@article {256, title = {Mutations in PIEZO2 cause Gordon syndrome, Marden-Walker syndrome, and distal arthrogryposis type 5.}, journal = {Am J Hum Genet}, volume = {94}, year = {2014}, month = {2014 May 01}, pages = {734-44}, abstract = {

Gordon syndrome (GS), or distal arthrogryposis type 3, is a rare, autosomal-dominant disorder characterized by cleft palate and congenital contractures of the hands and feet. Exome sequencing of five GS-affected families identified mutations in piezo-type mechanosensitive ion channel component 2 (PIEZO2) in each family. Sanger sequencing revealed PIEZO2 mutations in five of seven additional families studied (for a total of 10/12 [83\%] individuals), and nine families had an identical c.8057G>A (p.Arg2686His) mutation. The phenotype of GS overlaps with distal arthrogryposis type 5 (DA5) and Marden-Walker syndrome (MWS). Using molecular inversion probes for targeted sequencing to screen PIEZO2, we found mutations in 24/29 (82\%) DA5-affected families and one of two MWS-affected families. The presence of cleft palate was significantly associated with c.8057G>A (Fisher{\textquoteright}s exact test, adjusted p value < 0.0001). Collectively, although GS, DA5, and MWS have traditionally been considered separate disorders, our findings indicate that they are etiologically related and perhaps represent variable expressivity of the same condition.

}, keywords = {Abnormalities, Multiple, Arachnodactyly, Arthrogryposis, Blepharophimosis, Child, Child, Preschool, Cleft Palate, Clubfoot, Connective Tissue Diseases, Contracture, Exome, Female, Hand Deformities, Congenital, Humans, Ion Channels, Male, Mutation, Ophthalmoplegia, Pedigree, Retinal Diseases}, issn = {1537-6605}, doi = {10.1016/j.ajhg.2014.03.015}, author = {McMillin, Margaret J and Beck, Anita E and Chong, Jessica X and Shively, Kathryn M and Buckingham, Kati J and Gildersleeve, Heidi I S and Aracena, Mariana I and Aylsworth, Arthur S and Bitoun, Pierre and Carey, John C and Clericuzio, Carol L and Crow, Yanick J and Curry, Cynthia J and Devriendt, Koenraad and Everman, David B and Fryer, Alan and Gibson, Kate and Giovannucci Uzielli, Maria Luisa and Graham, John M and Hall, Judith G and Hecht, Jacqueline T and Heidenreich, Randall A and Hurst, Jane A and Irani, Sarosh and Krapels, Ingrid P C and Leroy, Jules G and Mowat, David and Plant, Gordon T and Robertson, Stephen P and Schorry, Elizabeth K and Scott, Richard H and Seaver, Laurie H and Sherr, Elliott and Splitt, Miranda and Stewart, Helen and Stumpel, Constance and Temel, Sehime G and Weaver, David D and Whiteford, Margo and Williams, Marc S and Tabor, Holly K and Smith, Joshua D and Shendure, Jay and Nickerson, Deborah A and Bamshad, Michael J} } @article {269, title = {Sclerocornea in a patient with van den Ende-Gupta syndrome homozygous for a SCARF2 microdeletion.}, journal = {Am J Med Genet A}, volume = {164A}, year = {2014}, month = {2014 May}, pages = {1170-4}, abstract = {

