Identification of new RECQL4 mutations in Caucasian Rothmund–Thomson patients and analysis of sensitivity to a wide range of genotoxic agents

Abstract

Rothmund–Thomson syndrome (RTS), a rare recessive autosomal disorder, presents genome instability and clinical heterogeneity with growth deficiency, skin and bone defects, premature aging symptoms and cancer susceptibility. A subset of RTS patients presents mutations of the RECQL4 gene, member of the RecQ family of DNA helicases, including the RECQL2 ( BLM) and RECQL3 ( WRN) genes, defective in the cancer prone Bloom and Werner syndromes, respectively. Analysis of the RECQL4 gene in six clinically diagnosed RTS patients shows five patients, including two siblings, with eight mutations mainly located in the helicase domain, three patients presenting two mutations. The alterations include four missense mutations, one nonsense mutation and the same frameshift deletion, g.2881delG in exon 9 found in three patients. Seven RECQL4 polymorphisms, two being new, have also been identified. Primary RTS fibroblasts from these RTS patients show no sensitivity to a wide variety of genotoxic agents including ionizing or ultraviolet irradiation, nitrogen mustard, 4NQO, 8-MOP, Cis-Pt, MMC, H 2O 2, HU, or UV plus caffeine which could be related to the RECQL4 alterations identified here. This is in contrast with the DNA damage sensitive Bloom and Werner cells and highlights the complexity of the numerous RecQ protein functions implicated in the different cellular pathways required for maintaining genomic integrity.