Human haploinsufficiency of the transcription factor Tcf4 leads to a rare autism spectrum disorder called Pitt-Hopkins syndrome (PTHS), which is associated with severe language impairment and development delay.
In this study, we have summarized the current knowledge of TCF4 molecular pathology, reported all the mutations in the TCF4 database (http://www.LOVD.nl/TCF4), and present a novel and comprehensive diagnostic strategy for PTHS.
These data demonstrate that PTHS-associated missense mutations can have multiple effects on the function of the protein, and suggest that TCF4 may modulate the expression of NRXN1 and CNTNAP2 thereby defining a regulatory network in PTHS.
Both null and missense mutations impaired the interaction of TCF4 with ASCL1 from the PHOX-RET pathway in transactivating an E box-containing reporter construct; therefore, hyperventilation and Hirschsprung disease in patients with Pitt-Hopkins syndrome might be explained by altered development of noradrenergic derivatives.
Mutations in TCF4, encoding a class I basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor, are responsible for Pitt-Hopkins syndrome, a severe epileptic encephalopathy associated with autonomic dysfunction.
Mutations in TCF4, encoding a class I basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor, are responsible for Pitt-Hopkins syndrome, a severe epileptic encephalopathy associated with autonomic dysfunction.
Severe mental retardation with breathing abnormalities (Pitt-Hopkins syndrome) is caused by haploinsufficiency of the neuronal bHLH transcription factor TCF4.
Both null and missense mutations impaired the interaction of TCF4 with ASCL1 from the PHOX-RET pathway in transactivating an E box-containing reporter construct; therefore, hyperventilation and Hirschsprung disease in patients with Pitt-Hopkins syndrome might be explained by altered development of noradrenergic derivatives.
Mutations in TCF4, encoding a class I basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor, are responsible for Pitt-Hopkins syndrome, a severe epileptic encephalopathy associated with autonomic dysfunction.
Both null and missense mutations impaired the interaction of TCF4 with ASCL1 from the PHOX-RET pathway in transactivating an E box-containing reporter construct; therefore, hyperventilation and Hirschsprung disease in patients with Pitt-Hopkins syndrome might be explained by altered development of noradrenergic derivatives.
We now identified homozygous and compound-heterozygous deletions and mutations via molecular karyotyping and mutational screening in CNTNAP2 and NRXN1 in four patients with severe mental retardation (MR) and variable features, such as autistic behavior, epilepsy, and breathing anomalies, phenotypically overlapping with Pitt-Hopkins syndrome.
We now identified homozygous and compound-heterozygous deletions and mutations via molecular karyotyping and mutational screening in CNTNAP2 and NRXN1 in four patients with severe mental retardation (MR) and variable features, such as autistic behavior, epilepsy, and breathing anomalies, phenotypically overlapping with Pitt-Hopkins syndrome.