describe the integrative analysis of 111 reference human epigenomes generated as part of the programme, profiled for histone modification patterns, DNA accessibility, DNA methylation and RNA expression. We establish global maps of regulatory elements, define regulatory modules of coordinated activity, and their likely activators and repressors. We show that disease- and trait-associated genetic variants are enriched in tissue-specific epigenomic marks, revealing biologically relevant cell types for diverse human traits, and providing a resource for interpreting the molecular basis of human disease. Our results demonstrate the central role of epigenomic information for understanding gene regulation, cellular differentiation and human disease.

4,409 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The remarkable range of discoveriesGWASs has facilitated in population and complex-trait genetics, the biology of diseases, and translation toward new therapeutics are reviewed.
Abstract: Application of the experimental design of genome-wide association studies (GWASs) is now 10 years old (young), and here we review the remarkable range of discoveries it has facilitated in population and complex-trait genetics, the biology of diseases, and translation toward new therapeutics. We predict the likely discoveries in the next 10 years, when GWASs will be based on millions of samples with array data imputed to a large fully sequenced reference panel and on hundreds of thousands of samples with whole-genome sequencing data.

2,669 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A comprehensive understanding of epigenetic mechanisms, their interactions and alterations in health and disease, has become a priority in biomedical research.
Abstract: Epigenetics is one of the most rapidly expanding fields in biology. The recent characterization of a human DNA methylome at single nucleotide resolution, the discovery of the CpG island shores, the finding of new histone variants and modifications, and the unveiling of genome-wide nucleosome positioning maps highlight the accelerating speed of discovery over the past two years. Increasing interest in epigenetics has been accompanied by technological breakthroughs that now make it possible to undertake large-scale epigenomic studies. These allow the mapping of epigenetic marks, such as DNA methylation, histone modifications and nucleosome positioning, which are critical for regulating gene and noncoding RNA expression. In turn, we are learning how aberrant placement of these epigenetic marks and mutations in the epigenetic machinery is involved in disease. Thus, a comprehensive understanding of epigenetic mechanisms, their interactions and alterations in health and disease, has become a priority in biomedical research.

2,458 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
15 Jun 2017-Cell
TL;DR: It is proposed that gene regulatory networks are sufficiently interconnected such that all genes expressed in disease-relevant cells are liable to affect the functions of core disease-related genes and that most heritability can be explained by effects on genes outside core pathways.

2,257 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
Silvia De Rubeis1, Xin-Xin He2, Arthur P. Goldberg1, Christopher S. Poultney1, Kaitlin E. Samocha3, A. Ercument Cicek2, Yan Kou1, Li Liu2, Menachem Fromer3, Menachem Fromer1, R. Susan Walker4, Tarjinder Singh5, Lambertus Klei6, Jack A. Kosmicki3, Shih-Chen Fu1, Branko Aleksic7, Monica Biscaldi8, Patrick Bolton9, Jessica M. Brownfeld1, Jinlu Cai1, Nicholas G. Campbell10, Angel Carracedo11, Angel Carracedo12, Maria H. Chahrour3, Andreas G. Chiocchetti, Hilary Coon13, Emily L. Crawford10, Lucy Crooks5, Sarah Curran9, Geraldine Dawson14, Eftichia Duketis, Bridget A. Fernandez15, Louise Gallagher16, Evan T. Geller17, Stephen J. Guter18, R. Sean Hill3, R. Sean Hill19, Iuliana Ionita-Laza20, Patricia Jiménez González, Helena Kilpinen, Sabine M. Klauck21, Alexander Kolevzon1, Irene Lee22, Jing Lei2, Terho Lehtimäki, Chiao-Feng Lin17, Avi Ma'ayan1, Christian R. Marshall4, Alison L. McInnes23, Benjamin M. Neale24, Michael John Owen25, Norio Ozaki7, Mara Parellada26, Jeremy R. Parr27, Shaun Purcell1, Kaija Puura, Deepthi Rajagopalan4, Karola Rehnström5, Abraham Reichenberg1, Aniko Sabo28, Michael Sachse, Stephen Sanders29, Chad M. Schafer2, Martin Schulte-Rüther30, David Skuse22, David Skuse31, Christine Stevens24, Peter Szatmari32, Kristiina Tammimies4, Otto Valladares17, Annette Voran33, Li-San Wang17, Lauren A. Weiss29, A. Jeremy Willsey29, Timothy W. Yu19, Timothy W. Yu3, Ryan K. C. Yuen4, Edwin H. Cook18, Christine M. Freitag, Michael Gill16, Christina M. Hultman34, Thomas Lehner35, Aarno Palotie3, Aarno Palotie24, Aarno Palotie36, Gerard D. Schellenberg17, Pamela Sklar1, Matthew W. State29, James S. Sutcliffe10, Christopher A. Walsh3, Christopher A. Walsh19, Stephen W. Scherer4, Michael E. Zwick37, Jeffrey C. Barrett5, David J. Cutler37, Kathryn Roeder2, Bernie Devlin6, Mark J. Daly3, Mark J. Daly24, Joseph D. Buxbaum1 
13 Nov 2014-Nature
TL;DR: Using exome sequencing, it is shown that analysis of rare coding variation in 3,871 autism cases and 9,937 ancestry-matched or parental controls implicates 22 autosomal genes at a false discovery rate of < 0.05, plus a set of 107 genes strongly enriched for those likely to affect risk (FDR < 0.30).
Abstract: The genetic architecture of autism spectrum disorder involves the interplay of common and rare variants and their impact on hundreds of genes. Using exome sequencing, here we show that analysis of rare coding variation in 3,871 autism cases and 9,937 ancestry-matched or parental controls implicates 22 autosomal genes at a false discovery rate (FDR) < 0.05, plus a set of 107 autosomal genes strongly enriched for those likely to affect risk (FDR < 0.30). These 107 genes, which show unusual evolutionary constraint against mutations, incur de novo loss-of-function mutations in over 5% of autistic subjects. Many of the genes implicated encode proteins for synaptic formation, transcriptional regulation and chromatin-remodelling pathways. These include voltage-gated ion channels regulating the propagation of action potentials, pacemaking and excitability-transcription coupling, as well as histone-modifying enzymes and chromatin remodellers-most prominently those that mediate post-translational lysine methylation/demethylation modifications of histones.

2,228 citations