@article {618, title = {Severe neurocognitive and growth disorders due to variation in THOC2, an essential component of nuclear mRNA export machinery.}, journal = {Hum Mutat}, volume = {39}, year = {2018}, month = {2018 08}, pages = {1126-1138}, abstract = {

Highly conserved TREX-mediated mRNA export is emerging as a key pathway in neuronal development and differentiation. TREX subunit variants cause neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) by interfering with mRNA export from the cell nucleus to the cytoplasm. Previously we implicated four missense variants in the X-linked THOC2 gene in intellectual disability (ID). We now report an additional six affected individuals from five unrelated families with two de novo and three maternally inherited pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants in THOC2 extending the genotypic and phenotypic spectrum. These comprise three rare missense THOC2 variants that affect evolutionarily conserved amino acid residues and reduce protein stability and two with canonical splice-site THOC2 variants that result in C-terminally truncated THOC2 proteins. We present detailed clinical assessment and functional studies on a de novo variant in a female with an epileptic encephalopathy and discuss an additional four families with rare variants in THOC2 with supportive evidence for pathogenicity. Severe neurocognitive features, including movement and seizure disorders, were observed in this cohort. Taken together our data show that even subtle alterations to the canonical molecular pathways such as mRNA export, otherwise essential for cellular life, can be compatible with life, but lead to NDDs in humans.

}, issn = {1098-1004}, doi = {10.1002/humu.23557}, author = {Kumar, Raman and Gardner, Alison and Homan, Claire C and Douglas, Evelyn and Mefford, Heather and Wieczorek, Dagmar and L{\"u}decke, Hermann-Josef and Stark, Zornitza and Sadedin, Simon and Nowak, Catherine Bearce and Douglas, Jessica and Parsons, Gretchen and Mark, Paul and Loidi, Lourdes and Herman, Gail E and Mihalic Mosher, Theresa and Gillespie, Meredith K and Brady, Lauren and Tarnopolsky, Mark and Madrigal, Irene and Eiris, Jes{\'u}s and Dom{\`e}nech Salgado, Laura and Rabionet, Raquel and Strom, Tim M and Ishihara, Naoko and Inagaki, Hidehito and Kurahashi, Hiroki and Dudding-Byth, Tracy and Palmer, Elizabeth E and Field, Michael and Gecz, Jozef} } @article {276, title = {Whole exome sequencing identifies de novo mutations in GATA6 associated with congenital diaphragmatic hernia.}, journal = {J Med Genet}, volume = {51}, year = {2014}, month = {2014 Mar}, pages = {197-202}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is a common birth defect affecting 1 in 3000 births. It is characterised by herniation of abdominal viscera through an incompletely formed diaphragm. Although chromosomal anomalies and mutations in several genes have been implicated, the cause for most patients is unknown.

METHODS: We used whole exome sequencing in two families with CDH and congenital heart disease, and identified mutations in GATA6 in both.

RESULTS: In the first family, we identified a de novo missense mutation (c.1366C>T, p.R456C) in a sporadic CDH patient with tetralogy of Fallot. In the second, a nonsense mutation (c.712G>T, p.G238*) was identified in two siblings with CDH and a large ventricular septal defect. The G238* mutation was inherited from their mother, who was clinically affected with congenital absence of the pericardium, patent ductus arteriosus and intestinal malrotation. Deep sequencing of blood and saliva-derived DNA from the mother suggested somatic mosaicism as an explanation for her milder phenotype, with only approximately 15\% mutant alleles. To determine the frequency of GATA6 mutations in CDH, we sequenced the gene in 378 patients with CDH. We identified one additional de novo mutation (c.1071delG, p.V358Cfs34*).

CONCLUSIONS: Mutations in GATA6 have been previously associated with pancreatic agenesis and congenital heart disease. We conclude that, in addition to the heart and the pancreas, GATA6 is involved in development of two additional organs, the diaphragm and the pericardium. In addition, we have shown that de novo mutations can contribute to the development of CDH, a common birth defect.

}, keywords = {Amino Acid Sequence, DNA Mutational Analysis, Exome, Female, GATA6 Transcription Factor, Hernia, Diaphragmatic, Hernias, Diaphragmatic, Congenital, Humans, Male, Molecular Sequence Data, Mutation, Sequence Alignment, Sequence Analysis, DNA}, issn = {1468-6244}, doi = {10.1136/jmedgenet-2013-101989}, author = {Yu, Lan and Bennett, James T and Wynn, Julia and Carvill, Gemma L and Cheung, Yee Him and Shen, Yufeng and Mychaliska, George B and Azarow, Kenneth S and Crombleholme, Timothy M and Chung, Dai H and Potoka, Douglas and Warner, Brad W and Bucher, Brian and Lim, Foong-Yen and Pietsch, John and Stolar, Charles and Aspelund, Gudrun and Arkovitz, Marc S and Mefford, Heather and Chung, Wendy K} }