Publications by authors named "Ece Sonmezler"

Primary mitochondrial diseases (PMDs) are among the most common inherited neurological disorders. They are caused by pathogenic variants in mitochondrial or nuclear DNA that disrupt mitochondrial structure and/or function, leading to impaired oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). One emerging subcategory of PMDs involves defective phospholipid (PL) metabolism.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The blood-brain barrier (BBB) regulates the central nervous system and is linked to neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), especially in infants with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH).
  • Researchers identified a rare disease trait in 13 individuals from 8 families due to a genetic variant in the ESAM gene, affecting endothelial cell function and leading to developmental issues.
  • The study highlights the connection between endothelial dysfunction and NDDs, suggesting the emergence of a new category of diseases called "tightjunctionopathies."
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Although the underlying genetic causes of intellectual disability (ID) continue to be rapidly identified, the biological pathways and processes that could be targets for a potential molecular therapy are not yet known. This study aimed to identify ID-related shared pathways and processes utilizing enrichment analyses.

Methods: In this multicenter study, causative genes of patients with ID were used as input for Disease Ontology (DO), Gene Ontology (GO), and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analysis.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • * A study of 246 children from consanguineous families utilized advanced techniques like whole exome sequencing, revealing causative genetic variants in 72% of families and increasing the overall diagnostic yield to 86% with new gene discoveries.
  • * The research showed that most identified variants were homozygous and that common pathways involved in these neurogenetic diseases included protein synthesis/degradation defects and metabolic disorders, providing new insights into the genetic landscape of this population.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Microtubules help building the cytoskeleton of neurons and other cells. Several components of the gamma-tubulin (γ-tubulin) complex have been previously reported in human neurodevelopmental diseases. We describe two siblings from a consanguineous Turkish family with dysmorphic features, developmental delay, brain malformation, and epilepsy carrying a homozygous mutation (p.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: In 2009, we identified TACO1 as a novel mitochondrial disease gene in a single family, however no second family has been described to confirm the role of TACO1 in mitochondrial disease.

Objective: In this report, we describe two independent consanguineous families carrying pathogenic variants in TACO1, confirming the phenotype.

Methods: Detailed clinical investigations and whole exome sequencing with haplotype analysis have been performed in several members of the two reported families.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: This study presents the neurologic phenotypes of 2 brothers with a novel homozygous mutation that was identified in a large Turkish consanguineous cohort of neurogenetic diseases.

Methods: Whole-exome sequencing and bioinformatic analysis of consanguineous families with children affected by early-onset, neurogenetic disorders was performed using the RD-Connect Genome-Phenome Analysis Platform. We also performed clinical, EEG, and neuroimaging analyses in unaffected siblings and parents.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

A distinct neurodevelopmental phenotype characterised mainly by mild motor and language delay and facial dysmorphism, caused by heterozygous de novo or dominant variants in the TLK2 gene has recently been described. All cases reported carried either truncating variants located throughout the gene, or missense changes principally located at the C-terminal end of the protein mostly resulting in haploinsufficiency of TLK2. Through whole exome sequencing, we identified a homozygous missense variant in TLK2 in a patient showing more severe symptoms than those previously described, including cerebellar vermis hypoplasia and West syndrome.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Dihydropyridine receptor congenital myopathy is a recently described congenital myopathy caused by dominant or recessive mutations in the CACNA1S gene. To date, only 11 cases from 7 families were described in a single report. Here, we describe a consanguineous family with three affected children, presenting congenital hypotonia, contractures, ophthalmoplegia and respiratory insufficiency, with a novel homozygous mutation in the CACNA1S gene.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF