Expanding the genetic and clinical spectrum of Tatton-Brown-Rahman syndrome in a series of 24 French patients.

BACKGROUND: Tatton-Brown-Rahman syndrome (TBRS; OMIM 615879), also known as DNA methyltransferase 3 alpha (DNMT3A)-overgrowth syndrome (DOS), was first described by Tatton-Brown in 2014. This syndrome is characterised by overgrowth, intellectual disability and distinctive facial features and is the consequence of germline loss-of-function variants in DNMT3A, which encodes a DNA methyltransferase involved in epigenetic regulation. Somatic variants of DNMT3A are frequently observed in haematological malignancies, including acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). To date, 100 individuals with TBRS with de novo germline variants have been described. We aimed to further characterise this disorder clinically and at the molecular level in a nationwide series of 24 French patients and to investigate the correlation between the severity of intellectual disability and the type of variant. METHODS: We collected genetic and medical information from 24 individuals with TBRS using a questionnaire released through the French National AnDDI-Rares Network. RESULTS: Here, we describe the first nationwide French cohort of 24 individuals with germline likely pathogenic/pathogenic variants in DNMT3A, including 17 novel variants. We confirmed that the main phenotypic features were intellectual disability (100% of individuals), distinctive facial features (96%) and overgrowth (87%). We highlighted novel clinical features, such as hypertrichosis, and further described the neurological features and EEG results. CONCLUSION: This study of a nationwide cohort of individuals with TBRS confirms previously published data and provides additional information and clarifies clinical features to facilitate diagnosis and improve care. This study adds value to the growing body of knowledge on TBRS and broadens its clinical and molecular spectrum.

The expanding clinical and genetic spectrum of DYNC1H1-related disorders.

Intracellular trafficking involves an intricate machinery of motor complexes including the dynein complex to shuttle cargo for autophagolysosomal degradation. Deficiency in dynein axonemal chains as well as cytoplasmic light and intermediate chains have been linked with ciliary dyskinesia and skeletal dysplasia. The cytoplasmic dynein 1 heavy chain protein (DYNC1H1) serves as a core complex for retrograde trafficking in neuronal axons. Dominant pathogenic variants in DYNC1H1 have been previously implicated in peripheral neuromuscular disorders (NMD) and neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD). As heavy-chain dynein is ubiquitously expressed, the apparent selectivity of heavy-chain dyneinopathy for motor neuronal phenotypes remains currently unaccounted for. Here, we aimed to evaluate the full DYNC1H1-related clinical, molecular and imaging spectrum, including multisystem features and novel phenotypes presenting throughout life. We identified 47 cases from 43 families with pathogenic heterozygous variants in DYNC1H1 (aged 0-59 years) and collected phenotypic data via a comprehensive standardized survey and clinical follow-up appointments. Most patients presented with divergent and previously unrecognized neurological and multisystem features, leading to significant delays in genetic testing and establishing the correct diagnosis. Neurological phenotypes include novel autonomic features, previously rarely described behavioral disorders, movement disorders, and periventricular lesions. Sensory neuropathy was identified in nine patients (median age of onset 10.6 years), of which five were only diagnosed after the second decade of life, and three had a progressive age-dependent sensory neuropathy. Novel multisystem features included primary immunodeficiency, bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, organ anomalies, and skeletal manifestations, resembling the phenotypic spectrum of other dyneinopathies. We also identified an age-dependent biphasic disease course with developmental regression in the first decade and, following a period of stability, neurodegenerative progression after the second decade of life. Of note, we observed several cases in whom neurodegeneration appeared to be prompted by intercurrent systemic infections with double-stranded DNA viruses (Herpesviridae) or single-stranded RNA viruses (Ross-River fever, SARS-CoV-2). Moreover, the disease course appeared to be exacerbated by viral infections regardless of age and/or severity of NDD manifestations, indicating a role of dynein in anti-viral immunity and neuronal health. In summary, our findings expand the clinical, imaging, and molecular spectrum of pathogenic DYNC1H1 variants beyond motor neuropathy disorders and suggest a life-long continuum and age-related progression due to deficient intracellular trafficking. This study will facilitate early diagnosis and improve counselling and health surveillance of affected patients.

