Spectrum of Genetic Variants Associated with Anterior Segment Dysgenesis in South Florida

• Main Authors: Saradadevi Thanikachalam, Elizabeth Hodapp, Ta C. Chang, Dayna Morel Swols, Filiz B. Cengiz, Shengru Guo, Mohammad F. Zafeer, Serhat Seyhan, Guney Bademci, William K. Scott, Alana Grajewski, Mustafa Tekin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2020-03-01
• Series: Genes
• Subjects: anterior segment dysgenesis; primary congenital glaucoma; exome sequencing
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4425/11/4/350

Anterior segment dysgenesis (ASD) comprises a wide spectrum of developmental conditions affecting the cornea, iris, and lens, which may be associated with abnormalities of other organs. To identify disease-causing variants, we performed exome sequencing in 24 South Florida families with ASD. We identified 12 likely causative variants in 10 families (42%), including single nucleotide or small insertion−deletion variants in B3GLCT, BMP4, CYP1B1, FOXC1, FOXE3, GJA1, PXDN, and TP63, and a large copy number variant involving PAX6. Four variants were novel. Each variant was detected only in one family. Likely causative variants were detected in 1 out of 7 black and 9 out of 17 white families. In conclusion, exome sequencing for ASD allows us to identify a wide spectrum of rare DNA variants in South Florida. Further studies will explore missing variants, especially in the black communities.