Van den Ende-Gupta Syndrome (VDEGS) is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by blepharophimosis, distinctive nose, hypoplastic maxilla, and skeletal abnormalities. Using homozygosity mapping in four VDEGS patients from three consanguineous families, Anastacio et al. [Anastacio et al. (2010); Am J Hum Genet 87:553-559] identified homozygous mutations in SCARF2, located at 22q11.2. Bedeschi et al. [2010] described a VDEGS patient with sclerocornea and cataracts with compound heterozygosity for the common 22q11.2 microdeletion and a hemizygous SCARF2 mutation. Because sclerocornea had been described in DiGeorge-velo-cardio-facial syndrome but not in VDEGS, they suggested that the ocular abnormalities were caused by the 22q11.2 microdeletion. We report on a 23-year-old male who presented with bilateral sclerocornea and the VDGEGS phenotype who was subsequently found to be homozygous for a 17 bp deletion in exon 4 of SCARF2. The occurrence of bilateral sclerocornea in our patient together with that of Bedeschi et al., suggests that the full VDEGS phenotype may include sclerocornea resulting from homozygosity or compound heterozygosity for loss of function variants in SCARF2.

}, keywords = {Abnormalities, Multiple, Adult, Arachnodactyly, Blepharophimosis, Bone and Bones, Chromosomes, Human, Pair 22, Contracture, Cornea, Corneal Diseases, Exons, Facies, Hand Deformities, Congenital, Homozygote, Humans, Male, Phenotype, Radiography, Scavenger Receptors, Class F, Sequence Analysis, DNA, Sequence Deletion, Young Adult}, issn = {1552-4833}, doi = {10.1002/ajmg.a.36425}, author = {Migliavacca, Michele P and Sobreira, Nara L M and Antonialli, Graziela P M and Oliveira, Mariana M and Melaragno, Maria Isabel S A and Casteels, Ingele and de Ravel, Thomy and Brunoni, Decio and Valle, David and Perez, Ana Beatriz A} } @article {319, title = {Mutations in the TGF-β repressor SKI cause Shprintzen-Goldberg syndrome with aortic aneurysm.}, journal = {Nat Genet}, volume = {44}, year = {2012}, month = {2012 Nov}, pages = {1249-54}, abstract = {

Elevated transforming growth factor (TGF)-β signaling has been implicated in the pathogenesis of syndromic presentations of aortic aneurysm, including Marfan syndrome (MFS) and Loeys-Dietz syndrome (LDS). However, the location and character of many of the causal mutations in LDS intuitively imply diminished TGF-β signaling. Taken together, these data have engendered controversy regarding the specific role of TGF-β in disease pathogenesis. Shprintzen-Goldberg syndrome (SGS) has considerable phenotypic overlap with MFS and LDS, including aortic aneurysm. We identified causative variation in ten individuals with SGS in the proto-oncogene SKI, a known repressor of TGF-β activity. Cultured dermal fibroblasts from affected individuals showed enhanced activation of TGF-β signaling cascades and higher expression of TGF-β-responsive genes relative to control cells. Morpholino-induced silencing of SKI paralogs in zebrafish recapitulated abnormalities seen in humans with SGS. These data support the conclusions that increased TGF-β signaling is the mechanism underlying SGS and that high signaling contributes to multiple syndromic presentations of aortic aneurysm.

}, keywords = {Animals, Aortic Aneurysm, Arachnodactyly, Cells, Cultured, Craniosynostoses, DNA-Binding Proteins, Fibroblasts, Humans, Loeys-Dietz Syndrome, Marfan Syndrome, Mice, Mutation, Phenotype, Phosphorylation, Proto-Oncogene Proteins, Signal Transduction, Transforming Growth Factor beta, Zebrafish}, issn = {1546-1718}, doi = {10.1038/ng.2421}, author = {Doyle, Alexander J and Doyle, Jefferson J and Bessling, Seneca L and Maragh, Samantha and Lindsay, Mark E and Schepers, Dorien and Gillis, Elisabeth and Mortier, Geert and Homfray, Tessa and Sauls, Kimberly and Norris, Russell A and Huso, Nicholas D and Leahy, Dan and Mohr, David W and Caulfield, Mark J and Scott, Alan F and Destr{\'e}e, Anne and Hennekam, Raoul C and Arn, Pamela H and Curry, Cynthia J and Van Laer, Lut and McCallion, Andrew S and Loeys, Bart L and Dietz, Harry C} }