Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40982686›Full record

ArticleProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America2025

Functional spectrum of USP7 pathogenic variants in Hao-Fountain syndrome: Insights into the enzyme's activity, stability, and allosteric modulation.

Emilie J Korchak, Mona Sharafi, Isabella Jaen Maisonet, Andres Salazar-Chaparro, Irina V Semenova, Hamza Khan, Alison L O'Neil, Pilar Caro, Christian P Schaaf, Sara J Buhrlage and 1 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Small-molecule allosteric activator of ubiquitin-specific protease 7 (USP7).Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2025
    Article
  6. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Emilie J KorchakDepartment of Molecular Biology and Biophysics, University of Connecticut, Farmington, CT 06030.ORCID 0000-0002-6091-8636
Mona SharafiDepartment of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215.
Isabella Jaen MaisonetDepartment of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215.ORCID 0000-0003-4996-3492
Andres Salazar-ChaparroDepartment of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215.
Irina V SemenovaDepartment of Molecular Biology and Biophysics, University of Connecticut, Farmington, CT 06030.
Hamza KhanDepartment of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT 06459.ORCID 0009-0003-6961-4342
Alison L O'NeilDepartment of Chemistry, Neuroscience and Behavior Program, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT 06459.ORCID 0000-0002-0759-4740
Pilar CaroInstitute of Human Genetics, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg 69120, Germany.
Christian P SchaafInstitute of Human Genetics, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg 69120, Germany.
Sara J BuhrlageDepartment of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215.ORCID 0000-0003-4562-1823
Irina BezsonovaDepartment of Molecular Biology and Biophysics, University of Connecticut, Farmington, CT 06030.ORCID 0000-0002-8629-0349

Funding

UBIQUITIN-PROTEASOME PATHWAY IN CANCERR35GM128864 · NIGMS · UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT SCH OF MED/DNT · PI BEZSONOVA, IRINA · 2018 to 2022
$1.6M
UBIQUITIN-PROTEASOME PATHWAY in HUMAN DISEASER35GM156397 · NIGMS · UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT SCH OF MED/DNT · PI Irina Bezsonova · 2025 to 2026
$1000k
Understanding the effect of Hao-Fountain syndrome-causing mutations on neuronal developmentR21NS135343 · NINDS · UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT SCH OF MED/DNT · PI BEZSONOVA, IRINA, O'NEIL, ALISON LINSLEY · 2024 to 2024
$462k
Foundation for USP7-Related Disease N/AHelen Gurley Brown Foundation and Jean Strouse Sharf and Lisa Sharf Green Cancer Research Fund N/AHHS | NIH | National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) R35GM128864HHS | NIH | National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) R35GM156397HHS | NIH (NIH) R21NS135343NIGMS NIH HHS R35 GM128864NIGMS NIH HHS R35 GM156397NINDS NIH HHS R21 NS135343
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Hao-Fountain syndrome is a rare neurodevelopmental disorder caused by mutations in the deubiquitinating enzyme Ubiquitin-Specific Protease 7 (USP7). Due to the novelty of the disease and its poorly understood molecular mechanisms, treatments for the syndrome are currently lacking. This study examines the effects of 11 patient-derived variants located within the catalytic domain of USP7, focusing on their impact on the enzyme's activity, thermodynamic stability, and substrate recognition. Our findings reveal a spectrum of functional consequences, ranging from complete inactivation to hyperactivation of USP7. Notably, we identify a specific subset of pathogenic variants whose catalytic activity can be significantly boosted using an allosteric activator, MS-8. These results provide insight into USP7 malfunction in Hao-Fountain syndrome-linked variants and pave the way for improved prognostic approaches and targeted treatments in the future.

Indexed as

Ubiquitin-Specific Peptidase 7Allosteric RegulationCatalytic DomainEnzyme StabilityHumansMutationUbiquitin-Specific Peptidase 7USP7 protein, humanenzyme activationenzyme kineticsHao–Fountain syndromeNMRUSP7

Identifiers

PMID40982686
PMCPMC12501124

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.