@article {574,
	title = {Biallelic mutations in valyl-tRNA synthetase gene VARS are associated with a progressive neurodevelopmental epileptic encephalopathy.},
	journal = {Nat Commun},
	volume = {10},
	year = {2019},
	month = {2019 02 12},
	pages = {707},
	abstract = {<p>Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (ARSs) function to transfer amino acids to cognate tRNA molecules, which are required for protein translation. To date, biallelic mutations in 31 ARS genes are known to cause recessive, early-onset severe multi-organ diseases. VARS encodes the only known valine cytoplasmic-localized aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase. Here, we report seven patients from five unrelated families with five different biallelic missense variants in VARS. Subjects present with a range of global developmental delay, epileptic encephalopathy and primary or progressive microcephaly. Longitudinal assessment demonstrates progressive cortical atrophy and white matter volume loss. Variants map to the VARS tRNA binding domain and adjacent to the anticodon domain, and disrupt highly conserved residues. Patient primary cells show intact VARS protein but reduced enzymatic activity, suggesting partial loss of function. The implication of VARS in pediatric neurodegeneration broadens the spectrum of human diseases due to mutations in tRNA synthetase genes.</p>},
	keywords = {Alleles, Anticodon, Child, Child, Preschool, Disease Progression, Epilepsy, Female, Genetic Predisposition to Disease, Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Loss of Function Mutation, Male, Microcephaly, Models, Molecular, Mutation, Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Pedigree, Protein Biosynthesis, Protein Interaction Domains and Motifs, RNA, Transfer, Valine-tRNA Ligase, Whole Exome Sequencing, Whole Genome Sequencing},
	issn = {2041-1723},
	doi = {10.1038/s41467-018-07067-3},
	author = {Friedman, Jennifer and Smith, Desiree E and Issa, Mahmoud Y and Stanley, Valentina and Wang, Rengang and Mendes, Marisa I and Wright, Meredith S and Wigby, Kristen and Hildreth, Amber and Crawford, John R and Koehler, Alanna E and Chowdhury, Shimul and Nahas, Shareef and Zhai, Liting and Xu, Zhiwen and Lo, Wing-Sze and James, Kiely N and Musaev, Damir and Accogli, Andrea and Guerrero, Kether and Tran, Luan T and Omar, Tarek E I and Ben-Omran, Tawfeg and Dimmock, David and Kingsmore, Stephen F and Salomons, Gajja S and Zaki, Maha S and Bernard, Genevi{\`e}ve and Gleeson, Joseph G}
}
@article {410,
	title = {Impaired Amino Acid Transport at the Blood Brain Barrier Is a Cause of Autism Spectrum Disorder.},
	journal = {Cell},
	volume = {167},
	year = {2016},
	month = {2016 Dec 01},
	pages = {1481-1494.e18},
	abstract = {<p>Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are a group of genetic disorders often overlapping with other neurological conditions. We previously described abnormalities in the branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) catabolic pathway as a cause of ASD. Here, we show that the solute carrier transporter 7a5 (SLC7A5), a large neutral amino acid transporter localized at the blood brain barrier (BBB), has an essential role in maintaining normal levels of brain BCAAs. In mice, deletion of Slc7a5 from the endothelial cells of the BBB leads to atypical brain amino acid profile, abnormal mRNA translation, and severe neurological abnormalities. Furthermore, we identified several patients with autistic traits and motor delay carrying deleterious homozygous mutations in the SLC7A5 gene. Finally, we demonstrate that BCAA intracerebroventricular administration ameliorates abnormal behaviors in adult mutant mice. Our data elucidate a neurological syndrome defined by SLC7A5 mutations and support an essential role for the BCAA in human brain function.</p>},
	keywords = {Amino Acids, Animals, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Blood-Brain Barrier, Brain, Female, Humans, Infant, Infant, Newborn, Large Neutral Amino Acid-Transporter 1, Male, Mice, Mice, Knockout, Mutation, Pedigree, Protein Biosynthesis, Receptor, TIE-2},
	issn = {1097-4172},
	doi = {10.1016/j.cell.2016.11.013},
	author = {T{\u a}rlungeanu, Dora C and Deliu, Elena and Dotter, Christoph P and Kara, Majdi and Janiesch, Philipp Christoph and Scalise, Mariafrancesca and Galluccio, Michele and Tesulov, Mateja and Morelli, Emanuela and Sonmez, Fatma Mujgan and Bilguvar, Kaya and Ohgaki, Ryuichi and Kanai, Yoshikatsu and Johansen, Anide and Esharif, Seham and Ben-Omran, Tawfeg and Topcu, Meral and Schlessinger, Avner and Indiveri, Cesare and Duncan, Kent E and {\c C}a{\u g}layan, Ahmet Okay and G{\"u}nel, Murat and Gleeson, Joseph G and Novarino, Gaia}
}
