Maio N, Orbach R, Zaharieva I, Töpf A, Donkervoort S, Munot P, Mueller J, Willis T, Verma S, Peric S, Krishnakumar D, Sudhakar S, Foley AR, Silverstein S, Douglas G, Pais L, DiTroia S, Grunseich C, Hu Y, Sewry C, Sarkozy A, Straub V, Muntoni F, Rouault T, and Bönnemann CG
Cytoplasmic and nuclear iron-sulfur enzymes that are essential for genome maintenance and replication depend on the cytoplasmic iron-sulfur assembly (CIA) machinery for cluster acquisition. Here we report that patients with biallelic loss of function in CIAO1 , a key CIA component, develop proximal and axial muscle weakness, fluctuating creatine kinase elevation and respiratory insufficiency. In addition, they present with CNS symptoms including learning difficulties and neurobehavioral comorbidities, along with iron deposition in deep brain nuclei, macrocytic anemia and gastrointestinal symptoms. Mutational analysis and functional assays revealed reduced stability of the variants compared to wild-type CIAO1. Loss of CIAO1 impaired DNA helicases, polymerases and repair enzymes which rely on the CIA complex to acquire their Fe-S cofactors, with lentiviral restoration reversing all patient-derived cellular abnormalities. Our study identifies CIAO1 as a novel human disease gene and provides insights into the broader implications of the iron-sulfur assembly pathway in human health and disease.