Mutations in SIP1, encoding Smad interacting protein-1, cause a form of Hirschsprung disease

Hirschsprung disease (HSCR) is sometimes associated with a set of characteristics including mental retardation, microcephaly, and distinct facial features, but the gene mutated in this condition has not yet been identified. Here we report that mutations in SIP1, encoding Smad interacting protein-1, cause disease in a series of cases. SIP1 is located in the deleted segment at 2q22 from a patient with a de novo t(2;13)(q22;q22) translocation. SIP1 seems to have crucial roles in normal embryonic neural and neural crest development.