Abstract
BackgroundThe emerging 3q13.31 microdeletion syndrome appears to encompass diverse neurodevelopmental conditions. However, the 3q13.31 deletion is rare and few adult cases have yet been reported. We examined a cohort with schizophrenia (n = 459) and adult control subjects (n = 26,826) using high-resolution microarray technology for deletions and duplications at the 3q13.31 locus.ResultsWe report on the extended adult phenotype associated with a 3q13.31 microdeletion in a 41-year-old male proband with schizophrenia and a nonverbal learning disability. He was noted to have a speech impairment, delayed motor skills, and other features consistent with the 3q13.31 microdeletion syndrome. The 2.06 Mb deletion overlapped two microRNAs and seven RefSeq genes, including GAP43, LSAMP, DRD3, and ZBTB20. No overlapping 3q13.31 deletions or duplications were identified in control subjects.ConclusionsLater-onset conditions like schizophrenia are increasingly associated with rare copy number variations and associated genomic disorders like the 3q13.31 microdeletion syndrome. Detailed phenotype information across the lifespan facilitates genotype-phenotype correlations, accurate genetic counselling, and anticipatory care.
Highlights
The emerging 3q13.31 microdeletion syndrome appears to encompass diverse neurodevelopmental conditions
Preliminary evidence suggests that individuals with microdeletions at chromosome 3q13.31 (OMIM #615433) may be predisposed to a broad spectrum of neurodevelopmental/neuropsychiatric conditions including global developmental delay/intellectual disability (DD/ID), speech delay, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) [1,2,3,4,5]
In a large case series, Molin et al defined a 580 kb shortest region of overlap (SRO) that includes five RefSeq genes: DRD3, ZNF80, TIGIT, MIR568, and ZBTB20 [1]. Those authors proposed that haploinsufficiency of DRD3 (OMIM #126451), which codes for the D3 subunit of the dopamine receptor, and ZBTB20 (OMIM #606025), a DNA transcription repressor expressed in hippocampal neurons, may contribute to the
Summary
We report on the extended adult phenotype associated with a 3q13.31 microdeletion in a 41-year-old male proband with schizophrenia and a nonverbal learning disability. He was noted to have a speech impairment, delayed motor skills, and other features consistent with the 3q13.31 microdeletion syndrome. The 2.06 Mb deletion overlapped two microRNAs and seven RefSeq genes, including GAP43, LSAMP, DRD3, and ZBTB20. No overlapping 3q13.31 deletions or duplications were identified in control subjects
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