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Literature record

A reverse genetics and genomics approach to gene paralog function and disease: Myokymia and the juxtaparanode.

PMID 35948005 | PMCID PMC9502070 | DOI 10.1016/j.ajhg.2022.07.006 · American journal of human genetics · 2022

The leucine-rich glioma-inactivated (LGI) family consists of four highly conserved paralogous genes, LGI1-4, that are highly expressed in mammalian central and/or peripheral nervous systems. LGI1 antibodies are detected in subjects with autoimmune limbic encephalitis and peripheral nerve hyperexcitability syndromes (PNHSs) such as Isaacs and Morvan syndromes. Pathogenic variations of LGI1 and LGI4 are associated with neurological disorders as disease traits including familial temporal lobe epilepsy and neurogenic arthrogryposis multiplex congenita 1 with myelin defects, respectively. No human disease has been reported associated with either LGI2 or LGI3. We implemented exome sequencing and family-based genomics to identify individuals with deleterious variants in LGI3 and utilized GeneMatcher to connect practitioners and researchers worldwide to investigate the clinical and electrophysiological phenotype in affected subjects. We also generated Lgi3-null mice and performed peripheral nerve dissection and immunohistochemistry to examine the juxtaparanode LGI3 microarchitecture. As a result, we identified 16 individuals from eight unrelated families with loss-of-function (LoF) bi-allelic variants in LGI3. Deep phenotypic characterization showed LGI3 LoF causes a potentially clinically recognizable PNHS trait characterized by global developmental delay, intellectual disability, distal deformities with diminished reflexes, visible facial myokymia, and distinctive electromyographic features suggestive of motor nerve instability. Lgi3-null mice showed reduced and mis-localized Kv1 channel complexes in myelinated peripheral axons. Our data demonstrate bi-allelic LoF variants in LGI3 cause a clinically distinguishable disease trait of PNHS, most likely caused by disturbed Kv1 channel distribution in the absence of LGI3.

Validated evidence

TypeEntitySource evidenceConfidenceExtractor
geneLGI1“LGI1 antibodies are detected in subjects with autoimmune limbic encephalitis and peripheral nerve hyperexcitability syndromes (PNHSs) such as Isaacs and Morvan syndromes.”0.98hgnc_dict_v1
geneLGI4“Pathogenic variations of LGI1 and LGI4 are associated with neurological disorders as disease traits including familial temporal lobe epilepsy and neurogenic arthrogryposis multiplex congenita 1 with myelin defects, respectively.”0.98hgnc_dict_v1
geneLGI2“No human disease has been reported associated with either LGI2 or LGI3.”0.98hgnc_dict_v1
geneLGI3“No human disease has been reported associated with either LGI2 or LGI3.”0.98hgnc_dict_v1
phenotypeepilepsy“Pathogenic variations of LGI1 and LGI4 are associated with neurological disorders as disease traits including familial temporal lobe epilepsy and neurogenic arthrogryposis multiplex congenita 1 with myelin defects, respectively.”0.98phenotype_alias_lexicon_v2
phenotypearthrogryposis“Pathogenic variations of LGI1 and LGI4 are associated with neurological disorders as disease traits including familial temporal lobe epilepsy and neurogenic arthrogryposis multiplex congenita 1 with myelin defects, respectively.”0.98phenotype_alias_lexicon_v2
phenotypeintellectual disability“Deep phenotypic characterization showed LGI3 LoF causes a potentially clinically recognizable PNHS trait characterized by global developmental delay, intellectual disability, distal deformities with diminished reflexes, visible facial myokymia, and distinctive electromyographic features suggestive of motor nerve instability.”0.98phenotype_alias_lexicon_v2
phenotypedevelopmental delay“Deep phenotypic characterization showed LGI3 LoF causes a potentially clinically recognizable PNHS trait characterized by global developmental delay, intellectual disability, distal deformities with diminished reflexes, visible facial myokymia, and distinctive electromyographic features suggestive of motor nerve instability.”0.98phenotype_alias_lexicon_v2
populationPopulation“As a result, we identified 16 individuals from eight unrelated families with loss-of-function (LoF) bi-allelic variants in LGI3.”0.80saudi_context_rules_v1