PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Schottmann, Gudrun AU - Seelow, Dominik AU - Seifert, Franziska AU - Morales-Gonzalez, Susanne AU - Gill, Esther AU - von Au, Katja AU - von Moers, Arpad AU - Stenzel, Werner AU - Schuelke, Markus TI - Recessive <em>REEP1</em> mutation is associated with congenital axonal neuropathy and diaphragmatic palsy AID - 10.1212/NXG.0000000000000032 DP - 2015 Dec 01 TA - Neurology Genetics PG - e32 VI - 1 IP - 4 4099 - http://ng.neurology.org/content/1/4/e32.short 4100 - http://ng.neurology.org/content/1/4/e32.full SO - Neurol Genet2015 Dec 01; 1 AB - Objective: To identify the underlying genetic cause of a congenital neuropathy in a 5-year-old boy as part of a cohort of 32 patients from 23 families with genetically unresolved neuropathies.Methods: We used autozygosity mapping coupled with next-generation sequencing to investigate a consanguineous family from Lebanon with 1 affected and 2 healthy children. Variants were investigated for segregation in the family by Sanger sequencing. A splice site mutation was further evaluated on the messenger RNA level by quantitative reverse transcription PCR. Subsequently, a larger cohort was specifically screened for receptor expression-enhancing protein 1 (REEP1) gene mutations.Results: We detected a homozygous splice donor mutation in REEP1 (c.303+1-7GTAATAT&gt;AC, p.F62Kfs23*; NM_022912) that cosegregated with the phenotype in the family, leading to complete skipping of exon 4 and a premature stop codon. The phenotype of the patient is similar to spinal muscular atrophy with respiratory distress type 1 (SMARD1) with additional distal arthrogryposis and involvement of the upper motor neuron manifested by pronounced hyperreflexia.Conclusion: To date, only dominant REEP1 mutations have been reported to be associated with a slowly progressive hereditary spastic paraplegia. The findings from our patient expand the phenotypical spectrum and the mode of inheritance of REEP1-associated disorders. Recessive mutations in REEP1 should be considered in the molecular genetic workup of patients with a neuromuscular disorder resembling SMARD1, especially if additional signs of upper motor neuron involvement and distal arthrogryposis are present.BSCL2=Berardinelli-Seip congenital lipodystrophy type 2 gene; ER=endoplasmic reticulum; ExAC=Exome Aggregation Consortium; HSP=hereditary spastic paraplegia; mRNA=messenger RNA; REEP1=receptor expression-enhancing protein 1 gene; SMARD1=spinal muscular atrophy with respiratory distress type 1; WES=whole-exome sequencing