Cerebral dural arteriovenous fistulas in patients with PTEN-related hamartoma tumor syndrome.

Central nervous system (CNS) dural arteriovenous fistulas (DAVF) have been reported in PTEN-related hamartoma tumor syndrome (PHTS). However, PHTS-associated DAVF remain an underexplored field of the PHTS clinical landscape. Here, we studied cases with a PTEN pathogenic variant identified between 2007 and 2020 in our laboratory (n = 58), and for whom brain imaging was available. Two patients had DAVF (2/58, 3.4%), both presenting at advanced stages: a 34-year-old man with a left lateral sinus DAVF at immediate risk of hemorrhage, and a 21-year-old woman with acute intracranial hypertension due to a torcular DAVF. Interestingly, not all patients had 3D TOF/MRA, the optimal sequences to detect DAVF. Early diagnosis of DAVF can be lifesaving, and is easier to treat compared to developed, proliferative, or complex lesions. As a result, one should consider brain MRI with 3D TOF/MRA in PHTS patients at genetic diagnosis, with subsequent surveillance on a case-by-case basis.

Rare de novo gain-of-function missense variants in DOT1L are associated with developmental delay and congenital anomalies.

Misregulation of histone lysine methylation is associated with several human cancers and with human developmental disorders. DOT1L is an evolutionarily conserved gene encoding a lysine methyltransferase (KMT) that methylates histone 3 lysine-79 (H3K79) and was not previously associated with a Mendelian disease in OMIM. We have identified nine unrelated individuals with seven different de novo heterozygous missense variants in DOT1L through the Undiagnosed Disease Network (UDN), the SickKids Complex Care genomics project, and GeneMatcher. All probands had some degree of global developmental delay/intellectual disability, and most had one or more major congenital anomalies. To assess the pathogenicity of the DOT1L variants, functional studies were performed in Drosophila and human cells. The fruit fly DOT1L ortholog, grappa, is expressed in most cells including neurons in the central nervous system. The identified DOT1L variants behave as gain-of-function alleles in flies and lead to increased H3K79 methylation levels in flies and human cells. Our results show that human DOT1L and fly grappa are required for proper development and that de novo heterozygous variants in DOT1L are associated with a Mendelian disease.

New insights into CC2D2A-related Joubert syndrome.

PURPOSE: In this study, we describe the phenotype and genotype of the largest cohort of patients with Joubert syndrome (JS) carrying pathogenic variants on one of the most frequent causative genes, CC2D2A. METHODS: We selected 53 patients with pathogenic variants on CC2D2A, compiled and analysed their clinical, neuroimaging and genetic information and compared it to previous literature. RESULTS: Developmental delay (motor and language) was nearly constant but patients had normal intellectual efficiency in 74% of cases (20/27 patients) and 68% followed mainstream schooling despite learning difficulties. Epilepsy was found in only 13% of cases. Only three patients had kidney cysts, only three had genuine retinal dystrophy and no subject had liver fibrosis or polydactyly. Brain MRIs showed typical signs of JS with rare additional features. Genotype-phenotype correlation findings demonstrate a homozygous truncating variant p.Arg950* linked to a more severe phenotype. CONCLUSION: This study contradicts previous literature stating an association between CC2D2A-related JS and ventriculomegaly. Our study implies that CC2D2A-related JS is linked to positive neurodevelopmental outcome and low rate of other organ defects except for homozygous pathogenic variant p.Arg950*. This information will help modulate patient follow-up and provide families with accurate genetic counselling.

Recessive PRDM13 mutations cause fatal perinatal brainstem dysfunction with cerebellar hypoplasia and disrupt Purkinje cell differentiation.

