PurposeCoffin-Siris and Nicolaides-Baraitser syndromes are recognizable neurodevelopmental disorders caused by germline variants in BAF complex subunits. The SMARCC2 BAFopathy was recently reported... Show morePurposeCoffin-Siris and Nicolaides-Baraitser syndromes are recognizable neurodevelopmental disorders caused by germline variants in BAF complex subunits. The SMARCC2 BAFopathy was recently reported. Herein, we present clinical and molecular data on a large cohort.MethodsClinical symptoms for 41 novel and 24 previously published affected individuals were analyzed using the Human Phenotype Ontology. For genotype-phenotype correlations, molecular data were standardized and grouped into non-truncating and likely gene-disrupting (LGD) variants. Missense variant protein expression and BAF-subunit interactions were examined using 3D protein modeling, co-immunoprecipitation, and proximity-ligation assays.ResultsNeurodevelopmental delay with intellectual disability, muscular hypotonia, and behavioral disorders were the major manifestations. Clinical hallmarks of BAFopathies were rare. Clinical presentation differed significantly, with LGD variants being predominantly inherited and associated with mildly reduced or normal cognitive development, whereas non-truncating variants were mostly de novo and presented with severe developmental delay. These distinct manifestations and non-truncating variant clustering in functional domains suggest different pathomechanisms. In vitro testing showed decreased protein expression for N-terminal missense variants similar to LGD.ConclusionThis study improved SMARCC2 variant classification and identified discernible SMARCC2-associated phenotypes for LGD and non-truncating variants, which were distinct from other BAFopathies. The pathomechanism of most non-truncating variants has yet to be investigated. Show less
Delanne, J.; Lecat, M.; Blackburn, P.R.; Klee, E.W.; Stumpel, C.T.R.M.; Stegmann, S.; ... ; Thauvin-Robinet, C. 2022
Background: Since the first description of a BRWD3-associated nonsydromic intellectual disability (ID) disorder in 2007, 21 additional families have been reported in the literature.Methods: Using... Show moreBackground: Since the first description of a BRWD3-associated nonsydromic intellectual disability (ID) disorder in 2007, 21 additional families have been reported in the literature.Methods: Using exome sequencing (ES) and international data sharing, we identified 14 additional unrelated individuals with pathogenic BRWD3 variants (12 males and 2 females, including one with skewed X -inactiva-tion). We reviewed the 31 previously published cases in the literature with clinical data available, and describe the collective phenotypes of 43 males and 2 females, with 33 different BRWD3 variants.Results: The most common features in males (excluding one patient with a mosaic variant) included ID (39/39 males), speech delay (24/25 males), postnatal macrocephaly (28/35 males) with prominent forehead (18/25 males) and large ears (14/26 males), and obesity (12/27 males). Both females presented with macrocephaly, speech delay, and epilepsy, while epilepsy was only observed in 4/41 males. Among the 28 variants with available segregation reported, 19 were inherited from unaffected mothers and 9 were de novo.Conclusion: This study demonstrates that the BRWD3-related phenotypes are largely non-specific, leading to difficulty in clinical recognition of this disorder. A genotype-first approach, however, allows for the more effi-cient diagnosis of the BRWD3-related nonsyndromic ID. The refined clinical features presented here may provide additional diagnostic assistance for reverse phenotyping efforts. Show less
CSNK2B has recently been implicated as a disease gene for neurodevelopmental disability (NDD) and epilepsy. Information about developmental outcomes has been limited by the young age and short... Show moreCSNK2B has recently been implicated as a disease gene for neurodevelopmental disability (NDD) and epilepsy. Information about developmental outcomes has been limited by the young age and short follow-up for many of the previously reported cases, and further delineation of the spectrum of associated phenotypes is needed. We present 25 new patients with variants in CSNK2B and refine the associated NDD and epilepsy phenotypes. CSNK2B variants were identified by research or clinical exome sequencing, and investigators from different centers were connected via GeneMatcher. Most individuals had developmental delay and generalized epilepsy with onset in the first 2 years. However, we found a broad spectrum of phenotypic severity, ranging from early normal development with pharmacoresponsive seizures to profound intellectual disability with intractable epilepsy and recurrent refractory status epilepticus. These findings suggest that CSNK2B should be considered in the diagnostic evaluation of patients with a broad range of NDD with treatable or intractable seizures. Show less