A novel GLI3 frameshift mutation in a Chinese pedigree with polydactyly: A case report

GLI3 gene mutations can result in various forms of polysyndactyly, such as Greig cephalopolysyndactyly syndrome (GCPS, MIM: #175700), Pallister-Hall syndrome (PHS, MIM: #146510), and isolated polydactyly (IPD, MIM: #174200, #174700). Reports on IPD-associated GLI3 mutations are rare. In this study, a novel GLI3 mutation was identified in a Chinese family with IPD.

We report a family with six members affected by IPD. The family members demonstrated several special phenotypes, including sex differences, abnormal finger joint development, and different polydactyly types. We identified a novel frameshift variant in the GLI3 gene (NM_000168.6: c.1820_1821del, NP_000159.3: p.Tyr607Cysfs*9) by whole-exome sequencing. Further analysis suggested that this mutation was the cause of polydactyly in this family.

The discovery of this novel frameshift variant in our study further solidifies the relationship between IPD and GLI3 and expands the previously established spectrum of GLI3 mutations and associated phenotypes.