TUBB3 mutations

Whitman MC, Andrews C, Chan WM, Tischfield MA, Stasheff SF, Brancati F,

Ortiz-Gonzalez X, Nuovo S, Garaci F, MacKinnon SE, Hunter DG, Grant PE, Engle EC.

Two unique TUBB3 mutations cause both CFEOM3 and malformations of cortical

development. Am J Med Genet A. 2016 Feb;170A(2):297-305.

Abstract

One set of missense mutations in the neuron specific beta tubulin isotype 3 (TUBB3) has been reported to cause malformations of cortical development (MCD), while a second set has been reported to cause isolated or syndromic Congenital Fibrosis of the Extraocular Muscles type 3 (CFEOM3). Because TUBB3 mutations reported to cause CFEOM had not been associated with cortical malformations, while mutations reported to cause MCD had not been associated with CFEOM or other forms of paralytic strabismus, it was hypothesized that each set of mutations might alter microtubule function differently. Here, however, we report two novel de novo heterozygous TUBB3 amino acid substitutions, G71R and G98S, in four patients with both MCD and syndromic CFEOM3. These patients present with moderately severe CFEOM3, nystagmus, torticollis, and developmental delay, and have intellectual and social disabilities. Neuroimaging reveals defective cortical gyration, as well as hypoplasia or agenesis of the corpus callosum and anterior commissure, malformations of hippocampi, thalami, basal ganglia and cerebella, and brainstem and cranial nerve hypoplasia. These new TUBB3 substitutions meld the two previously distinct TUBB3-associated phenotypes, and implicate similar microtubule dysfunction underlying both.

Shimojima K, Okamoto N, Yamamoto T. A novel TUBB3 mutation in a sporadic

patient with asymmetric cortical dysplasia. Am J Med Genet A. 2016 Apr;170A(4):1076-9.

Abstract

Recent advances in molecular technology have led to the discovery of several genes related to human malformations of cortical development (MCDs). The beta-tubulin class III gene (TUBB3) was identified as a gene responsible for MCDs. Although mouse-model experiments have not revealed any findings of neuronal migration disorders, human TUBB3 mutations have been identified in patients with congenital fibrosis of the extraocular muscles. Since the discovery of a TUBB3 mutation, only 15 mutations have been identified. In this study, comprehensive mutation screening through next-generation sequencing identified a novel TUBB3 mutation (p.Ser230Leu) in a sporadic patient with moderate developmental delay associated with mild MCD. Compared to patients with the alpha-tubulin class 1a gene (TUBA1A) mutations, patients with TUBB3 mutations show milder phenotypic manifestations and milder MCD. Therefore, patients with milder MCD manifestations may be under-diagnosed, and TUBB3 mutations may be rarely identified. Additional genotype-phenotype information should be accumulated for further understanding of the TUBB3 functional relevance.

Poirier K, Saillour Y, Bahi-Buisson N, Jaglin XH, Fallet-Bianco C, Nabbout R,

Castelnau-Ptakhine L, Roubertie A, Attie-Bitach T, Desguerre I, Genevieve D,

Barnerias C, Keren B, Lebrun N, Boddaert N, Encha-Razavi F, Chelly J. Mutations

in the neuronal ß-tubulin subunit TUBB3 result in malformation of cortical

development and neuronal migration defects. Hum Mol Genet. 2010 Nov

15;19(22):4462-73.

Abstract

Mutations in the TUBB3 gene, encoding β-tubulin isotype III, were recently shown to be associated with various neurological syndromes which all have in common the ocular motility disorder, congenital fibrosis of the extraocular muscle type 3 (CFEOM3). Surprisingly and in contrast to previously described TUBA1A and TUBB2B phenotypes, no evidence of dysfunctional neuronal migration and cortical organization was reported. In our study, we report the discovery of six novel missense mutations in the TUBB3 gene, including one fetal case and one homozygous variation, in nine patients that all share cortical disorganization, axonal abnormalities associated with pontocerebellar hypoplasia, but with no ocular motility defects, CFEOM3. These new findings demonstrate that the spectrum of TUBB3-related phenotype is broader than previously described and includes malformations of cortical development (MCD) associated with neuronal migration and differentiation defects, axonal guidance and tract organization impairment. Complementary functional studies revealed that the mutated βIII-tubulin causing the MCD phenotype results in a reduction of heterodimer formation, yet produce correctly formed microtubules (MTs) in mammalian cells. Further to this, we investigated the properties of the MT network in patients' fibroblasts and revealed that MCD mutations can alter the resistance of MTs to depolymerization. Interestingly, this finding contrasts with the increased MT stability observed in the case of CFEOM3-related mutations. These results led us to hypothesize that either MT dynamics or their interactions with various MT-interacting proteins could be differently affected by TUBB3 variations, thus resulting in distinct alteration of downstream processes and therefore explaining the phenotypic diversity of the TUBB3-related spectrum.

Tischfield MA, Cederquist GY, Gupta ML Jr, Engle EC. Phenotypic spectrum of

the tubulin-related disorders and functional implications of disease-causing

mutations. Curr Opin Genet Dev. 2011 Jun;21(3):286-94.

Abstract

A spectrum of neurological disorders characterized by abnormal neuronal migration, differentiation, and axon guidance and maintenance have recently been attributed to missense and splice-site mutations in the genes that encode α-tubulin and β-tubulin isotypes TUBA1A, TUBA8, TUBB2B, and TUBB3, all of which putatively coassemble into neuronal microtubules. The resulting nervous system malformations can include different types of cortical malformations, defects in commissural fiber tracts, and degeneration of motor and sensory axons. Many clinical phenotypes and brain malformations are shared among the various mutations regardless of structural location and/or isotype, while others segregate with distinct amino acids or functional domains within tubulin. Collectively, these disorders provide novel paradigms for understanding the biological functions of microtubules and their core components in normal health and disease.

Inspired by a patient.