Complete APTX deletion in a patient with ataxia with oculomotor apraxia type 1.

BACKGROUND: Ataxia with oculomotor apraxia type 1 is an autosomal-recessive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by a childhood onset of slowly progressive cerebellar ataxia, followed by oculomotor apraxia and a severe primary motor peripheral axonal motor neuropathy. Ataxia with oculomotor apraxia type 1 is caused by bi-allelic mutations in APTX (chromosome 9p21.1). CASE PRESENTATION: Our patient has a clinical presentation that is typical for ataxia with oculomotor apraxia type 1 with no particularly severe phenotype. Multiplex Ligation-dependent Probe Amplification analysis resulted in the identification of a homozygous deletion of all coding APTX exons (3 to 9). SNP array analysis using the Illumina Infinium CytoSNP-850 K microarray indicated that the deletion was about 62 kb. Based on the SNP array results, the breakpoints were found using direct sequence analysis: c.-5 + 1225_*44991del67512, p.0?. Both parents were heterozygous for the deletion. Homozygous complete APTX deletions have been described in literature for two other patients. We obtained a sample from one of these two patients and characterized the deletion (156 kb) as c.-23729_*115366del155489, p.0?, including the non-coding exons 1A and 2 of APTX. The more severe phenotype reported for this patient is not observed in our patient. It remains unclear whether the larger size of the deletion (156 kb vs 62 kb) plays a role in the phenotype (no extra genes are deleted). CONCLUSION: Here we described an ataxia with oculomotor apraxia type 1 patient who has a homozygous deletion of the complete coding region of APTX. In contrast to the patient with the large deletion, our patient does not have a severe phenotype. More patients with deletions of APTX are required to investigate a genotype-phenotype effect.

Cortical brain malformations: effect of clinical, neuroradiological, and modern genetic classification.

BACKGROUND: Malformations of cortical development (MCDs) are a major source of handicap. Much progress in understanding the genetic causes has been made recently. The number of affected children in whom a molecularly confirmed diagnosis can be made is unclear. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the etiology of MCDs in children and the effect of a combined radiological, clinical, and syndrome classification. DESIGN: A case series of 113 children with a radiological diagnosis of MCD from January 1, 1992, to January 1, 2006. SETTING: The Erasmus Medical Center-Sophia Children's Hospital, a secondary and tertiary referral center. PATIENTS: Patients with MCD underwent a complete radiological, clinical, and neurological assessment and testing for known genes involved in the pathogenesis of MCD as appropriate for their phenotype. RESULTS: We established an etiological diagnosis in 45 of 113 cases (40%). For 21 patients (19%), this included molecular and/or genetic confirmation (Miller-Dieker syndrome; LIS1, DCX, FLNA, EIF2AK3, or KIAA1279 mutations; or an inborn error of metabolism). In 17 (15%), a syndrome with an unknown genetic defect was diagnosed. In 7 patients (6%), we found evidence of a gestational insult. Of the remaining 68 patients, 34 probably have a yet-unknown genetic disorder based on the presence of multiple congenital anomalies (15 patients), a family history with multiple affected persons (12 patients), or consanguineous parents (7 patients). CONCLUSIONS: In our cohort, combining diagnostic molecular testing with clinical, radiological, and genetic classification; syndrome identification; and family study provided a diagnosis in 40% of the cases of MCD. This contributes to the possibility of prenatal diagnosis and improved patient treatment and disease management.

Identification of a large rearrangement in CYLD as a cause of familial cylindromatosis.

Pathogenic mutations in CYLD can be identified in patients affected with Brooke-Spiegler syndrome, (Familial) Cylindromatosis or multiple familial trichoepithelioma. To date, only technologies which are able to identify small point mutations in CYLD, such as sequence and WAVE analysis, were used. Here we describe the identification of a larger rearrangement identified by Quantitative PCR analysis of CYLD, indicating that a combination of these technologies is necessary when searching for pathogenic mutations in CYLD.

Low grade mosaic for a complex supernumerary ring chromosome 18 in an adult patient with multiple congenital anomalies.

BACKGROUND: Several cases have been reported of patients with a ring chromosome 18 replacing one of the normal chromosomes 18. Less common are patients with a supernumerary ring chromosomes 18. High resolution whole genome examination in patients with multiple congenital abnormalities might reveal cytogenetic abnormalities of an unexpected complexity. RESULTS: We report a 24 years old male patient with lower spinal anomalies, hypospadia, bifid scrotum, cryptorchism, anal atresia, kidney stones, urethra anomalies, radial dysplasia, and a hypoplastic thumb. Some of the anomalies overlap with the VACTERL association. Chromosome analysis of cultured peripheral blood lymphocytes revealed an additional ring chromosome in 13% of the metaphases. Both parents had a normal karyotype, demonstrating the de novo origin of this ring chromosome. FISH analysis using whole chromosome paints showed that the additional chromosomal material was derived from chromosome 18. Chromosome analysis of cultured fibroblasts revealed only one cell with the supernumerary ring chromosome in the 400 analyzed. To characterize the ring chromosome in more detail peripheral blood derived DNA was analyzed using SNP-arrays. The array results indicated a 5 Mb gain of the pericentromeric region of chromosome 18q10-q11.2. FISH analysis using BAC-probes located in the region indicated the presence of 6 signals on the r(18) chromosome. In addition, microsatellite analysis demonstrated that the unique supernumerary ring chromosome was paternally derived and both normal copies showed biparental disomy. CONCLUSIONS: We report on an adult patient with multiple congenital abnormalities who had in 13% of his cells a unique supernumerary ring chromosome 18 that was composed of 6 copies of the 5 Mb gene rich region of 18q11.

A mutation in the fibroblast growth factor 14 gene is associated with autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxia [corrected].

Hereditary spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs) are a clinically and genetically heterogeneous group of neurodegenerative disorders for which >/=14 different genetic loci have been identified. In some SCA types, expanded tri- or pentanucleotide repeats have been identified, and the length of these expansions correlates with the age at onset and with the severity of the clinical phenotype. In several other SCA types, no genetic defect has yet been identified. We describe a large, three-generation family with early-onset tremor, dyskinesia, and slowly progressive cerebellar ataxia, not associated with any of the known SCA loci, and a mutation in the fibroblast growth factor 14 (FGF14) gene on chromosome 13q34. Our observations are in accordance with the occurrence of ataxia and paroxysmal dyskinesia in Fgf14-knockout mice. As indicated by protein modeling, the amino acid change from phenylalanine to serine at position 145 is predicted to reduce the stability of the protein. The present FGF14 mutation represents a novel gene defect involved in the neurodegeneration of cerebellum and basal ganglia.

Variable phenotypic expression and extensive tau pathology in two families with the novel tau mutation L315R.

Mutations in the tau gene cause familial frontotemporal dementia and parkinsonism linked to chromosome 17. Here, we describe two Dutch families with familial frontotemporal dementia associated with the novel missense mutation L315R in exon 11 of tau. The age at onset of disease showed a large variation within each family, ranging from 25 to 64 years. Incomplete penetrance was established in an 82-year-old mutation carrier with no signs of dementia and appeared probable in two additional subjects. The brains of two affected subjects were studied and showed extensive tau pathology in neurons (Pick-like inclusions) and astroglial cells, particularly in the frontotemporal cortex and the hippocampal formation. Sarkosyl-insoluble tau extracted from the cerebral cortex showed the presence of straight and twisted tau filaments and a pattern of pathological tau bands similar to that of Pick's disease. Upon dephosphorylation, only five of the six brain tau isoforms were observed, with the shortest isoform being undetectable. All six tau isoforms were present in soluble brain tau. Recombinant tau proteins with the L315R mutation showed a reduced ability to promote microtubule assembly.