James Gusella headshot

James Francis Gusella, Ph.D.

Bullard Professor of Neurogenetics in the Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School
Research Staff, Massachusetts General Hospital
617-726-5724
Researcher Information

My laboratory is focused on understanding nervous system disease using molecular genetic strategies, beginning with human patients and proceeding through in vitro and modeling studies, with the ultimate goal of improving diagnosis, management and treatment.In any given disorder, the research can usually be divided into four sequential stages:

1. Determination of the chromosomal location of a gene defect, susceptibility gene or genetic modifier, usually based on linkage or association studies with polymorphic genetic markers.
2. Identification of the gene responsible for the phenotypic effect based upon its chromosomal location using a variety of genome analysis strategies.
3. Characterization of the mechanism of action based upon analysis of the allelic versions of the culprit gene in man, and in appropriate in vitro or in vivo model systems, including cultured human cells, genetically engineered mice, and lower organisms such as Drosophila and Dictyostelium.
4. Exploration of the potential for rational therapies, including genetic therapies.

We are currently searching for susceptibility and modifier genes in autism, Parkinson's disease, and Huntington's disease. As part of the Developmental Genome Anatomy Project, we also identify genes at breakpoints of balanced translocations associated with developmental abnormality. Finally we are examining the mechanism of pathogenesis of genetic defects in autism, biotin-responsive basal ganglia disease, Huntington's disease, Parkinson's disease, and neurofibromatosis, and pursuing assays to identify genetic and chemical modifiers, with the ultimate goal of contributing to effective rational therapies.

