Functional and epigenetic phenotypes of humans and mice with DNMT3A Overgrowth Syndrome

Smith AM, LaValle TA, Shinawi M, Ramakrishnan SM, Abel HJ, Hill CA, Kirkland NM, Rettig MP, Helton NM, Heath SE, Ferraro F, Chen DY, Adak S, Semenkovich CF, Christian DL, Martin JR, Gabel HW, Miller CA, Ley TJ. Nat Commun. 2021 Jul 27;12(1):4549. doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-24800-7.

Abstract

Germline pathogenic variants in DNMT3A were recently described in patients with overgrowth, obesity, behavioral, and learning difficulties (DNMT3A Overgrowth Syndrome/DOS). Somatic mutations in the DNMT3A gene are also the most common cause of clonal hematopoiesis, and can initiate acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Using whole genome bisulfite sequencing, we studied DNA methylation in peripheral blood cells of 11 DOS patients and found a focal, canonical hypomethylation phenotype, which is most severe with the dominant negative DNMT3A^R882H mutation. A germline mouse model expressing the homologous Dnmt3a^R878H mutation phenocopies most aspects of the human DOS syndrome, including the methylation phenotype and an increased incidence of spontaneous hematopoietic malignancies, suggesting that all aspects of this syndrome are caused by this mutation.