A novel de novo MTOR gain-of-function variant in a patient with Smith-Kingsmore syndrome and Antiphospholipid syndrome

Eur J Hum Genet. 2019 Sep;27(9):1369-1378. doi: 10.1038/s41431-019-0418-1. Epub 2019 May 3.

Abstract

We report the clinical, biochemical and genetic findings from a Spanish girl of Caucasian origin who presented with macrocephaly, dysmorphic facial features, developmental delay, hypotonia, combined oxidative phosphorylation (OxPhos) deficiency, epilepsy and anti-phospholipid antibodies (aPL). Whole-exome sequencing (WES) uncovered a heterozygous variant in the MTOR gene (NM_004958.3: c.7235A>T: p.(Asp2412Val)) that encodes for the Serine/threonine-protein kinase mTOR. The substrates phosphorylation experiments demonstrated that this variant exerts its effect by gain-of-function (GOF) and autosomal dominant mechanism. GOF variants in this protein have been associated with Smith-Kingsmore syndrome (SKS), a rare autosomal dominant disorder characterized by intellectual disability, macrocephaly, seizure, developmental delay and dysmorphic facial features. Furthermore, the mTOR pathway has been demonstrated previously to be involved in many types of endothelium injuries including the antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), a systemic autoimmune disease characterized by the production of aPL with recurrent vascular thrombosis. Therefore, our patient is the first one with an mTOR variant and diagnosed with SKS and APS. In conclusion, our data expand both the genetic and phenotypic spectrum associated with MTOR gene variants.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Alleles
  • Amino Acid Substitution
  • Antiphospholipid Syndrome / diagnosis*
  • Antiphospholipid Syndrome / genetics*
  • Antiphospholipid Syndrome / metabolism
  • Brain / abnormalities
  • Brain / diagnostic imaging
  • Child, Preschool
  • Comparative Genomic Hybridization
  • Electron Transport
  • Female
  • Gain of Function Mutation*
  • Genes, Dominant*
  • Genotype
  • Humans
  • Karyotyping
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Mitochondria, Muscle / genetics
  • Mitochondria, Muscle / metabolism
  • Neurodevelopmental Disorders / diagnosis*
  • Neurodevelopmental Disorders / genetics*
  • Neurodevelopmental Disorders / metabolism
  • Pedigree
  • Phenotype
  • Signal Transduction
  • Syndrome
  • TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases / genetics*

Substances

  • MTOR protein, human
  • TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases