Novel causative variants in Legius syndrome: SPRED1 Genotype spectrum expansion

Abstract

Legius syndrome, commonly referred to as SPRED1-related neurofibromatosis type 1-like syndrome, is a rare autosomal dominant disorder characterized by café-au-lait macules, freckling, lipomas, macrocephaly, and heterogeneous neurodevelopmental manifestations, including a different degree of learning difficulties. Although a partial clinical overlap exists with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), Legius syndrome is distinguished by its genetic etiology and the absence of neurofibromas, indicating an inherent lack of tumor risk. The SPRED1 gene encodes the Sprouty-related protein with an EVH1 domain 1 (SPRED1), a negative regulator of the RAS-MAPK signaling pathway with a crucial role in cellular growth and development. Despite various genetic variants and genomic deletions associated with Legius syndrome, the full genetic spectrum of this condition remains elusive. In this study, we investigated the underlying genetic etiology in a cohort of patients presenting with typical manifestations of Legius syndrome using a custom Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) panel and Multiplex Ligation-Dependent Probe Amplification (MLPA) for NF1 and SPRED1. We identified 12 novel SPRED1 damaging variants segregating with the phenotype in all families. These rare variants affect conserved residues of the protein and are predicted damaging according to in silico tools. No clear genotype-phenotype correlations could be observed in the current cohort and previously reported patients, underscoring the heterogeneous genotype spectrum of this condition. Our findings expand the understanding of SPRED1 variants causing Legius syndrome and underscore the importance of comprehensively characterizing the genetic landscape of this disorder. Despite the absence of clear genotype-phenotype correlations, elucidating the genetic etiology of Legius syndrome is pertinent for facilitating accurate diagnosis, genetic counseling, and therapeutic interventions.

Keywords: Legius syndrome; RAS‐MAPK signaling; SPRED1; café‐au‐lait macules; freckling; neurofibromatosis type 1‐like syndrome.