Differential effects of the Huntington's disease CAG mutation in striatum and cerebellum are quantitative not qualitative.
Authors: Authors: Fossale E, Seong IS, Coser KR, Shioda T, Kohane IS, Wheeler VC, Gusella JF, MacDonald ME, Lee JM.
Hum Mol Genet
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Assessment of 2q23.1 microdeletion syndrome implicates MBD5 as a single causal locus of intellectual disability, epilepsy, and autism spectrum disorder.
Authors: Authors: Talkowski ME, Mullegama SV, Rosenfeld JA, van Bon BW, Shen Y, Repnikova EA, Gastier-Foster J, Thrush DL, Kathiresan S, Ruderfer DM, Chiang C, Hanscom C, Ernst C, Lindgren AM, Morton CC, An Y, Astbury C, Brueton LA, Lichtenbelt KD, Ades LC, Fichera M, Romano C, Innis JW, Williams CA, Bartholomew D, Van Allen MI, Parikh A, Zhang L, Wu BL, Pyatt RE, Schwartz S, Shaffer LG, de Vries BB, Gusella JF, Elsea SH.
Am J Hum Genet
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Age- and gender-dependent obesity in individuals with 16p11.2 deletion.
Authors: Authors: Yu Y, Zhu H, Miller DT, Gusella JF, Platt OS, Wu BL, Shen Y.
J Genet Genomics
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Genomewide linkage study of modifiers of LRRK2-related Parkinson's disease.
Authors: Authors: Latourelle JC, Hendricks AE, Pankratz N, Wilk JB, Halter C, Nichols WC, Gusella JF, Destefano AL, Myers RH, Foroud T.
Mov Disord
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Mirror extreme BMI phenotypes associated with gene dosage at the chromosome 16p11.2 locus.
Authors: Authors: Jacquemont S, Reymond A, Zufferey F, Harewood L, Walters RG, Kutalik Z, Martinet D, Shen Y, Valsesia A, Beckmann ND, Thorleifsson G, Belfiore M, Bouquillon S, Campion D, de Leeuw N, de Vries BB, Esko T, Fernandez BA, Fernández-Aranda F, Fernández-Real JM, Gratacòs M, Guilmatre A, Hoyer J, Jarvelin MR, Kooy RF, Kurg A, Le Caignec C, Männik K, Platt OS, Sanlaville D, Van Haelst MM, Villatoro Gomez S, Walha F, Wu BL, Yu Y, Aboura A, Addor MC, Alembik Y, Antonarakis SE, Arveiler B, Barth M, Bednarek N, Béna F, Bergmann S, Beri M, Bernardini L, Blaumeiser B, Bonneau D, Bottani A, Boute O, Brunner HG, Cailley D, Callier P, Chiesa J, Chrast J, Coin L, Coutton C, Cuisset JM, Cuvellier JC, David A, de Freminville B, Delobel B, Delrue MA, Demeer B, Descamps D, Didelot G, Dieterich K, Disciglio V, Doco-Fenzy M, Drunat S, Duban-Bedu B, Dubourg C, El-Sayed Moustafa JS, Elliott P, Faas BH, Faivre L, Faudet A, Fellmann F, Ferrarini A, Fisher R, Flori E, Forer L, Gaillard D, Gerard M, Gieger C, Gimelli S, Gimelli G, Grabe HJ, Guichet A, Guillin O, Hartikainen AL, Heron D, Hippolyte L, Holder M, Homuth G, Isidor B, Jaillard S, Jaros Z, Jiménez-Murcia S, Helas GJ, Jonveaux P, Kaksonen S, Keren B, Kloss-Brandstätter A, Knoers NV, Koolen DA, Kroisel PM, Kronenberg F, Labalme A, Landais E, Lapi E, Layet V, Legallic S, Leheup B, Leube B, Lewis S, Lucas J, MacDermot KD, Magnusson P, Marshall C, Mathieu-Dramard M, McCarthy MI, Meitinger T, Mencarelli MA, Merla G, Moerman A, Mooser V, Morice-Picard F, Mucciolo M, Nauck M, Ndiaye NC, Nordgren A, Pasquier L, Petit F, Pfundt R, Plessis G, Rajcan-Separovic E, Ramelli GP, Rauch A, Ravazzolo R, Reis A, Renieri A, Richart C, Ried JS, Rieubland C, Roberts W, Roetzer KM, Rooryck C, Rossi M, Saemundsen E, Satre V, Schurmann C, Sigurdsson E, Stavropoulos DJ, Stefansson H, Tengström C, Thorsteinsdóttir U, Tinahones FJ, Touraine R, Vallée L, van Binsbergen E, Van der Aa N, Vincent-Delorme C, Visvikis-Siest S, Vollenweider P, Völzke H, Vulto-van Silfhout AT, Waeber G, Wallgren-Pettersson C, Witwicki RM, Zwolinksi S, Andrieux J, Estivill X, Gusella JF, Gustafsson O, Metspalu A, Scherer SW, Stefansson K, Blakemore AI, Beckmann JS, Froguel P.
Nature
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HD CAG-correlated gene expression changes support a simple dominant gain of function.
Authors: Authors: Jacobsen JC, Gregory GC, Woda JM, Thompson MN, Coser KR, Murthy V, Kohane IS, Gusella JF, Seong IS, MacDonald ME, Shioda T, Lee JM.
Hum Mol Genet
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Next-generation sequencing strategies enable routine detection of balanced chromosome rearrangements for clinical diagnostics and genetic research.
Authors: Authors: Talkowski ME, Ernst C, Heilbut A, Chiang C, Hanscom C, Lindgren A, Kirby A, Liu S, Muddukrishna B, Ohsumi TK, Shen Y, Borowsky M, Daly MJ, Morton CC, Gusella JF.
Am J Hum Genet
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Deficiency of huntingtin has pleiotropic effects in the social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum.
Authors: Authors: Myre MA, Lumsden AL, Thompson MN, Wasco W, MacDonald ME, Gusella JF.
PLoS Genet
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Expanding the phenotype and genotype of female GnRH deficiency.
Authors: Authors: Shaw ND, Seminara SB, Welt CK, Au MG, Plummer L, Hughes VA, Dwyer AA, Martin KA, Quinton R, Mericq V, Merino PM, Gusella JF, Crowley WF, Pitteloud N, Hall JE.
J Clin Endocrinol Metab
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Intra-family phenotypic heterogeneity of 16p11.2 deletion carriers in a three-generation Chinese family.
Authors: Authors: Shen Y, Chen X, Wang L, Guo J, Shen J, An Y, Zhu H, Zhu Y, Xin R, Bao Y, Gusella JF, Zhang T, Wu BL.
Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet
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