ITPR1: The missing gene in miosis-ataxia syndrome?

The association of early-onset non-progressive ataxia and miosis is an extremely rare phenotypic entity occasionally reported in the literature. To date, only one family (two siblings and their mother) has benefited from a genetic diagnosis by the identification of a missense heterozygous variant (p.Arg36Cys) in the ITPR1 gene. This gene encodes the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor type 1, an intracellular channel that mediates calcium release from the endoplasmic reticulum. Deleterious variants in this gene are known to be associated with two types of spinocerebellar ataxia, SCA15 and SCA29, and with Gillespie syndrome that is associated with ataxia, partial iris hypoplasia, and intellectual disability. In this work, we describe a novel individual carrying a heterozygous missense variant (p.Arg36Pro) at the same position in the N-terminal suppressor domain of ITPR1 as the family previously reported, with the same phenotype associating early-onset non-progressive ataxia and miosis. This second report confirms the implication of ITPR1 in the miosis-ataxia syndrome and therefore broadens the clinical spectrum of the gene. Moreover, the high specificity of the phenotype makes it a recognizable syndrome of genetic origin.

Structural Variant Disrupting the Expression of the Remote FOXC1 Gene in a Patient with Syndromic Complex Microphthalmia.

Ocular malformations (OMs) arise from early defects during embryonic eye development. Despite the identification of over 100 genes linked to this heterogeneous group of disorders, the genetic cause remains unknown for half of the individuals following Whole-Exome Sequencing. Diagnosis procedures are further hampered by the difficulty of studying samples from clinically relevant tissue, which is one of the main obstacles in OMs. Whole-Genome Sequencing (WGS) to screen for non-coding regions and structural variants may unveil new diagnoses for OM individuals. In this study, we report a patient exhibiting a syndromic OM with a de novo 3.15 Mb inversion in the 6p25 region identified by WGS. This balanced structural variant was located 100 kb away from the FOXC1 gene, previously associated with ocular defects in the literature. We hypothesized that the inversion disrupts the topologically associating domain of FOXC1 and impairs the expression of the gene. Using a new type of samples to study transcripts, we were able to show that the patient presented monoallelic expression of FOXC1 in conjunctival cells, consistent with the abolition of the expression of the inverted allele. This report underscores the importance of investigating structural variants, even in non-coding regions, in individuals affected by ocular malformations.

PCDH12 loss results in premature neuronal differentiation and impeded migration in a cortical organoid model.

Protocadherins (PCDHs) are cell adhesion molecules that regulate many essential neurodevelopmental processes related to neuronal maturation, dendritic arbor formation, axon pathfinding, and synaptic plasticity. Biallelic loss-of-function variants in PCDH12 are associated with several neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs). Despite the highly deleterious outcome resulting from loss of PCDH12, little is known about its role during brain development and disease. Here, we show that PCDH12 loss severely impairs cerebral organoid development, with reduced proliferative areas and disrupted laminar organization. 2D models further show that neural progenitor cells lacking PCDH12 prematurely exit the cell cycle and differentiate earlier when compared with wild type. Furthermore, we show that PCDH12 regulates neuronal migration and suggest that this could be through a mechanism requiring ADAM10-mediated ectodomain shedding and/or membrane recruitment of cytoskeleton regulators. Our results demonstrate a critical involvement of PCDH12 in cortical organoid development, suggesting a potential cause for the pathogenic mechanisms underlying PCDH12-related NDDs.

Autosomal recessive pathogenic MSTO1 variants in hereditary optic atrophy.

Gerber et al report 2 autosomal recessive pathogenic Misato homolog 1 (MSTO1) variants causing hereditary optic atrophy and raise concerns about a previously identified dominant variant of MSTO1 by Gal et al (2017).

Autosomal recessive Leber hereditary optic neuropathy, a new neuro-ophthalmo-genetic paradigm.

Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) is a primary inherited neurodegenerative disorder of the optic nerve. It has been ascribed to variants in the mitochondrial genome, mainly the m.3460G>A, m.11778G>A and m.14484T>C mutations in ND1, ND4 and ND6, respectively. Nonetheless, inconclusive molecular diagnosis is not uncommon. Recently, biallelic mutations in the NDUFS2, DNAJC30, MCAT and NDUFA12 nuclear genes have been identified in unresolved LHON cases, identifying an autosomal recessive LHON (arLHON, OMIM:619382). The clinical presentation of arLHON copies that of typical LHON due to mtDNA mutations (mtLHON), with an acute phase of sudden and severe vision loss, telangiectatic and tortuous vessels around the optic nerve and swelling of the retinal nerve fibre layer. This is followed by a chronic phase of retinal nerve fibre layer loss, but eventually affected individuals recover partial or full visual acuity. Idebenone treatment significantly improved vision recovery in DNAJC30-associated patients. As for mtLHON, arLHON predominantly affected male compared with female carriers. The discovery of arLHON cases breaks with the dogma of exclusive maternal inheritance. It defines a new neuro-ophthalmo-genetic paradigm, which should be considered in individuals manifesting a LHON phenotype but with an inconclusive molecular diagnosis. NDUFS2, DNAJC30, MCAT and NDUFA12 should be investigated in these individuals, knowing that other arLHON genes might exist.

Bi-allelic variants in WNT7B disrupt the development of multiple organs in humans.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary hypoplasia, Diaphragmatic anomalies, Anophthalmia/microphthalmia and Cardiac defects delineate the PDAC syndrome. We aim to identify the cause of PDAC syndrome in patients who do not carry pathogenic variants in RARB and STRA6, which have been previously associated with this disorder. METHODS: We sequenced the exome of patients with unexplained PDAC syndrome and performed functional validation of candidate variants. RESULTS: We identified bi-allelic variants in WNT7B in fetuses with PDAC syndrome from two unrelated families. In one family, the fetus was homozygous for the c.292C>T (p.(Arg98*)) variant whereas the fetuses from the other family were compound heterozygous for the variants c.225C>G (p.(Tyr75*)) and c.562G>A (p.(Gly188Ser)). Finally, a molecular autopsy by proxy in a consanguineous couple that lost two babies due to lung hypoplasia revealed that both parents carry the p.(Arg98*) variant. Using a WNT signalling canonical luciferase assay, we demonstrated that the identified variants are deleterious. In addition, we found that wnt7bb mutant zebrafish display a defect of the swimbladder, an air-filled organ that is a structural homolog of the mammalian lung, suggesting that the function of WNT7B has been conserved during evolution for the development of these structures. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that defective WNT7B function underlies a form of lung hypoplasia that is associated with the PDAC syndrome, and provide evidence for involvement of the WNT-ß-catenin pathway in human lung, tracheal, ocular, cardiac, and renal development.

Association of Missense Variants in VSX2 With a Peculiar Form of Congenital Stationary Night Blindness Affecting All Bipolar Cells.

Importance: Congenital stationary night blindness (CSNB) is an inherited stationary retinal disorder that is clinically and genetically heterogeneous. To date, the genetic association between some cases with CSNB and an unusual complex clinical picture is unclear. Objective: To describe an unreported CSNB phenotype and the associated gene defect in 3 patients from 2 unrelated families. Design, Setting, and Participants: This retrospective case series was conducted in 2021 and 2022 at a national referral center for rare ocular diseases. Data for 3 patients from a cohort of 140 genetically unsolved CSNB cases were analyzed clinically and genetically. Exposures: Complete ocular examination including full-field electroretinography and multimodal fundus imaging (spectral-domain optical coherence tomography, color, infrared reflectance, and short-wavelength autofluorescence photographs) were performed. The gene defect was identified by exome sequencing and confirmed by Sanger sequencing and co-segregation analysis in 1 family. Screening was performed for genetically unsolved CSNB cases for VSX2 variants by direct Sanger sequencing. Main Outcomes and Measures: Ocular and molecular biology findings. Results: The series included 3 patients whose clinical investigations occurred at ages in the early 30s, younger than 12 years, and in the mid 40s. They had nystagmus, low stable visual acuity, and myopia from birth and experienced night blindness. Two older patients had bilateral lens luxation and underwent lens extraction. Full-field electroretinography revealed an electronegative Schubert-Bornschein appearance, combining characteristics of incomplete and complete CSNB, affecting the function of rod and cone ON- and OFF-bipolar cells. Exome sequencing and co-segregation analysis in a consanguineous family with 2 affected members identified a homozygous variant in VSX2. Subsequently, screening of the CSNB cohort identified another unrelated patient harboring a distinct VSX2 variant. Conclusions and Relevance: This case series revealed a peculiar pan-bipolar cell retinopathy with lens luxation associated with variants in VSX2. Clinicians should be aware of this association and VSX2 added to CSNB diagnostic gene panels.

