![]() ; ; et al in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (2020) Interpretation of the colossal number of genetic variants identified from sequencing applications is one of the major bottlenecks in clinical genetics, with the inference of the effect of amino acid ... [more ▼] Interpretation of the colossal number of genetic variants identified from sequencing applications is one of the major bottlenecks in clinical genetics, with the inference of the effect of amino acid-substituting missense variations on protein structure and function being especially challenging. Here we characterize the three-dimensional (3D) amino acid positions affected in pathogenic and population variants from 1,330 disease-associated genes using over 14,000 experimentally solved human protein structures. By measuring the statistical burden of variations (i.e., point mutations) from all genes on 40 3D protein features, accounting for the structural, chemical, and functional context of the variations’ positions, we identify features that are generally associated with pathogenic and population missense variants. We then perform the same amino acid-level analysis individually for 24 protein functional classes, which reveals unique characteristics of the positions of the altered amino acids: We observe up to 46% divergence of the class-specific features from the general characteristics obtained by the analysis on all genes, which is consistent with the structural diversity of essential regions across different protein classes. We demonstrate that the function-specific 3D features of the variants match the readouts of mutagenesis experiments for BRCA1 and PTEN, and positively correlate with an independent set of clinically interpreted pathogenic and benign missense variants. Finally, we make our results available through a web server to foster accessibility and downstream research. Our findings represent a crucial step toward translational genetics, from highlighting the impact of mutations on protein structure to rationalizing the variants’ pathogenicity in terms of the perturbed molecular mechanisms. [less ▲] Detailed reference viewed: 109 (1 UL)![]() ; May, Patrick ![]() in Genome Medicine (2020), 12(28), Background: Classifying pathogenicity of missense variants represents a major challenge in clinical practice during the diagnoses of rare and genetic heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs ... [more ▼] Background: Classifying pathogenicity of missense variants represents a major challenge in clinical practice during the diagnoses of rare and genetic heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs). While orthologous gene conservation is commonly employed in variant annotation, approximately 80% of known disease-associated genes belong to gene families. The use of gene family information for disease gene discovery and variant interpretation has not yet been investigated on genome-wide scale. We empirically evaluate whether paralog conserved or non-conserved sites in human gene families are important in NDDs. Methods: Gene family information was collected from Ensembl. Paralog conserved sites were defined based on paralog sequence alignments. 10,068 NDD patients and 2,078 controls were statistically evaluated for de novo variant burden in gene families. Results: We demonstrate that disease-associated missense variants are enriched at paralog conserved sites across all disease groups and inheritance models tested. We developed a gene family de novo enrichment framework that identified 43 exome-wide enriched gene families including 98 de novo variant carrying genes in NDD patients of which 28 represent novel candidate genes for NDD which are brain expressed and under evolutionary constraint. Conclusion: This study represents the first method to incorporate gene-family information into a statistical framework to interpret variant data for NDDs and to discover newly NDD -associated genes. [less ▲] Detailed reference viewed: 115 (2 UL)![]() ; May, Patrick ![]() in Genome Research (2020), 30(1), 62-71 Missense variant interpretation is challenging. Essential regions for protein function are conserved among gene family members, and genetic variants within these regions are potentially more likely to ... [more ▼] Missense variant interpretation is challenging. Essential regions for protein function are conserved among gene family members, and genetic variants within these regions are potentially more likely to confer risk to disease. Here, we generated 2,871 gene family protein sequence alignments involving 9,990 genes and performed missense variant burden analyses to identify novel essential protein regions. We mapped 2,219,811 variants from the general population into these alignments and compared their distribution with 76,153 missense variants from patients. With this gene family approach, we identified 465 regions enriched for patient variants spanning 41,463 amino acids in 1,252 genes. As a comparison, testing the same genes individually we identified less patient variant enriched regions involving only 2,639 amino acids and 215 genes. Next, we selected de novo variants from 6,753 patients with neurodevelopmental disorders and 1,911 unaffected siblings, and observed an 8.33-fold enrichment of patient variants in our identified regions (95% C.I.