A Novel Heterozygous Missense Mutation in GNAT1 Leads to Autosomal Dominant Riggs Type of Congenital Stationary Night Blindness

Biomed Res Int. 2018 Apr 23:2018:7694801. doi: 10.1155/2018/7694801. eCollection 2018.

Abstract

Autosomal dominant congenital stationary night blindness (adCSNB) is rare and results from altered phototransduction giving a Riggs type of electroretinogram (ERG) with loss of the rod a-wave and small b-waves. These patients usually have normal vision in light. Only few mutations in genes coding for proteins of the phototransduction cascade lead to this condition; most of these gene defects cause progressive rod-cone dystrophy. Mutation analysis of an adCSNB family with a Riggs-type ERG revealed a novel variant (c.155T>A p.Ile52Asn) in GNAT1 coding for the α-subunit of transducin, cosegregating with the phenotype. Domain predictions and 3D-modelling suggest that the variant does not affect the GTP-binding site as other GNAT1 adCSNB mutations do. It affects a predicted nuclear localization signal and a part of the first α-helix, which is distant from the GTP-binding site. The subcellular protein localization of this and other mutant GNAT1 proteins implicated in CSNB are unaltered in mammalian GNAT1 overexpressing cells. Our findings add a third GNAT1 mutation causing adCSNB and suggest that different pathogenic mechanisms may cause this condition.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Eye Diseases, Hereditary / genetics*
  • Female
  • Genetic Diseases, X-Linked / genetics*
  • Heterotrimeric GTP-Binding Proteins / chemistry
  • Heterotrimeric GTP-Binding Proteins / genetics*
  • Heterozygote
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mutation, Missense / genetics*
  • Myopia / genetics*
  • Night Blindness / genetics*
  • Transducin
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • GNAT1 protein, human
  • Heterotrimeric GTP-Binding Proteins
  • Transducin

Supplementary concepts

  • Night blindness, congenital stationary