Pontocerebellar hypoplasias (PCHs) are congenital disorders characterized by hypoplasia or early atrophy of the cerebellum and brainstem, leading to a very limited motor and cognitive development. Although over 20 genes have been shown to be mutated in PCHs, a large proportion of affected individuals remains undiagnosed. We describe four families with children presenting with severe neonatal brainstem dysfunction and pronounced deficits in cognitive and motor development associated with four different bi-allelic mutations in PRDM13, including homozygous truncating variants in the most severely affected individuals. Brain MRI and fetopathological examination revealed a PCH-like phenotype, associated with major hypoplasia of inferior olive nuclei and dysplasia of the dentate nucleus. Notably, histopathological examinations highlighted a sparse and disorganized Purkinje cell layer in the cerebellum. PRDM13 encodes a transcriptional repressor known to be critical for neuronal subtypes specification in the mouse retina and spinal cord but had not been implicated, so far, in hindbrain development. snRNA-seq data mining and in situ hybridization in humans show that PRDM13 is expressed at early stages in the progenitors of the cerebellar ventricular zone, which gives rise to cerebellar GABAergic neurons, including Purkinje cells. We also show that loss of function of prdm13 in zebrafish leads to a reduction in Purkinje cells numbers and a complete absence of the inferior olive nuclei. Altogether our data identified bi-allelic mutations in PRDM13 as causing a olivopontocerebellar hypoplasia syndrome and suggest that early deregulations of the transcriptional control of neuronal fate specification could contribute to a significant number of cases.

Histone H3.3 beyond cancer: Germline mutations in Histone 3 Family 3A and 3B cause a previously unidentified neurodegenerative disorder in 46 patients.

Although somatic mutations in Histone 3.3 (H3.3) are well-studied drivers of oncogenesis, the role of germline mutations remains unreported. We analyze 46 patients bearing de novo germline mutations in histone 3 family 3A (H3F3A) or H3F3B with progressive neurologic dysfunction and congenital anomalies without malignancies. Molecular modeling of all 37 variants demonstrated clear disruptions in interactions with DNA, other histones, and histone chaperone proteins. Patient histone posttranslational modifications (PTMs) analysis revealed notably aberrant local PTM patterns distinct from the somatic lysine mutations that cause global PTM dysregulation. RNA sequencing on patient cells demonstrated up-regulated gene expression related to mitosis and cell division, and cellular assays confirmed an increased proliferative capacity. A zebrafish model showed craniofacial anomalies and a defect in Foxd3-derived glia. These data suggest that the mechanism of germline mutations are distinct from cancer-associated somatic histone mutations but may converge on control of cell proliferation.

Pathogenic DDX3X Mutations Impair RNA Metabolism and Neurogenesis during Fetal Cortical Development.

De novo germline mutations in the RNA helicase DDX3X account for 1%-3% of unexplained intellectual disability (ID) cases in females and are associated with autism, brain malformations, and epilepsy. Yet, the developmental and molecular mechanisms by which DDX3X mutations impair brain function are unknown. Here, we use human and mouse genetics and cell biological and biochemical approaches to elucidate mechanisms by which pathogenic DDX3X variants disrupt brain development. We report the largest clinical cohort to date with DDX3X mutations (n = 107), demonstrating a striking correlation between recurrent dominant missense mutations, polymicrogyria, and the most severe clinical outcomes. We show that Ddx3x controls cortical development by regulating neuron generation. Severe DDX3X missense mutations profoundly disrupt RNA helicase activity, induce ectopic RNA-protein granules in neural progenitors and neurons, and impair translation. Together, these results uncover key mechanisms underlying DDX3X syndrome and highlight aberrant RNA metabolism in the pathogenesis of neurodevelopmental disease.

Three new cases of ataxia-telangiectasia-like disorder: No impairment of the ATM pathway, but S-phase checkpoint defect.

Ataxia-telangiectasia-like disorder (ATLD) is a rare genomic instability syndrome caused by biallelic variants of MRE11 (meiotic recombination 11) characterized by progressive cerebellar ataxia and typical karyotype abnormalities. These symptoms are common to those of ataxia-telangiectasia, which is consistent with the key role of MRE11 in ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM) activation after DNA double-strand breaks. Three unrelated French patients were referred with ataxia. Only one had typical karyotype abnormalities. Unreported biallelic MRE11 variants were found in these three cases. Interestingly, one variant (c.424G>A) was present in two cases and haplotype analysis strongly suggested a French founder variant. Variants c.544G>A and c.314+4_314+7del lead to splice defects. The level of MRE11 in lymphoblastoid cell lines was consistently and dramatically reduced. Functional consequences were evaluated on activation of the ATM pathway via phosphorylation of ATM targets (KAP1 and CHK2), but no consistent defect was observed. However, an S-phase checkpoint activation defect after camptothecin was observed in these patients with ATLD. In conclusion, we report the first three French ATLD patients and a French founder variant, and propose an S-phase checkpoint activation study to evaluate the pathogenicity of MRE11 variants.

