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Background:  X-linked spinal muscular atrophy (XL-SMA) results from mutations in the Ubiquitin-Like Modifier Activating Enzyme 1 (  UBA1 ). Previously, four novel closely clustered mutations have been shown to cause this fatal infantile disorder affecting only males. These mutations, three missense and one synonymous, all lie within Exon15 of the  UBA1  gene, which contains the active adenylation domain (AAD).    Methods:  In this study, our group characterized the three known missense variants  in vitro . Using a novel Uba1 assay and other methods, we investigated Uba1 adenylation, thioester, and transthioesterification reactions  in vitro  to determine possible biochemical effects of the missense variants.    Results:  Our data revealed that only one of the three XL-SMA missense variants impairs the Ubiquitin-adenylating ability of Uba1. Additionally, these missense variants retained Ubiquitin thioester bond formation and transthioesterification rates equal to that found in the wild type.    Conclusions:  Our results demonstrate a surprising shift from the likelihood of these XL-SMA mutations playing a damaging role in Uba1’s enzymatic activity with Ubiquitin, to other roles such as altering  UBA1  mRNA splicing via the disruption of splicing factor binding sites, similar to a mechanism in traditional SMA, or disrupting binding to other important  in vivo  binding partners.  These findings help to narrow the search for the areas of possible dysfunction in the Ubiquitin-proteasome pathway that ultimately result in XL-SMA. Moreover, this investigation provides additional critical understanding of the mutations’ biochemical mechanisms, vital for the development of future effective diagnostic assays and therapeutics.

Functional characterizations of rare UBA1 variants in X-linked Spinal Muscular Atrophy