Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 22, 2026

A Strategy to Identify de Novo Mutations in Common Disorders such as Autism and Schizophrenia
Published on: June 15, 2011
A null mutation in TNIK defines a novel locus for intellectual disability
Shams Anazi1, Hanan E Shamseldin1, Dhekra AlNaqeb2
1Department of Genetics, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Genetic analysis identified a novel gene, TNIK, linked to autosomal recessive non-syndromic intellectual disability (ID). TNIK deficiency causes a loss of protein, consistent with previously observed murine models, strongly implicating it in human ID.
Area of Science:
- Genetics
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
Background:
- Intellectual disability (ID) is a common disability with expanding genetic heterogeneity.
- Numerous genes are implicated in ID etiology, yet many cases remain unexplained.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify a novel genetic locus associated with autosomal recessive non-syndromic intellectual disability.
- To investigate the role of the TNIK gene in human intellectual disability.
Main Methods:
- Autozygome and linkage analysis were performed on consanguineous families.
- Exome sequencing identified mutations in the TNIK gene.
- RNA and protein analysis confirmed the loss of TNIK function.
Main Results:
- A novel locus for non-syndromic ID was mapped to chromosome 3q26.
- Two families presented with homozygous truncating mutations in the TNIK gene, leading to complete protein loss.
- Observed human phenotype aligns with the Tnik (-/-) murine model.
Conclusions:
- TNIK deficiency is strongly implicated as a cause of intellectual disability in humans.
- This finding expands the genetic understanding of non-syndromic intellectual disability.
- TNIK's role in dendrite development and synaptic transmission is critical for cognitive function.
More Related Videos
08:22A Novel Strategy Combining Array-CGH, Whole-exome Sequencing and In Utero Electroporation in Rodents to Identify Causative Genes for Brain Malformations
Published on: December 1, 2017
06:41In Vivo Functional Study of Disease-associated Rare Human Variants Using Drosophila
Published on: August 20, 2019
Related Concept Videos
In-vitro Mutagenesis
Incomplete Dominance
Genomic Imprinting and Inheritance
The expression of some genes depends on which parent passed the gene to the offspring, through a phenomenon known as...
Lethal Alleles
Lucien Cuénot discovered lethal alleles in 1905 while studying the inheritance of coat color in mice. The agouti gene is responsible for the color of the coat in mice. This gene codes for an agouti-signaling protein, which is responsible for melanin distribution in mammals. The wild-type allele gives rise to gray-brown coat color in mice, while the mutant allele gives rise to yellow coat color. In addition to coat color, the agouti gene is associated with the yellow...
Mutations
Intellectual Disability