ADAMTSL1 and mandibular prognathism

Mandibular prognathism is characterized by a prognathic or prominent mandible. The objective of this study was to find the gene responsible for mandibular prognathism. Whole exome sequencing analysis of a Thai family (family 1) identified the ADAMTSL1 c.176C>A variant as the potential defect. We cross-checked our exome data of 215 people for rare variants in ADAMTSL1 and found that the c.670C>G variant was associated with mandibular prognathism in families 2 and 4. Mutation analysis of ADAMTSL1 in 79 unrelated patients revealed the c.670C>G variant was also found in family 3. We hypothesize that mutations in ADAMTSL1 cause failure to cleave aggrecan in the condylar cartilage, and that leads to overgrowth of the mandible. Adamtsl1 is strongly expressed in the condensed mesenchymal cells of the mouse condyle, but not at the cartilage of the long bones. This explains why the patients with ADAMTSL1 mutations had abnormal mandibles but normal long bones. This is the first report that mutations in ADAMTSL1 are responsible for the pathogenesis of mandibular prognathism.