De novo SOX11 mutations cause Coffin-Siris syndrome.

Tsurusaki, Yoshinori; Koshimizu, Eriko; Ohashi, Hirofumi; Phadke, Shubha; Kou, Ikuyo; Shiina, Masaaki; Suzuki, Toshifumi; Okamoto, Nobuhiko et al. · Nat Commun · 2014

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

Coffin-Siris syndrome (CSS) is a congenital disorder characterized by growth deficiency, intellectual disability, microcephaly, characteristic facial features and hypoplastic nails of the fifth fingers and/or toes. We previously identified mutations in five genes encoding subunits of the BAF complex, in 55% of CSS patients. Here we perform whole-exome sequencing in additional CSS patients, identifying de novo SOX11 mutations in two patients with a mild CSS phenotype. sox11a/b knockdown in zebrafish causes brain abnormalities, potentially explaining the brain phenotype of CSS. SOX11 is the downstream transcriptional factor of the PAX6-BAF complex, highlighting the importance of the BAF complex and SOX11 transcriptional network in brain development.

Medical subject headings