A

Structural mapping of GABRB3 variants reveals genotype-phenotype correlations

medRxiv

Abstract

Abstract Purpose Pathogenic variants in GABRB3 have been associated with a spectrum of phenotypes from severe developmental disorders and epileptic encephalopathies to milder epilepsy syndromes and mild intellectual disability. In the present study, we analyzed a large cohort of individuals with GABRB3 variants to deepen the phenotypic understanding and investigate genotype-phenotype correlations. Methods Through an international collaboration, we analyzed electro-clinical data of unpublished individuals with variants in GABRB3 and we reviewed previously published cases. All missense variants were mapped onto the 3D structure of the GABRB3 subunit and clinical phenotypes associated with the different key structural domains were investigated. Results We characterize 71 individuals with GABRB3 variants, including 22 novel subjects, expressing a wide spectrum of phenotypes. Interestingly, phenotypes correlated with structural locations of the variants. Generalized epilepsy, with a median age at onset of 10.5 months, and mild-to-moderate intellectual disability were associated with variants in the extracellular domain. Focal epilepsy with early onset (median: 2.75 months of age) and severe intellectual disability were associated with variants in the pore-lining helical transmembrane domain. Conclusion These genotype/phenotype correlations will aid the genetic counseling and treatment of individuals affected by GABRB3 -related disorders. Future studies may reveal whether functional differences underlie the phenotypic differences. Key points Pathogenic variants in GABRB3 cause a wide range of phenotypes Missense variants in the ECD have generalized epilepsy with later onset and non-severe ID Missense variants in the TMD have focal epilepsy with early onset and severe ID Behavioral issues are common features of GABRB3 disease Precision medicine approaches for GABRB3 disease is limited

Authors 47

  1. Katrine M. Johannesen corresponding

    University of Southern Denmark

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Epilepsy Genetics and Personalized Treatment, the Danish Epilepsy Centre, Dianalund, Denmark

    Department of Regional Health Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark

  2. Broad Institute · Massachusetts General Hospital · Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research

    Affiliation as printed

    Analytic and Translational Genetics Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston

    Center for the Development of Therapeutics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, USA

    Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, USA

  3. University of Genoa

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Clinical neurophysiology, the Danish Epilepsy Centre, Dianalund, Denmark

    Department of Medicine, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy

  4. University of Southern Denmark

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Epilepsy Genetics and Personalized Treatment, the Danish Epilepsy Centre, Dianalund, Denmark

    Department of Regional Health Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark

  5. Universidad del Desarrollo · Clínica Alemana

    Affiliation as printed

    Universidad del Desarrollo, Centro de Genética y Genómica, Facultad de Medicina Clínica Alemana, Santiago de Chile, Chile

  6. Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg

    Affiliation as printed

    Service de Génétique Médicale, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg, Institut de Génétique Médicale d’Alsace, Strasbourg, France

    Service de Génétique Médicale, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg, Institut de Génétique Médicale d'Alsace, Strasbourg, France

  7. Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Pediatric Neurology, Strasbourg University Hospital, Strasbourg, France

  8. Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Pediatric Neurology, Strasbourg University Hospital, Strasbourg, France

  9. University College London · Great Ormond Street Hospital

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Neurology, Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, United Kingdom

    Molecular Neurosciences, Developmental Neurosciences Programme, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, United Kingdom

  10. National and Kapodistrian University of Athens · Children's Hospital Agia Sophia

    Affiliation as printed

    First Department of Pediatrics, “I Agia Sofia” Children Hospital, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece

    First Department of Pediatrics, "I Agia Sofia" Children Hospital, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece

  11. Hôpital Civil, Strasbourg

    Affiliation as printed

    Laboratoire de diagnostic génétique, Hôpital Civil, CHRU Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France

  12. University College London · Great Ormond Street Hospital

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Neurology, Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, United Kingdom

    Molecular Neurosciences, Developmental Neurosciences Programme, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, United Kingdom

  13. Addenbrooke's Hospital

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Paediatric Neurology, Child Development Centre, Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge, United Kingdom

  14. University of Cambridge · Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Clinical Genetics, Cambridge University Hospitals, Cambridge, United Kingdom

  15. University of Cambridge · NIHR BioResource

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Haematology, NIHR Bioresource, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom

  16. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Université Côte d'Azur · Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire

    Affiliation as printed

    Université Côte d’Azur, CNRS, IPMC, Sophia-Antipolis, France

    Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, IPMC, Sophia-Antipolis, France

  17. Universitair Ziekenhuis Leuven

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Pediatric Neurology, University Hospitals Leuven, Belgium

  18. Universitair Ziekenhuis Leuven

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Development and Regeneration, Campus Kulak Kortrijk, Kortrijk, Belgium

    Department of Paediatric Neurology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium

  19. University Medical Center Utrecht · Utrecht University

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Genetics, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands

  20. University Medical Center Utrecht · Utrecht University

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Genetics, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands

  21. University Medical Center Utrecht · Utrecht University

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Genetics, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands

  22. University Hospital Bonn

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Pediatric Neurology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany

  23. Istituto Giannina Gaslini · University of Genoa

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Neurosciences, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, University of Genova, Genova, Italy

    IRCCS Institute “Giannina Gaslini”, Genova, Italy

    IRCCS Institute "Giannina Gaslini", Genova, Italy

  24. Istituto Giannina Gaslini · University of Genoa

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Neurosciences, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, University of Genova, Genova, Italy

    Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Neuroscience, IRCCS “G. Gaslini” Institute, Genova, Italy

    Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Neuroscience, IRCCS "G. Gaslini" Institute, Genova, Italy

  25. Stichting Epilepsie Instellingen Nederland

    Affiliation as printed

    Stichting Epilepsie Instellingen Nederland (SEIN), Hoofddorp, The Netherlands

  26. Maastricht University · Radboud University Medical Center · Radboud University Nijmegen · Amalia Kinderziekenhuis · Maastricht University Medical Centre · Kempenhaeghe

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Neurology, Academic Center for Epileptology Kempenhaeghe & Maastricht University Medical Center, Heeze, The Netherlands

    Department of Pediatric Neurology, Amalia Children’s Hospital, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands

    Department of Pediatric Neurology, Amalia Children's Hospital, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands

  27. RWTH Aachen University · Universitätsklinikum Aachen

    Affiliation as printed

    Division of Neuropediatrics and Social Pediatrics, Dept. of Pediatrics, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Germany

  28. RWTH Aachen University

    Affiliation as printed

    Institute of Human Genetics, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany

  29. Lincoln Medical Center

    Affiliation as printed

    Division of Neurology Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center, Bronx, NY, United States

  30. University of Tartu · Tartu University Hospital

    Affiliation as printed

    Children’s Clinic of Tartu University Hospital, Tartu, Estonia

    ERN EpiCARE, Tartu, Estonia

    Children's Clinic of Tartu University Hospital, Tartu, Estonia

  31. Université de Lille · Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Lille

    Affiliation as printed

    Institut de Genetique Medicale, CHRU Lille, Universite de Lille, Lille, France

  32. University Hospital Leipzig · Leipzig University

    Affiliation as printed

    Institute of Human Genetics, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany

  33. University Hospital Leipzig · Leipzig University

    Affiliation as printed

    Institute of Human Genetics, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany

  34. St Michael's Hospital · University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust

    Affiliation as printed

    Clinical Genetics Department, University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, St Michael’s Hospital, Bristol, United Kingdom

    Clinical Genetics Department, University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, St Michael's Hospital, Bristol, United Kingdom

  35. University of Calgary · University Hospital Frankfurt · Goethe University Frankfurt · Hotchkiss Brain Institute · Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute

    Affiliation as printed

    Departments of Clinical Neurosciences, Medical Genetics and Community Health Sciences, Hotchkiss Brain Institute & Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada

    Epilepsy Center Frankfurt Rhine-Main, Department of Neurology, Center of Neurology and Neurosurgery, University Hospital, Goethe-University Frankfurt, Germany and Center for Personalized Translational Epilepsy Research (CePTER), Goethe University Frankfurt, Germany

    Departments of Clinical Neurosciences, Medical Genetics and Community Health Sciences, Hotchkiss Brain Institute & Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada

  36. University of Calgary · Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Medical Genetics, Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada

    Department of Medical Genetics, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada

  37. University of Calgary

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Pediatrics, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada

  38. Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children

    Affiliation as printed

    Division of Medical Genetics, Nemours A.I. duPont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, Delaware, USA

  39. Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz · University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz

    Affiliation as printed

    Institute of Human Genetics, Universitätsmedizin, Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz Institut für Humangenetik, Mainz, Germany

  40. National and Kapodistrian University of Athens

    Affiliation as printed

    Attiko University Hospital, University of Athens, 3rd Dept of Pediatrics, Haidari, Greece

  41. Broad Institute · Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research

    Affiliation as printed

    Center for the Development of Therapeutics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, USA

    Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, USA

  42. Cleveland Clinic · University of Cologne · Broad Institute · Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research

    Affiliation as printed

    Cologne Center for Genomics (CCG), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany

    Epilepsy Center, Neurological Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA

    Genomic Medicine Institute, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA

    Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, USA

  43. Institute of Pathology and Genetics

    Affiliation as printed

    Centre de Génétique Humaine, Institut de Pathologie et de Génétique, Charleroi, Gosselies, Belgium

  44. The University of Sydney

    Affiliation as printed

    Brain and Mind Centre, School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

  45. The University of Sydney

    Affiliation as printed

    Brain and Mind Centre, School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

  46. University of Southern Denmark

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Epilepsy Genetics and Personalized Treatment, the Danish Epilepsy Centre, Dianalund, Denmark

    Department of Regional Health Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark

  47. Elena Gardella corresponding

    University of Genoa · University of Southern Denmark

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Epilepsy Genetics and Personalized Treatment, the Danish Epilepsy Centre, Dianalund, Denmark

    Department of Medicine, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy

    Department of Regional Health Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark

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References 35