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PRUNE is a member of the DHH (Asp-His-His) phosphoesterase protein superfamily of molecules important for cell motility, and implicated in cancer progression. Here we investigated multiple families from Oman, India, Iran and Italy with individuals affected by a new autosomal recessive neurodevelopmental and degenerative disorder in which the cardinal features include primary microcephaly and profound global developmental delay. Our genetic studies identified biallelic mutations of PRUNE1 as responsible. Our functional assays of disease-associated variant alleles revealed impaired microtubule polymerization, as well as cell migration and proliferation properties, of mutant PRUNE. Additionally, our studies also highlight a potential new role for PRUNE during microtubule polymerization, which is essential for the cytoskeletal rearrangements that occur during cellular division and proliferation. Together these studies define PRUNE as a molecule fundamental for normal human cortical development and define cellular and clinical consequences associated with PRUNE mutation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whole-exome sequencing (WES) is a type of disruptive technology that has tremendous influence on human and clinical genetics research. An efficient and cost-effective method, WES is now widely used as a diagnostic tool for identifying the molecular basis of genetic syndromes that are often challenging to diagnose. Here we report a patient with a clinical diagnosis of cerebro-facio-thoracic dysplasia (CFTD; MIM#213980) in whom we identified a homozygous splice-site mutation in the transmembrane and coiled-coil domains 1 (TMCO1) gene using WES. TMCO1 mutations cause craniofacial dysmorphism, skeletal anomalies characterized by multiple malformations of the vertebrae and ribs, and intellectual disability (MIM#614132). A retrospective review revealed that clinical manifestations of both syndromes are very similar and overlap remarkably. We propose that mutations of TMCO1 are not only responsible for craniofacial dysmorphism, skeletal anomalies and mental retardation syndrome but also for CFTD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: CLP1 is a RNA kinase involved in tRNA splicing. Recently, CLP1 kinase-dead mice were shown to display a neuromuscular disorder with loss of motor neurons and muscle paralysis. Human genome analyses now identified a CLP1 homozygous missense mutation (p.R140H) in five unrelated families, leading to a loss of CLP1 interaction with the tRNA splicing endonuclease (TSEN) complex, largely reduced pre-tRNA cleavage activity, and accumulation of linear tRNA introns. The affected individuals develop severe motor-sensory defects, cortical dysgenesis, and microcephaly. Mice carrying kinase-dead CLP1 also displayed microcephaly and reduced cortical brain volume due to the enhanced cell death of neuronal progenitors that is associated with reduced numbers of cortical neurons. Our data elucidate a neurological syndrome defined by CLP1 mutations that impair tRNA splicing. Reduction of a founder mutation to homozygosity illustrates the importance of rare variations in disease and supports the clan genomics hypothesis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Protein tyrosine kinases (PTKs) play an important role in T cell development and activation. In vitro and in vivo defects, resulting in variable deficiencies in thymic development and in T cell antigen receptor (TCR) signal transduction, in PTKs have been shown. ZAP70, one of those PTKs, is a 70-kDa tyrosine phosphoprotein and associates with the ζ chain and undergoes tyrosine phosphorylation following TCR stimulation. It is expressed in T and natural killer (NK) cells. Several mutations were shown to lead to an autosomal recessive form of severe combined immunodeficiency disease (SCID). Here, we present a family with a novel mutation in ZAP70. The proband, the second child of the first cousin parents of Turkish origin, was diagnosed with SCID having R514C mutation on homozygous state. She had decreased CD8+ T and natural killer cells, normal CD4+ T cells, high serum Ig E level, perivascular dermatitis and ichthyosis. This article presents clinical features of a novel mutation on ZAP70 and the first prenatal molecular diagnosis of ZAP70 deficiency. Different mutations in ZAP70 and related phenotypes reported in the literature are also discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Three brothers, born to parents who were first cousins, were referred for progressive diffuse dystonia. Initial physical examinations revealed minor dysmorphic features, e.g., bifrontal narrowing, downslanting palpebral fissures, low-set ears, upturned nostrils, and microretrognathia, as well as neurodevelopmental delay. Absence of eye contact and head control, diffuse dystonia, hypokinesia, choreoathetosis, tremor, increased deep tendon reflexes, diffuse muscle atrophy, and spasticity were evident during neurologic evaluations. After laboratory investigations, imaging studies, and the exclusion of other causes of childhood dystonia, the children were diagnosed with Segawa syndrome. A molecular analysis of the tyrosine hydroxylase gene revealed a novel P492R (1475 C>G) mutation, further confirming the clinical diagnosis. After 1-month therapy with 2 mg/kg/day l-dopa, no changes in signs were evident. Selegiline was added, which greatly improved the clinical picture. Segawa syndrome in three brothers resulted from a novel mutation in the tyrosine hydroxylase gene. Treatment with a combination of l-dopa and selegiline led to favorable outcomes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Circumferential skin creases Kunze type (CSC-KT) is a specific congenital entity with an unknown genetic cause. The disease phenotype comprises characteristic circumferential skin creases accompanied by intellectual disability, a cleft palate, short stature, and dysmorphic features. Here, we report