De Novo and Inherited Pathogenic Variants in KDM3B Cause Intellectual Disability, Short Stature, and Facial Dysmorphism.

By using exome sequencing and a gene matching approach, we identified de novo and inherited pathogenic variants in KDM3B in 14 unrelated individuals and three affected parents with varying degrees of intellectual disability (ID) or developmental delay (DD) and short stature. The individuals share additional phenotypic features that include feeding difficulties in infancy, joint hypermobility, and characteristic facial features such as a wide mouth, a pointed chin, long ears, and a low columella. Notably, two individuals developed cancer, acute myeloid leukemia and Hodgkin lymphoma, in childhood. KDM3B encodes for a histone demethylase and is involved in H3K9 demethylation, a crucial part of chromatin modification required for transcriptional regulation. We identified missense and truncating variants, suggesting that KDM3B haploinsufficiency is the underlying mechanism for this syndrome. By using a hybrid facial-recognition model, we show that individuals with a pathogenic variant in KDM3B have a facial gestalt, and that they show significant facial similarity compared to control individuals with ID. In conclusion, pathogenic variants in KDM3B cause a syndrome characterized by ID, short stature, and facial dysmorphism.

CHD3 helicase domain mutations cause a neurodevelopmental syndrome with macrocephaly and impaired speech and language.

Chromatin remodeling is of crucial importance during brain development. Pathogenic alterations of several chromatin remodeling ATPases have been implicated in neurodevelopmental disorders. We describe an index case with a de novo missense mutation in CHD3, identified during whole genome sequencing of a cohort of children with rare speech disorders. To gain a comprehensive view of features associated with disruption of this gene, we use a genotype-driven approach, collecting and characterizing 35 individuals with de novo CHD3 mutations and overlapping phenotypes. Most mutations cluster within the ATPase/helicase domain of the encoded protein. Modeling their impact on the three-dimensional structure demonstrates disturbance of critical binding and interaction motifs. Experimental assays with six of the identified mutations show that a subset directly affects ATPase activity, and all but one yield alterations in chromatin remodeling. We implicate de novo CHD3 mutations in a syndrome characterized by intellectual disability, macrocephaly, and impaired speech and language.

BCL11B mutations in patients affected by a neurodevelopmental disorder with reduced type 2 innate lymphoid cells.

The transcription factor BCL11B is essential for development of the nervous and the immune system, and Bcl11b deficiency results in structural brain defects, reduced learning capacity, and impaired immune cell development in mice. However, the precise role of BCL11B in humans is largely unexplored, except for a single patient with a BCL11B missense mutation, affected by multisystem anomalies and profound immune deficiency. Using massively parallel sequencing we identified 13 patients bearing heterozygous germline alterations in BCL11B. Notably, all of them are affected by global developmental delay with speech impairment and intellectual disability; however, none displayed overt clinical signs of immune deficiency. Six frameshift mutations, two nonsense mutations, one missense mutation, and two chromosomal rearrangements resulting in diminished BCL11B expression, arose de novo. A further frameshift mutation was transmitted from a similarly affected mother. Interestingly, the most severely affected patient harbours a missense mutation within a zinc-finger domain of BCL11B, probably affecting the DNA-binding structural interface, similar to the recently published patient. Furthermore, the most C-terminally located premature termination codon mutation fails to rescue the progenitor cell proliferation defect in hippocampal slice cultures from Bcl11b-deficient mice. Concerning the role of BCL11B in the immune system, extensive immune phenotyping of our patients revealed alterations in the T cell compartment and lack of peripheral type 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s), consistent with the findings described in Bcl11b-deficient mice. Unsupervised analysis of 102 T lymphocyte subpopulations showed that the patients clearly cluster apart from healthy children, further supporting the common aetiology of the disorder. Taken together, we show here that mutations leading either to BCL11B haploinsufficiency or to a truncated BCL11B protein clinically cause a non-syndromic neurodevelopmental delay. In addition, we suggest that missense mutations affecting specific sites within zinc-finger domains might result in distinct and more severe clinical outcomes.