=3.90-Inf, p-value = 2.72x10-11). Using the complete ClinVar variant set, we found that missense variants inside the identified regions are 106-fold more likely to be classified as pathogenic in comparison to benign classification (OR = 106.15, 95% C.I = 70.66-Inf, p-value < 2.2 x 10-16). All pathogenic variant enriched regions (PERs) identified are available online through the “PER viewer” a user-friendly online platform for interactive data mining, visualization and download. In summary, our gene family burden analysis approach identified novel pathogenic variant enriched regions in protein sequences. This annotation can empower variant interpretation. [less ▲] Detailed reference viewed: 244 (2 UL)![]() ; May, Patrick ![]() in European Journal of Human Genetics (2019) It is challenging to estimate genetic variant burden across different subtypes of epilepsy. Herein, we used a comparative approach to assess the diagnostic yield and genotype-phenotype correlations in the ... [more ▼] It is challenging to estimate genetic variant burden across different subtypes of epilepsy. Herein, we used a comparative approach to assess the diagnostic yield and genotype-phenotype correlations in the four most common brain lesions in patients with drug-resistant focal epilepsy. Targeted sequencing analysis was performed for a panel of 161 genes with a mean coverage of > 400x. Lesional tissue was histopathologically reviewed and dissected from hippocampal sclerosis (n=15), ganglioglioma (n=16), dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumors (n=8) and ocal cortical dysplasia type II (n=15). Peripheral blood (n=12) or surgical tissue samples histopathologically classified as lesion-free (n=42) were available for comparison. Variants were classified as pathogenic or likely pathogenic according to American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics guidelines. Overall, we identified pathogenic and likely pathogenic variants in 25.9% of patients with a mean coverage of 383x. The highest number of pathogenic/ likely pathogenic variants was observed in patients with ganglioglioma (43.75%; all somatic) and dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumors (37.5%; all somatic), and in 20% of cases with focal cortical dysplasia type II (13.33% somatic, 6.67% germline). Pathogenic/likely pathogenic positive genes were disorder-specific and BRAF V600E the only recurrent pathogenic variant. This study represents a reference for diagnostic yield across the four most common lesion entities in patients with drug-resistant focal epilepsy. The observed large variability in variant burden by epileptic lesion type calls for whole exome sequencing of histopathologically well characterized tissue in a diagnostic setting and in research to discover novel disease-associated genes. [less ▲] Detailed reference viewed: 117 (2 UL)![]() ; ; et al in American Journal of Human Genetics (2019) Sequencing-based studies have identified novel risk genes associated with severe epilepsies and revealed an excess of rare deleterious variation in less-severe forms of epilepsy. To identify the shared ... [more ▼] Sequencing-based studies have identified novel risk genes associated with severe epilepsies and revealed an excess of rare deleterious variation in less-severe forms of epilepsy. To identify the shared and distinct ultra-rare genetic risk factors for different types of epilepsies, we performed a whole-exome sequencing (WES) analysis of 9,170 epilepsy-affected individuals and 8,436 controls of European ancestry. We focused on three phenotypic groups: severe developmental and epileptic encephalopathies (DEEs), genetic generalized epilepsy (GGE), and non-acquired focal epilepsy (NAFE). We observed that compared to controls, individuals with any type of epilepsy carried an excess of ultra-rare, deleterious variants in constrained genes and in genes previously associated with epilepsy; we saw the strongest enrichment in individuals with DEEs and the least strong in individuals with NAFE. Moreover, we found that inhibitory GABAA receptor genes were enriched for missense variants across all three classes of epilepsy, whereas no enrichment was seen in excitatory receptor genes. The larger