Junhui Zhang, MD
Associate Research ScientistCards
About
Research
Publications
2025
Genomic analysis of 11,555 probands identifies 60 dominant congenital heart disease genes
Sierant M, Jin S, Bilguvar K, Morton S, Dong W, Jiang W, Lu Z, Li B, López-Giráldez F, Tikhonova I, Zeng X, Lu Q, Choi J, Zhang J, Nelson-Williams C, Knight J, Zhao H, Cao J, Mane S, Sedore S, Gruber P, Lek M, Goldmuntz E, Deanfield J, Giardini A, Mital S, Russell M, Gaynor J, King E, Wagner M, Srivastava D, Shen Y, Bernstein D, Porter G, Newburger J, Seidman J, Roberts A, Yandell M, Yost H, Tristani-Firouzi M, Kim R, Chung W, Gelb B, Seidman C, Brueckner M, Lifton R. Genomic analysis of 11,555 probands identifies 60 dominant congenital heart disease genes. Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences Of The United States Of America 2025, 122: e2420343122. PMID: 40127276, PMCID: PMC12002227, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2420343122.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsCongenital heart disease genesCongenital heart diseaseDamaging variantsMissense variantsAnalyzing de novo mutationsCHD probandsEpidermal growth factor (EGF)-like domainsNeurodevelopmental delayLoss of function variantsParent-offspring triosSyndromic congenital heart diseaseHeart disease genesDisease genesGenomic analysisCongenital heart disease subtypesAssociated with neurodevelopmental delayTetralogy of FallotFunctional variantsIncomplete penetranceCHD phenotypesGenesAssociated with developmentGenetic testingMolecular diagnosticsExtracardiac abnormalitiesRecessive genetic contribution to congenital heart disease in 5,424 probands
Dong W, Jin S, Sierant M, Lu Z, Li B, Lu Q, Morton S, Zhang J, López-Giráldez F, Nelson-Williams C, Knight J, Zhao H, Cao J, Mane S, Gruber P, Lek M, Goldmuntz E, Deanfield J, Giardini A, Mital S, Russell M, Gaynor J, Cnota J, Wagner M, Srivastava D, Bernstein D, Porter G, Newburger J, Roberts A, Yandell M, Yost H, Tristani-Firouzi M, Kim R, Seidman J, Chung W, Gelb B, Seidman C, Lifton R, Brueckner M. Recessive genetic contribution to congenital heart disease in 5,424 probands. Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences Of The United States Of America 2025, 122: e2419992122. PMID: 40030011, PMCID: PMC11912448, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2419992122.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsRecessive genotypeCHD probandsCongenital heart diseaseAssociated with laterality defectsGene-based analysisAnalyzed whole-exome sequencingLeft-sided congenital heart diseaseWhole-exome sequencingCongenital heart disease phenotypeAshkenazi Jewish probandsOffspring of consanguineous unionsSingle-cell transcriptomicsCHD geneExome sequencingMouse notochordSecreted proteinsConsanguineous familyFounder variantGenesSignificant enrichmentLaterality phenotypesHeart diseaseProbandsAbnormal contractile functionConsanguineous unions
2024
Pathogenic variants in autism gene KATNAL2 cause hydrocephalus and disrupt neuronal connectivity by impairing ciliary microtubule dynamics
DeSpenza T, Singh A, Allington G, Zhao S, Lee J, Kiziltug E, Prina M, Desmet N, Dang H, Fields J, Nelson-Williams C, Zhang J, Mekbib K, Dennis E, Mehta N, Duy P, Shimelis H, Walsh L, Marlier A, Deniz E, Lake E, Constable R, Hoffman E, Lifton R, Gulledge A, Fiering S, Moreno-De-Luca A, Haider S, Alper S, Jin S, Kahle K, Luikart B. Pathogenic variants in autism gene KATNAL2 cause hydrocephalus and disrupt neuronal connectivity by impairing ciliary microtubule dynamics. Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences Of The United States Of America 2024, 121: e2314702121. PMID: 38916997, PMCID: PMC11228466, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2314702121.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsCongenital hydrocephalusCerebral ventriculomegalyPathogenic variantsPrefrontal pyramidal neuronsGenetic subsets of patientsDevelopment of ventriculomegalyRadial gliaSubsets of patientsHigh-frequency firingNeuronal connectivityHeterozygous germline variantsAutism spectrum disorderVentricular-subventricular zoneMicrotubule dynamicsImpaired spermatogenesisCSF shuntingExcitatory driveMicrotubule-severing ATPasePyramidal neuronsDisrupt neuronal connectivityGermline variantsVentriculomegalyCSF homeostasisDisrupt microtubule dynamicsPlanar cell polarity