First evidence of SOX2 mutations in Peters' anomaly: Lessons from molecular screening of 95 patients.

Peters' anomaly (PA) is a rare anterior segment dysgenesis characterized by central corneal opacity and irido-lenticulo-corneal adhesions. Several genes are involved in syndromic or isolated PA (B3GLCT, PAX6, PITX3, FOXE3, CYP1B1). Some copy number variations (CNVs) have also been occasionally reported. Despite this genetic heterogeneity, most of patients remain without genetic diagnosis. We retrieved a cohort of 95 individuals with PA and performed genotyping using a combination of comparative genomic hybridization, whole genome, exome and targeted sequencing of 119 genes associated with ocular development anomalies. Causative genetic defects involving 12 genes and CNVs were identified for 1/3 of patients. Unsurprisingly, B3GLCT and PAX6 were the most frequently implicated genes, respectively in syndromic and isolated PA. Unexpectedly, the third gene involved in our cohort was SOX2, the major gene of micro-anophthalmia. Four unrelated patients with PA (isolated or with microphthalmia) were carrying pathogenic variants in this gene that was never associated with PA before. Here we described the largest cohort of PA patients ever reported. The genetic bases of PA are still to be explored as genetic diagnosis was unavailable for 2/3 of patients. Nevertheless, we showed here for the first time the involvement of SOX2 in PA, offering new evidence for its role in corneal transparency and anterior segment development.

Expanding the KIF4A-associated phenotype.

Kinesin super family (KIF) genes encode motor kinesins, a family of evolutionary conserved proteins, involved in intracellular trafficking of various cargoes. These proteins are critical for various physiological processes including neuron function and survival, ciliary function and ciliogenesis, and cell-cycle progression. Recent evidence suggests that alterations in motor kinesin genes can lead to a variety of human diseases, including monogenic disorders. Neuropathies, impaired higher brain functions, structural brain abnormalities and multiple congenital anomalies (i.e., renal, urogenital, and limb anomalies) can result from pathogenic variants in many KIF genes. We expand the phenotype associated with KIF4A variants from developmental delay and intellectual disability with or without epilepsy to a congenital anomaly phenotype with hydrocephalus and various brain anomalies at the more severe end of phenotypic manifestations. Additional anomalies of the kidneys and urinary tract, congenital lymphedema, eye, and dental anomalies seem to be variably associated and overlap with clinical signs observed in other kinesinopathies. Caution still applies to missense variants, but hopefully, future work will further establish genotype-phenotype correlations in a larger number of patients and functional studies may give further insights into the complex function of KIF4A.

MCAT Mutations Cause Nuclear LHON-like Optic Neuropathy.

Pathological variants in the nuclear malonyl-CoA-acyl carrier protein transacylase (MCAT) gene, which encodes a mitochondrial protein involved in fatty-acid biogenesis, have been reported in two siblings from China affected by insidious optic nerve degeneration in childhood, leading to blindness in the first decade of life. After analysing 51 families with negative molecular diagnostic tests, from a cohort of 200 families with hereditary optic neuropathy (HON), we identified two novel MCAT mutations in a female patient who presented with acute, sudden, bilateral, yet asymmetric, central visual loss at the age of 20. This presentation is consistent with a Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON)-like phenotype, whose existence and association with NDUFS2 and DNAJC30 has only recently been described. Our findings reveal a wider phenotypic presentation of MCAT mutations, and a greater genetic heterogeneity of nuclear LHON-like phenotypes. Although MCAT pathological variants are very uncommon, this gene should be investigated in HON patients, irrespective of disease presentation.

Congenital Microcoria: Clinical Features and Molecular Genetics.

