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Background: Congenital aniridia is a severe autosomal dominant binocular developmental disorder, the primary feature of which is congenital absence or hypoplasia of the iris. PAX6 is the main disease-causing gene of congenital aniridia; inheritance is autosomal dominant. But the current mutations do not fully explain this disorder., Methods: We investigated the mutation profile of genes related in three Chinese families with congenital aniridia through targeted sequencing technology. And we validated the candidate variants by PCR-based Sanger sequencing. Different degree impairments of islet function were observed in the patients with aniridia by carbohydrate tolerance butter and insulin release tests in our study., Results: We identified four novel mutations of PAX6 from three Chinese families with congenital aniridia, which included heterozygous double mutation c.879_880delCA (p.S294Cfs*46) and c.1124C>G (p.P375R) in Family 1 with three patients, heterozygous frameshift mutation c.308delG (p.P103Qfs*21) in Family 2 with one patient, and c.1192delT (p.S398Pfs*126) in Family 3 with two patients. The three frameshift mutations of PAX6 are co-segregated with the aniridia from controls in the families, but the novel missense mutation is not co-segregated with the phenotype. The frameshift mutations in Family 1 and Family 2 have effects to truncate the protein, but the frameshift mutation in Family 3 will prolong it. We confirmed the phenomenon of male gonadal mosaicism of PAX6 by the sequencing of two linked novel mutations in Family 1. Most of the patients with isolated aniridia have different degrees of islet damage through related clinical tests., Conclusion: It is therefore noteworthy that we found different types of pathogenic mutation, which have effects of truncating or prolonging protein leaded by frameshift mutation. Our results of this study extended the pathogenic mutation spectrum of PAX6 for congenital aniridia and demonstrated the male germline chimerism by molecular experiments., (© 2018 The Authors. Molecular Genetics & Genomic Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

The present study investigated the clinical and mutational spectrum of aniridia in a cohort of 17 affected individuals from six families from Cyprus. Each proband was initially evaluated for copy number variants at the PAX6 locus and subsequently underwent PAX6 mutation screening. Sequence analysis of FOXC1 and PITX2 was performed in patients who did not carry a PAX6 mutation. The most common clinical features in the group of aniridia patients associated with aniridia were nystagmus, cataracts and glaucoma. PAX6 pathogenic mutations were identified in five out of six families (a diagnostic yield of 84%). Previously reported pathogenic mutations in PAX6 were identified in four families, which comprise p.R203*, p.R240* and p.R317*. In addition, a novel pathogenic variant (p.E220Gfs*23) was identified in a single family. No pathogenic mutations were detected in PAX6, FOXC1 or PITX2 in the only patient with a sporadic form of aniridia‑like phenotype, confirming the genetic heterogeneity associated with this disease. To the best of our knowledge this is the first report on the mutational spectrum of PAX6 in aniridia patients of Cypriot ancestry. Mutational screening of PAX6 serves a crucial role in distinguishing isolated from syndromic forms of aniridia, and it may therefore eliminate the need for renal ultrasound scan surveillance, delineate the phenotype and improve genetic counseling.

