Mutations in CDK5 RAP2 cause Seckel syndrome.

Seckel syndrome is a heterogeneous, autosomal recessive disorder marked by prenatal proportionate short stature, severe microcephaly, intellectual disability, and characteristic facial features. Here, we describe the novel homozygous splice-site mutations c.383+1G>C and c.4005-9A>G in CDK5 RAP2 in two consanguineous families with Seckel syndrome. CDK5 RAP2 ( CEP215) encodes a centrosomal protein which is known to be essential for centrosomal cohesion and proper spindle formation and has been shown to be causally involved in autosomal recessive primary microcephaly. We establish CDK5 RAP2 as a disease-causing gene for Seckel syndrome and show that loss of functional CDK5 RAP2 leads to severe defects in mitosis and spindle organization, resulting in cells with abnormal nuclei and centrosomal pattern, which underlines the important role of centrosomal and mitotic proteins in the pathogenesis of the disease. Additionally, we present an intriguing case of possible digenic inheritance in Seckel syndrome: A severely affected child of nonconsanguineous German parents was found to carry heterozygous mutations in CDK5 RAP2 and CEP152. This finding points toward a potential additive genetic effect of mutations in CDK5 RAP2 and CEP152. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]