Adar2-/- mice are a widely used model for studying the physiological consequences of reduced RNA editing. These mice are viable only when the Q/R editing site of the Gria2 subunit of the AMPA receptor is constitutively mutated to the codon for arginine, and Gria2R/R mice often serve as the sole control for Adar2-/- mice. Our study aimed to investigate whether ADAR2 inactivity and the Gria2R/R phenotype affect the rhythmicity of the circadian clock gene pattern and the expression of Gria1 and Gria2 subunits in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), hippocampus, parietal cortex and liver. Our data show that Gria2R/R mice completely lost circadian rhythmicity in the hippocampus compared to Adar2-/- mice. Compared to C57BL/6J mice, the expression profiles in the hippocampus and parietal cortex of Gria2R/R mice differ to the same extent as in Adar2-/-. No alterations were detected in the circadian profiles in the livers. These data suggest that the natural gradual postnatal increase in the editing of the Q/R site of the Gria2 subunit may be important for the development of circadian clockwork in some brain structures, and the use of Gria2R/R mice as the only control to Adar2-/- mice in the experiments dependent on the hippocampus and parietal cortex should therefore be considered.

• MeSH
• Adenosine Deaminase genetics   metabolism   MeSH
• Circadian Rhythm * MeSH
• Gene Expression MeSH
• Hippocampus metabolism   MeSH
• Brain * metabolism   MeSH
• Mice, Inbred C57BL MeSH
• Mice MeSH
• Suprachiasmatic Nucleus metabolism   MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Mice MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH

BACKGROUND: Adenosine-to-inosine RNA editing is a co-transcriptional/post-transcriptional modification of double-stranded RNA, catalysed by one of two active adenosine deaminases acting on RNA (ADARs), ADAR1 and ADAR2. ADARB1 encodes the enzyme ADAR2 that is highly expressed in the brain and essential to modulate the function of glutamate and serotonin receptors. Impaired ADAR2 editing causes early onset progressive epilepsy and premature death in mice. In humans, ADAR2 dysfunction has been very recently linked to a neurodevelopmental disorder with microcephaly and epilepsy in four unrelated subjects. METHODS: We studied three children from two consanguineous families with severe developmental and epileptic encephalopathy (DEE) through detailed physical and instrumental examinations. Exome sequencing (ES) was used to identify ADARB1 mutations as the underlying genetic cause and in vitro assays with transiently transfected cells were performed to ascertain the impact on ADAR2 enzymatic activity and splicing. RESULTS: All patients showed global developmental delay, intractable early infantile-onset seizures, microcephaly, severe-to-profound intellectual disability, axial hypotonia and progressive appendicular spasticity. ES revealed the novel missense c.1889G>A, p.(Arg630Gln) and deletion c.1245_1247+1 del, p.(Leu415PhefsTer14) variants in ADARB1 (NM_015833.4). The p.(Leu415PhefsTer14) variant leads to incorrect splicing resulting in frameshift with a premature stop codon and loss of enzyme function. In vitro RNA editing assays showed that the p.(Arg630Gln) variant resulted in a severe impairment of ADAR2 enzymatic activity. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, these data support the pathogenic role of biallelic ADARB1 variants as the cause of a distinctive form of DEE, reinforcing the importance of RNA editing in brain function and development.

• MeSH
• Adenosine Deaminase genetics   metabolism   MeSH
• Alleles MeSH
• Child MeSH
• RNA, Double-Stranded metabolism   MeSH
• RNA Editing MeSH
• Epilepsy enzymology   genetics   MeSH
• HEK293 Cells MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Mutation MeSH
• Brain Diseases enzymology   genetics   metabolism   MeSH
• Neurodevelopmental Disorders enzymology   genetics   MeSH
• Consanguinity MeSH
• Child, Preschool MeSH
• RNA-Binding Proteins genetics   metabolism   MeSH
• Pedigree MeSH
• Check Tag
• Child MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Child, Preschool MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Case Reports MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH

• Keywords
• enzym ADAR2, perampanel,
• MeSH
• Anticonvulsants therapeutic use   MeSH
• Enzymes genetics   MeSH
• Epilepsy * etiology   drug therapy   genetics   MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Mutation MeSH
• Rare Diseases etiology   drug therapy   genetics   MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Publication type
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH

ADAR RNA editing enzymes are high-affinity dsRNA-binding proteins that deaminate adenosines to inosines in pre-mRNA hairpins and also exert editing-independent effects. We generated a Drosophila AdarE374A mutant strain encoding a catalytically inactive Adar with CRISPR/Cas9. We demonstrate that Adar adenosine deamination activity is necessary for normal locomotion and prevents age-dependent neurodegeneration. The catalytically inactive protein, when expressed at a higher than physiological level, can rescue neurodegeneration in Adar mutants, suggesting also editing-independent effects. Furthermore, loss of Adar RNA editing activity leads to innate immune induction, indicating that Drosophila Adar, despite being the homolog of mammalian ADAR2, also has functions similar to mammalian ADAR1. The innate immune induction in fly Adar mutants is suppressed by silencing of Dicer-2, which has a RNA helicase domain similar to MDA5 that senses unedited dsRNAs in mammalian Adar1 mutants. Our work demonstrates that the single Adar enzyme in Drosophila unexpectedly has dual functions.

• MeSH
• Adenosine Deaminase chemistry   genetics   MeSH
• Adenosine Monophosphate metabolism   MeSH
• Point Mutation genetics   MeSH
• Nerve Degeneration pathology   MeSH
• Drosophila melanogaster genetics   immunology   MeSH
• RNA Editing genetics   MeSH
• Catalysis MeSH
• Locomotion MeSH
• RNA, Messenger genetics   metabolism   MeSH
• Brain metabolism   MeSH
• Immunity, Innate genetics   MeSH
• Protein Domains MeSH
• Drosophila Proteins chemistry   genetics   metabolism   MeSH
• Gene Expression Regulation MeSH
• Ribonuclease III metabolism   MeSH
• RNA Helicases metabolism   MeSH
• Aging pathology   MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural MeSH
• Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S. MeSH

The RNA editing enzyme ADAR2 is essential for the recoding of brain transcripts. Impaired ADAR2 editing leads to early-onset epilepsy and premature death in a mouse model. Here, we report bi-allelic variants in ADARB1, the gene encoding ADAR2, in four unrelated individuals with microcephaly, intellectual disability, and epilepsy. In one individual, a homozygous variant in one of the double-stranded RNA-binding domains (dsRBDs) was identified. In the others, variants were situated in or around the deaminase domain. To evaluate the effects of these variants on ADAR2 enzymatic activity, we performed in vitro assays with recombinant proteins in HEK293T cells and ex vivo assays with fibroblasts derived from one of the individuals. We demonstrate that these ADAR2 variants lead to reduced editing activity on a known ADAR2 substrate. We also demonstrate that one variant leads to changes in splicing of ADARB1 transcript isoforms. These findings reinforce the importance of RNA editing in brain development and introduce ADARB1 as a genetic etiology in individuals with intellectual disability, microcephaly, and epilepsy.

• MeSH
• Adenosine Deaminase genetics   MeSH
• Alleles MeSH
• Alternative Splicing genetics   MeSH
• Child MeSH
• Genetic Predisposition to Disease genetics   MeSH
• Genetic Variation genetics   MeSH
• HEK293 Cells MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Intellectual Disability genetics   MeSH
• Microcephaly genetics   MeSH
• Child, Preschool MeSH
• RNA-Binding Proteins genetics   MeSH
• RNA Splicing genetics   MeSH
• Seizures genetics   MeSH
• Check Tag
• Child MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Child, Preschool MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural MeSH

Adenosine deaminases acting on RNA (ADARs) convert adenosine to inosine in dsRNA. ADAR editing in pre-mRNAs recodes open reading frames and alters splicing, mRNA structure and interactions with miRNAs. Here, we review ADAR gene expression, splice forms, posttranslational modifications, subcellular localizations and functions of ADAR protein isoforms. ADAR1 edits cellular dsRNA to prevent aberrant activation of cytoplasmic antiviral dsRNA sensors; ADAR1 mutations lead to aberrant expression of interferon in Aicardi Goutières syndrome (AGS), a human congenital encephalopathy. We review related studies on mouse Adar1 mutant phenotypes, their rescues by preventing signaling from the antiviral RIG-I-like Sensors (RLRs), as well as Adar1 mechanisms in innate immune suppression and other roles of Adar1, including editing-independent effects. ADAR2, expressed primarily in CNS, edits glutamate receptor transcripts; regulation of ADAR2 activity in response to neuronal activity mediates homeostatic synaptic plasticity of vertebrate AMPA and kainite receptors. In Drosophila, synapses and synaptic proteins show dramatic decreases at night during sleep; Drosophila Adar, an orthologue of ADAR2, edits hundreds of mRNAs; the most conserved editing events occur in transcripts encoding synapse-associated proteins. Adar mutant flies exhibit locomotion defects associated with very increased sleep pressure resulting from a failure of homeostatic synaptic processes. A study on Adar2 mutant mice identifies a new role in circadian rhythms, acting indirectly through miRNAs such as let-7 to modulate levels of let-7 target mRNAs; ADAR1 also regulates let-7 miRNA processing. Drosophila ADAR, an orthologue of vertebrate ADAR2, also regulates let-7 miRNA levels and Adar mutant flies have a circadian mutant phenotype.