gene groups for the GABAergic pathway or cation channels also showed a significant mutational burden in DEEs and GGE. Although no single gene surpassed exome-wide significance among individuals with GGE or NAFE, highly constrained genes and genes encoding ion channels were among the lead associations; such genes included CACNA1G, EEF1A2, and GABRG2 for GGE and LGI1, TRIM3, and GABRG2 for NAFE. Our study, the largest epilepsy WES study to date, confirms a convergence in the genetics of severe and less-severe epilepsies associated with ultra-rare coding variation, and it highlights a ubiquitous role for GABAergic inhibition in epilepsy etiology. [less ▲] Detailed reference viewed: 148 (7 UL)![]() ; ; et al E-print/Working paper (2019) Inference of the structural and functional consequences of amino acid-altering missense variants is challenging and not yet scalable. Clinical and research applications of the colossal number of ... [more ▼] Inference of the structural and functional consequences of amino acid-altering missense variants is challenging and not yet scalable. Clinical and research applications of the colossal number of identified missense variants is thus limited. Here we describe the aggregation and analysis of large-scale genomic variation and structural biology data for 1,330 disease-associated genes. Comparing the burden of 40 structural, physicochemical, and functional protein features of altered amino acids with 3-dimensional coordinates, we found 18 and 14 features that are associated with pathogenic and population missense variants, respectively. Separate analyses of variants from 24 protein functional classes revealed novel function-dependent vulnerable features. We then devised a quantitative spectrum, identifying variants with higher pathogenic variant-associated features. Finally, we developed a web resource (MISCAST; http://miscast.broadinstitute.org/) for interactive analysis of variants on linear and tertiary protein structures. The biological impact of missense variants available through the webtool will assist researchers in hypothesizing variant pathogenicity and disease trajectories. [less ▲] Detailed reference viewed: 262 (1 UL)![]() ; May, Patrick ![]() E-print/Working paper (2019) Missense variant interpretation is challenging. Essential regions for protein function are conserved among gene family members, and genetic variants within these regions are potentially more likely to ... [more ▼] Missense variant interpretation is challenging. Essential regions for protein function are conserved among gene family members, and genetic variants within these regions are potentially more likely to confer risk to disease. Here, we generated 2,871 gene family protein sequence alignments involving 9,990 genes and performed missense variant burden analyses to identify novel essential protein regions. We mapped 2,219,811 variants from the general population into these alignments and compared their distribution with 65,034 missense variants from patients. With this gene family approach, we identified 398 regions enriched for patient variants spanning 33,887 amino acids in 1,058 genes. As a comparison, testing the same genes individually we identified less patient variant enriched regions involving only 2,167 amino acids and 180 genes. Next, we selected de novo variants from 6,753 patients with neurodevelopmental disorders and 1,911 unaffected siblings, and observed a 5.56-fold enrichment of patient variants in our identified regions (95% C.I. =2.76-Inf, p-value = 6.66×10−8). Using an independent ClinVar variant set, we found missense variants inside the identified regions are 111-fold more likely to be classified as pathogenic in comparison to benign classification (OR = 111.48, 95% C.I = 68.09-195.58, p-value < 2.2e−16). All patient variant enriched regions identified (PERs) are available online through a user-friendly platform for interactive data mining, visualization and download at http://per.broadinstitute.org. In summary, our gene family burden analysis approach identified novel patient variant enriched regions in protein sequences. This annotation can empower variant interpretation. [less ▲] Detailed reference viewed: 134 (0 UL)![]() ; ; et al in Bioinformatics (2019) The correct classification of missense variants as benign or pathogenic remains challenging. Pathogenic variants are expected to have higher deleterious prediction scores than benign variants in the same ... [more ▼] The correct classification of missense variants as benign or pathogenic remains challenging. Pathogenic variants are expected to have higher deleterious prediction scores than benign variants in the same gene. However, most of the existing variant annotation tools do not reference the score range of benign