PUBLICATION

ZC4H2 Mutations Are Associated with Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita and Intellectual Disability through Impairment of Central and Peripheral Synaptic Plasticity

Authors
Hirata, H., Nanda, I., van Riesen, A., McMichael, G., Hu, H., Hambrock, M., Papon, M.A., Fischer, U., Marouillat, S., Ding, C., Alirol, S., Bienek, M., Preisler-Adams, S., Grimme, A., Seelow, D., Webster, R., Haan, E., Maclennan, A., Stenzel, W., Yap, T.Y., Gardner, A., Nguyen, L.S., Shaw, M., Lebrun, N., Haas, S.A., Kress, W., Haaf, T., Schellenberger, E., Chelly, J., Viot, G., Shaffer, L.G., Rosenfeld, J.A., Kramer, N., Falk, R., El-Khechen, D., Escobar, L.F., Hennekam, R., Wieacker, P., Hübner, C., Ropers, H.H., Gecz, J., Schuelke, M., Laumonnier, F., and Kalscheuer, V.M.
ID
ZDB-PUB-130603-5
Date
2013
Source
American journal of human genetics   92(5): 681-695 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Hirata, Hiromi
Keywords
none
MeSH Terms
  • Abnormalities, Multiple/genetics*
  • Abnormalities, Multiple/pathology
  • Animals
  • Arthrogryposis/genetics*
  • Arthrogryposis/pathology
  • Carrier Proteins/genetics*
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Chromosome Breakpoints
  • Comparative Genomic Hybridization
  • Female
  • Genetic Predisposition to Disease/genetics*
  • Haplotypes/genetics
  • High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing
  • Humans
  • Immunoblotting
  • In Situ Hybridization
  • Intellectual Disability/genetics*
  • Intellectual Disability/pathology
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mutation/genetics
  • Neuronal Plasticity/genetics*
  • Pedigree
  • Synapses/genetics
  • Zebrafish
  • Zinc Fingers/genetics*
PubMed
23623388 Full text @ Am. J. Hum. Genet.
Abstract

Arthrogryposis multiplex congenita (AMC) is caused by heterogeneous pathologies leading to multiple antenatal joint contractures through fetal akinesia. Understanding the pathophysiology of this disorder is important for clinical care of the affected individuals and genetic counseling of the families. We thus aimed to establish the genetic basis of an AMC subtype that is associated with multiple dysmorphic features and intellectual disability (ID). We used haplotype analysis, next-generation sequencing, array comparative genomic hybridization, and chromosome breakpoint mapping to identify the pathogenic mutations in families and simplex cases. Suspected disease variants were verified by cosegregation analysis. We identified disease-causing mutations in the zinc-finger gene ZC4H2 in four families affected by X-linked AMC plus ID and one family affected by cerebral palsy. Several heterozygous females were also affected, but to a lesser degree. Furthermore, we found two ZC4H2 deletions and one rearrangement in two female and one male unrelated simplex cases, respectively. In mouse primary hippocampal neurons, transiently produced ZC4H2 localized to the postsynaptic compartment of excitatory synapses, and the altered protein influenced dendritic spine density. In zebrafish, antisense-morpholino-mediated zc4h2 knockdown caused abnormal swimming and impaired α-motoneuron development. All missense mutations identified herein failed to rescue the swimming defect of zebrafish morphants. We conclude that ZC4H2 point mutations, rearrangements, and small deletions cause a clinically variable broad-spectrum neurodevelopmental disorder of the central and peripheral nervous systems in both familial and simplex cases of both sexes. Our results highlight the importance of ZC4H2 for genetic testing of individuals presenting with ID plus muscle weakness and minor or major forms of AMC.

Genes / Markers
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Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping