Scientific article
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Expansion of the neurodevelopmental phenotype of individuals with EEF1A2 variants and genotype-phenotype study

Errata
  • In the original version, the given and family names of Samuel Groeschel were incorrectly structured. The authors, Adam Ostendorf, Christiane Zweier, Thomas Smol, Marjolaine Willems, Laurence Faivre, Marcello Scala, Pasquale Striano, Irene Bagnasco, Daniel Koboldt, Maria Iascone, Manon Suerink were missing from the author list.
  • DOI : 10.1038/s41431-024-01606-x
  • PMID : 38565641
Published inEuropean journal of human genetics, vol. 32, no. 9, p. 1144-1149
Publication date2024-09
First online date2024-02-15
Abstract

Translation elongation factor eEF1A2 constitutes the alpha subunit of the elongation factor-1 complex, responsible for the enzymatic binding of aminoacyl-tRNA to the ribosome. Since 2012, 21 pathogenic missense variants affecting EEF1A2 have been described in 42 individuals with a severe neurodevelopmental phenotype including epileptic encephalopathy and moderate to profound intellectual disability (ID), with neurological regression in some patients. Through international collaborative call, we collected 26 patients with EEF1A2 variants and compared them to the literature. Our cohort shows a significantly milder phenotype. 83% of the patients are walking (vs. 29% in the literature), and 84% of the patients have language skills (vs. 15%). Three of our patients do not have ID. Epilepsy is present in 63% (vs. 93%). Neurological examination shows a less severe phenotype with significantly less hypotonia (58% vs. 96%), and pyramidal signs (24% vs. 68%). Cognitive regression was noted in 4% (vs. 56% in the literature). Among individuals over 10 years, 56% disclosed neurocognitive regression, with a mean age of onset at 2 years. We describe 8 novel missense variants of EEF1A2. Modeling of the different amino-acid sites shows that the variants associated with a severe phenotype, and the majority of those associated with a moderate phenotype, cluster within the switch II region of the protein and thus may affect GTP exchange. In contrast, variants associated with milder phenotypes may impact secondary functions such as actin binding. We report the largest cohort of individuals with EEF1A2 variants thus far, allowing us to expand the phenotype spectrum and reveal genotype-phenotype correlations.

Keywords
  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Male
  • Epilepsy / genetics
  • Epilepsy / pathology
  • Genetic Association Studies
  • Intellectual Disability / genetics
  • Intellectual Disability / pathology
  • Mutation, Missense
  • Neurodevelopmental Disorders / genetics
  • Neurodevelopmental Disorders / pathology
  • Peptide Elongation Factor 1 / genetics
  • Phenotype
Funding
  • European Commission - Solving the unsolved Rare Diseases [779257]
Citation (ISO format)
PAULET, Alix et al. Expansion of the neurodevelopmental phenotype of individuals with EEF1A2 variants and genotype-phenotype study. In: European journal of human genetics, 2024, vol. 32, n° 9, p. 1144–1149. doi: 10.1038/s41431-024-01560-8
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Additional URL for this publicationhttps://www.nature.com/articles/s41431-024-01560-8
Journal ISSN1018-4813
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