Iris integrity is required to regulate both the amount of light reaching the retina and intraocular pressure (IOP), with elevated IOP being a major risk factor for glaucoma. Congenital microcoria (MCOR) is an extremely rare, autosomal dominant disease affecting iris development and hindering both of these functions. It is characterized by absent or underdeveloped dilator muscle fibers and immaturity of the iridocorneal angle-where the aqueous humor is drained-which play a central role in IOP regulation. The dilator muscle anomaly is manifested in pinhole pupils (<2 mm) and thin transilluminable irises, causing both hemeralopia and photoaversion. Axial myopia and juvenile open-angle glaucoma are very frequent (80% and 30% of all cases, respectively). It has been suggested that the immaturity of the chamber angle contributes to glaucoma, and myopia has been ascribed to photoaversion and elevated IOP. Though possible, these mechanisms are insufficient. The disease has been tied to chromosome 13q32.1 structural variations. In addition to compromising iris development, modification of the 13q32.1 architecture could alter signaling pathways for axial ocular length and IOP regulation. Here, we summarize the clinical, histological, and molecular features of this disease, and we discuss the possible etiology of associated anomalies.

Whole Locus Sequencing Identifies a Prevalent Founder Deep Intronic RPGRIP1 Pathologic Variant in the French Leber Congenital Amaurosis Cohort.

Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA) encompasses the earliest and most severe retinal dystrophies and can occur as a non-syndromic or a syndromic disease. Molecular diagnosis in LCA is of particular importance in clinical decision-making and patient care since it can provide ocular and extraocular prognostics and identify patients eligible to develop gene-specific therapies. Routine high-throughput molecular testing in LCA yields 70%-80% of genetic diagnosis. In this study, we aimed to investigate the non-coding regions of one non-syndromic LCA gene, RPGRIP1, in a series of six families displaying one single disease allele after a gene-panel screening of 722 LCA families which identified 26 biallelic RPGRIP1 families. Using trio-based high-throughput whole locus sequencing (WLS) for second disease alleles, we identified a founder deep intronic mutation (NM_020366.3:c.1468-128T>G) in 3/6 families. We employed Sanger sequencing to search for the pathologic variant in unresolved LCA cases (106/722) and identified three additional families (two homozygous and one compound heterozygous with the NM_020366.3:c.930+77A>G deep intronic change). This makes the c.1468-128T>G the most frequent RPGRIP1 disease allele (8/60, 13%) in our cohort. Studying patient lymphoblasts, we show that the pathologic variant creates a donor splice-site and leads to the insertion of the pseudo-exon in the mRNA, which we were able to hamper using splice-switching antisense oligonucleotides (AONs), paving the way to therapies.

Impaired complex I repair causes recessive Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy.

Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) is the most frequent mitochondrial disease and was the first to be genetically defined by a point mutation in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). A molecular diagnosis is achieved in up to 95% of cases, the vast majority of which are accounted for by 3 mutations within mitochondrial complex I subunit-encoding genes in the mtDNA (mtLHON). Here, we resolve the enigma of LHON in the absence of pathogenic mtDNA mutations. We describe biallelic mutations in a nuclear encoded gene, DNAJC30, in 33 unsolved patients from 29 families and establish an autosomal recessive mode of inheritance for LHON (arLHON), which to date has been a prime example of a maternally inherited disorder. Remarkably, all hallmarks of mtLHON were recapitulated, including incomplete penetrance, male predominance, and significant idebenone responsivity. Moreover, by tracking protein turnover in patient-derived cell lines and a DNAJC30-knockout cellular model, we measured reduced turnover of specific complex I N-module subunits and a resultant impairment of complex I function. These results demonstrate that DNAJC30 is a chaperone protein needed for the efficient exchange of complex I subunits exposed to reactive oxygen species and integral to a mitochondrial complex I repair mechanism, thereby providing the first example to our knowledge of a disease resulting from impaired exchange of assembled respiratory chain subunits.

YIF1B mutations cause a post-natal neurodevelopmental syndrome associated with Golgi and primary cilium alterations.

