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The genetic disorder Kabuki syndrome (KS) is characterized by developmental delay and congenital anomalies. Dominant mutations in the chromatin regulators lysine (K)-specific methyltransferase 2D (KMT2D) (also known as MLL2) and lysine (K)-specific demethylase 6A (KDM6A) underlie the majority of cases. Although the functions of these chromatin-modifying proteins have been studied extensively, the physiological systems regulated by them are largely unknown. Using whole-exome sequencing, we identified a mutation in RAP1A that was converted to homozygosity as the result of uniparental isodisomy (UPD) in a patient with KS and a de novo, dominant mutation in RAP1B in a second individual with a KS-like phenotype. We elucidated a genetic and functional interaction between the respective KS-associated genes and their products in zebrafish models and patient cell lines. Specifically, we determined that dysfunction of known KS genes and the genes identified in this study results in aberrant MEK/ERK signaling as well as disruption of F-actin polymerization and cell intercalation. Moreover, these phenotypes could be rescued in zebrafish models by rebalancing MEK/ERK signaling via administration of small molecule inhibitors of MEK. Taken together, our studies suggest that the KS pathophysiology overlaps with the RASopathies and provide a potential direction for treatment design., German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF); E-RARE network CRANIRARE-2; national rare disease network FACE; Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK); NIH; NRSA; Else Kroner-Fresenius-Stiftung

WOS: 000327800400004, PubMed ID: 23906836, Chromatin remodeling complexes are known to modify chemical marks on histones or to induce conformational changes in the chromatin in order to regulate transcription. Denovodominant mutations in different members of the SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex have recently been described in individuals with Coffin-Siris (CSS) and Nicolaides-Baraitser (NCBRS) syndromes. Using a combination of whole-exome sequencing, NGS-based sequencing of 23 SWI/SNF complex genes, and molecular karyotyping in 46 previously undescribed individuals with CSS and NCBRS, we identified a de novo 1-bp deletion (c.677delG, p.Gly226Glufs*53) and a de novo missense mutation (c.914G>T, p.Cys305Phe) in PHF6 in two individuals diagnosed with CSS. PHF6 interacts with the nucleosome remodeling and deacetylation ( NuRD) complex implicating dysfunction of a second chromatin remodeling complex in the pathogenesis of CSS-like phenotypes. Altogether, we identified mutations in 60% of the studied individuals (28/46), located in the genes ARID1A, ARID1B, SMARCB1, SMARCE1, SMARCA2, and PHF6. We show that mutations in ARID1B are the main cause of CSS, accounting for 76% of identified mutations. ARID1B and SMARCB1 mutations were also found in individuals with the initial diagnosis of NCBRS. These individuals apparently belong to a small subset who display an intermediate CSS/NCBRS phenotype. Our proposed genotype-phenotype correlations are important for molecular screening strategies., German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)Federal Ministry of Education & Research (BMBF) [01GM1211A, 01GM1211B]; TUBITAKTurkiye Bilimsel ve Teknolojik Arastirma Kurumu (TUBITAK) [112S398]; ERARE-ANR CraniRareFrench National Research Agency (ANR); German Federal Ministry of Education and ResearchFederal Ministry of Education & Research (BMBF) [01GS08167]; DFGGerman Research Foundation (DFG) [BO 1955/2-3, WU 314/6-2]; Volkswagen FoundationVolkswagen [86042]; Telethon ItalyFondazione Telethon [GTB12001], This work was part of the CRANIRARE-2 Network funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) (01GM1211A to B. W., 01GM1211B to D. W.), the TUBITAK (112S398 to H. K.) and ERARE-ANR CraniRare to S. L. This work was also funded by a grant (MRNET) from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (01GS08167 to D. W.), by DFG grants (BO 1955/2-3 and WU 314/6-2 to S. B. and D. W.) and by the Volkswagen Foundation (ref 86042 to A. W.). The biobank "Cell lines and DNA bank of Rett syndrome, X linked Mental Retardation and other genetic diseases", member of the Telethon Network of Genetic Biobanks (project no. GTB12001), funded by Telethon Italy, provided us with specimens.