Gillespie syndrome (GS) [MIM: 206700] is a very rare condition characterized by bilateral iris defect, congenital hypotonia, cerebellar ataxia and intellectual disability. The typical iris anomaly is considered necessary to the diagnosis of GS. Recently, variants in ITPR1 were described causing GS. Non-neurological features were reported in few patients. Here we describe two consanguineous siblings with GS and a novel homozygous ITPR1 pathogenic variant (p.N984fs). They also present a cardiac defect (pulmonary valve stenosis) and one sib had a genitourinary malformation (ureteropelvic junction obstruction). Our report reinforces ITPR1 as the cause of GS and suggests a possible role of ITPR1 in the development of other organs., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Congenital aniridia is a severe autosomal dominant congenital panocular disorder, mainly associated with pathogenic variants in the PAX6 gene. The objective of the study was to investigate the mutational and clinical spectra of congenital aniridia in a cohort of 117 patients from Russia. Each patient underwent detailed ophthalmological examination. From 91 unrelated families, 110 patients were diagnosed with congenital aniridia and 7 with WAGR syndrome (Wilms tumor, Aniridia, Genitourinary anomalies, and mental Retardation syndrome). The clinical presentation in aniridia patients varied from the complete bilateral absence of the iris (75.5%) to partial aniridia or iris hypoplasia (24.5%). Additional ocular abnormalities were consistent with previous reports. In our cohort, we saw a previously not described high percentage of patients (45%) who showed non-ocular phenotypes. Prevalence of deletions coherent with WAGR syndrome appeared to be 19.4% out of sporadic patients. Among the other aniridia cases, PAX6 deletions were identified in 18 probands, and small intragenic changes were detected in 58 probands with 27 of these mutations being novel and 21 previously reported. In 3 families mosaic mutation was transmitted from a subtly affected parent. Therefore, PAX6 mutations explained 96.7% of aniridia phenotypes in this study with only 3 of 91 probands lacking pathogenic variants in the gene., (© 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Aniridia is a rare, congenital ocular disorder caused by the mutations of the paired box gene-6 (PAX6) (OMIM 607108), which encodes a highly conserved transcriptional regulator. In order to investigate the clinical characterizations and genetic defects of two Chinese families affected with aniridia, we recruited the family members and 200 ethnically matched controls. The entire exons and flanking intronic sequences of the PAX6 gene (NG_008679.1) were analyzed and effects of variants on splicing were assessed in silico and in vitro using exon trapping assay with pET01. The donor site (c.1183+1G>A) mutation identified in family 1 would result in a complete skipping of exon 12 and cause a frameshift and run-on translation past the normal termination codon, creating an enlarged PAX6 protein with extended COOH-terminal domain. Novel c.1033-1_1033delinsCT mutation was detected in family 2. This mutation provoked both complete exon 12 skipping and partial skipping of exon 12 deleting 7bp. This would lead to a frameshift translation and the introduction of pre-mature termination code, which resulted in severely truncated PAX6 protein likely to be degraded. Our study further expands the spectrum of genetic pathology underlying PAX6., (Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Gillespie syndrome (GS) is characterized by bilateral iris hypoplasia, congenital hypotonia, non-progressive ataxia, and progressive cerebellar atrophy. Trio-based exome sequencing identified de novo mutations in ITPR1 in three unrelated individuals with GS recruited to the Deciphering Developmental Disorders study. Whole-exome or targeted sequence analysis identified plausible disease-causing ITPR1 mutations in 10/10 additional GS-affected individuals. These ultra-rare protein-altering variants affected only three residues in ITPR1: Glu2094 missense (one de novo, one co-segregating), Gly2539 missense (five de novo, one inheritance uncertain), and Lys2596 in-frame deletion (four de novo). No clinical or radiological differences were evident between individuals with different mutations. ITPR1 encodes an inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate-responsive calcium channel. The homo-tetrameric structure has been solved by cryoelectron microscopy. Using estimations of the degree of structural change induced by known recessive- and dominant-negative mutations in other disease-associated multimeric channels, we developed a generalizable computational approach to indicate the likely mutational mechanism. This analysis supports a dominant-negative mechanism for GS variants in ITPR1. In GS-derived lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs), the proportion of ITPR1-positive cells using immunofluorescence was significantly higher in mutant than control LCLs, consistent with an abnormality of nuclear calcium signaling feedback control. Super-resolution imaging supports the existence of an ITPR1-lined nucleoplasmic reticulum. Mice with Itpr1 heterozygous null mutations showed no major iris defects. Purkinje cells of the cerebellum appear to be the most sensitive to impaired ITPR1 function in humans. Iris hypoplasia is likely to result from either complete loss of ITPR1 activity or structure-specific