Mutations affecting the SAND domain of DEAF1 cause intellectual disability with severe speech impairment and behavioral problems
Publication year
2014Author(s)
Source
American Journal of Human Genetics, 94, 5, (2014), pp. 649-61ISSN
Publication type
Article / Letter to editor

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Organization
Human Genetics
Dentistry
Journal title
American Journal of Human Genetics
Volume
vol. 94
Issue
iss. 5
Page start
p. 649
Page end
p. 61
Subject
Radboudumc 12: Sensory disorders RIMLS: Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences; Radboudumc 7: Neurodevelopmental disorders DCMN: Donders Center for Medical Neuroscience; Radboudumc 7: Neurodevelopmental disorders RIMLS: Radboud Institute for Molecular Life SciencesAbstract
Recently, we identified in two individuals with intellectual disability (ID) different de novo mutations in DEAF1, which encodes a transcription factor with an important role in embryonic development. To ascertain whether these mutations in DEAF1 are causative for the ID phenotype, we performed targeted resequencing of DEAF1 in an additional cohort of over 2,300 individuals with unexplained ID and identified two additional individuals with de novo mutations in this gene. All four individuals had severe ID with severely affected speech development, and three showed severe behavioral problems. DEAF1 is highly expressed in the CNS, especially during early embryonic development. All four mutations were missense mutations affecting the SAND domain of DEAF1. Altered DEAF1 harboring any of the four amino acid changes showed impaired transcriptional regulation of the DEAF1 promoter. Moreover, behavioral studies in mice with a conditional knockout of Deaf1 in the brain showed memory deficits and increased anxiety-like behavior. Our results demonstrate that mutations in DEAF1 cause ID and behavioral problems, most likely as a result of impaired transcriptional regulation by DEAF1.
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- Academic publications [227864]
- Faculty of Medical Sciences [86218]
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