Open AccessPhenotype and genotype spectrum of variants in guanine nucleotide exchange factor genes in a broad cohort of Iranian patients
Author(s) -
Mosallaei Meysam,
Ehtesham Naeim,
Beheshtian Maryam,
Khoshbakht Shahrouz,
Davarnia Behzad,
Kahrizi Kimia,
Najmabadi Hossein
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
molecular genetics and genomic medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.765
H-Index - 29
ISSN - 2324-9269
DOI - 10.1002/mgg3.1894
Subject(s) - guanine nucleotide exchange factor , genetics , phenotype , gene , genotype , cohort , hypotonia , biology , disease , mutation , bioinformatics , medicine , gtpase , pathology
Background Guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs) play pivotal roles in neuronal cell functions by exchanging GDP to GTP nucleotide and activation of GTPases. We aimed to determine the genotype and phenotype spectrum of GEF mutations by collecting data from a large Iranian cohort with intellectual disability (ID) and/or developmental delay (DD). Methods We collected data from nine families with 20 patients extracted from Iranian cohort of 640 families with ID and/or DD. Next‐generation sequencing (NGS) was used to identify the causing variants in recruited families. We also compared our clinical and molecular findings with previously reported patients carrying mutations in these GEF genes in the literature published until mid‐2021. Results We identified disease‐causing variants in eight GEF genes including ALS2 , IQSEC2 , MADD , RAB3GAP1 , RAB3GAP2 , TRIO , ITSN1 , and DENND2A . The major clinical manifestations in 203 previously reported cases along with our 20 patients with disease causing variants in eight GEF genes were as follow; speech disorder (85.2%), ID (81.6%), DD (81.1%), inability to walk (71.3%), facial dysmorphisms features (52.4%), abnormalities in skull morphology (55.6%), hypotonia and muscle weakness (47%), and brain MRI abnormalities (43.4%). Conclusion Our study provides new insights into the genotype and phenotype spectrum of mutations in GEF genes.