Tubular aggregates in human muscle biopsies have been reported to occur in a variety of acquired and hereditary neuromuscular conditions since 1964. Recently mutations in the gene encoding the main calcium sensor in the sarcoplasmic reticulum, stromal interaction molecule 1 (STIM1), have been identified as a cause of autosomal dominant tubular aggregate myopathy. We studied a German family with tubular aggregate myopathy and defined cellular consequences of altered STIM1 function. Both patients in our family had early progressive myopathy with proximal paresis of arm and leg muscles, scapular winging, ventilatory failure, joint contractures and external ophthalmoplegia. One patient had a well-documented disease course over 50 years. Sequencing of the STIM1 gene revealed a previously unreported missense mutation (c.242G>A; p.Gly81Asp) located in the first calcium binding EF domain. Functional characterization of the new STIM1 mutation by calcium imaging revealed that calcium influx was significantly increased in primary myoblasts of the index patient compared to controls pointing at a severe alteration of intracellular calcium homeostasis. This new family widens the spectrum of STIM1-associated myopathies to a more severe phenotype.
Keywords: Calcium imaging; Myopathy; STIM1; Tubular aggregates.
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