Patients with nonketotic hyperglycinemia and deficient glycine cleavage enzyme activity, but without mutations in AMT, GLDC or GCSH, the genes encoding its constituent proteins, constitute a clinical group which we call 'variant nonketotic hyperglycinemia'. We hypothesize that in some patients the aetiology involves genetic mutations that result in a deficiency of the cofactor lipoate, and sequenced genes involved in lipoate synthesis and iron-sulphur cluster biogenesis. Of 11 individuals identified with variant nonketotic hyperglycinemia, we were able to determine the genetic aetiology in eight patients and delineate the clinical and biochemical phenotypes. Mutations were identified in the genes for lipoate synthase (LIAS), BolA type 3 (BOLA3), and a novel gene glutaredoxin 5 (GLRX5). Patients with GLRX5-associated variant nonketotic hyperglycinemia had normal development with childhood-onset spastic paraplegia, spinal lesion, and optic atrophy. Clinical features of BOLA3-associated variant nonketotic hyperglycinemia include severe neurodegeneration after a period of normal development. Additional features include leukodystrophy, cardiomyopathy and optic atrophy. Patients with lipoate synthase-deficient variant nonketotic hyperglycinemia varied in severity from mild static encephalopathy to Leigh disease and cortical involvement. All patients had high serum and borderline elevated cerebrospinal fluid glycine and cerebrospinal fluid:plasma glycine ratio, and deficient glycine cleavage enzyme activity. They had low pyruvate dehydrogenase enzyme activity but most did not have lactic acidosis. Patients were deficient in lipoylation of mitochondrial proteins. There were minimal and inconsistent changes in cellular iron handling, and respiratory chain activity was unaffected. Identified mutations were phylogenetically conserved, and transfection with native genes corrected the biochemical deficiency proving pathogenicity. Treatments of cells with lipoate and with mitochondrially-targeted lipoate were unsuccessful at correcting the deficiency. The recognition of variant nonketotic hyperglycinemia is important for physicians evaluating patients with abnormalities in glycine as this will affect the genetic causation and genetic counselling, and provide prognostic information on the expected phenotypic course.

ObjectiveNonketotic hyperglycinemia is a neurometabolic disorder characterized by intellectual disability, seizures, and spasticity. Patients with attenuated nonketotic hyperglycinemia make variable developmental progress. Predictive factors have not been systematically assessed.MethodsWe reviewed 124 patients stratified by developmental outcome for biochemical and molecular predictive factors. Missense mutations were expressed to quantify residual activity using a new assay.ResultsPatients with severe nonketotic hyperglycinemia required multiple anticonvulsants, whereas patients with developmental quotient (DQ) > 30 did not require anticonvulsants. Brain malformations occurred mainly in patients with severe nonketotic hyperglycinemia (71%) but rarely in patients with attenuated nonketotic hyperglycinemia (7.5%). Neonatal presentation did not correlate with outcome, but age at onset ≥ 4 months was associated with attenuated nonketotic hyperglycinemia. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) glycine levels and CSF:plasma glycine ratio correlated inversely with DQ; CSF glycine > 230 μM indicated severe outcome and CSF:plasma glycine ratio ≤ 0.08 predicted attenuated outcome. The glycine index correlated strongly with outcome. Molecular analysis identified 99% of mutant alleles, including 96 novel mutations. Mutations near the active cleft of the P‐protein maintained stable protein levels. Presence of 1 mutation with residual activity was necessary but not sufficient for attenuated outcome; 2 such mutations conferred best outcome. Divergent outcomes for the same genotype indicate a contribution of other genetic or nongenetic factors.InterpretationAccurate prediction of outcome is possible in most patients. A combination of 4 factors available neonatally predicted 78% of severe and 49% of attenuated patients, and a score based on mutation severity predicted outcome with 70% sensitivity and 97% specificity. Ann Neurol 2015;78:606–618

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Derivatives of vitamin B12 (cobalamin) are essential cofactors for enzymes required in intermediary metabolism. Defects in cobalamin metabolism lead to disorders characterized by the accumulation of methylmalonic acid and/or homocysteine in blood and urine. The most common inborn error of cobalamin metabolism, combined methylmalonic acidemia and hyperhomocysteinemia, cblC type, is caused by mutations in MMACHC. However, several individuals with presumed cblC based on cellular and biochemical analysis do not have mutations in MMACHC. We used exome sequencing to identify the genetic basis of an X-linked form of combined methylmalonic acidemia and hyperhomocysteinemia, designated cblX. A missense mutation in a global transcriptional coregulator, HCFC1, was identified in the index case. Additional male subjects were ascertained through two international diagnostic laboratories, and 13/17 had one of five distinct missense mutations affecting three highly conserved amino acids within the HCFC1 kelch domain. A common phenotype of severe neurological symptoms including intractable epilepsy and profound neurocognitive impairment, along with variable biochemical manifestations, was observed in all affected subjects compared to individuals with early-onset cblC. The severe reduction in MMACHC mRNA and protein within subject fibroblast lines suggested a role for HCFC1 in transcriptional regulation of MMACHC, which was further supported by the identification of consensus HCFC1 binding sites in MMACHC. Furthermore, siRNA-mediated knockdown of HCFC1 expression resulted in the coordinate downregulation of MMACHC mRNA. This X-linked disorder demonstrates a distinct disease mechanism by which transcriptional dysregulation leads to an inborn error of metabolism with a complex clinical phenotype.

Prediction of the outcome of GE may be facilitated by recognizing selected clinical parameters and early neuroimaging findings.