A novel mutation in the gene encoding noggin is not causative in human neural tube defects

Neural tube defects (NTD) are a common birth defect, with both genetic and environmental contributions to their etiology. In mouse, null mutations in Noggin result in fully-penetrant NTDs. We investigated Noggin for mutations that may predispose to human NTDs in 202 NTD cases. One variant allele was identified in a male patient with myelomeningocele. The patient's father and a sibling also carried the variant allele, but neither was affected with an open NTD. DNA sequencing confirmed a C1064A missense mutation predicted to result in the conversion of residue 84 from proline to histidine. The variant found in the NTD patient is a newly identified variant, the role of which is uncertain.