disruption of multimeric interactions., (Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Gillespie syndrome (GS) is a rare variant form of aniridia characterized by non-progressive cerebellar ataxia, intellectual disability, and iris hypoplasia. Unlike the more common dominant and sporadic forms of aniridia, there has been no significant association with PAX6 mutations in individuals with GS and the mode of inheritance of the disease had long been regarded as uncertain. Using a combination of trio-based whole-exome sequencing and Sanger sequencing in five simplex GS-affected families, we found homozygous or compound heterozygous truncating mutations (c.4672C>T [p.Gln1558(∗)], c.2182C>T [p.Arg728(∗)], c.6366+3A>T [p.Gly2102Valfs5(∗)], and c.6664+5G>T [p.Ala2221Valfs23(∗)]) and de novo heterozygous mutations (c.7687_7689del [p.Lys2563del] and c.7659T>G [p.Phe2553Leu]) in the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor type 1 gene (ITPR1). ITPR1 encodes one of the three members of the IP3-receptors family that form Ca(2+) release channels localized predominantly in membranes of endoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+) stores. The truncation mutants, which encompass the IP3-binding domain and varying lengths of the modulatory domain, did not form functional channels when produced in a heterologous cell system. Furthermore, ITPR1 p.Lys2563del mutant did not form IP3-induced Ca(2+) channels but exerted a negative effect when co-produced with wild-type ITPR1 channel activity. In total, these results demonstrate biallelic and monoallelic ITPR1 mutations as the underlying genetic defects for Gillespie syndrome, further extending the spectrum of ITPR1-related diseases., (Copyright © 2016 The American Society of Human Genetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Mutations in the Pax6 gene cause ocular defects in both vertebrate and invertebrate animal species, and the disease aniridia in humans. Despite extensive experimentation on this gene in multiple species, including humans, we still do not understand the earliest effects on development mediated by this gene. This prompted us to develop pax6 mutant lines in Xenopus tropicalis taking advantage of the utility of the Xenopus system for examining early development and in addition to establish a model for studying the human disease aniridia in an accessible lower vertebrate. We have generated mutants in pax6 by using Transcription Activator-Like Effector Nuclease (TALEN) constructs for gene editing in X. tropicalis. Embryos with putative null mutations show severe eye abnormalities and changes in brain development, as assessed by changes in morphology and gene expression. One gene that we found is downregulated very early in development in these pax6 mutants is myc, a gene involved in pluripotency and progenitor cell maintenance and likely a mediator of some key pax6 functions in the embryo. Changes in gene expression in the developing brain and pancreas reflect other important functions of pax6 during development. In mutations with partial loss of pax6 function eye development is initially relatively normal but froglets show an underdeveloped iris, similar to the classic phenotype (aniridia) seen in human patients with PAX6 mutations. Other eye abnormalities observed in these froglets, including cataracts and corneal defects, are also common in human aniridia. The frog model thus allows us to examine the earliest deficits in eye formation as a result of pax6 lesions, and provides a useful model for understanding the developmental basis for the aniridia phenotype seen in humans., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Aniridia is a rare panocular disorder characterized by iris hypoplasia and other associated eye anomalies. Heterozygous null mutations in paired box gene 6 (PAX6) are the major cause of the classic aniridia phenotype. This study aims to detect the mutational spectrum of PAX6 and associated phenotypes in southern Indian patients with sporadic and familial aniridia., Methods: Genomic DNA was isolated from peripheral blood from all participants. The coding regions and flanking intronic sequences of PAX6 were screened with Sanger sequencing in 30 probands with aniridia. The identified variations were further evaluated in available family members and 150 healthy controls. The pathogenic potential of the mutations were assessed using bioinformatics tools., Results: Thirteen different mutations were detected in eight sporadic and five familial cases. Eleven novel mutations, including five insertions (c.7_10dupAACA, c.567dupC, c.704dupC, c.868dupA and c.753_754insTA), two deletions (c.242delC and c.249delT), and four splicing variants (c.10+1G>A, c.141G>A, c.141+4A>G and c.764A>G) were identified in this study. Clinical findings of the patients revealed phenotypic heterogeneity with the same or different mutations., Conclusions: This study reported 11 novel mutations and thus expanded the spectrum of PAX6 mutations. Interestingly, all mutations reported in this study were truncations, which confirms the hypothesis that haploinsufficiency of PAX6 causes the aniridia phenotype. Our observations revealed inter- and intrafamilial phenotypic variability with PAX6 mutations. The common ocular findings associated with PAX6 mutations were iris hypoplasia, nystagmus, and foveal hypoplasia reported in almost all cases, with cataract, glaucoma, and keratopathy reported in approximately 50% of the patients.

