DEAH-box helicase 37 (DHX37) defects are a novel molecular etiology of 46,XY gonadal dysgenesis spectrum

ABSTRACT46,XY gonadal dysgenesis is a heterogeneous disorder of sex development (DSD) that features abnormal gonadal development and varying degrees of undervirilization of the external genitalia, ranging from micropenis to female-like genitalia. Embryonic testicular regression syndrome (ETRS; MIM: 273250) is considered part of the clinical spectrum of 46,XY gonadal dysgenesis. Most ETRS patients present micropenis or atypical genitalia associated with a complete absence of gonadal tissue in one or both sides. In most patients with gonadal dysgenesis, the genetic diagnosis is unclear. We performed whole exome sequencing in ETRS patients and identified a rare variant, the p.Arg308Gln, in DEAH (Asp-Glu-Ala-His) box polypeptide 37 (DHX37) in 5 affected individuals from three unrelated families. We expanded the analysis of DHX37 coding region to additional 71 patients with 46,XY gonadal dysgenesis and identified the p.Arg308Gln and three other DHX37 missense variants (p.Arg151Trp, p.Thr304Met and p.Arg674Trp) in 11 affected members from eight distinct families (8 patients with ETRS, two with partial gonadal dysgenesis and one 46,XY DSD female patient previously gonadectomized). The p.Arg308Gln and p.Arg674Trp recurrent variants were identified in six and three families, respectively. Segregation analysis revealed sex-limited autosomal dominant inheritance in 4 families, autosomal dominant with incomplete penetrance in one family and autosomal recessive in another family. Immunohistochemical analysis of normal testes revealed that DHX37 is expressed in germ cells at different stages of maturation.This study demonstrates an expressive frequency of rare predicted to be deleterious DHX37 variants in 46,XY gonadal dysgenesis group, particularly those individuals exhibiting the ETRS phenotype (25% and 50%, respectively).Our findings indicate that DHX37 is a new player in the complex cascade of male gonadal differentiation and maintenance, thus establishing a novel and frequent molecular etiology for 46,XY gonadal dysgenesis spectrum, mainly for embryonic testicular regression syndrome.