Human post-natal neurodevelopmental delay is often associated with cerebral alterations that can lead, by themselves or associated with peripheral deficits, to premature death. Here, we report the clinical features of 10 patients from six independent families with mutations in the autosomal YIF1B gene encoding a ubiquitous protein involved in anterograde traffic from the endoplasmic reticulum to the cell membrane, and in Golgi apparatus morphology. The patients displayed global developmental delay, motor delay, visual deficits with brain MRI evidence of ventricle enlargement, myelination alterations and cerebellar atrophy. A similar profile was observed in the Yif1b knockout (KO) mouse model developed to identify the cellular alterations involved in the clinical defects. In the CNS, mice lacking Yif1b displayed neuronal reduction, altered myelination of the motor cortex, cerebellar atrophy, enlargement of the ventricles, and subcellular alterations of endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus compartments. Remarkably, although YIF1B was not detected in primary cilia, biallelic YIF1B mutations caused primary cilia abnormalities in skin fibroblasts from both patients and Yif1b-KO mice, and in ciliary architectural components in the Yif1b-KO brain. Consequently, our findings identify YIF1B as an essential gene in early post-natal development in human, and provide a new genetic target that should be tested in patients developing a neurodevelopmental delay during the first year of life. Thus, our work is the first description of a functional deficit linking Golgipathies and ciliopathies, diseases so far associated exclusively to mutations in genes coding for proteins expressed within the primary cilium or related ultrastructures. We therefore propose that these pathologies should be considered as belonging to a larger class of neurodevelopmental diseases depending on proteins involved in the trafficking of proteins towards specific cell membrane compartments.

Loss of Function of RIMS2 Causes a Syndromic Congenital Cone-Rod Synaptic Disease with Neurodevelopmental and Pancreatic Involvement.

Congenital cone-rod synaptic disorder (CRSD), also known as incomplete congenital stationary night blindness (iCSNB), is a non-progressive inherited retinal disease (IRD) characterized by night blindness, photophobia, and nystagmus, and distinctive electroretinographic features. Here, we report bi-allelic RIMS2 variants in seven CRSD-affected individuals from four unrelated families. Apart from CRSD, neurodevelopmental disease was observed in all affected individuals, and abnormal glucose homeostasis was observed in the eldest affected individual. RIMS2 regulates synaptic membrane exocytosis. Data mining of human adult bulk and single-cell retinal transcriptional datasets revealed predominant expression in rod photoreceptors, and immunostaining demonstrated RIMS2 localization in the human retinal outer plexiform layer, Purkinje cells, and pancreatic islets. Additionally, nonsense variants were shown to result in truncated RIMS2 and decreased insulin secretion in mammalian cells. The identification of a syndromic stationary congenital IRD has a major impact on the differential diagnosis of syndromic congenital IRD, which has previously been exclusively linked with degenerative IRD.

GENETICS OF LARGE PIGMENT EPITHELIAL DETACHMENTS IN NEOVASCULAR AGE-RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION.

PURPOSE: We hypothesized that severe forms of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) such as large pigment epithelial detachments poorly responding to anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy might present a distinct genotype compared with overall series of neovascular AMD. METHODS: This is a multicenter genetic association study. Sixty-eight patients presenting pigment epithelial detachments resistant to ranibizumab (issued from ARI2 study, register number NCT02157077 on clinicaltrials.gov) were compared with two series of patients derived from previously published clinical studies, presenting neovascular AMD (NAT2 study n = 300 and PHRC study n = 1,127), and with healthy controls (n = 441). The phenotype of neovascular AMD groups was based on visual acuity measurement, fundus examination, spectral-domain optical coherence tomography, and angiographic data. All samples were genotyped for three single-nucleotide polymorphisms: CFH (rs1061170), ARMS2 (rs10490924), and C3 (rs2230199). Significant difference in allele frequency between participants with neovascular AMD and control was the main outcome measurement. RESULTS: The GG genotype of the C3 rs2230199 was significantly more frequent in the ARI2 group (55.9%) than the PHRC group (6.0%, P < 0.0001; odds ratio = 24.0 [95% confidence interval 10.4-55.0]) and the NAT2 group (5.1%, P < 0.0001; odds ratio = 16.1 [95% confidence interval 5.0-51.9]). The repartition of patients carrying a T allele of the ARMS2 (rs10490924) or patients carrying a C allele of the CFH (rs1061170) was similar in the ARI2 group when compared with the NAT2 and PHRC groups. CONCLUSION: In our series, the genotype GG of C3 rs2230199 was more significantly associated with the phenotype of large vascularized pigment epithelial detachment poorly responding to anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy than in global AMD series.

Description of Two Siblings with Apparently Severe CEP290 Mutations and Unusually Mild Retinal Disease Unrelated to Basal Exon Skipping or Nonsense-Associated Altered Splicing.