Purpose: The PAX6 gene encodes a transcriptional regulator involved in oculogenesis and other developmental processes such as aniridia, a congenital condition characterized by the underdevelopment of the eye's iris. Aniridia may be broadly divided into hereditary and sporadic forms. The function of the PAX6 gene in these two forms of aniridia is still poorly defined. Therefore, we carried out a mutation analysis of the PAX6 gene in northeastern Chinese families with aniridia to identify the role of the PAX6 gene in hereditary aniridia., Methods: Five aniridia patients from two northeastern Chinese families (Family 1 and Family 2) underwent full ophthalmologic examinations. Genomic DNA was prepared from venous leukocytes from these five patients, 10 non-carriers in these two families, as well as 100 healthy normal controls. The coding regions of PAX6 were analyzed by PCR amplification, direct sequencing and allele-specific cloning sequencing. RESULTS We identified two novel PAX6 mutations. The first is a 9 base pair (bp) deletion in exon 5 (c.483del9) that makes a PAX6 protein with de novo in-frame deletions of aspartic acid, isoleucine, and serine at the amino acid codon positions 41-43. The second is a heterozygous mutation (IVS10+1G>A) located at the boundary of exon 10 and intron 10., Conclusions: We identified two novel PAX6 mutations in familial aniridia from northeastern China, an ethnic group that is not well-studied. The genetic analysis confirms that these two novel mutations in PAX6 are capable of causing the classic aniridia phenotype. Therefore, by studying human familial aniridia cases, we demonstrated that PAX6 plays a role in hereditary aniridia.

Background: Mutations in the transcription factor gene PAX6 have been shown to be the cause of the aniridia phenotype. The purpose of this study was to analyze patients with aniridia to uncover PAX6 gene mutations in south Indian population., Methods: Total genomic DNA was isolated from peripheral blood of twenty-eight members of six clinically diagnosed aniridia families and 60 normal healthy controls. The coding exons of the human PAX6 gene were amplified by PCR and allele specific variations were detected by single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) followed by automated sequencing., Results: The sequencing results revealed novel PAX6 mutations in three patients with sporadic aniridia: c.715ins5, [c.1201delA; c.1239A>G] and c.901delA. Two previously reported nonsense mutations were also found: c.482C>A, c.830G>A. A neutral polymorphism was detected (IVS9-12C>T) at the boundary of intron 9 and exon 10. The two nonsense mutations found in the coding region of human PAX6 gene are reported for the first time in the south Indian population., Conclusion: The genetic analysis confirms that haploinsuffiency of the PAX6 gene causes the classic aniridia phenotype. Most of the point mutations detected in our study results in stop codons. Here we add three novel PAX6 gene mutations in south Indian population to the existing spectrum of mutations, which is not a well-studied ethnic group. Our study supports the hypothesis that a mutation in the PAX6 gene correlates with expression of aniridia.

Cerebral development is governed by genetic and environmental factors. Animal models provide much of our knowledge about genetic influences in the brain but it is not clear how similar or relevant these are to the human brain. The investigation of human subjects with mutations in genes known to be expressed in the developing brain is an alternative approach to improving our understanding of the role of genetic factors in brain development. We investigated 24 subjects with known mutations in the PAX6 gene (including representatives of all the known mutations of the gene) which are associated with characteristic ocular abnormalities in humans and animals. We have quantified MRI data using several techniques to assess qualities of cerebral structure which are difficult to interpret visually. Abnormalities were identified using voxel-based morphometry, statistical morphometrics, and measurement of corpus callosum cross-sectional area when comparing data from subjects with PAX6 abnormality and 72 age-and sex-matched control subjects. These abnormalities include grey matter changes in the cerebellum and occipital poles and white matter loss in the corpus callosum, alteration of sulcal orientation in the occipital lobe, and alteration to overall neuronal connectivity. These abnormalities complement and exceed the changes seen in the mouse models, and those seen on visual inspection alone of the human MRI data. Structural differences were also identified between the two largest genotype mutation subgroups.