BackgroundThere is considerable interest in the use of next-generation sequencing to help diagnose unidentified genetic conditions, but it is difficult to predict the success rate in a clinical setting that includes patients with a broad range of phenotypic presentations.MethodsThe authors present a pilot programme of whole-exome sequencing on 12 patients with unexplained and apparent genetic conditions, along with their unaffected parents. Unlike many previous studies, the authors did not seek patients with similar phenotypes, but rather enrolled any undiagnosed proband with an apparent genetic condition when predetermined criteria were met.ResultsThis undertaking resulted in a likely genetic diagnosis in 6 of the 12 probands, including the identification of apparently causal mutations in four genes known to cause Mendelian disease (TCF4, EFTUD2, SCN2A and SMAD4) and one gene related to known Mendelian disease genes (NGLY1). Of particular interest is that at the time of this study, EFTUD2 was not yet known as a Mendelian disease gene but was nominated as a likely cause based on the observation of de novo mutations in two unrelated probands. In a seventh case with multiple disparate clinical features, the authors were able to identify homozygous mutations in EFEMP1 as a likely cause for macular degeneration (though likely not for other features).ConclusionsThis study provides evidence that next-generation sequencing can have high success rates in a clinical setting, but also highlights key challenges. It further suggests that the presentation of known Mendelian conditions may be considerably broader than currently recognised.

Purpose Despite the recognized clinical value of exome-based diagnostics, methods for comprehensive genomic interpretation remain immature. Diagnoses are based on known or presumed pathogenic variants in genes already associated with a similar phenotype. Here, we extend this paradigm by evaluating novel bioinformatics approaches to aid identification of new gene–disease associations. Methods We analyzed 119 trios to identify both diagnostic genotypes in known genes and candidate genotypes in novel genes. We considered qualifying genotypes based on their population frequency and in silico predicted effects, and characterized the patterns of genotypes enriched across this collection of patients. Results We obtained a genetic diagnosis for 29 (24%) of our patients. We showed that patients carried an excess of damaging de novo mutations in intolerant genes, particularly those shown to be essential in mice (P = 3.4 × 10−8). This enrichment is only partially explained by mutations found in known disease-causing genes. Conclusion This work indicates that the application of appropriate bioinformatics analyses to clinical sequence data can also help implicate novel disease genes and suggest expanded phenotypes for known disease genes. These analyses further suggest that some cases resolved by whole-exome sequencing will have direct therapeutic implications.

introductionThe medical, psychosocial, and economic burden of genetic disorders has long been recognized; in children, these disorders account for upwards of 25% of inpatient admissions, as well as increased outpatient visits. [1][2][3] Despite this high disease burden, many genetic conditions are intractable to diagnostic evaluation, despite recent advances in molecular laboratory investigations. 2,4,5 The diagnostic process employed by most medical geneticists is tiered, with clinical assessment followed by sequential laboratory testing, contingent on the previous tests being negative. Recent advances such as chromosomal microarray analyses and several single-gene/gene-panel DNA tests have increased the diagnostic yield. However, it is well known clinically that a diagnosis often remains elusive after this "traditional approach, " even when the index of suspicion of a genetic condition is very high.Although the rate of unidentified genetic conditions is conventionally thought to be 50% overall, there are surprisingly few empirical data supporting this statistic. In particular, it is currently unknown how often patients with a presumed genetic disease remain undiagnosed following traditional genetic testing as defined above. Estimates have been made for individuals with specific clinical presentations such as developmental delay/cognitive disability and autism spectrum disorders; in these phenotypes, the diagnosis rate varied from 5 to 50% and as high as 80% for intellectual disabilities in a tertiary child neuropsychiatry institute.5-14 These studies were all not only specific to particular presentations but were also all published before the advent of microarrays. Subsequent studies are also limited because they focused on the diagnostic utility of chromosomal microarray or metabolic testing in determining the etiology of intellectual disabilities and/or congenital anomalies. 4,[15][16][17][18] In summary, the overall frequency of undiagnosed genetic disorders in a general clinical genetics setting utilizing the full range of contemporary traditional genetic testing remains unknown.Accurate determination of the rate of unidentified genetic disorders with current diagnostic approaches is particularly important because of the increasing interest in the application of next-generation sequencing (NGS) (including whole-exome and whole-genome sequencing). With its increasing affordability, whole-exome sequencing is already being utilized in genetics clinics. Although NGS is clearly changing the diagnostic paradigm, [19][20][21] it remains unclear which patients should be analyzed with NGS and at what stage in their evaluations. These questions are important to resolve in determining how best to utilize NGS and in determining which patients should continue to be evaluated with traditional genetic testing.Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the diagnostic yield of the traditional, comprehensive clinical evaluation and targeted genetic testing, within a general genetics clinic. These data are critically n...

