Whole-exome-sequencing-based discovery of human FADD deficiency

A combination of genome-wide linkage and whole-exome sequencing was used to identify a homozygous missense mutation in FADD, encoding the Fas-associated death domain protein (FADD) which cause dominantly inherited autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome (ALPS) in the patients. The results provide insight into the key role of FADD in Fas-dependent and Fas-independent signaling pathways in humans and genetic basis of the complex clinical disorder and some of the key mechanisms underlying its pathogenesis.