The SOX10 transcription factor: evaluation as a candidate gene for central and peripheral hereditary myelin disorders

Byline: V. Pingault (1), N. Bondurand (1), C. Le Caignec (1), S. Tardieu (2), N. Lemort (1), O. Dubourg (2), E. Le Guern (2), M. Goossens (1), O. Boespflug-Tanguy (3) Keywords: Key words Sox10; Myelin disorders; Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease; Pelizaeus-Merzbacher Disease; Leukodystrophy Abstract: The SOX10 transcription factor is involved in development of neural crest derivatives and fate determination in glial cells. SOX10 mutations have been found in patients with intestinal aganglionosis and depigmentation with deafness (Waardenburg-Hirschsprung). Associated neurological signs have been reported in some cases, including a patient exhibiting a central and peripheral myelin deficiency. Therefore, we screened for SOX10 mutations in a large cohort of patients with peripheral and central myelin disorders. 56 were affected by classical demyelinating Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease without identified mutations in the genes encoding PNS myelin proteins (PMP22, P0), connexin 32 and the zinc-finger transcription factor, EGR2. 88 patients with undetermined leukodystrophy were selected from a large European prospective study. Associated clinical, magnetic resonance imaging and electrophysiological signs were consistent with a defect in CNS myelination in 83 and with an active degeneration of the CNS myelin in 5. No abnormalities in the proteolipid protein gene (PLP) were found. The absence of SOX10 mutation in this large cohort of patients suggests that this gene is not frequently involved in peripheral or central inherited myelin disorders. Author Affiliation: (1) Genetique Moleculaire et Physiopathologie INSERM U468 et Laboratoire de Biochimie et Genetique Moleculaire AP-HP, Hopital Henri Mondor, 94 010 Creteil Cedex, France Tel.: +33-149-81-28-61 Fax: +33-149-81-22-19 e-mail: pingault@im3.inserm.fr, FR (2) INSERM U289, Hopital de la Pitie-Salpetriere, Paris, France, FR (3) INSERM U384, Faculte de Medecine, Clermont-Ferrand, France, FR Article note: Received: 24 October 2000, Received in revised form: 7 December 2000, Accepted: 8 January 2001