population variants on gene level. Here, we present a web-application, Variant Score Ranker, which enables users to rapidly annotate variants and perform gene-specific variant score ranking on the population level. We also provide an intuitive example of how gene- and population-calibrated variant ranking scores can improve epilepsy variant prioritization. [less ▲] Detailed reference viewed: 90 (4 UL)![]() ; ; et al in Biophysical Journal (2019, February 15), 116(3), 420-421 Elucidating molecular consequences of amino-acid-altering missense variants at scale is challenging. In this work, we explored whether features derived from three-dimensional (3D) protein structures can ... [more ▼] Elucidating molecular consequences of amino-acid-altering missense variants at scale is challenging. In this work, we explored whether features derived from three-dimensional (3D) protein structures can characterize patient missense variants across different protein classes with similar molecular level activities. The identified disease-associated features can advance our understanding of how a single amino acid substitution can lead to the etiology of monogenic disorders. For 1,330 disease-associated genes (>80%, 1,077/1,330 implicated in Mendelian disorders), we collected missense variants from the general population (gnomAD database, N=164,915) and patients (ClinVar and HGMD databases, N=32,923). We in silico mapped the variant positions onto >14k human protein 3D structures. We annotated the protein positions of variants with 40 structural, physiochemical, and functional features. We then grouped the genes into 24 protein classes based on their molecular functions and performed statistical association analyses with the features of population and patient variants. We identified 18 (out of 40) features that are associated with patient variants in general. Specifically, patient variants are less exposed to solvent (p<1.0e-100), enriched on b-sheets (p<2.37e-39), frequently mutate aromatic residues (p<1.0e-100), occur in ligand binding sites (p<1.0e-100) and are spatially close to phosphorylation sites (p<1.0e-100). We also observed differential protein-class-specific features. For three protein classes (signaling molecules, proteases and hydrolases), patient variants significantly perturb the disulfide bonds (p<1.0e-100). Only in immunity proteins, patient variants are enriched in flexible coils (p<1.65e-06). Kinases and cell junction proteins exhibit enrichment of patient variants around SUMOylation (p<1.0e-100) and methylation sites (p<9.29e-11), respectively. In summary, we studied shared and unique features associated with patient variants on protein structure across 24 protein classes, providing novel mechanistic insights. We generated an online resource that contains amino-acid-wise feature annotation-track for 1,330 genes, summarizes the patient-variant-associated features on residue level, and can guide variant interpretation. [less ▲] Detailed reference viewed: 152 (1 UL)![]() ; ; et al in Epilepsia (2018) Objective: Increasing availability of surgically resected brain tissue from patients with focal epilepsy and Focal Cortical Dysplasia (FCD) or low-grade glio-neuronal tumors has fostered large-scale ... [more ▼] Objective: Increasing availability of surgically resected brain tissue from patients with focal epilepsy and Focal Cortical Dysplasia (FCD) or low-grade glio-neuronal tumors has fostered large-scale genetic examination. However, assessment of pathogenicity of germline and somatic variants remains difficult. Here, we present a state of the art evaluation of reported genes and variants associated with epileptic brain lesions. Methods: We critically re-evaluated the pathogenicity for all neuropathology-associated variants reported to date in PubMed and ClinVar databases including 101 neuropathology-associated missense variants encompassing 11 disease-related genes. We assessed gene variant tolerance and classified all identified missense variants according to guidelines from the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG). We further extended the bioinformatic variant prediction by introducing a novel gene-specific deleteriousness ranking for prediction scores. Results: Application of ACMG guidelines and in silico gene variant tolerance analysis classified only seven out of 11 genes to be likely disease-associated according to the reported a disease mechanism, while 61 (60.4%) of 101 variants of those genes were classified as of uncertain significance (VUS), 37 (36.6%) as being likely pathogenic (LP) and 3 (3%) as being pathogenic (P). Significance: We concluded that the majority of neuropathology-associated variants reported to date do not have enough evidence to be classified as pathogenic. Interpretation