• MeSH
• Adenosine Deaminase genetics   metabolism   MeSH
• Circadian Clocks * MeSH
• RNA Editing * MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Immunity, Innate * MeSH
• Sleep * MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Review MeSH

We review the structures and functions of ADARs and their involvements in human diseases. ADAR1 is widely expressed, particularly in the myeloid component of the blood system, and plays a prominent role in promiscuous editing of long dsRNA. Missense mutations that change ADAR1 residues and reduce RNA editing activity cause Aicardi-Goutières Syndrome, a childhood encephalitis and interferonopathy that mimics viral infection and resembles an extreme form of Systemic Lupus Erythmatosus (SLE). In Adar1 mouse mutant models aberrant interferon expression is prevented by eliminating interferon activation signaling from cytoplasmic dsRNA sensors, indicating that unedited cytoplasmic dsRNA drives the immune induction. On the other hand, upregulation of ADAR1 with widespread promiscuous RNA editing is a prominent feature of many cancers and particular site-specific RNA editing events are also affected. ADAR2 is most highly expressed in brain and is primarily required for site-specific editing of CNS transcripts; recent findings indicate that ADAR2 editing is regulated by neuronal excitation for synaptic scaling of glutamate receptors. ADAR2 is also linked to the circadian clock and to sleep. Mutations in ADAR2 could contribute to excitability syndromes such as epilepsy, to seizures, to diseases involving neuronal plasticity defects, such as autism and Fragile-X Syndrome, to neurodegenerations such as ALS, or to astrocytomas or glioblastomas in which reduced ADAR2 activity is required for oncogenic cell behavior. The range of human disease associated with ADAR1 mutations may extend further to include other inflammatory conditions while ADAR2 mutations may affect psychiatric conditions.

• MeSH
• Adenosine Deaminase * genetics   metabolism   MeSH
• Mental Disorders * genetics   metabolism   MeSH
• RNA, Double-Stranded * genetics   metabolism   MeSH
• RNA Editing genetics   MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Mutation * MeSH
• Mice, Mutant Strains MeSH
• Mice MeSH
• Nervous System Diseases * genetics   metabolism   MeSH
• RNA-Binding Proteins * genetics   metabolism   MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Mice MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Review MeSH

ADAR RNA editing enzymes (adenosine deaminases acting on RNA) that convert adenosine bases to inosines were first identified biochemically 30 years ago. Since then, studies on ADARs in genetic model organisms, and evolutionary comparisons between them, continue to reveal a surprising range of pleiotropic biological effects of ADARs. This review focuses on Drosophila melanogaster, which has a single Adar gene encoding a homolog of vertebrate ADAR2 that site-specifically edits hundreds of transcripts to change individual codons in ion channel subunits and membrane and cytoskeletal proteins. Drosophila ADAR is involved in the control of neuronal excitability and neurodegeneration and, intriguingly, in the control of neuronal plasticity and sleep. Drosophila ADAR also interacts strongly with RNA interference, a key antiviral defense mechanism in invertebrates. Recent crystal structures of human ADAR2 deaminase domain-RNA complexes help to interpret available information on Drosophila ADAR isoforms and on the evolution of ADARs from tRNA deaminase ADAT proteins. ADAR RNA editing is a paradigm for the now rapidly expanding range of RNA modifications in mRNAs and ncRNAs. Even with recent progress, much remains to be understood about these groundbreaking ADAR RNA modification systems.

• MeSH
• Adenosine Deaminase chemistry   genetics   metabolism   MeSH
• Drosophila melanogaster genetics   metabolism   MeSH
• RNA Editing * MeSH
• Gene Expression MeSH
• Protein Interaction Domains and Motifs MeSH
• Isoenzymes MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• RNA, Messenger genetics   MeSH
• Evolution, Molecular MeSH
• Nervous System metabolism   MeSH
• Vertebrates MeSH
• Drosophila Proteins genetics   metabolism   MeSH
• RNA-Binding Proteins genetics   metabolism   MeSH
• RNA Interference MeSH
• Substrate Specificity MeSH
• Protein Binding MeSH
• Structure-Activity Relationship MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Review MeSH

• Publication type
• Abstracts MeSH