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Updated: Jul 7, 2025

In Vivo Functional Study of Disease-associated Rare Human Variants Using Drosophila
Published on: August 20, 2019
Digenic FLNA and UCHL1 variants resulting in a complex phenotype
Helena F Pernice1,2, Luke F O'Donnell1, Alexander M Rossor1
1Centre for Neuromuscular Diseases (CNMD), Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK.
This study reports a rare case of a 67-year-old female with a complex neurological disorder caused by simultaneous genetic variants in Filamin A (FLNA) and ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase L1 (UCHL1) genes.
Area of Science:
- Genetics
- Neurology
- Rare Diseases
Background:
- Filamin A (FLNA) variants are linked to periventricular heterotopia.
- Ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase L1 (UCHL1) variants are associated with ataxia, neuropathy, and optic atrophy.
Observation:
- A 67-year-old female with FLNA variant presented with severe sensory ataxia, upper motor neuron signs, and eye movement abnormalities.
- Neurophysiology confirmed predominantly preganglionic sensory loss.
Findings:
- Genetic testing revealed a novel heterozygous whole-gene deletion in UCHL1 and a heterozygous frameshift variant in FLNA.
- This digenic cause explains the patient's complex phenotype.
Implications:
- This is the first reported case of concurrent FLNA and UCHL1 pathogenic variants.
- The severe preganglionic sensory loss expands the known phenotype associated with UCHL1 variants.
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