Germ-line deletion in DICER1 revealed by a novel MLPA assay using synthetic oligonucleotides

Eur J Hum Genet. 2014 Apr;22(4):564-7. doi: 10.1038/ejhg.2013.215. Epub 2013 Sep 25.

Abstract

DICER1 is an endoribonuclease responsible for the production of mature microRNAs which are small, single-stranded RNA molecules that regulate gene expression post-transcriptionally by binding to mRNA and repressing the expression of target genes. Germ-line mutations in DICER1 are responsible for a rare cancer syndrome, including tumors that can co-occur with multinodular goiter (MNG). Using Sanger sequencing, we screened all DICER1 exons and intron boundaries in 20 suspected mutation carriers: nine with ovarian sex cord-stromal tumors (including Sertoli-Leydig cell tumors (SLCTs)), five with pleuropulmonary blastoma, one with cystic nephroma, one with nasal chondromesenchymal hamartoma and four with more than one manifestation suggestive of a germ-line DICER1 mutation. All were negative for any apparently deleterious variants. We developed a Multiplex Ligation-based Probe Amplification assay for DICER1 to screen for large deletions or duplications. Synthetic oligonucleotides were designed to cover all exons in three probe-mixes. In a child with a SLCT and MNG, and in her mother and brother (both diagnosed with MNG), we identified a heterozygous germ-line deletion of approximately 3 kilobases that eliminates exon 21 of DICER1 and two-thirds of intron 21, accompanied by an insertion of a G nucleotide at the 3' end of the deletion (c.3270-6_4051-1280delinsG). This allele is expressed in the patient's cDNA, creating an out-of-frame deletion predicted to result in a truncated protein (r.3270_4050del; p.Tyr1091Ser*28). Our novel finding of a disease-causing large deletion in DICER1 emphasizes the need to include assays that can detect rearrangements, duplications and deletions in any DICER1 screening protocol.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Alleles
  • Child
  • DEAD-box RNA Helicases / genetics*
  • Exons
  • Female
  • Frameshift Mutation
  • Gene Rearrangement
  • Germ Cells / chemistry*
  • Germ-Line Mutation
  • Goiter, Nodular / complications
  • Goiter, Nodular / genetics
  • Humans
  • Introns
  • Male
  • Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction / methods*
  • Oligonucleotides / chemistry*
  • Ovarian Neoplasms / complications
  • Ovarian Neoplasms / genetics
  • Pedigree
  • Ribonuclease III / genetics*
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA
  • Sequence Deletion*

Substances

  • Oligonucleotides
  • DICER1 protein, human
  • Ribonuclease III
  • DEAD-box RNA Helicases