The Allan-Herndon-Dudley syndrome (AHDS;MIM 300523) of X-linked mental retardation and hypotonia is caused by mutations in a thyroid hormone transporter gene--the monocarboxylate transporter 8 (MCT8 also known as SLC16A2) gene.
We performed MCT8 mutation analysis including 13 XLMR families with LOD scores >2.0, 401 male MR sibships and 47 sporadic male patients with AHDS-like clinical features.
We report a family with X-linked mental retardation that has a novel mutation in the monocarboxylate transporter 8 (MCT8) gene associated with a characteristic neurodevelopmental phenotype with early childhood hypotonia that progresses to spasticity and global developmental delays.