Mutation of fibulin-1 causes a novel syndrome involving the central nervous system and connective tissues

Eur J Hum Genet. 2014 May;22(5):640-3. doi: 10.1038/ejhg.2013.210. Epub 2013 Oct 2.

Abstract

Fibulin-1 is an extracellular matrix protein that has an important role in the structure of elastic fibers and basement membranes of various tissues. Using homozygosity mapping and exome sequencing, we discovered a missense mutation, p.(Cys397Phe), in fibulin-1 in three patients from a consanguineous family presented with a novel syndrome of syndactyly, undescended testes, delayed motor milestones, mental retardation and signs of brain atrophy. The mutation discovered segregated with the phenotype and was not found in 374 population-matched alleles. The affected cysteine is highly conserved across vertebrates and its mutation is predicted to abolish a disulfide bond that defines the tertiary structure of fibulin-1. Our findings emphasize the crucial role fibulin-1 has in development of the central nervous system and various connective tissues.

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Substitution
  • Brain / pathology
  • Calcium-Binding Proteins / chemistry
  • Calcium-Binding Proteins / genetics*
  • Central Nervous System Diseases / genetics*
  • Child, Preschool
  • Chromosome Mapping
  • Connective Tissue Diseases / genetics*
  • DNA Mutational Analysis
  • Exome
  • Female
  • High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing
  • Homozygote
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Male
  • Models, Molecular
  • Mutation*
  • Pedigree
  • Protein Conformation
  • Spinal Cord / pathology
  • Syndrome

Substances

  • Calcium-Binding Proteins
  • fibulin