Mutations in extracellular matrix genes NID1 and LAMC1 cause autosomal dominant Dandy-Walker malformation and occipital cephaloceles

We performed whole-exome sequencing of a family with autosomal dominant Dandy-Walker malformation and occipital cephaloceles and detected a mutation in the extracellular matrix (ECM) protein-encoding gene NID1. In a second family, protein interaction network analysis identified a mutation in LAMC1, which encodes a NID1-binding partner. Structural modeling of the NID1-LAMC1 complex demonstrated that each mutation disrupts the interaction. These findings implicate the ECM in the pathogenesis of Dandy-Walker spectrum disorders.

In a Vietnamese population, MSX1 variants contribute to cleft lip and palate

PURPOSE

To identify causes of nonsyndromic cleft lip and palate in a Vietnamese population.

METHODS

In this study, 175 families with at least one case of cleft lip and/or palate were studied using the candidate genes TGFA, MSX1, and TGFB3.

RESULTS

Transmission distortion for alleles of MSX1 were demonstrated for the whole population and two missense mutations were identified, including one (P147Q) that is found in approximately 2% of the population. The P147Q appears to arise from a founder individual based on shared haplotypes in unrelated families.

CONCLUSIONS

MSX1 contributes to nonsyndromic clefting in a Vietnamese population, and consistent with other studies, identifiable mutations in this gene cause about 2% of cases of nonsyndromic clefting.