Update of variants identified in the pancreatic ß-cell KATP channel genes KCNJ11 and ABCC8 in individuals with congenital hyperinsulinism and diabetes.

The most common genetic cause of neonatal diabetes and hyperinsulinism is pathogenic variants in ABCC8 and KCNJ11. These genes encode the subunits of the ß-cell ATP-sensitive potassium channel, a key component of the glucose-stimulated insulin secretion pathway. Mutations in the two genes cause dysregulated insulin secretion; inactivating mutations cause an oversecretion of insulin, leading to congenital hyperinsulinism, whereas activating mutations cause the opposing phenotype, diabetes. This review focuses on variants identified in ABCC8 and KCNJ11, the phenotypic spectrum and the treatment implications for individuals with pathogenic variants.

Adapting ACMG/AMP sequence variant classification guidelines for single-gene copy number variants.

PURPOSE: The ability of a single technology, next-generation sequencing, to provide both sequence and copy number variant (CNV) results has driven the merger of clinical cytogenetics and molecular genetics. Consequently, the distinction between the definition of a sequence variant and a CNV is blurry. As the 2015 American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics/Association for Molecular Pathology (ACMG/AMP) standards and guidelines for interpretation of sequence variants address CNV classification only sparingly, this study focused on adapting ACMG/AMP criteria for single-gene CNV interpretation. METHODS: CNV-specific modifications of the 2015 ACMG/AMP criteria were developed and their utility was independently tested by three diagnostic laboratories. Each laboratory team interpreted the same 12 single-gene CNVs using three systems: (1) without ACMG/AMP guidance, (2) with ACMG/AMP criteria, and (3) with new modifications. A replication study of 12 different CNVs validated the modified criteria. RESULTS: The adapted criteria system presented here showed improved concordance and usability for single-gene CNVs compared with using the ACMG/AMP interpretation guidelines focused on sequence variants. CONCLUSION: These single-gene CNV criteria modifications could be used as a supplement to the ACMG/AMP guidelines for sequence variants, allowing for a streamlined workflow and a step toward a uniform classification system for both sequence and copy number alterations.

A family with spinocerebellar ataxia and retinitis pigmentosa attributed to an ELOVL4 mutation.

Objective: To identify the genetic cause of autosomal dominant spinocerebellar ataxia and retinitis pigmentosa in a large extended pedigree. Methods: Clinical studies were done at 4 referral centers. Ten individuals in the same extended family participated in at least a portion of the study. Records were obtained from an 11th, deceased, individual. Neurologic and dermatological examinations were performed. Ophthalmologic evaluation including funduscopic examination and in some cases ocular coherence tomography were used to identify the presence of retinal disease. Whole exome sequencing (WES), in conjunction with Sanger sequencing and segregation analysis, was used to identify potential genetic mutation. Results: Affected individuals reported slowly progressive cerebellar ataxia with age at onset between 38 and 57. Imaging demonstrated cerebellar atrophy (3/3). WES identified a novel heterozygous mutation in the elongation of very long chain fatty acids 4 (ELOVL4) gene (c.512T>C, p.Ile171Thr) that segregated with ataxia in 7 members tested. Four of 8 members who underwent ophthalmologic evaluation were found to have retinitis pigmentosa. No skin findings were identified or reported. Ocular movement abnormalities and pyramidal tract signs were also present with incomplete penetrance. Conclusions: We report a family with both spinocerebellar ataxia and retinal dystrophy associated with an ELOVL4 mutation. In addition, to supporting prior reports that ELOVL4 mutations can cause spinocerebellar ataxia, our findings further broaden the spectrum of clinical presentations associated with spinocerebellar ataxia 34.

GCK-MODY in the US Monogenic Diabetes Registry: Description of 27 unpublished variants.

We report on 134 unique GCK variants in 217 families, including 27 unpublished variants, identified in the US Monogenic Diabetes Registry in the last decade. Using ACMG guidelines, 26% were pathogenic, 56% likely pathogenic and 18% were of uncertain significance. Those with pathogenic variants had clinical features consistent with GCK-MODY.

Scaling resolution of variant classification differences in ClinVar between 41 clinical laboratories through an outlier approach.

ClinVar provides open access to variant classifications shared from many clinical laboratories. Although most classifications are consistent across laboratories, classification differences exist. To facilitate resolution of classification differences on a large scale, clinical laboratories were encouraged to reassess outlier classifications of variants with medically significant differences (MSDs). Outliers were identified by first comparing ClinVar submissions from 41 clinical laboratories to detect variants with MSDs between the laboratories (650 variants). Next, MSDs were filtered for variants with ≥3 classifications (244 variants), of which 87.6% (213 variants) had a majority consensus in ClinVar, thus allowing for identification of outlier classifications in need of reassessment. Laboratories with outlier classifications were sent a custom report and encouraged to reassess variants. Results were returned for 204 (96%) variants, of which 62.3% (127) were resolved. Of those 127, 64.6% (82) were resolved due to reassessment prompted by this study and 35.4% (45) resolved by a previously completed reassessment. This study demonstrates a scalable approach to classification resolution and capitalizes on the value of data sharing within ClinVar. These activities will help the community move toward more consistent variant classifications, which will improve the care of patients with, or at risk for, genetic disorders.

