New genotype-phenotype correlations and management recommendations for individuals with RERE variants

To define the phenotypic spectrum and genotype-phenotype correlations associated with pathogenic RERE variants and inform clinical management and genetic counseling for neurodevelopmental disorder with or without anomalies of the brain, eye, or heart (NEDBEH).

We assembled a cohort of 54 individuals with heterozygous pathogenic, likely pathogenic, and variants of uncertain significance in RERE, including 30 previously unreported cases. Individuals were classified into 5 subcohorts based on variant type and location: loss-of-function, missense variants inside and outside a specific histidine-rich region (HRR), and HRR in-frame deletions and duplications. Phenotypic features were analyzed and compared across groups. Protein modeling was performed to assess potential structural effects.

Developmental delay, intellectual disability, and/or autism spectrum disorder were prevalent across all groups. Loss-of-function variants are associated with fewer multisystem anomalies than missense variants and are more likely to be inherited from a mildly symptomatic or asymptomatic parent. In contrast, HRR-associated missense variants and in-frame HRR duplications were associated with more multisystem phenotypes and usually arise de novo. HRR missense variants were structurally stabilizing, suggesting a gain-of-function or dominant-negative mechanism.

These findings expand the clinical spectrum of RERE-related disorders, refine genotype-phenotype correlations, and support variant-specific approaches to management and genetic counseling.