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Published on: August 15, 2019
TOR2A Variants in Blepharospasm
Samira Saeirad1, Mark S LeDoux1,2
1University of Memphis, Memphis, Tennessee, USA.
Background:
Genetic factors have been implicated in the pathogenesis of blepharospasm (BSP), a dystonia characterized by excessive blinking and involuntary eyelid closure. Previous research identified a co-segregating deleterious TOR2A variant (GRCh38/hg38, NC_000009.12: g.127733410G>A, NM_001085347.3:c.568C>T, p. Arg190Cys) in three subjects with BSP and three carriers within a multi-generation pedigree. Other TOR2A variants have been reported in patients with dystonia.
Methods:
Sanger sequencing was used to screen a cohort of 307 subjects with isolated BSP or BSP-plus dystonia affecting additional anatomical segments (BSP+). We also utilized computational tools to uniformly assess the deleteriousness and potential pathogenicity of previously reported TOR2A variants.
Results:
There were no highly deleterious TOR2A variants in the coding or contiguous splice site regions of TOR2A within our cohort of 307 subjects.
Discussion:
Highly deleterious variants in TOR2A are rare in patients with BSP/BSP+ phenotypes.
Highlights:
Over 300 patients with BSP were screened for variants in TOR2A, a TOR1A (DYT1) homologue. No highly deleterious variants were identified in our cohort. The role of TOR2A in BSP and other forms of dystonia remains indeterminant.
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