We describe a novel clinical phenotype associating T-and B-cell lymphopenia, intermittent neutropenia, and atrial septal defects in 3 members of a consanguineous kindred. Their clinical histories included recurrent bacterial infections, viral infections, mucocutaneous candidiasis, cutaneous warts, and skin abscesses. Homozygosity mapping and candidate gene sequencing revealed a homozygous premature termination mutation in the gene STK4 (serine threonine kinase 4, formerly having the symbol MST1). STK4 is the human ortholog of Drosophila Hippo, the central constituent of a highly conserved pathway controlling cell growth and apopto- IntroductionMonogenic disorders of the human immune system have provided important insights into the function of host defense mechanisms. 1 Despite remarkable progress in the field, many disorders remain poorly understood. 2,3 Identifying genetic mutations in patients with immunodeficiency syndromes may reveal novel insights into basic mechanisms of the human immune system.Here, we describe the first human patients with a biallelic mutation of serine threonine kinase 4 (STK4; MIM: 604965). STK4 (previously sometimes named MST1) was originally identified as a ubiquitously expressed kinase with structural homology to yeast Ste20. 4,5 STK4 and STK3 (MST2; MIM: 605030) are the mammalian homologs of the Drosphila Hpo protein, the central constituent of the highly conserved HIPPO pathway controlling cell growth, apoptosis, and tumorigenesis. 6 Mice lacking either Stk3 or Stk4 are viable, but those lacking both proteins are not. This indicates that each protein can substitute for the other in the most essential functions. 7 When both Stk3 and Stk4 are conditionally deleted, however, their respective role as growth control regulators becomes manifest, exemplified by liver-specific double-knockout mice that develop massive hepatomegaly and hepatocellular carcinoma. 8,9 STK4 has both proapoptotic and antiapoptotic functions. Earlier papers focused on the proapoptotic functions, and STK4 was described with the adjective "proapoptotic" in the title of a paper as recently as 2007. 10 The strongest evidence that STK4 delivers proapoptotic signals is that STK4 is cleaved by caspases 11,12 ; caspase activity is unambiguously proapoptotic. In resting conditions, STK4 is a cytoplasmic protein. In response to apoptotic stimuli, the 63-kDa full-length protein is cleaved by caspases and a 36-kDa N-terminal fragment translocates to the nucleus and phosphorylates histones, 13,14 suggesting that STK4 plays a proapoptotic role. STK4 is also in a proapoptotic regulatory loop with JNK. [15][16][17] Finally, the interaction between RASSF1A and STK4 was shown to promote Fas-mediated apoptosis. 18 There was also some evidence, before the generation of Stk4-deficient mice, that STK4 has antiapoptotic functions. For example, a study in Caenorhabditis elegans showed that phosphorylation of FOXO proteins by the STK4 ortholog DAF16 protects against cell death induced by oxidative stress. Furthermore, when DAF16 canno...
Synaptopathies constitute a group of neurological diseases including autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and intellectual disability (ID). They have been associated with mutations in genes encoding proteins important for the formation and stabilization of synapses, such as SHANK1-3. Loss-of-function mutations in the SHANK genes have been identified in individuals with ASD and ID suggesting that other factors modify the neurological phenotype. We report a boy with severe ID, behavioral anomalies, and language impairment who carries a balanced de novo triple translocation 46,XY,t(11;17;19)(q13.3;q25.1;q13.42). The 11q13.3 breakpoint was found to disrupt the SHANK2 gene. The patient also carries copy number variations at 15q13.3 and 10q22.11 encompassing ARHGAP11B and two synaptic genes. The CHRNA7 gene encoding α7-nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunit and the GPRIN2 gene encoding G-protein-regulated inducer of neurite growth 2 were duplicated. Co-occurrence of a de novo SHANK2 mutation and a CHRNA7 duplication in two reported patients with ASD and ID as well as in the patient with t(11;17;19), severe ID and behavior problems suggests convergence of these genes on a common synaptic pathway. Our results strengthen the oligogenic inheritance model and highlight the presence of a large effect mutation and modifier genes collectively determining phenotypic expression of the synaptopathy.
The recently proposed adaptor protein 4 (AP-4) deficiency syndrome comprises a group of congenital neurological disorders characterized by severe intellectual disability (ID), delayed or absent speech, hereditary spastic paraplegia, and growth retardation. AP-4 is a heterotetrameric protein complex with important functions in vesicle trafficking. Mutations in genes affecting different subunits of AP-4, including AP4B1, AP4E1, AP4S1, and AP4M1, have been reported in patients with the AP-4 deficiency phenotype. We describe two siblings from a non-consanguineous couple who presented with severe ID, absent speech, microcephaly, growth retardation, and progressive spastic tetraplegia. Whole-exome sequencing in the two patients identified the novel homozygous 2-bp deletion c.1160_1161delCA (p.(Thr387Argfs*30)) in AP4B1. Sanger sequencing confirmed the mutation in the siblings and revealed it in the heterozygous state in both parents. The AP4B1-associated phenotype has previously been assigned to spastic paraplegia-47. Identification of a novel AP4B1 alteration in two patients with clinical manifestations highly similar to other individuals with mutations affecting one of the four AP-4 subunits further supports the observation that loss of AP-4 assembly or functionality underlies the common clinical features in these patients and underscores the existence of the clinically recognizable AP-4 deficiency syndrome.
692 Congenital neutropenia syndromes comprise a heterogeneous group of disorders, whose genetic etiology remains often unknown. We describe a consanguineous pedigree with several affected individuals characterized by predisposition to recurrent and chronic bacterial and viral infections. Affected patients had chronic bronchitis/bronchiectasis, recurrent bacterial and herpes simplex skin infections, and disseminated warts associated with human papillomavirus and molluscum contagiosum virus. One patient developed a lymphoproliferative disorder associated with EBV-infection. Patients had congenital neutropenia with fluctuating absolute neutrophil granulocyte counts (180-4000/μl), yet no evidence of cyclic neutropenia. Immunophenotyping of peripheral blood revealed a paucity of peripheral T- and B-cells. Interestingly all patients showed evidences of autoimmunity. In addition all affected patients had subtle and hemodynamically not relevant cardiac defects such as ASD-II (P1), patent foramen ovale (P2) and patent foramen ovale associated with mitral, tricuspid and pulmonary insufficiency (P3). Genome-wide genotyping and linkage analysis of the index family yielded a LOD score of 4.3 on a linkage interval on chromosome 20. Candidate gene sequencing revealed a homozygous nonsense mutation in exon 7 of the gene STK4 (formerly MST1). STK4 is the human ortholog of Drosophila Hippo, the central constituent of a highly conserved pathway controlling cell growth and apoptosis. Isolated STK4-deficient lymphocytes and neutrophils of these patients exhibit enhanced loss of mitochondrial membrane potential and increased susceptibility to apoptosis in response to various proapoptotic stimuli. Lymphopenia and congenital neutropenia may therefore be a consequence of increased loss of peripheral lymphocytes and neutrophils, similar to other well defined monogenetic diseases of the immune system. STK4 deficiency is a novel human primary immunodeficiency syndrome and highlights the role of the HIPPO pathway for the development of the human immune and cardiac systems. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
We report on an adolescent girl with sparse scalp hair, wide columella extending below alae nasi, webbing at elbows, broad finger tips, short distal phalanx of fingers, swan neck deformity of fingers, scoliosis, tall vertebrae, short fibulae, short fourth metatarsal bone, abnormal distal humeri, and unilateral clubfoot at birth. The combination of these features represents a novel phenotype. We sequenced the protein-coding regions of the FLNA and FLNB genes and did not observe any pathogenic sequence variation. Chromosomal microarray revealed a de novo copy number variation of uncertain clinical significance on 7p22.3.
Zusammenfassung Hintergrund Die Exomanalyse ist als Methode zur Identifizierung von pathogenen Sequenzvarianten bei Patienten mit einem nach den mendelschen Regeln vererbten Krankheitsbild nicht mehr wegzudenken. Sie bildet umfassend die codierenden Sequenzen eines Genoms ab und ist schnell und kostengünstig. Problemstellung Da die technischen Schwierigkeiten bei der Durchführung der Exomsequenzierung inzwischen weitgehend gelöst sind, stellt die Auswertung der großen Datenmenge und somit das Finden der pathogenen Sequenzvariante inmitten 10.000er Sequenzabweichungen die eigentliche Herausforderung dar. Dies kann nur mithilfe einer bioinformatischen Filterung der Daten erfolgen, die jeweils unter Berücksichtigung der in die Analyse einbezogenen Patienten und Familienmitglieder sowie des wahrscheinlichsten Erbganges angepasst werden muss. Lösungsansätze Anhand von 4 Fallbeispielen werden verschiedene Priorisierungsstrategien für die Filterung der Sequenzvarianten vorgestellt, die jeweils zur Identifikation der wahrscheinlich pathogenen Veränderung bei dem jeweiligen Indexpatienten geführt haben.
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