of lesion-associated variants remains challenging and application of current ACMG guidelines is recommended for interpretation and prediction. [less ▲] Detailed reference viewed: 155 (4 UL)![]() May, Patrick ![]() in Lancet Neurology (2018), 17(8), 699-708 Background Genetic generalised epilepsy is the most common type of inherited epilepsy. Despite a high concordance rate of 80% in monozygotic twins, the genetic background is still poorly understood. We ... [more ▼] Background Genetic generalised epilepsy is the most common type of inherited epilepsy. Despite a high concordance rate of 80% in monozygotic twins, the genetic background is still poorly understood. We aimed to investigate the burden of rare genetic variants in genetic generalised epilepsy. Methods For this exome-based case-control study, we used three different genetic generalised epilepsy case cohorts and three independent control cohorts, all of European descent. Cases included in the study were clinically evaluated for genetic generalised epilepsy. Whole-exome sequencing was done for the discovery case cohort, a validation case cohort, and two independent control cohorts. The replication case cohort underwent targeted next-generation sequencing of the 19 known genes encoding subunits of GABAA receptors and was compared to the respective GABAA receptor variants of a third independent control cohort. Functional investigations were done with automated two-microelectrode voltage clamping in Xenopus laevis oocytes. Findings Statistical comparison of 152 familial index cases with genetic generalised epilepsy in the discovery cohort to 549 ethnically matched controls suggested an enrichment of rare missense (Nonsyn) variants in the ensemble of 19 genes encoding GABAA receptors in cases (odds ratio [OR] 2·40 [95% CI 1·41–4·10]; pNonsyn=0·0014, adjusted pNonsyn=0·019). Enrichment for these genes was validated in a whole-exome sequencing cohort of 357 sporadic and familial genetic generalised epilepsy cases and 1485 independent controls (OR 1·46 [95% CI 1·05–2·03]; pNonsyn=0·0081, adjusted pNonsyn=0·016). Comparison of genes encoding GABAA receptors in the independent replication cohort of 583 familial and sporadic genetic generalised epilepsy index cases, based on candidate-gene panel sequencing, with a third independent control cohort of 635 controls confirmed the overall enrichment of rare missense variants for 15 GABAA receptor genes in cases compared with controls (OR 1·46 [95% CI 1·02–2·08]; pNonsyn=0·013, adjusted pNonsyn=0·027). Functional studies for two selected genes (GABRB2 and GABRA5) showed significant loss-of-function effects with reduced current amplitudes in four of seven tested variants compared with wild-type receptors. Interpretation Functionally relevant variants in genes encoding GABAA receptor subunits constitute a significant risk factor for genetic generalised epilepsy. Examination of the role of specific gene groups and pathways can disentangle the complex genetic architecture of genetic generalised epilepsy. [less ▲] Detailed reference viewed: 144 (20 UL)![]() ; ; et al in Nature Genetics (2018) Epilepsy is a frequent feature of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD) but little is known about genetic differences between NDD with and without epilepsy. We analyzed de novo variants (DNV) in 6753 parent ... [more ▼] Epilepsy is a frequent feature of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD) but little is known about genetic differences between NDD with and without epilepsy. We analyzed de novo variants (DNV) in 6753 parent-offspring trios ascertained for different NDD. In the subset of 1942 individuals with NDD with epilepsy, we identified 33 genes with a significant excess of DNV, of which SNAP25 and GABRB2 had previously only limited evidence for disease association. Joint analysis of all individuals with NDD also implicated CACNA1E as a novel disease gene. Comparing NDD with and without epilepsy, we found missense DNV, DNV in specific genes, age of recruitment and severity of intellectual disability to be associated with epilepsy. We further demonstrate to what extent our results impact current genetic testing as well as treatment, emphasizing the benefit of accurate genetic diagnosis in NDD with epilepsy. [less ▲] Detailed reference viewed: 153 (6 UL)![]() ; ; et al E-print/Working paper (2018) Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD) with epilepsy constitute a complex and heterogeneous phenotypic spectrum of largely unclear genetic architecture. We conducted exome-wide enrichment analyses for protein ... [more ▼] Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD) with epilepsy constitute a complex and heterogeneous phenotypic spectrum of largely unclear genetic architecture. We