Purpose The endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation (ERAD) pathway is responsible for the translocation of misfolded proteins across the ER membrane into the cytosol for subsequent degradation by the proteasome. In order to understand the spectrum of clinical and molecular findings in a complex neurological syndrome, we studied a series of eight patients with inherited deficiency of N-glycanase 1 (NGLY1), a novel disorder of cytosolic ERAD dysfunction. Methods Whole-genome, whole-exome or standard Sanger sequencing techniques were employed. Retrospective chart reviews were performed in order to obtain clinical data. Results All patients had global developmental delay, a movement disorder, and hypotonia. Other common findings included hypo- or alacrima (7/8), elevated liver transaminases (6/7), microcephaly (6/8), diminished reflexes (6/8), hepatocyte cytoplasmic storage material or vacuolization (5/6), and seizures (4/8). The nonsense mutation c.1201A>T (p.R401X) was the most common deleterious allele. Conclusions NGLY1 deficiency is a novel autosomal recessive disorder of the ERAD pathway associated with neurological dysfunction, abnormal tear production, and liver disease. The majority of patients detected to date carry a specific nonsense mutation that appears to be associated with severe disease. The phenotypic spectrum is likely to enlarge as cases with a more broad range of mutations are detected.

The overall understanding of the molecular etiologies of intellectual disability (ID) and developmental delay (DD) is increasing as next-generation sequencing technologies identify genetic variants in individuals with such disorders. However, detailed analyses conclusively confirming these variants, as well as the underlying molecular mechanisms explaining the diseases, are often lacking. Here, we report on an ID syndrome caused by de novo heterozygous loss-of-function (LoF) mutations in SON. The syndrome is characterized by ID and/or DD, malformations of the cerebral cortex, epilepsy, vision problems, musculoskeletal abnormalities, and congenital malformations. Knockdown of son in zebrafish resulted in severe malformation of the spine, brain, and eyes. Importantly, analyses of RNA from affected individuals revealed that genes critical for neuronal migration and cortex organization (TUBG1, FLNA, PNKP, WDR62, PSMD3, and HDAC6) and metabolism (PCK2, PFKL, IDH2, ACY1, and ADA) are significantly downregulated because of the accumulation of mis-spliced transcripts resulting from erroneous SON-mediated RNA splicing. Our data highlight SON as a master regulator governing neurodevelopment and demonstrate the importance of SON-mediated RNA splicing in human development.

A set of glutamylases and deglutamylases controls levels of tubulin polyglutamylation, a prominent post-translational modification of neuronal microtubules. Defective tubulin polyglutamylation was first linked to neurodegeneration in the Purkinje cell degeneration (pcd) mouse, which lacks deglutamylase CCP1, displays massive cerebellar atrophy, and accumulates abnormally glutamylated tubulin in degenerating neurons. We found biallelic rare and damaging variants in the gene encoding CCP1 in 13 individuals with infantile-onset neurodegeneration and confirmed the absence of functional CCP1 along with dysregulated tubulin polyglutamylation. The human disease mainly affected the cerebellum, spinal motor neurons, and peripheral nerves. We also demonstrate previously unrecognized peripheral nerve and spinal motor neuron degeneration in pcd mice, which thus recapitulated key features of the human disease. Our findings link human neurodegeneration to tubulin polyglutamylation, entailing this post-translational modification as a potential target for drug development for neurodegenerative disorders.

One major challenge encountered with interpreting human genetic variants is the limited understanding of the functional impact of genetic alterations on biological processes. Furthermore, there remains an unmet demand for an efficient survey of the wealth of information on human homologs in model organisms across numerous databases. To efficiently assess the large volume of publically available information, it is important to provide a concise summary of the most relevant information in a rapid user-friendly format. To this end, we created MARRVEL (model organism aggregated resources for rare variant exploration). MARRVEL is a publicly available website that integrates information from six human genetic databases and seven model organism databases. For any given variant or gene, MARRVEL displays information from OMIM, ExAC, ClinVar, Geno2MP, DGV, and DECIPHER. Importantly, it curates model organism-specific databases to concurrently display a concise summary regarding the human gene homologs in budding and fission yeast, worm, fly, fish, mouse, and rat on a single webpage. Experiment-based information on tissue expression, protein subcellular localization, biological process, and molecular function for the human gene and homologs in the seven model organisms are arranged into a concise output. Hence, rather than visiting multiple separate databases for variant and gene analysis, users can obtain important information by searching once through MARRVEL. Altogether, MARRVEL dramatically improves efficiency and accessibility to data collection and facilitates analysis of human genes and variants by cross-disciplinary integration of 18 million records available in public databases to facilitate clinical diagnosis and basic research.

Early B cell factor 3 (EBF3) is a member of the highly evolutionarily conserved Collier/Olf/EBF (COE) family of transcription factors. Prior studies on invertebrate and vertebrate animals have shown that EBF3 homologs are essential for survival and that loss-of-function mutations are associated with a range of nervous system developmental defects, including perturbation of neuronal development and migration. Interestingly, aristaless-related homeobox (ARX), a homeobox-containing transcription factor critical for the regulation of nervous system development, transcriptionally represses EBF3 expression. However, human neurodevelopmental disorders related to EBF3 have not been reported. Here, we describe three individuals who are affected by global developmental delay, intellectual disability, and expressive speech disorder and carry de novo variants in EBF3. Associated features seen in these individuals include congenital hypotonia, structural CNS malformations, ataxia, and genitourinary abnormalities. The de novo variants affect a single conserved residue in a zinc finger motif crucial for DNA binding and are deleterious in a fly model. Our findings indicate that mutations in EBF3 cause a genetic neurodevelopmental syndrome and suggest that loss of EBF3 function might mediate a subset of neurologic phenotypes shared by ARX-related disorders, including intellectual disability, abnormal genitalia, and structural CNS malformations.