that mutations in either MAPRE2 or TUBB underlie the genetic origin of this syndrome. MAPRE2 encodes a member of the microtubule end-binding family of proteins that bind to the guanosine triphosphate cap at growing microtubule plus ends, and TUBB encodes a β-tubulin isotype that is expressed abundantly in the developing brain. Functional analyses of the TUBB mutants show multiple defects in the chaperone-dependent tubulin heterodimer folding and assembly pathway that leads to a compromised yield of native heterodimers. The TUBB mutations also have an impact on microtubule dynamics. For MAPRE2 , we show that the mutations result in enhanced MAPRE2 binding to microtubules, implying an increased dwell time at microtubule plus ends. Further, in vivo analysis of MAPRE2 mutations in a zebrafish model of craniofacial development shows that the variants most likely perturb the patterning of branchial arches, either through excessive activity (under a recessive paradigm) or through haploinsufficiency (dominant de novo paradigm). Taken together, our data add CSC-KT to the growing list of tubulinopathies and highlight how multiple inheritance paradigms can affect dosage-sensitive biological systems so as to result in the same clinical defect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To investigate the genetic cause of nonobstructive azoospermia (NOA) in a consanguineous Turkish family through homozygosity mapping followed by targeted exon/whole-exome sequencing to identify genetic variations. Design Whole-exome sequencing (WES). Setting Research laboratory. Patient(s) Two siblings in a consanguineous family with NOA. Intervention(s) Validating all variants passing filter criteria with Sanger sequencing to confirm familial segregation and absence in the control population. Main Outcome Measure(s) Discovery of a mutation that could potentially cause NOA. Result(s) A novel nonsynonymous mutation in the neuronal PAS-2 domain ( NPAS2 ) was identified in a consanguineous family from Turkey. This mutation in exon 14 (chr2: 101592000 C>G) of NPAS2 is likely a disease-causing mutation as it is predicted to be damaging, it is a novel variant, and it segregates with the disease. Family segregation of the variants showed the presence of the homozygous mutation in the three brothers with NOA and a heterozygous mutation in the mother as well as one brother and one sister who were both fertile. The mutation is not found in the single-nucleotide polymorphism database, the 1000 Genomes Project, the Baylor College of Medicine cohort of 500 Turkish patients (not a population-specific polymorphism), or the matching 50 fertile controls. Conclusion(s) With the use of WES we identified a novel homozygous mutation in NPAS2 as a likely disease-causing variant in a Turkish family diagnosed with NOA. Our data reinforce the clinical role of WES in the molecular diagnosis of highly heterogeneous genetic diseases for which conventional genetic approaches have previously failed to find a molecular diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Invertebrate model systems are powerful tools for studying human disease owing to their genetic tractability and ease of screening. We conducted a mosaic genetic screen of lethal mutations on the Drosophila X chromosome to identify genes required for the development, function, and maintenance of the nervous system. We identified 165 genes, most of whose function has not been studied in vivo. In parallel, we investigated rare variant alleles in 1,929 human exomes from families with unsolved Mendelian disease. Genes that are essential in flies and have multiple human homologs were found to be likely to be associated with human diseases. Merging the human data sets with the fly genes allowed us to identify disease-associated mutations in six families and to provide insights into microcephaly associated with brain dysgenesis. This bidirectional synergism between fly genetics and human genomics facilitates the functional annotation of evolutionarily conserved genes involved in human health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We identified four different missense mutations in the single-exon gene MAB21L2 in eight individuals with bilateral eye malformations from five unrelated families via three independent exome sequencing projects. Three mutational events altered the same amino acid (Arg51), and two were identical de novo mutations (c.151C>T [p.Arg51Cys]) in unrelated children with bilateral anophthalmia, intellectual disability, and rhizomelic skeletal dysplasia. c.152G>A (p.Arg51His) segregated with autosomal-dominant bilateral colobomatous microphthalmia in a large multiplex family. The fourth heterozygous mutation (c.145G>A [p.Glu49Lys]) affected an amino acid within two residues of Arg51 in an adult male with bilateral colobomata. In a fifth family, a homozygous mutation (c.740G>A [p.Arg247Gln]) altering a different region of the protein was identified in two male siblings with bilateral retinal colobomata. In mouse embryos, Mab21l2 showed strong expression in the developing eye, pharyngeal arches, and limb bud. As predicted by structural homology, wild-type MAB21L2 bound single-stranded RNA, whereas this activity was lost in all altered forms of the protein. MAB21L2 had no detectable nucleotidyltransferase activity in vitro, and its function remains unknown. Induced expression of wild-type MAB21L2 in human embryonic kidney 293 cells increased phospho-ERK (pERK1/2) signaling. Compared to the wild-type and p.Arg247Gln proteins, the proteins with the Glu49 and Arg51 variants had increased stability. Abnormal persistence of pERK1/2 signaling in MAB21L2-expressing cells during development is a plausible pathogenic mechanism for the heterozygous mutations. The phenotype associated with the homozygous mutation might be a consequence of complete loss of MAB21L2 RNA binding, although the cellular function of this interaction remains unknown. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]