conducted exome-wide enrichment analyses for protein-altering de novo variants (DNV) in 7088 parent-offspring trios with NDD of which 2151 were comorbid with epilepsy. In this cohort, the genetic spectrum of epileptic encephalopathy (EE) and nonspecific NDD with epilepsy were markedly similar. We identified 33 genes significantly enriched for DNV in NDD with epilepsy, of which 27.3 were associated with therapeutic consequences. These 33 DNV-enriched genes were more often associated with synaptic transmission but less with chromatin modification when compared to NDD without epilepsy. On average, only 53 of the DNV-enriched genes were represented on available diagnostic sequencing panels, so our findings should drive significant improvements of genetic testing approaches. [less ▲] Detailed reference viewed: 308 (4 UL)![]() ; ; et al in European Journal of Human Genetics (2017) The classic epileptic encephalopathies, including infantile spasms (IS) and Lennox–Gastaut syndrome (LGS), are severe seizure disorders that usually arise sporadically. De novo variants in genes mainly ... [more ▼] The classic epileptic encephalopathies, including infantile spasms (IS) and Lennox–Gastaut syndrome (LGS), are severe seizure disorders that usually arise sporadically. De novo variants in genes mainly encoding ion channel and synaptic proteins have been found to account for over 15% of patients with IS or LGS. The contribution of autosomal recessive genetic variation, however, is less well understood. We implemented a rare variant transmission disequilibrium test (TDT) to search for autosomal recessive epileptic encephalopathy genes in a cohort of 320 outbred patient–parent trios that were generally prescreened for rare metabolic disorders. In the current sample, our rare variant transmission disequilibrium test did not identify individual genes with significantly distorted transmission over expectation after correcting for the multiple tests. While the rare variant transmission disequilibrium test did not find evidence of a role for individual autosomal recessive genes, our current sample is insufficiently powered to assess the overall role of autosomal recessive genotypes in an outbred epileptic encephalopathy population. [less ▲] Detailed reference viewed: 213 (10 UL)![]() ; Balling, Rudi ![]() in American Journal of Human Genetics (2017), 100(1), 179- In the list of consortium members for the Epilepsy Phenome/Genome Project, member Dina Amrom’s name was misspelled as Amron. The authors regret the error. Detailed reference viewed: 177 (3 UL)![]() ; ; May, Patrick ![]() E-print/Working paper (2017) Purpose: Increasing availability of surgically resected brain tissue from Focal Cortical Dysplasia and low-grade epilepsy-associated tumor patients fostered large-scale genetic examination. However ... [more ▼] Purpose: Increasing availability of surgically resected brain tissue from Focal Cortical Dysplasia and low-grade epilepsy-associated tumor patients fostered large-scale genetic examination. However, assessment of germline and somatic variant pathogenicity remains difficult. Methods: Here, we critically reevaluated the pathogenicity for all neuropathology-associated variants reported to date in the PubMed and ClinVar databases, including 12 disease-related genes and 88 neuropathology-associated missense variants. We (1) assessed evolutionary gene constraint using the pLI and missense z scores, (2) applied guidelines by the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG), and (3) predicted pathogenicity by using PolyPhen-2, CADD, and GERP. Results: Constraint analysis classified only seven out of 12 genes to be likely disease-associated, while 35 (40\%) of those 88 variants were classified as being variants of unknown significance (VUS) and 53 (60\%) as being likely pathogenic (LPII). Pathogenicity prediction yielded discrimination between neuropathology-associated variants (LPII and VUS) and rare variant scores obtained from individuals present in the Genome Aggregation Database (gnomAD). Conclusion: We conclude that several VUS are likely disease-associated and will be reclassified by future molecular evidence. In summary, interpretation of lesion-associated gene variants remains complex while the application of current ACMG guidelines including bioinformatic pathogenicity prediction will help improving interpretation and prediction. [less ▲] Detailed reference viewed: 191 (4 UL)![]() ; ; et al in Nature Genetics (2015), 47(4), 393-9 Epileptic encephalopathies are a phenotypically and genetically heterogeneous group of severe epilepsies accompanied by intellectual disability and other neurodevelopmental features1–6. Using next ... [more ▼] Epileptic encephalopathies are a phenotypically and genetically heterogeneous group of severe epilepsies accompanied by intellectual disability and other neurodevelopmental features1–6. Using next-generation sequencing, we identified four different de novo mutations in KCNA2, encoding the potassium channel KV1.2, in six patients with epileptic encephalopathy (one mutation recurred three times independently). Four individuals presented with febrile and multiple afebrile, often focal seizure types, multifocal epileptiform discharges strongly activated by sleep, mild to moderate intellectual disability, delayed speech development and sometimes ataxia. Functional studies of the two mutations associated with this phenotype showed almost complete loss of function with a dominant-negative effect. Two further individuals presented with a different and more severe epileptic encephalopathy phenotype. They carried mutations inducing a drastic gain-of-function effect leading to permanently open channels. These results establish KCNA2 as a new gene involved in human neurodevelopmental disorders through two different mechanisms, predicting either hyperexcitability or electrical silencing of KV1.2-expressing neurons. [less ▲] Detailed reference viewed: 276 (17 UL)![]() ; ; et al in Brain: a Journal of Neurology (2015) Detailed reference viewed: 243 (18 UL)![]() ; ; et al in Epilepsy research (2015), 115 Recently, mutations and deletions in the GRIN2A gene have been identified to predispose to benign and severe idiopathic focal epilepsies (IFE), revealing a higher incidence of GRIN2A alterations among the ... [more ▼] Recently, mutations and deletions in the GRIN2A gene have been identified to predispose to benign and severe idiopathic focal epilepsies (IFE), revealing a higher incidence of GRIN2A alterations among the more severe phenotypes. This study aimed to explore the phenotypic boundaries of GRIN2A mutations by investigating patients with the two most common epilepsy syndromes: (i) idiopathic generalized epilepsy (IGE) and (ii) temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). Whole exome sequencing data of 238 patients with IGE as well as Sanger sequencing of 84 patients with TLE were evaluated for GRIN2A sequence alterations. Two additional independent cohorts comprising 1469 IGE and 330 TLE patients were screened for structural deletions (>40kb) involving GRIN2A. Apart from a presumably benign, non-segregating variant in a patient with juvenile absence epilepsy, neither mutations nor deletions were detected in either cohort. These findings suggest that mutations in GRIN2A preferentially are involved in genetic variance of pediatric IFE and do not contribute significantly to either adult focal epilepsies as TLE or generalized epilepsies. [less ▲] Detailed reference viewed: 173 (4 UL)![]() ; Balling, Rudi ![]() in American Journal of Human Genetics (2014), 4 Emerging evidence indicates that epileptic encephalopathies are genetically highly heterogeneous, underscoring the need for large cohorts of well-characterized individuals to further define the genetic ... [more ▼] Emerging evidence indicates that epileptic encephalopathies are genetically highly heterogeneous, underscoring the need for large cohorts of well-characterized individuals to further define the genetic landscape. Through a collaboration between two consortia (EuroEPINOMICS and Epi4K/EPGP), we analyzed exome-sequencing data of 356 trios with the “classical” epileptic encephalopathies, infantile spasms and Lennox Gastaut syndrome, including 264 trios previously analyzed by the Epi4K/EPGP consortium. In this expanded cohort, we find 429 de novo mutations, including de novo mutations in DNM1 in five individuals and de novo mutations in GABBR2, FASN, and RYR3 in two individuals each. Unlike previous studies, this cohort is sufficiently large to show a significant excess of de novo mutations in epileptic encephalopathy probands compared to the general population using a likelihood analysis (p = 8.2 × 10−4), supporting a prominent role for de novo mutations in epileptic encephalopathies. We bring statistical evidence that mutations in DNM1 cause epileptic encephalopathy, find suggestive evidence for a role of three additional genes, and show that at least 12% of analyzed individuals have an identifiable causal de novo mutation. Strikingly, 75% of mutations in these probands are predicted to disrupt a protein involved in regulating synaptic transmission, and there is a significant enrichment of de novo mutations in genes in this pathway in the entire cohort as well. These findings emphasize an important role for synaptic dysregulation in epileptic encephalopathies, above and beyond that caused by ion channel dysfunction. [less ▲] Detailed reference viewed: 255 (19 UL) |
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