CEP290 mutations cause a spectrum of ciliopathies, including Leber congenital amaurosis. Milder retinal diseases have been ascribed to exclusion of CEP290 mutant exons through basal exon skipping (BES) and/or nonsense-associated altered splicing (NAS). Here, we report two siblings with some preserved vision despite biallelism for presumably severe CEP290 mutations: a maternal splice site change in intron 18 (c.1824 + 3A > G) and a paternal c.6869dup (p.Asn2290Lysfs∗6) in exon 50 that introduces a premature termination codon (PTC) within the same exon. Analyzing mRNAs from fibroblasts of the two siblings, we detected no BES or NAS which could have enabled the production of PTC-free CEP290 isoforms from the paternal allele. In contrast, we reveal partial alteration of exon 18 donor splice site, allowing the transcription of some correctly spliced CEP290 mRNAs from the maternal allele which likely account for the mild retinal disease. This observation adds further variability to the mechanisms underlying CEP290 pleiotropy.

Genetic Deciphering of Early-Onset and Severe Retinal Dystrophy Associated with Sensorineural Hearing Loss.

The specific association of Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA) or early-onset severe retinal dystrophy (LCA-like) with sensorineural hearing loss (SHL) is uncommon. Recently, we ascribed some of these distinctive associations to dominant and de novo mutations in the ß-tubulin 4B isotype-encoding gene (TUBB4B), providing a link between a sensorineural disease and anomalies in microtubules behavior. Here, we report 12 sporadic cases with LCA/SHL or LCA-like/SHL and no TUBB4B mutation. Trio-based whole exome sequencing (WES) identified disease-causing mutations in 5/12 cases. Four out of five carried biallelic mutations in PEX1 (1/4) or PEX6 (3/4), involved in peroxisome biogenesis disorders from Zellweger syndrome characterized by severe neurologic and neurosensory dysfunctions, craniofacial abnormalities, and liver dysfunction to Heimler syndrome associating SHL, enamel hypoplasia of the secondary dentition, nail abnormalities, and occasional retinal disease. Upon reexamination, the index case carrying PEX1 mutations, a 4-year-old girl, presented additional symptoms consistent with Zellweger syndrome. Reexamination of individuals with PEX6 mutations (1/3 unavailable) revealed normal nails but enamel hypoplasia affecting one primary teeth in a 4-year-old girl and severe enamel hypoplasia of primary teeth hidden by dental prosthesis in a 50-year-old male, describing a novel PEX6-associated disease of the Zellweger/Heimler spectrum. Finally, hemizygosity for a CACNA1F mutation was identified in an 18-year-old male addressed for LCA/SHL, redirecting the retinal diagnosis to congenital stationary night blindness (CSNB2A). Consistent with the pure CSNB2A retinal involvement, SHL was ascribed to biallelic mutations in another gene, STRC, involved in nonprogressive DFNB16 deafness.

AON-Mediated Exon Skipping to Bypass Protein Truncation in Retinal Dystrophies Due to the Recurrent CEP290 c.4723A > T Mutation. Fact or Fiction?

Mutations in CEP290 encoding a centrosomal protein important to cilia formation cause a spectrum of diseases, from isolated retinal dystrophies to multivisceral and sometimes embryo-lethal ciliopathies. In recent years, endogenous and/or selective non-canonical exon skipping of mutant exons have been documented in attenuated retinal disease cases. This observation led us to consider targeted exon skipping to bypass protein truncation resulting from a recurrent mutation in exon 36 (c.4723A > T, p.Lys1575*) causing isolated retinal ciliopathy. Here, we report two unrelated individuals (P1 and P2), carrying the mutation in homozygosity but affected with early-onset severe retinal dystrophy and congenital blindness, respectively. Studying skin-derived fibroblasts, we observed basal skipping and nonsense associated-altered splicing of exon 36, producing low (P1) and very low (P2) levels of CEP290 products. Consistent with a more severe disease, fibroblasts from P2 exhibited reduced ciliation compared to P1 cells displaying normally abundant cilia; both lines presented however significantly elongated cilia, suggesting altered axonemal trafficking. Antisense oligonucleotides (AONs)-mediated skipping of exon 36 increased the abundance of the premature termination codon (PTC)-free mRNA and protein, reduced axonemal length and improved cilia formation in P2 but not in P1 expressing higher levels of skipped mRNA, questioning AON-mediated exon skipping to treat patients carrying the recurrent c.4723A > T mutation.