[ARX--one gene--many phenotypes]

Abstract

Mental retardation is a serious social problem. It affects 2-3% of the population. It is estimated that mutations in the ARX gene can be found in 1 in 12,000 live male births. This is the second most common cause of X-linked mental retardation after fragile X syndrome. The ARX gene belongs to transcription factors involved in differentiation of specific neuronal cells in the central nervous system. The most common mutation in the ARX gene is c. 428_451dup24, duplication of 24 bp in exon 2 of the gene, causing elongation of the second alanine tract (polyA12_II). Described disorders caused by mutations in the ARX gene include: hydrocephaly with abnormal genitalia (HYD-AG), lissencephaly with abnormal genitalia (XLAG), agenesis of corpus callosum with abnormal genitalia (ACC-AG), Partington syndrome (PRTS), X-linked infantile spasms (ISSX), myoclonic epilepsy with spasticity and mental retardation (XMESID), and nonspecific mental retardation (NS-XLMR).