Ovine congenital progressive muscular dystrophy (OCPMD) is a model of TNNT1 congenital myopathy

Joshua S. Clayton, Elyshia L. McNamara, Hayley Goullee, Stefan Conijn, Keren Muthsam, Gabrielle C. Musk, David Coote, James Kijas, Alison C. Testa, Rhonda L. Taylor, Amanda J. O'Hara, David Groth, Coen Ottenheijm, Gianina Ravenscroft, Nigel G. Laing, Kristen J. Nowak

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

5 Scopus citations

Abstract

Ovine congenital progressive muscular dystrophy (OCPMD) was first described in Merino sheep flocks in Queensland and Western Australia in the 1960s and 1970s. The most prominent feature of the disease is a distinctive gait with stiffness of the hind limbs that can be seen as early as 3 weeks after birth. The disease is progressive. Histopathological examination had revealed dystrophic changes specifically in type I (slow) myofibres, while electron microscopy had demonstrated abundant nemaline bodies. Therefore, it was never certain whether the disease was a dystrophy or a congenital myopathy with dystrophic features. In this study, we performed whole genome sequencing of OCPMD sheep and identified a single base deletion at the splice donor site (+ 1) of intron 13 in the type I myofibre-specific TNNT1 gene (KT218690 c.614 + 1delG). All affected sheep were homozygous for this variant. Examination of TNNT1 splicing by RT-PCR showed intron retention and premature termination, which disrupts the highly conserved 14 amino acid C-terminus. The variant did not reduce TNNT1 protein levels or affect its localization but impaired its ability to modulate muscle contraction in response to Ca2+ levels. Identification of the causative variant in TNNT1 finally clarifies that the OCPMD sheep is in fact a large animal model of TNNT1 congenital myopathy. This model could now be used for testing molecular or gene therapies.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number142
JournalActa neuropathologica communications
Volume8
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 20 2020
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Casensitivity
  • Congenital myopathy
  • Muscular dystrophy
  • Nemaline myopathy
  • Neuromuscular disease
  • OCPMD
  • Sheep model
  • Skeletal muscle
  • Splicing
  • TNNT1
  • Troponin T1

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Pathology and Forensic Medicine
  • Clinical Neurology
  • Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience

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