MECP2 mRNA Profile in Brain Tissues from a Rett Syndrome Patient and Three Human Controls: Mutated Allele Preferential Transcription and In Situ RNA Mapping

Rett syndrome (RTT) is a rare X-linked dominant neurodevelopmental disorder caused by pathogenic variants in the methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (MECP2) gene, which encodes a methyl-CpG-binding protein (MeCP2) that acts as a repressor of gene expression, crucial in neurons. Dysfunction of MeCP2 due to its pathogenic variants explains the clinical features of RTT. Here, we performed histological and RNA analyses on a post-mortem brain sample from an RTT patient carrying the p.Arg106Trp missense mutation. This patient is part of a cohort of 56 genetically and clinically characterized RTT patients, for whom we provide an overview of the mutation landscape. In the RTT brain specimen, RT-PCR analysis detected preferential transcription of the mutated mRNA. X-inactivation studies revealed a skewed X-chromosome inactivation ratio (95:5), supporting the transcriptional findings. We also mapped the MECP2 transcript in control human brain regions (temporal cortex and cerebellum) using the RNAscope assay, confirming its high expression. This study reports the MECP2 transcript representation in a post-mortem RTT brain and, for the first time, the in situ MECP2 transcript localization in a human control brain, offering insights into how specific MECP2 mutations may differentially impact neuronal functions. We suggest these findings are crucial for developing RNA-based therapies for Rett syndrome.