PCNT point mutations and familial intracranial Aneurysms

Oswaldo Lorenzo-Betancor, Patrick R. Blackburn, Emily Edwards, Rocio Vázquez-Do-campo, Eric W. Klee, Catherine Labbé, Kyndall Hodges, Patrick Glover, Ashley N. Sigafoos, Alexandra I. Soto, Ronald L. Walton, Stephen Doxsey, Michael B. Bober, Sarah Jennings, Karl J. Clark, Yan Asmann, David Miller, William D. Freeman, James Meschia, Owen A. Ross

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

7 Scopus citations

Abstract

Objective To identify novel genes involved in the etiology of intracranial aneurysms (IAs) or subarachnoid hemorrhages (SAHs) using whole-exome sequencing. Methods We performed whole-exome sequencing in 13 individuals from 3 families with an autosomal dominant IA/SAH inheritance pattern to look for candidate genes for disease. In addition, we sequenced PCNT exon 38 in a further 161 idiopathic patients with IA/SAH to find additional carriers of potential pathogenic variants. Results We identified 2 different variants in exon 38 from the PCNT gene shared between affected members from 2 different families with either IA or SAH (p.R2728C and p.V2811L). One hundred sixty-four samples with either SAH or IA were Sanger sequenced for the PCNT exon 38. Five additional missense mutations were identified. We also found a second p.V2811L carrier in a family with a history of neurovascular diseases. Conclusion The PCNT gene encodes a protein that is involved in the process of microtubule nucleation and organization in interphase and mitosis. Biallelic loss-of-function mutations in PCNT cause a form of primordial dwarfism (microcephalic osteodysplastic primordial dwarfism type II), and ≈50% of these patients will develop neurovascular abnormalities, including IAs and SAHs. In addition, a complete Pcnt knockout mouse model (Pcnt-/-) published previously showed general vascular abnormalities, including intracranial hemorrhage. The variants in our families lie in the highly conserved PCNT protein-protein interaction domain, making PCNT a highly plausible candidate gene in cerebrovascular disease.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)E2170-E2181
JournalNeurology
Volume91
Issue number23
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 4 2018

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Clinical Neurology

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