Novel variants in PNPLA6 causing syndromic retinal dystrophy

Shijing Wu, Zixi Sun, Tian Zhu, Richard G. Weleber, Paul Yang, Xing Wei, Mark E. Pennesi, Ruifang Sui

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

11 Scopus citations

Abstract

PNPLA6-related disorders include several phenotypes, such as Boucher–Neuhäuser syndrome, Gordon Holmes syndrome, spastic paraplegia, photoreceptor degeneration, Oliver-McFarlane syndrome and Laurence-Moon syndrome. In this study, detailed clinical evaluations and genetic testing were performed in five (4 Chinese and 1 Caucasian/Chinese) syndromic retinal dystrophy patients. Genotype-phenotype correlations were analyzed based on review of the literatures of previously published PNPLA6-related cases. The mean age of patients and at first visit were 20.8 years (11, 12, 25, 28, 28) and 14.2 years (4, 7, 11, 24, 25), respectively. They all presented with severe chorioretinal dystrophy and profoundly decreased vision. The best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) ranged from 20/200 to 20/2000. Systemic manifestations included cerebellar ataxia, hypogonadotropic hypogonadism and hair anomalies. Six novel and three reported pathogenic variants in PNPLA6 (NM_001166111) were identified. The genotypes of the five cases are: c.3134C > T (p.Ser1045Leu) and c.3846+1G > A, c.3547C > T (p.Arg1183Trp) and c.1841+3A > G, c.3436G > A (p.Ala1146Thr) and c.2212-10A > G, c.3436G > A (p.Ala1146Thr) and c.2266C > T (p.Gln756*), c.1238_1239insC (p.Leu414Serfs*28) and c.3130A > G (p.Thr1044Ala). RT-PCR confirmed that the splicing variants indeed led to abnormal splicing. Missense variants p.Thr1044Ala, p.Ser1045Leu, p.Ala1146Thr, p.Arg1183Trp and c.3846+1G > A are located in Patatin-like phospholipase (Pat) domain. In conclusion, we report the phenotypes in five patients with PNPLA6 associated syndromic retinal dystrophy with variable systemic involvement and typical choroideremia-like fundus changes. Ocular manifestations may be the first and the only findings for years. All of our patients carried one severe deleterious variant (stop-gain or splicing variant) and one milder variant (missense variant). Retinal involvement was significantly correlated with severe deleterious variants and variants in Pat domain.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number108327
JournalExperimental Eye Research
Volume202
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 2021

Keywords

  • Boucher-Neuhäuser syndrome
  • Choroideremia-like
  • Oliver-McFarlane syndrome
  • PNPLA6 gene
  • Syndromic retinal dystrophy

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Ophthalmology
  • Sensory Systems
  • Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Novel variants in PNPLA6 causing syndromic retinal dystrophy'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this