Limb patterning and growth are complex embryonic processes in which the elaborately orchestrated interplay of diverse endocrine and paracrine factors is crucial to limb integrity. LRP4 is a lipoprotein receptor known for its regulatory effects on LRP5- and LRP6-mediated Wnt signaling, a pathway that plays a pivotal role in limb development. Recessive mutations in LRP4 have been shown to cause Cenani–Lenz syndrome, which is characterized by severe limb malformations, an unusual face, and renal abnormalities. We report on a child with severe Cenani–Lenz syndrome caused by a novel homozygous nonsense mutation in LRP4. The severity of the phenotype in a patient with absent residual LRP4 function may point to a genotype–phenotype correlation. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Baraitser-Winter cerebrofrontofacial syndrome is caused by heterozygous missense mutations in one of the two ubiquitous cytoplasmic actin-encoding genes ACTB and ACTG1. Recently, we characterized the large cohort of 41 patients presenting with this condition. Our series contained 34 patients with mutations in ACTB and only nine with ACTG1 mutations. Here, we report on seven unrelated patients with six mutations in ACTG1-four novel and two previously reported. Only one of seven patients was clinically diagnosed with this disorder and underwent ACTB/ACTG1 targeted sequencing, four patients were screened as a part of the large lissencephaly cohort and two were tested with exome sequencing. Retrospectively, facial features were compatible with the diagnosis but significantly milder than previously reported in four patients, and non-specific in one. The pattern of malformations of cortical development was highly similar in four of six patients with available MRI images and encompassed frontal predominant pachygyria merging with the posterior predominant band heterotopia. Two remaining patients showed mild involvement consistent with bilaterally simplified gyration over the frontal lobes. Taken together, we expand the clinical spectrum of the ACTG1-associated Baraitser-Winter cerebrofrontofacial syndrome demonstrating the mild end of the facial and brain manifestations. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Kabuki syndrome (KS) is a rare developmental disorder characterized by multiple congenital malformations, postnatal growth retardation, intellectual disability, and recognizable facial features. It is mainly caused by mutations in either KMT2D or KDM6A. We describe a 14-year-old boy with KS presenting with an unusual combination of bilateral microphthalmia with orbital cystic venous lymphatic malformation and neonatal cholestasis with bile duct paucity, in addition to the typical clinical features of KS. We identified the novel KMT2D mutation c.10588delC, p.(Glu3530Serfs*128) by Mendeliome (Illumina TruSight One®) sequencing, a next generation sequencing panel targeting 4,813 genes linked to human genetic disease. We analyzed the Mendeliome data for additional mutations which might explain the exceptional clinical presentation of our patient but did not find any, leading us to suspect that the above named symptoms might be part of the KMT2D-associated spectrum of anomalies. We thus extend the range of KS-associated malformations and propose a hypothetical connection between KMT2D and Notch signaling. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Kabuki syndrome (KS) is a rare but recognizable condition that consists of a characteristic face, short stature, various organ malformations and a variable degree of intellectual disability. Mutations in KMT2D have been identified as the main cause for KS, while mutations in KDM6A are a much less frequent cause. Here, we report a mutation screening in a case series of 347 unpublished patients, in which we identified 12 novel KDM6A mutations (KS type 2) and 208 mutations in KMT2D (KS type 1), 132 of them novel. Two of the KDM6A mutations were maternally inherited and 9 were shown to be de novo. We give an up-to-date overview of all published mutations for the two Kabuki syndrome genes and point out possible mutation hot spots and strategies for molecular genetic testing. We also report the clinical details for 11 patients with KS type 2, summarize the published clinical information, specifically with a focus on the less well defined X-linked KS type 2, and comment on phenotype-genotype correlations as well as sex-specific phenotypic differences. Finally, we also discuss a possible role of KDM6A in Kabuki-like Turner syndrome and report a mutation screening of KDM6C (UTY) in male KS patients. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Indian hedgehog (Ihh) signaling is a major determinant of various processes during embryonic development and has a pivotal role in embryonic skeletal development. A specific spatial and temporal expression of Ihh within the developing limb buds is essential for accurate digit outgrowth and correct digit number. Although missense mutations in IHH cause brachydactyly type A1, small tandem duplications involving the IHH locus have recently been described in patients with mild syndactyly and craniosynostosis. In contrast, a similar to 600-kb deletion 5' of IHH in the doublefoot mouse mutant (Dbf) leads to severe polydactyly without craniosynostosis, but with craniofacial dysmorphism. We now present a patient resembling acrocallosal syndrome (ACS) with extensive polysyndactyly of the hands and feet, craniofacial abnormalities including macrocephaly, agenesis of the corpus callosum, dysplastic and low-set ears, severe hypertelorism and profound psychomotor delay. Single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array copy number analysis identified a similar to 900-kb duplication of the IHH locus, which was confirmed by an independent quantitative method. A fetus from a second pregnancy of the mother by a different spouse showed similar craniofacial and limb malformations and the same duplication of the IHH-locus. We defined the exact breakpoints and showed that the duplications are identical tandem duplications in both sibs. No copy number changes were observed in the healthy mother. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a human phenotype similar to the Dbf mutant and strikingly overlapping with ACS that is caused by a copy number variation involving the IHH locus on chromosome 2q35. European Journal of Human Genetics (2012) 20, 639-644; doi:10.1038/ejhg.2011.250; published online 11 January 2012

