X-linked heterozygous mutations in ARR3 cause female-limited early onset high myopia

To identify genetic mutations in three families with early onset high myopia (eoHM) limited to female members.

Genomic DNA was collected from participating members of families XF1, XF2, and XF3. Genome-wide linkage scans were performed on the largest family (XF1). Whole exome sequencing was performed on seven samples, including five samples (four affected and one unaffected) from family XF1, as well as the two probands from family XF2 and XF3. Variants were analyzed with multistep bioinformatics analyses. Sanger-dideoxy sequencing was used to verify candidate variations in families and controls.

The genome-wide linkage scans performed on family XF1 detected a candidate locus on chromosome Xp11.1-Xq13.3 with a maximum logarithm of the odds (LOD) score of 2.48 and 3.01 for markers DXS991 and DXS986, respectively. Parallel whole exome sequencing identified a novel c.893C>A (p.Ala298Asp) mutation in ARR3 located on Xq13.1 in family XF1, which was shared by all four affected individuals but not the unaffected individual. Two other novel mutations in ARR3, c.298C>T (p.Arg100*) and c.239T>C (p.Leu80Pro), were detected in families XF2 and XF3, respectively. These mutations were predicted to be damaging and were not present in the normal controls and existing databases. All three mutations cosegregated with eoHM in each of the three families, in which all heterozygous female members are affected whereas all hemizygous male family members are not affected. Transmission of the mutations and eoHM in the three families demonstrates an unusual pattern of X-linked female-limited inheritance.

These data suggest that heterozygous mutations in ARR3 might be responsible for X-linked female-limited eoHM in the three families, a pattern contrary to the standard X-linked recessive trait. To our knowledge, eoHM is the first human disease associated with mutations in ARR3 and the second X-linked female-limited disease identified thus far. Identification of ARR3 associated with X-linked female-limited trait provides not only additional evidence of this unusual hereditary pattern but also an additional model for investigating the molecular mechanism responsible for female-limited phenotypes.