A novel de novo mutation within EFNB1 gene in a young girl with craniofrontonasal syndrome

Cleft Palate Craniofac J. 2012 Jan;49(1):109-13. doi: 10.1597/10-247. Epub 2011 Feb 27.

Abstract

Craniofrontonasal syndrome is mainly characterized by frontonasal dysplasia, telorbitism, a broad nasal root, and frequently a bifid nose and coronal craniosynostosis. Craniofrontonasal syndrome is an X-linked disorder with an unusual pattern of inheritance because heterozygous females are more severely affected than hemizygous males. The craniofrontonasal syndrome-causing gene is EFNB1, localized in the border region of chromosome Xq12 and Xq13.1, encoding for protein ephrin-B1. Here we aim to investigate the underlying genetic defect of a young girl with craniofrontonasal syndrome. The patient underwent surgical correction of her craniofacial deformities. Genetic analysis was carried out by polymerase chain reaction. Products of exon 2 of the EFNB1 gene were sequenced as well as digested with BpmI enzyme. A novel de novo missense mutation 373G>A was identified within the EFNB1 gene, leading to the replacement of glutamic acid at amino acid position 125 with lysine. The replacement of Glu125 with Lys, which lies within the G-H loop, part of the dimerization ligand-receptor interface, is expected to disrupt the interaction between the Eph receptor and ephrin B1 ligand, thus leading to craniofrontonasal syndrome.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Craniofacial Abnormalities / diagnostic imaging
  • Craniofacial Abnormalities / genetics*
  • Craniofacial Abnormalities / surgery
  • Ephrin-B1 / genetics*
  • Exons
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Imaging, Three-Dimensional
  • Mutation
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA
  • Syndrome
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Substances

  • EFNB1 protein, human
  • Ephrin-B1

Supplementary concepts

  • Craniofrontonasal dysplasia