Kabuki syndrome (KS) is one of the classical, clinically well-known multiple anomalies/mental retardation syndromes, mainly characterized by a very distinctive facial appearance in combination with additional clinical signs such as developmental delay, short stature, persistent fingerpads, and urogenital tract anomalies. In our study, we sequenced all 54 coding exons of the recently identified MLL2 gene in 34 patients with Kabuki syndrome. We identified 18 distinct mutations in 19 patients, 11 of 12 tested de novo. Mutations were located all over the gene and included three nonsense mutations, two splice-site mutations, six small deletions or insertions, and seven missense mutations. We compared frequencies of clinical symptoms in MLL2 mutation carriers versus non-carriers. MLL2 mutation carriers significantly more often presented with short stature and renal anomalies (p = 0.026 and 0.031, respectively), and in addition, MLL2 carriers obviously showed more frequently a typical facial gestalt (17/19) compared with non-carriers (9/15), although this result was not statistically significant (p = 0.1). Mutation-negative patients were subsequently tested for mutations in ten functional candidate genes (e.g. MLL, ASC2, ASH2L, and WDR5), but no convincing causative mutations could be found. Our results indicate that MLL2 is the major gene for Kabuki syndrome with a wide spectrum of de novo mutations and strongly suggest further genetic heterogeneity.

CHARGE syndrome is a complex developmental disorder caused by mutations in the chromodomain helicase DNA-binding gene CHD7. Kabuki syndrome, another developmental disorder, is characterized by typical facial features in combination with developmental delay, short stature, prominent digit pads and visceral abnormalities. Mutations in the KMT2D gene, which encodes a H3K4 histone methyltransferase, are the major cause of Kabuki syndrome. Here, we report a patient, who was initially diagnosed with CHARGE syndrome based on the spectrum of inner organ malformations like choanal hypoplasia, heart defect, anal atresia, vision problems and conductive hearing impairment. While sequencing and MLPA analysis of all coding exons of CHD7 revealed no pathogenic mutation, sequence analysis of the KMT2D gene identified the heterozygous de novo nonsense mutation c.5263C > T (p.Gln1755*). Thus, our patient was diagnosed with Kabuki syndrome. By using co-immunoprecipitation, immunohistochemistry and direct yeast two hybrid assays, we could show that, like KMT2D, CHD7 interacts with members of the WAR complex, namely WDR5, ASH2L and RbBP5. We therefore propose that CHD7 and KMT2D function in the same chromatin modification machinery, thus pointing out a mechanistic connection, and presenting a probable explanation for the phenotypic overlap between Kabuki and CHARGE syndromes.

Myopathies are a clinically and etiologically heterogeneous group of disorders that can range from limb girdle muscular dystrophy (LGMD) to syndromic forms with associated features including intellectual disability. Here, we report the identification of mutations in transport protein particle complex 11 (TRAPPC11) in three individuals of a consanguineous Syrian family presenting with LGMD and in five individuals of Hutterite descent presenting with myopathy, infantile hyperkinetic movements, ataxia, and intellectual disability. By using a combination of whole-exome or genome sequencing with homozygosity mapping, we identified the homozygous c.2938G>A (p.Gly980Arg) missense mutation within the gryzun domain of TRAPPC11 in the Syrian LGMD family and the homozygous c.1287+5G>A splice-site mutation resulting in a 58 amino acid in-frame deletion (p.Ala372_Ser429del) in the foie gras domain of TRAPPC11 in the Hutterite families. TRAPPC11 encodes a component of the multiprotein TRAPP complex involved in membrane trafficking. We demonstrate that both mutations impair the binding ability of TRAPPC11 to other TRAPP complex components and disrupt the Golgi apparatus architecture. Marker trafficking experiments for the p.Ala372_Ser429del deletion indicated normal ER-to-Golgi trafficking but dramatically delayed exit from the Golgi to the cell surface. Moreover, we observed alterations of the lysosomal membrane glycoproteins lysosome-associated membrane protein 1 (LAMP1) and LAMP2 as a consequence of TRAPPC11 dysfunction supporting a defect in the transport of secretory proteins as the underlying pathomechanism.