Frequency of Germline Mutations in Cancer Susceptibility Genes in Malignant Mesothelioma.

PURPOSE: The aim of the current study was to determine the prevalence and clinical predictors of germline cancer susceptibility mutations in patients with malignant mesothelioma (MM). METHODS: We performed targeted capture and next-generation sequencing of 85 cancer susceptibility genes on germline DNA from 198 patients with pleural, peritoneal, and tunica vaginalis MM. RESULTS: Twenty-four germline mutations were identified in 13 genes in 23 (12%) of 198 patients. BAP1 mutations were the most common (n = 6; 25%). The remaining were in genes involved in DNA damage sensing and repair (n = 14), oxygen sensing (n = 2), endosome trafficking (n = 1), and cell growth (n = 1). Pleural site (odds ratio [OR], 0.23; 95% CI, 0.10 to 0.58; P < .01), asbestos exposure (OR, 0.28; 95% CI, 0.11 to 0.72; P < .01), and older age (OR, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.92 to 0.99; P = .01) were associated with decreased odds of carrying a germline mutation, whereas having a second cancer diagnosis (OR, 3.33; 95% CI, 1.22 to 9.07; P = .02) significantly increased the odds. The odds of carrying a mutation in BAP1 (OR, 1,658; 95% CI, 199 to 76,224; P < .001), BRCA2 (OR, 5; 95% CI, 1.0 to 14.7; P = .03), CDKN2A (OR, 53; 95% CI, 6 to 249; P < .001), TMEM127 (OR, 88; 95% CI, 1.7 to 1,105; P = .01), VHL (OR, 51; 95% CI, 1.1 to 453; P = .02), and WT1 (OR, 20; 95% CI, 0.5 to 135; P = .049) were significantly higher in MM cases than in a noncancer control population. Tumor sequencing identified mutations in a homologous recombination pathway gene in 52% (n = 29 of 54). CONCLUSION: A significant proportion of patients with MM carry germline mutations in cancer susceptibility genes, especially those with peritoneal MM, minimal asbestos exposure, young age, and a second cancer diagnosis. These data support clinical germline genetic testing for patients with MM and provide a rationale for additional investigation of the homologous recombination pathway in MM.

Molecular characterization of HDAC8 deletions in individuals with atypical Cornelia de Lange syndrome.

Cornelia de Lange syndrome (CdLS) is a rare neurodevelopmental syndrome for which mutations in five causative genes that encode (SMC1A, SMC3, RAD21) or regulate (NIPBL, HDAC8) the cohesin complex, account for ~70% of cases. Herein we report on four female Subjects who were found to carry novel intragenic deletions in HDAC8. In one case, the deletion was found in mosaic state and it was determined to be present in ~38% of blood lymphocytes and in nearly all cells of a buccal sample. All deletions, for which parental blood samples were available, were shown to have arisen de novo. X-chromosome inactivation studies demonstrated marked skewing, suggesting strong selection against the mutated HDAC8 allele. Based on an investigation of the deletion breakpoints, we hypothesize that microhomology-mediated replicative mechanisms may be implicated in the formation of some of these rearrangements. This study broadens the mutational spectrum of HDAC8, provides the first description of a causative HDAC8 somatic mutation and increases the knowledge on possible mutational mechanisms underlying copy number variations in HDAC8. Moreover our findings highlight the clinical utility of considering copy number analysis in HDAC8 as well as the analysis on DNA from more than one tissue as an indispensable part of the routine molecular diagnosis of individuals with CdLS or CdLS-overlapping features.

Alu-mediated deletion of PIGL in a Patient with CHIME syndrome.

CHIME syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive neuroectodermal disorder associated with biallelic mutations in PIGL. To date, six molecularly confirmed cases of CHIME syndrome have been reported. Here, we report the seventh patient with biallelic PIGL mutations associated with CHIME syndrome and describe the first characterization of an intragenic deletion in PIGL. Our characterization of the deletion breakpoint junction demonstrated that the breakpoints occurred within Alu repeats and the deletion was most likely mediated by a microhomology event. Analysis of PIGL genomic sequences for repetitive elements demonstrated that Alu repeats represent ∼34% of its intronic sequence, suggesting that the genomic architecture may predispose the gene to disease-causing copynumber changes. Taken together, these findings indicate that patients with a clinical diagnosis of CHIME syndrome and a single identifiable mutation in PIGL warrant further investigation for copynumber changes involving PIGL.

