Upstream SLC2A1 translation initiation causes GLUT1 deficiency syndrome
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Updated: Oct 11, 2026

ALS - Motor Neuron Disease: Mechanism and Development of New Therapies
Published on: July 28, 2007
Michèl A Willemsen1, Lisenka Elm Vissers2, Marcel M Verbeek3,4
1Department of Neurology (Paediatric Neurology), Donders Centre for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Abstract:
Glucose transporter type 1 deficiency syndrome (GLUT1DS) is a neurometabolic disorder with a complex phenotypic spectrum but simple biomarkers in cerebrospinal fluid. The disorder is caused by impaired glucose transport into the brain resulting from variants in SCL2A1. In 10% of GLUT1DS patients, a genetic diagnosis can not be made. Using whole-genome sequencing, we identified a de novo 5'-UTR variant in SLC2A1, generating a novel translation initiation codon, severely compromising SLC2A1 function. This finding expands our understanding of the disease mechanisms underlying GLUT1DS and encourages further in-depth analysis of SLC2A1 non-coding regions in patients without variants in the coding region.
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