1. LHX2 haploinsufficiency causes a variable neurodevelopmental disorder
- Author
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Cosima M. Schmid, Anne Gregor, Gregory Costain, Chantal F. Morel, Lauren Massingham, Jennifer Schwab, Chloé Quélin, Marie Faoucher, Julie Kaplan, Rebecca Procopio, Carol J. Saunders, Ana S.A. Cohen, Gabrielle Lemire, Stephanie Sacharow, Anne O’Donnell-Luria, Ranit Jaron Segal, Jessica Kianmahd Shamshoni, Daniela Schweitzer, Darius Ebrahimi-Fakhari, Kristin Monaghan, Timothy Blake Palculict, Melanie P. Napier, Alice Tao, Bertrand Isidor, Kamran Moradkhani, André Reis, Heinrich Sticht, Wendy K. Chung, Christiane Zweier, University of Bern, CHU Pontchaillou [Rennes], Institut de Génétique et Développement de Rennes (IGDR), and Université de Rennes (UR)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Structure Fédérative de Recherche en Biologie et Santé de Rennes ( Biosit : Biologie - Santé - Innovation Technologique )
- Subjects
MESH: Autism Spectrum Disorder ,NDD ,MESH: LIM-Homeodomain Proteins ,[SDV.GEN]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Genetics ,MESH: Humans ,Intellectual disability ,LHX2 ,MESH: Transcription Factors ,ASD ,MESH: Intellectual Disability ,Neurodevelopmental disorder ,Microcephaly ,MESH: Haploinsufficiency ,610 Medicine & health ,Genetics (clinical) ,MESH: Neurodevelopmental Disorders - Abstract
PURPOSE LHX2 encodes the LIM homeobox 2 transcription factor (LHX2), which is highly expressed in brain and well conserved across species, but has not been clearly linked to neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD) to date. METHODS Through international collaboration, we identified 19 individuals from 18 families with variable neurodevelopmental phenotypes, carrying a small chromosomal deletion, likely gene-disrupting or missense variants in LHX2. Functional consequences of missense variants were investigated in cellular systems. RESULTS Affected individuals presented with developmental and/or behavioral abnormalities, autism-spectrum disorder, variable intellectual disability, and microcephaly. We observed nucleolar accumulation for two missense variants located within the DNA-binding HOX domain, impaired interaction with co-factor LDB1 for another variant located in the protein-protein interaction mediating LIM domain, and impaired transcriptional activation by luciferase assay for four missense variants. CONCLUSION We implicate LHX2 haploinsufficiency by deletion and likely gene-disrupting variants as causative for a variable NDD. Our findings suggest a loss-of-function mechanism also for likely pathogenic LHX2 missense variants. Together, our observations underscore the importance of LHX2 in nervous system and for variable neurodevelopmental phenotypes.
- Published
- 2023
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