Defining the clinical, molecular and imaging spectrum of adaptor protein complex 4-associated hereditary spastic paraplegia.

Bi-allelic loss-of-function variants in genes that encode subunits of the adaptor protein complex 4 (AP-4) lead to prototypical yet poorly understood forms of childhood-onset and complex hereditary spastic paraplegia: SPG47 (AP4B1), SPG50 (AP4M1), SPG51 (AP4E1) and SPG52 (AP4S1). Here, we report a detailed cross-sectional analysis of clinical, imaging and molecular data of 156 patients from 101 families. Enrolled patients were of diverse ethnic backgrounds and covered a wide age range (1.0-49.3 years). While the mean age at symptom onset was 0.8 ± 0.6 years [standard deviation (SD), range 0.2-5.0], the mean age at diagnosis was 10.2 ± 8.5 years (SD, range 0.1-46.3). We define a set of core features: early-onset developmental delay with delayed motor milestones and significant speech delay (50% non-verbal); intellectual disability in the moderate to severe range; mild hypotonia in infancy followed by spastic diplegia (mean age: 8.4 ± 5.1 years, SD) and later tetraplegia (mean age: 16.1 ± 9.8 years, SD); postnatal microcephaly (83%); foot deformities (69%); and epilepsy (66%) that is intractable in a subset. At last follow-up, 36% ambulated with assistance (mean age: 8.9 ± 6.4 years, SD) and 54% were wheelchair-dependent (mean age: 13.4 ± 9.8 years, SD). Episodes of stereotypic laughing, possibly consistent with a pseudobulbar affect, were found in 56% of patients. Key features on neuroimaging include a thin corpus callosum (90%), ventriculomegaly (65%) often with colpocephaly, and periventricular white-matter signal abnormalities (68%). Iron deposition and polymicrogyria were found in a subset of patients. AP4B1-associated SPG47 and AP4M1-associated SPG50 accounted for the majority of cases. About two-thirds of patients were born to consanguineous parents, and 82% carried homozygous variants. Over 70 unique variants were present, the majority of which are frameshift or nonsense mutations. To track disease progression across the age spectrum, we defined the relationship between disease severity as measured by several rating scales and disease duration. We found that the presence of epilepsy, which manifested before the age of 3 years in the majority of patients, was associated with worse motor outcomes. Exploring genotype-phenotype correlations, we found that disease severity and major phenotypes were equally distributed among the four subtypes, establishing that SPG47, SPG50, SPG51 and SPG52 share a common phenotype, an 'AP-4 deficiency syndrome'. By delineating the core clinical, imaging, and molecular features of AP-4-associated hereditary spastic paraplegia across the age spectrum our results will facilitate early diagnosis, enable counselling and anticipatory guidance of affected families and help define endpoints for future interventional trials.

Expanding the clinical and molecular spectrum of the CWC27-related spliceosomopathy.

Cyclophilins are a type of peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerases. CWC27, one of the known human cyclophilins, is recruited by the spliceosome for the pre-mRNA splicing process. Biallelic deleterious variants in CWC27 lead to a spectrum of overlapping phenotypes including retinal degeneration, skeletal anomalies, short stature, and neurological defects. The present work reports a woman showing these clinical features, in addition to hypergonadotropic hypogonadism, hypoplastic/agenesic teeth, and cataracts, not previously associated with such phenotypic spectrum. Whole exome sequencing on this patient identified a novel CWC27 homozygous variant predicted to originate a severely truncated protein and the consequent loss of functionality. The clinical and genetic characterization of such patient could provide further insight into the underlying causes of the spliceosomopathies.

Congenital neurogenic muscular atrophy in megaconial myopathy due to a mutation in CHKB gene.

Choline kinase beta gene (CHKB) mutations have been identified in Megaconial Congenital Muscular Dystrophy (MDCMC) patients, a very rare inborn error of metabolism with 21 cases reported worldwide. We report the case of a Spanish boy of Caucasian origin who presented a generalized congenital muscular hypotonia, more intense at lower limb muscles, mildly elevated creatine kinase (CK), serum aspartate transaminase (AST) and lactate. Electromyography (EMG) showed neurogenic potentials in the proximal muscles. Histological studies of a muscle biopsy showed neurogenic atrophy with enlarged mitochondria in the periphery of the fibers, and complex I deficiency. Finally, genetic analysis showed the presence of a homozygous mutation in the gene for choline kinase beta (CHKB: NM_005198.4:c.810T>A, p.Tyr270(∗)). We describe here the second Spanish patient whit mutation in CHKB gene, who despite having the same mutation, presented an atypical aspect: congenital neurogenic muscular atrophy progressing to a combined neuropathic and myopathic phenotype (mixed pattern).

Exome sequencing identifies a CHKB mutation in Spanish patient with megaconial congenital muscular dystrophy and mtDNA depletion.

BACKGROUND: Choline kinase beta gene (CHKB) mutations have been identified in Megaconial Congenital Muscular Dystrophy (MDCMC) patients, but never in patients with an additional combined deficiency of complexes I, III and IV and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) depletion. AIMS: To report mutations in carry genes for MDCMC with respiratory chain defects and mtDNA depletion. METHODS: Whole-exome sequencing (WES) was used to identify the carry genes in a Spanish child with muscle weakness, mild hypotonia at lower limb muscles, mildly elevated creatine kinase (CK), enlarged mitochondria in the periphery of the fibers, combined deficiency of complex I, III and IV and depletion of mtDNA. RESULTS: With WES data, it was possible to get the whole mtDNA sequencing and discard any pathogenic variant in this genome. The first filter of WES data with the nuclear-encoded mitochondrial genes (MitoCarta) did not get any candidate. However, the analysis of whole exome uncovered a homozygous nonsense pathogenic mutation in CHKB gene (NM_005198.4:c.810T>A, p.Tyr270*). CONCLUSIONS: Our data confirm the role of CHKB in MDCMC and point to this gene as unique candidate for the combined deficiency of respiratory chain and mtDNA depletion observed in this patient.