Background: Biotinidase deficiency is an autosomal recessive inherited inborn error of biotin metabolism. Biotin as a water-soluble vitamin is the prosthetic group of biotin-dependent carboxylase enzymes, and by enhancing their function plays a key role in amino acid catabolism, fatty acid synthesis, and gluconeogenesis. Beyond its prosthetic group role, it has been recognized that biotin regulates the level of gene transcription in the eukaryotic cells, therefore any defect in these pathways causes a multisystem metabolic disorder characterized by neurological and cutaneous symptoms.
Methods and results: We report the identification of a novel pathogenic variant in the BTD gene, c.528_542del15 (p.Asn197_Ser201del, UniProt P43251-1) in an Iranian consanguineous family with a severe form of the disease. The segregation analysis in the family was consistent with phenotype and the identified variant was predicated as a pathogenic mutation by the in-silico prediction tools. Computer structural modeling suggests the deleted amino acid residues are located near the biotinidase active site and disrupt the special conformations which are critical for the enzyme activity, and also N-glycosylation.
Conclusions: This study further expands the mutation spectrum of the BTD gene underlying cause of profound biotinidase deficiency.
Keywords: BTD gene; Biotinidase deficiency; Iran; Mutation.