A case of a childhood onset developmental encephalopathy with a novel de novo truncating variant in the Membrane Protein Palmitoylated 5 (MPP5) gene

Abstract

Background: Membrane Protein Palmitoylated 5 (MPP5) is a highly conserved apical complex protein, essential for cell polarity. Defects in neuronal cell polarity are associated with neurologic disorders. Only three patients with heterozygous MPP5 de novo variants have been reported so far, with global developmental delay, behavioral changes and in only one case epileptic seizures.

Objective: To describe a new patient with a novel truncating de novo mutation in MPP5 and to characterize in detail the epileptic phenotype and electroencephalographic features of the encephalopathy.

Methods: We identified a novel truncating de novo mutation in MPP5 in a 44 year old patient by exome sequencing (p.Ser498Phefs*15). We retrospectively analyzed his clinical and instrumental data along a thirty-year follow up.

Result: Our patient presents with generalized tonic-clonic seizures, myoclonic and clonic seizures, non-epileptic myoclonus, tremor, severe intellectual disability, mild face dysmorphic traits, and psychosis.

Discussion and conclusion: We present a case of a childhood onset developmental encephalopathy with a likely-pathogenic variant in the MPP5 gene.. This represents the first complete description of the epileptic syndrome associated with the MPP5 gene.

Keywords: Clinical phenotype; Developmental encephalopathy; MPP5 gene.