WHIM syndrome caused by a single amino acid substitution in the carboxy-tail of chemokine receptor CXCR4

Blood. 2012 Jul 5;120(1):181-9. doi: 10.1182/blood-2011-12-395608. Epub 2012 May 17.

Abstract

WHIM syndrome is a rare, autosomal dominant, immunodeficiency disorder so-named because it is characterized by warts, hypogammaglobulinemia, infections, and myelokathexis (defective neutrophil egress from the BM). Gain-of-function mutations that truncate the C-terminus of the chemokine receptor CXCR4 by 10-19 amino acids cause WHIM syndrome. We have identified a family with autosomal dominant inheritance of WHIM syndrome that is caused by a missense mutation in CXCR4, E343K (1027G → A). This mutation is also located in the C-terminal domain, a region responsible for negative regulation of the receptor. Accordingly, like CXCR4(R334X), the most common truncation mutation in WHIM syndrome, CXCR4(E343K) mediated approximately 2-fold increased signaling in calcium flux and chemotaxis assays relative to wild-type CXCR4; however, CXCR4(E343K) had a reduced effect on blocking normal receptor down-regulation from the cell surface. Therefore, in addition to truncating mutations in the C-terminal domain of CXCR4, WHIM syndrome may be caused by a single charge-changing amino acid substitution in this domain, E343K, that results in increased receptor signaling.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Intramural

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Amino Acid Substitution / genetics*
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Family Health
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes / genetics*
  • K562 Cells
  • Leukopenia / genetics
  • Male
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Pedigree
  • Phenotype
  • Primary Immunodeficiency Diseases
  • Protein Structure, Tertiary / genetics
  • Receptors, CXCR4 / chemistry*
  • Receptors, CXCR4 / genetics*
  • Warts / genetics*

Substances

  • CXCR4 protein, human
  • Receptors, CXCR4

Supplementary concepts

  • WHIM syndrome