WWOX mutations

Inspired by a patient

Tabarki B, AlHashem A, AlShahwan S, Alkuraya FS, Gedela S, Zuccoli G. Severe

CNS involvement in WWOX mutations: Description of five new cases. Am J Med Genet

A. 2015 Dec;167A(12):3209-13.

Abstract

Recently, mutations in WWOX have been identified in the setting of central nervous system (CNS) disorders, highlighting a previously unrevealed role of this gene in the normal development and function of the CNS. In this report, we add five patients from two seemingly unrelated families presenting with a primarily neurological phenotype. All the children were product of consanguineous marriages. Whole exome sequencing revealed the same homozygous mutation (NM_016373.3:c.606-1G>A) of WWOX in all five patients. All patients and carriers in the family share the same haplotype indicating the families are in fact related to one another. The clinical presentation included progressive microcephaly, early onset of spasticity in the first 3 months of life, intractable epilepsy, severe failure to thrive, and profound developmental delay. Retinopathy was observed in two patients. All five patients died before their third birthday. Neuroimaging showed extensive neurodegeneration characterized by periventricular white matter volume loss and atrophy of the corpus callosum. Additional degeneration selectively affecting the mediodorsal nucleus of the thalamus was observed in one patient. Our findings in five new patients affected by WWOX mutation with early infantile phenotype confirm the features of the disease represented by early infantile epileptic encephalopathy. We suggest that neuroimaging in these patients reveals a characteristic pattern of neurodegeneration in which the cerebellum is spared that could help with early diagnosis in the appropriate clinical setting.

Mignot C, Lambert L, Pasquier L, Bienvenu T, Delahaye-Duriez A, Keren B,

Lefranc J, Saunier A, Allou L, Roth V, Valduga M, Moustaïne A, Auvin S, Barrey C,

Chantot-Bastaraud S, Lebrun N, Moutard ML, Nougues MC, Vermersch AI, Héron B,

Pipiras E, Héron D, Olivier-Faivre L, Guéant JL, Jonveaux P, Philippe C.

WWOX-related encephalopathies: delineation of the phenotypical spectrum and

emerging genotype-phenotype correlation. J Med Genet. 2015 Jan;52(1):61-70.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Homozygous mutations in WWOX were reported in eight individuals of two families with autosomal recessive spinocerebellar ataxia type 12 and in two siblings with infantile epileptic encephalopathy (IEE), including one who deceased prior to DNA sampling.

METHODS:

By combining array comparative genomic hybridisation, targeted Sanger sequencing and next generation sequencing, we identified five further patients from four families with IEE due to biallelic alterations of WWOX.

RESULTS:

We identified eight deleterious WWOX alleles consisting in four deletions, a four base-pair frameshifting deletion, one missense and two nonsense mutations. Genotype-phenotype correlation emerges from the seven reported families. The phenotype in four patients carrying two predicted null alleles was characterised by (1) little if any psychomotor acquisitions, poor spontaneous motility and absent eye contact from birth, (2) pharmacoresistant epilepsy starting in the 1st weeks of life, (3) possible retinal degeneration, acquired microcephaly and premature death. This contrasted with the less severe autosomal recessive spinocerebellar ataxia type 12 phenotype due to hypomorphic alleles. In line with this correlation, the phenotype in two siblings carrying a null allele and a missense mutation was intermediate.

CONCLUSIONS:

Our results obtained by a combination of different molecular techniques undoubtedly incriminate WWOX as a gene for recessive IEE and illustrate the usefulness of high throughput data mining for the identification of genes for rare autosomal recessive disorders. The structure of the WWOX locus encompassing the FRA16D fragile site might explain why constitutive deletions are recurrently reported in genetic databases, suggesting that WWOX-related encephalopathies, although likely rare, may not be exceptional.

Valduga M, Philippe C, Lambert L, Bach-Segura P, Schmitt E, Masutti JP,

François B, Pinaud P, Vibert M, Jonveaux P. WWOX and severe autosomal recessive

epileptic encephalopathy: first case in the prenatal period. J Hum Genet. 2015

May;60(5):267-71.

Abstract

WWOX has been recently implicated in autosomal recessive spinocerebellar ataxia type 12 (SCAR12) and severe early-onset epileptic encephalopathy (EOEE). By array comparative genomic hybridization, we identified a 0.6 Mb homozygous deletion in 16q23.1 in a fetus presenting with brain anomalies. His older sister who died at the age of 22 months from an EOEE was also homozygous for the copy number variations in 16q23.1. This deletion includes the first six exons of WWOX and results in a null genotype in homozygous patients. This family gives additional support for the implication of WWOX in severe EOEEs. We report for the first time prenatal ultrasound findings in a fetus with a WWOX-null genotype. Our study expands the range of brain abnormalities in WWOX-related EOEEs. This additional family confirms the genotype-phenotype correlation with WWOX-null alleles associated with the most severe form of WWOX-related epileptic encephalopathy with premature death.