A de novo mutation in DHD domain of SKI causing spina bifida with no craniofacial malformation or intellectual disability

Abstract

Shprintzen-Goldberg syndrome (SGS) is a rare systemic connective tissue disorder characterized by craniofacial, skeletal, and cardiovascular manifestations. It is associated with a significant risk of intellectual disability, a feature which distinguishes it from Marfan and Loeys-Dietz syndromes. SGS is mainly caused by mutations in the SKI gene, a repressor of TGF-β activity. Most SKI mutations are found in exon 1 of the gene and are located in the R-SMAD domain, a proposed hotspot for de novo mutations. Here, we report on a de novo SKI mutation located in the DHD domain of SKI. By adding our finding to previously reported de novo SKI mutations, a new mutational hotspot in the DHD domain is proposed. Our patient presented with a lipomeningomyelocele, tethered cord, and spina bifida but with no SGS-related clinical findings apart from a marfanoid habitus and long slender fingers. Specifically, she did not have an intellectual disability, craniofacial, or cardiovascular abnormalities. By comparing the clinical findings on patients with mutations in the R-SMAD and DHD domains of SKI, we propose that mutations in those domains have different effects on TGF-β activity during embryonic development with resulting phenotypic differences.

Keywords: DHD domain; SKI gene; Shprintzen-Goldberg syndrome; lipomeningomyelocele; tethered cord.