A novel missense mutation in the HECT domain of NEDD4L identified in a girl with periventricular nodular heterotopia, polymicrogyria and cleft palate

J Hum Genet. 2017 Sep;62(9):861-863. doi: 10.1038/jhg.2017.53. Epub 2017 May 18.

Abstract

We identified a novel de novo heterozygous missense mutation in the NEDD4L gene (NM_015277: c.2617G>A; p.Glu873Lys) through whole-exome sequencing in a 3-year-old girl showing severe global developmental delay, infantile spasms, cleft palate, periventricular nodular heterotopia and polymicrogyria. Mutations in the HECT domain of NEDD4L have been reported in patients with a neurodevelopmental disorder along with similar brain malformations. All patients reported with NEDD4L HECT domain mutations showed periventricular nodular heterotopia, and most had seizures, cortex anomalies, cleft palate and syndactyly. The unique constellation of clinical features in patients with NEDD4L mutations might help clinically distinguish them from patients with other genetic mutations including FLNA, which is a well-known causative gene of periventricular nodular heterotopia. Although mutations in the HECT domain of NEDD4L that lead to AKT-mTOR pathway deregulation in forced expression system were reported, our western blot analysis did not show an increased level of AKT-mTOR activity in lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) derived from the patient. In contrast to the forced overexpression system, AKT-mTOR pathway deregulation in LCLs derived from our patient seems to be subtle.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Brain / abnormalities
  • Child, Preschool
  • Cleft Palate / diagnosis*
  • Cleft Palate / genetics*
  • DNA Mutational Analysis
  • Female
  • Genetic Association Studies
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Mutation, Missense*
  • Nedd4 Ubiquitin Protein Ligases / genetics*
  • Periventricular Nodular Heterotopia / diagnosis*
  • Periventricular Nodular Heterotopia / genetics*
  • Polymicrogyria / diagnosis*
  • Polymicrogyria / genetics*
  • Protein Domains / genetics

Substances

  • Nedd4 Ubiquitin Protein Ligases
  • Nedd4L protein, human