RNA Sequencing and Pathway Analysis Identify Important Pathways Involved in Hypertrichosis and Intellectual Disability in Patients with Wiedemann-Steiner Syndrome.

A growing number of histone modifiers are involved in human neurodevelopmental disorders, suggesting that proper regulation of chromatin state is essential for the development of the central nervous system. Among them, heterozygous de novo variants in KMT2A, a gene coding for histone methyltransferase, have been associated with Wiedemann-Steiner syndrome (WSS), a rare developmental disorder mainly characterized by intellectual disability (ID) and hypertrichosis. As KMT2A is known to regulate the expression of multiple target genes through methylation of lysine 4 of histone 3 (H3K4me), we sought to investigate the transcriptomic consequences of KMT2A variants involved in WSS. Using fibroblasts from four WSS patients harboring loss-of-function KMT2A variants, we performed RNA sequencing and identified a number of genes for which transcription was altered in KMT2A-mutated cells compared to the control ones. Strikingly, analysis of the pathways and biological functions significantly deregulated between patients with WSS and healthy individuals revealed a number of processes predicted to be altered that are relevant for hypertrichosis and intellectual disability, the cardinal signs of this disease.

Molecular and cellular issues of KMT2A variants involved in Wiedemann-Steiner syndrome.

Variants in KMT2A, encoding the histone methyltransferase KMT2A, are a growing cause of intellectual disability (ID). Up to now, the majority of KMT2A variants are non-sense and frameshift variants causing a typical form of Wiedemann-Steiner syndrome. We studied KMT2A gene in a cohort of 200 patients with unexplained syndromic and non-syndromic ID and identified four novel variants, one splice and three missense variants, possibly deleterious. We used primary cells from the patients and molecular approaches to determine the deleterious effects of those variants on KMT2A expression and function. For the putative splice variant c.11322-1G>A, we showed that it led to only one nucleotide deletion and loss of the C-terminal part of the protein. For two studied KMT2A missense variants, c.3460C>T (p.(Arg1154Trp)) and c.8558T>G (p.(Met2853Arg)), located at the cysteine-rich CXXC domain and the transactivation domain of the protein, respectively, we found altered KMT2A target genes expression in patient's fibroblasts compared to controls. Furthermore, we found a disturbed subcellular distribution of KMT2A for the c.3460C>T mutant. Taken together, our results demonstrated the deleterious impact of the splice variant and of the missense variants located at two different functional domains and suggested reduction of KMT2A function as the disease-causing mechanism.

SETD2 and DNMT3A screen in the Sotos-like syndrome French cohort.

BACKGROUND: Heterozygous NSD1 mutations were identified in 60%-90% of patients with Sotos syndrome. Recently, mutations of the SETD2 and DNMT3A genes were identified in patients exhibiting only some Sotos syndrome features. Both NSD1 and SETD2 genes encode epigenetic 'writer' proteins that catalyse methylation of histone 3 lysine 36 (H3K36me). The DNMT3A gene encodes an epigenetic 'reader' protein of the H3K36me chromatin mark. METHODS: We aimed at confirming the implication of DNMT3A and SETD2 mutations in an overgrowth phenotype, through a comprehensive targeted-next generation sequencing (NGS) screening in 210 well-phenotyped index cases with a Sotos-like phenotype and no NSD1 mutation, from a French cohort. RESULTS: Six unreported heterozygous likely pathogenic variants in DNMT3A were identified in seven patients: two nonsense variants and four de novo missense variants. One de novo unreported heterozygous frameshift variant was identified in SETD2 in one patient. All the four DNMT3A missense variants affected DNMT3A functional domains, suggesting a potential deleterious impact. DNMT3A-mutated index cases shared similar clinical features including overgrowth phenotype characterised by postnatal tall stature (≥+2SD), macrocephaly (≥+2SD), overweight or obesity at older age, intellectual deficiency and minor facial features. The phenotype associated with SETD2 mutations remains to be described more precisely. The p.Arg882Cys missense de novo constitutional DNMT3A variant found in two patients is the most frequent DNMT3A somatic mutation in acute leukaemia. CONCLUSIONS: Our results illustrate the power of targeted NGS to identify rare disease-causing variants. These observations provided evidence for a unifying mechanism (disruption of apposition and reading of the epigenetic chromatin mark H3K36me) that causes an overgrowth syndrome phenotype. Further studies are needed in order to assess the role of SETD2 and DNMT3A in intellectual deficiency without overgrowth.

New insights into genotype-phenotype correlation for GLI3 mutations.

The phenotypic spectrum of GLI3 mutations includes autosomal dominant Greig cephalopolysyndactyly syndrome (GCPS) and Pallister-Hall syndrome (PHS). PHS was first described as a lethal condition associating hypothalamic hamartoma, postaxial or central polydactyly, anal atresia and bifid epiglottis. Typical GCPS combines polysyndactyly of hands and feet and craniofacial features. Genotype-phenotype correlations have been found both for the location and the nature of GLI3 mutations, highlighting the bifunctional nature of GLI3 during development. Here we report on the molecular and clinical study of 76 cases from 55 families with either a GLI3 mutation (49 GCPS and 21 PHS), or a large deletion encompassing the GLI3 gene (6 GCPS cases). Most of mutations are novel and consistent with the previously reported genotype-phenotype correlation. Our results also show a correlation between the location of the mutation and abnormal corpus callosum observed in some patients with GCPS. Fetal PHS observations emphasize on the possible lethality of GLI3 mutations and extend the phenotypic spectrum of malformations such as agnathia and reductional limbs defects. GLI3 expression studied by in situ hybridization during human development confirms its early expression in target tissues.

The phenotype of Floating-Harbor syndrome: clinical characterization of 52 individuals with mutations in exon 34 of SRCAP.

BACKGROUND: Floating-Harbor syndrome (FHS) is a rare condition characterized by short stature, delays in expressive language, and a distinctive facial appearance. Recently, heterozygous truncating mutations in SRCAP were determined to be disease-causing. With the availability of a DNA based confirmatory test, we set forth to define the clinical features of this syndrome. METHODS AND RESULTS: Clinical information on fifty-two individuals with SRCAP mutations was collected using standardized questionnaires. Twenty-four males and twenty-eight females were studied with ages ranging from 2 to 52 years. The facial phenotype and expressive language impairments were defining features within the group. Height measurements were typically between minus two and minus four standard deviations, with occipitofrontal circumferences usually within the average range. Thirty-three of the subjects (63%) had at least one major anomaly requiring medical intervention. We did not observe any specific phenotype-genotype correlations. CONCLUSIONS: This large cohort of individuals with molecularly confirmed FHS has allowed us to better delineate the clinical features of this rare but classic genetic syndrome, thereby facilitating the development of management protocols.

Sjögren-Larsson syndrome: novel mutations in the ALDH3A2 gene in a French cohort.

Sjogren-Larsson syndrome (SLS) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by ichthyosis, spastic di- or tetraplegia and mental retardation due a defect of the fatty aldehyde dehydrogenase (FALDH), related to mutations in the ALDH3A2 gene. In this study, we screened a French cohort of patients with Sjögren-Larsson syndrome (SLS) for mutations in the ALDH3A2 gene. The five unrelated patients with typical SLS all present mutations in this gene. Three novel mutations were identified whereas three other ones were previously described. We also realized functional analyses at the mRNA level for two splice site mutations to study their deleterious consequences. Two of the previously described mutations had already been identified in the same region of Europe, suggesting a putative founder effect. We suggest that, (1) when clinical and MR features are present, direct sequencing of the ALDH3A2 gene in SLS is of particular interest without necessity of a skin biopsy for enzymatic assay in order to propose genetic counsel and (2) identification of mutations already described in the same population with putative founder effects may simplify genetic analysis in this context.