Clinical laboratories collaborate to resolve differences in variant interpretations submitted to ClinVar.

PURPOSE: Data sharing through ClinVar offers a unique opportunity to identify interpretation differences between laboratories. As part of a ClinGen initiative, four clinical laboratories (Ambry, GeneDx, Partners Healthcare Laboratory for Molecular Medicine, and University of Chicago Genetic Services Laboratory) collaborated to identify the basis of interpretation differences and to investigate if data sharing and reassessment resolve interpretation differences by analyzing a subset of variants. METHODS: ClinVar variants with submissions from at least two of the four participating laboratories were compared. For a subset of identified differences, laboratories documented the basis for discordance, shared internal data, independently reassessed with the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics-Association for Molecular Pathology (ACMG-AMP) guidelines, and then compared interpretations. RESULTS: At least two of the participating laboratories interpreted 6,169 variants in ClinVar, of which 88.3% were initially concordant. Laboratories reassessed 242/724 initially discordant variants, of which 87.2% (211) were resolved by reassessment with current criteria and/or internal data sharing; 12.8% (31) of reassessed variants remained discordant owing to differences in the application of the ACMG-AMP guidelines. CONCLUSION: Participating laboratories increased their overall concordance from 88.3 to 91.7%, indicating that sharing variant interpretations in ClinVar-thereby allowing identification of differences and motivation to resolve those differences-is critical to moving toward more consistent variant interpretations.Genet Med advance online publication 09 March 2017.

A Novel Kleefstra Syndrome-associated Variant That Affects the Conserved TPLX Motif within the Ankyrin Repeat of EHMT1 Leads to Abnormal Protein Folding.

Kleefstra syndrome (KS) (Mendelian Inheritance in Man (MIM) no. 610253), also known as 9q34 deletion syndrome, is an autosomal dominant disorder caused by haploinsufficiency of euchromatic histone methyltransferase-1 (EHMT1). The clinical phenotype of KS includes moderate to severe intellectual disability with absent speech, hypotonia, brachycephaly, congenital heart defects, and dysmorphic facial features with hypertelorism, synophrys, macroglossia, protruding tongue, and prognathism. Only a few cases of de novo missense mutations in EHMT1 giving rise to KS have been described. However, some EHMT1 variants have been described in individuals presenting with autism spectrum disorder or mild intellectual disability, suggesting that the phenotypic spectrum resulting from EHMT1 alterations may be quite broad. In this report, we describe two unrelated patients with complex medical histories consistent with KS in whom next generation sequencing identified the same novel c.2426C>T (p.P809L) missense variant in EHMT1 To examine the functional significance of this novel variant, we performed molecular dynamics simulations of the wild type and p.P809L variant, which predicted that the latter would have a propensity to misfold, leading to abnormal histone mark binding. Recombinant EHMT1 p.P809L was also studied using far UV circular dichroism spectroscopy and intrinsic protein fluorescence. These functional studies confirmed the model-based hypotheses and provided evidence for protein misfolding and aberrant target recognition as the underlying pathogenic mechanism for this novel KS-associated variant. This is the first report to suggest that missense variants in EHMT1 that lead to protein misfolding and disrupted histone mark binding can lead to KS.

A survey of current practices for genomic sequencing test interpretation and reporting processes in US laboratories.

PURPOSE: While the diagnostic success of genomic sequencing expands, the complexity of this testing should not be overlooked. Numerous laboratory processes are required to support the identification, interpretation, and reporting of clinically significant variants. This study aimed to examine the workflow and reporting procedures among US laboratories to highlight shared practices and identify areas in need of standardization. METHODS: Surveys and follow-up interviews were conducted with laboratories offering exome and/or genome sequencing to support a research program or for routine clinical services. The 73-item survey elicited multiple choice and free-text responses that were later clarified with phone interviews. RESULTS: Twenty-one laboratories participated. Practices highly concordant across all groups included consent documentation, multiperson case review, and enabling patient opt-out of incidental or secondary findings analysis. Noted divergence included use of phenotypic data to inform case analysis and interpretation and reporting of case-specific quality metrics and methods. Few laboratory policies detailed procedures for data reanalysis, data sharing, or patient access to data. CONCLUSION: This study provides an overview of practices and policies of experienced exome and genome sequencing laboratories. The results enable broader consideration of which practices are becoming standard approaches, where divergence remains, and areas of development in best practice guidelines that may be helpful.Genet Med advance online publication 03 Novemeber 2016.