2. Academic Validation
  3. Novel GABRG2 mutations cause familial febrile seizures

Novel GABRG2 mutations cause familial febrile seizures

  • Neurol Genet. 2015 Nov 4;1(4):e35. doi: 10.1212/NXG.0000000000000035.
Morgane Boillot 1,  Mélanie Morin-Brureau 1,  Fabienne Picard 1,  Sarah Weckhuysen 1,  Virginie Lambrecq 1,  Carlo Minetti 1,  Pasquale Striano 1,  Federico Zara 1,  Michele Iacomino 1,  Saeko Ishida 1,  Isabelle An-Gourfinkel 1,  Mailys Daniau 1,  Katia Hardies 1,  Michel Baulac 1,  Olivier Dulac 1,  Eric Leguern 1,  Rima Nabbout 1,  Stéphanie Baulac 1
Affiliations

Affiliation

  • 1 Sorbonne Universités (M.B., S.I., M.D., S.B., M.M.-B., E.L., S.W., M.B., V.L., I.A.-G.), UPMC Univ Paris 06, UM 75, ICM; INSERM, U1127 (M.B., S.I., M.D., S.B., M.M.-B., E.L., S.W., M.B., V.L., I.A.-G.), ICM; CNRS (M.B., S.I., M.D., S.B., M.M.-B., E.L., S.W., M.B., V.L., I.A.-G.), UMR 7225, ICM; ICM (M.B., S.I., M.D., S.B., M.M.-B., E.L., S.W., M.B., V.L., I.A.-G.), Paris, France; Department of Neurology (F.P.), University Hospitals of Geneva (HUG), Switzerland; Centre de Reference Épilepsies Rares, Epilepsy Unit (S.W., M.B., V.L., I.A.-G.), and Département de Génétique et de Cytogénétique (E.L.), AP-HP Groupe Hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France; Pediatric Neurology and Muscular Diseases Unit, Department of Neurosciences, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, University of Genova (C.M., P.S.), and Laboratory of Neurogenetics, Department of Neurosciences (F.Z., M.I.), "G. Gaslini" Institute, Genova, Italy; Neurogenetics Group, VIB-Department of Molecular Genetics (K.H.), and Laboratory of Neurogenetics, Institute Born-Bunge (K.H.), University of Antwerp, Belgium; Centre de Reference Épilepsies Rares (O.D., R.N.), Department of Pediatric Neurology, Necker Enfants Malades Hospital, AP-HP, Paris; INSERM (O.D., R.N.), U1129, Necker, Paris, France; and University Paris Descartes (O.D., R.N.), Paris, France.
PMID: 27066572 DOI: 10.1212/NXG.0000000000000035
Abstract

Objective: To identify the genetic cause in a large family with febrile seizures (FS) and temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) and subsequently search for additional mutations in a cohort of 107 families with FS, with or without epilepsy.

Methods: The cohort consisted of 1 large family with FS and TLE, 64 smaller French families recruited through a national French campaign, and 43 Italian families. Molecular analyses consisted of whole-exome sequencing and mutational screening.

Results: Exome sequencing revealed a p.Glu402fs*3 mutation in the γ2 subunit of the GABAA receptor gene (GABRG2) in the large family with FS and TLE. Three additional nonsense and frameshift GABRG2 mutations (p.Arg136*, p.Val462fs*33, and p.Pro59fs*12), 1 missense mutation (p.Met199Val), and 1 exonic deletion were subsequently identified in 5 families of the follow-up cohort.

Conclusions: We report GABRG2 mutations in 5.6% (6/108) of families with FS, with or without associated epilepsy. This study provides evidence that GABRG2 mutations are linked to the FS phenotype, rather than epilepsy, and that loss-of-function of GABAA receptor γ2 subunit is the probable underlying pathogenic mechanism.

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