Enrichment of Motilin Receptor Loss-of-Function Variants in Gastroparesis

Gastroparesis is a serious medical condition characterized by delayed gastric emptying and symptoms of nausea, vomiting, bloating, fullness after meals, and abdominal pain.

To ascertain the genetic risk factors for gastroparesis, we conducted the largest thus far whole-genome sequencing study of gastroparesis. We investigated the frequency and effect of rare loss-of-function variants in patients with both idiopathic and diabetic gastroparesis enrolled in a clinical study of gastroparesis.

Among rare loss-of-function variants, we reported an increased frequency of a frameshift mutation p.Leu202ArgfsTer105, within the motilin receptor gene, variant rs562138828 (odds ratio 4.9). We currently replicated this finding in an independent large cohort of gastroparesis samples obtained from patients participating in the ongoing phase III gastroparesis clinical study.

Motilin receptor is an important therapeutic target for the treatment of hypomotility disorders. The identified genetic variants may be important risk factors for disease as well as may inform treatments, especially those targeting motilin receptor.