Clinical and genetic analysis of a case with centronuclear myopathy caused by SPEG gene mutation: a case report and literature review

Novel SPEG variants in a neonate with severe dilated cardiomyopathy and relatively mild hypotonia

Striated muscle preferentially expressed protein kinase (SPEG) variants have been reported to cause centronuclear myopathy associated with cardiac diseases. The severity of skeletal muscle symptoms and cardiac symptoms are presumably related to the location of the variant. Here, we report novel SPEG compound heterozygous pathological variants in a neonate with severe dilated cardiomyopathy and relatively mild hypotonia. This report expands the genotype-phenotype correlations of patients with SPEG variants.

Characterization of a novel zebrafish model of SPEG-related centronuclear myopathy

Centronuclear myopathy (CNM) is a congenital neuromuscular disorder caused by pathogenic variation in genes associated with membrane trafficking and excitation–contraction coupling (ECC). Bi-allelic autosomal-recessive mutations in striated muscle enriched protein kinase (SPEG) account for a subset of CNM patients. Previous research has been limited by the perinatal lethality of constitutive Speg knockout mice. Thus, the precise biological role of SPEG in developing skeletal muscle remains unknown. To address this issue, we generated zebrafish spega, spegb and spega;spegb (speg-DKO) mutant lines. We demonstrated that speg-DKO zebrafish faithfully recapitulate multiple phenotypes associated with CNM, including disruption of the ECC machinery, dysregulation of calcium homeostasis during ECC and impairment of muscle performance. Taking advantage of zebrafish models of multiple CNM genetic subtypes, we compared novel and known disease markers in speg-DKO with mtm1-KO and DNM2-S619L transgenic zebrafish. We observed Desmin accumulation common to all CNM subtypes, and Dnm2 upregulation in muscle of both speg-DKO and mtm1-KO zebrafish. In all, we establish a new model of SPEG-related CNM, and identify abnormalities in this model suitable for defining disease pathomechanisms and evaluating potential therapies.

This article has an associated First Person interview with the joint first authors of the paper.

Summary: We created a novel zebrafish Speg mutant model of centronuclear myopathy that recapitulates key features of the human disorder and provides insight into pathomechanisms of the disease.

Mutational and clinical spectrum of centronuclear myopathy in 9 cases and a literature review of Chinese patients

Centronuclear myopathy (CNM) is a group of congenital myopathies with the histopathological findings of centralized nuclei in muscle fibres. In this study, we summarized the mutational spectrum and phenotypic features of nine Chinese patients with CNM and reanalysed the existing data on 32 CNM patients reported in China. In a cohort comprising nine patients, 14 variants were found in three CNM-related genes, including DNM2, RYR1, and TTN, in 4, 3, and 2 patients, respectively. Of the total 14 variants identified, nine were reported, and 5 were novel including one pathogenic, one likely pathogenic, and 3 of undetermined significance (VUS). Pathologically, we identified the percentage of muscle fibres with central nuclei was much higher in the DNM2-related CNM patients than that in other genetic type of CNM. Of the 32 genetic-diagnosed CNM patients previously reported from China, DNM2, MTM1, SPEG, RYR1, and MYH7 mutations accounted for 59.4%, 25.0%, 9.4%, 3.1%, and 3.1%, respectively. Notably, all of the 20 variants of DNM2 were missense mutations, and the missense mutations in exon 8 were found in 60.0% of DNM2 variants. The c.1106G > A/ p.R369Q (NM_001005360) occurred in 26.3% patients of this Chinese cohort with DNM2-CNM. In conclusion, CNM showed a highly variable genetic spectrum, with DNM2 as the most common causative gene in Chinese CNM patients.

Striated Preferentially Expressed Protein Kinase (SPEG) in Muscle Development, Function, and Disease

Mutations in striated preferentially expressed protein kinase (SPEG), a member of the myosin light chain kinase protein family, are associated with centronuclear myopathy (CNM), cardiomyopathy, or a combination of both. Burgeoning evidence suggests that SPEG plays critical roles in the development, maintenance, and function of skeletal and cardiac muscles. Here we review the genotype-phenotype relationships and the molecular mechanisms of SPEG-related diseases. This review will focus on the progress made toward characterizing SPEG and its interacting partners, and its multifaceted functions in muscle regeneration, triad development and maintenance, and excitation-contraction coupling. We will also discuss future directions that are yet to be investigated including understanding of its tissue-specific roles, finding additional interacting proteins and their relationships. Understanding the basic mechanisms by which SPEG regulates muscle development and function will provide critical insights into these essential processes and help identify therapeutic targets in SPEG-related disorders.