Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 5, 2025
In Vivo Functional Study of Disease-associated Rare Human Variants Using Drosophila
Published on: August 20, 2019
Expanding the Clinical Spectrum of UBTF-Related Neurodevelopmental Disorder
Andrea Pietra1, Flavia Palombo1, Melania Giannotta1
1From the UO Genetica Medica (Andrea Pietra), IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna; Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences (Andrea Pietra, C.G.), Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna; IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna (F.P.), Programma di Neurogenetica; IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna (M.G., Antonella Pini, C.G.), UOC Neuropsichiatria dell'età Pediatrica; IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna (M.M., C.F.), Programma di neuroradiologia con tecniche ad elevata complessità; Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences (R.C., G.C., V.C., D.M.C.), Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna; and UO Anatomia (G.C.), Istologia Patologica, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Italy.
Objectives:
UBTF1 gene encodes for Upstream Binding Transcription Factor, an essential protein for RNA metabolism. A recurrent de novo variant (c.628G>A; p.Glu210Lys) has recently been associated with a childhood-onset neurodegenerative disorder characterized by motor and language regression, ataxia, dystonia, and acquired microcephaly. In this study, we report the clinical, metabolic, molecular genetics and neuroimaging findings and histologic, histochemical, and electron microscopy studies in muscle samples of 2 patients from unrelated families with a neurodevelopmental disorder.
Methods:
Data were retrospectively analyzed by medical charts revision.
Results:
Patient 1, a 16-year-old boy, presented a childhood-onset slowly progressive neurodegenerative disorder mainly affecting language skills, behavior, and motor coordination. Patient 2, a 22-year-old woman, presented with a severe and rapidly progressive disease with dystonic tetra paresis, acquired microcephaly, and severe cognitive deficit complicated by pseudobulbar syndrome characterized by involuntary and uncontrollable outbursts of laughing, dysphagia requiring tube feeding, and nocturnal hypoventilation treated with noninvasive ventilation. Both patients carried the recurrent previously described UBTF1 de novo variant and had signs of mitochondrial dysfunction at muscle biopsy. The metabolic profile of patient 2 also revealed a decrease in CSF biopterin.
Discussion:
These case reports add new insights to the UBTF1 disease spectrum instrumental to improving the diagnostic rate in neurodevelopmental disorders.
