Becker muscular dystrophy caused by an intronic mutation reducing the efficiency of the splice donor site of intron 26 of the dystrophin gene

ObjectiveTo report the identification of 2 new homozygous recessive mutations in the synaptotagmin 2 (SYT2) gene as the genetic cause of severe and early presynaptic forms of congenital myasthenic syndromes (CMSs).MethodsNext-generation sequencing identified new homozygous intronic and frameshift mutations in the SYT2 gene as a likely cause of presynaptic CMS. We describe the clinical and electromyographic patient phenotypes, perform ex vivo splicing analyses to characterize the effect of the intronic mutation on exon splicing, and analyze the functional impact of this variation at the neuromuscular junction (NMJ).ResultsThe 2 infants presented a similar clinical phenotype evoking first a congenital myopathy characterized by muscle weakness and hypotonia. Next-generation sequencing allowed to the identification of 1 homozygous intronic mutation c.465+1G>A in patient 1 and another homozygous frameshift mutation c.328_331dup in patient 2, located respectively in the 5′ splice donor site of SYT2 intron 4 and in exon 3. Functional studies of the intronic mutation validated the abolition of the splice donor site of exon 4 leading to its skipping. In-frame skipping of exon 4 that encodes part of the C2A calcium-binding domain of SYT2 is associated with a loss-of-function effect resulting in a decrease of neurotransmitter release and severe pre- and postsynaptic NMJ defects.ConclusionsThis study identifies new homozygous recessive SYT2 mutations as the underlying cause of severe and early presynaptic form of CMS expanding the genetic spectrum of recessive SYT2-related CMS associated with defects in neurotransmitter release.

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Biallelic variants in COPB1 cause a novel, severe intellectual disability syndrome with cataracts and variable microcephaly

Genome Medicine ◽

10.1186/s13073-021-00850-w ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

Author(s):

William L. Macken ◽

Annie Godwin ◽

Gabrielle Wheway ◽

Karen Stals ◽

Liliya Nazlamova ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Genome Sequencing ◽

Donor Site ◽

Xenopus Tropicalis ◽

Splice Donor Site ◽

Homologous Region ◽

Disease Genes ◽

Coat Proteins ◽

Splice Donor ◽

Severe Intellectual Disability

Abstract Background Coat protein complex 1 (COPI) is integral in the sorting and retrograde trafficking of proteins and lipids from the Golgi apparatus to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). In recent years, coat proteins have been implicated in human diseases known collectively as “coatopathies”. Methods Whole exome or genome sequencing of two families with a neuro-developmental syndrome, variable microcephaly and cataracts revealed biallelic variants in COPB1, which encodes the beta-subunit of COPI (β-COP). To investigate Family 1’s splice donor site variant, we undertook patient blood RNA studies and CRISPR/Cas9 modelling of this variant in a homologous region of the Xenopus tropicalis genome. To investigate Family 2’s missense variant, we studied cellular phenotypes of human retinal epithelium and embryonic kidney cell lines transfected with a COPB1 expression vector into which we had introduced Family 2’s mutation. Results We present a new recessive coatopathy typified by severe developmental delay and cataracts and variable microcephaly. A homozygous splice donor site variant in Family 1 results in two aberrant transcripts, one of which causes skipping of exon 8 in COPB1 pre-mRNA, and a 36 amino acid in-frame deletion, resulting in the loss of a motif at a small interaction interface between β-COP and β’-COP. Xenopus tropicalis animals with a homologous mutation, introduced by CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing, recapitulate features of the human syndrome including microcephaly and cataracts. In vitro modelling of the COPB1 c.1651T>G p.Phe551Val variant in Family 2 identifies defective Golgi to ER recycling of this mutant β-COP, with the mutant protein being retarded in the Golgi. Conclusions This adds to the growing body of evidence that COPI subunits are essential in brain development and human health and underlines the utility of exome and genome sequencing coupled with Xenopus tropicalis CRISPR/Cas modelling for the identification and characterisation of novel rare disease genes.

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P1.1 Deletion of exon 26 of the dystrophin gene is associated with a mild Becker muscular dystrophy phenotype

Neuromuscular Disorders ◽

10.1016/j.nmd.2011.06.761 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 21 (9-10) ◽

pp. 641-642

Author(s):

N.W. Witting ◽

M.D. Dunoe ◽

J.V. Vissing

Keyword(s):

Muscular Dystrophy ◽

Dystrophin Gene ◽

Becker Muscular Dystrophy

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A 5′ splice site mutation affecting the pre-mRNA splicing of two upstream exons in the collagen COL1A1 gene. Exon 8 skipping and altered definition of exon 7 generates truncated proα1(I) chains with a non-collagenous insertion destabilizing the triple helix

Biochemical Journal ◽

10.1042/bj3020729 ◽

1994 ◽

Vol 302 (3) ◽

pp. 729-735 ◽

Cited By ~ 21

Author(s):

J F Bateman ◽

D Chan ◽

I Moeller ◽

M Hannagan ◽

W G Cole

Keyword(s):

Splice Site ◽

De Novo ◽

Donor Site ◽

Mrna Splicing ◽

Splice Donor Site ◽

Sequence Motif ◽

Type I ◽

Splice Donor ◽

Site Mutation ◽

Definition Of

A heterozygous de novo G to A point mutation in intron 8 at the +5 position of the splice donor site of the gene for the pro alpha 1(I) chain of type I procollagen, COL1A1, was defined in a patient with type IV osteogenesis imperfecta. The splice donor site mutation resulted not only in the skipping of the upstream exon 8 but also unexpectedly had the secondary effect of activating a cryptic splice site in the next upstream intron, intron 7, leading to re-definition of the 3′ limit of exon 7. These pre-mRNA splicing aberrations cause the deletion of exon 8 sequences from the mature mRNA and the inclusion of 96 bp of intron 7 sequence. Since the mis-splicing of the mutant allele product resulted in the maintenance of the correct codon reading frame, the resultant pro alpha 1(I) chain contained a short non-collagenous 32-amino-acid sequence insertion within the repetitive Gly-Xaa-Yaa collagen sequence motif. At the protein level, the mutant alpha 1(I) chain was revealed by digestion with pepsin, which cleaved the mutant procollagen within the protease-sensitive non-collagenous insertion, producing a truncated alpha 1(I). This protease sensitivity demonstrated the structural distortion to the helical structure caused by the insertion. In long-term culture with ascorbic acid, which stimulates the formation of a mature crosslinked collagen matrix, and in tissues, there was no evidence of the mutant chain, suggesting that during matrix formation the mutant chain was unable to stably incorporated into the matrix and was degraded proteolytically.

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