Publications by authors named "Florence Demurger"

Article Synopsis
  • Neurogenetic disorders linked to mutations in spectrin genes lead to a wide range of symptoms, from peripheral nervous system issues to complex syndromes, emphasizing their diverse impact.
  • An international study identified 14 families with unexplained distal weakness due to heterozygous loss-of-function variants, collecting standardized clinical and imaging data to analyze the condition further.
  • The research found that all 20 patients exhibited early childhood onset of distal weakness with varying severity, along with associated foot abnormalities and muscle changes, confirming the link between these genetic variants and a new syndrome characterized by primarily myogenic effects.
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Erythrocyte membrane protein band 4.1 like 3 (EPB41L3: NM_012307.5), also known as DAL1, encodes the ubiquitously expressed, neuronally enriched 4.

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Importance: Cerebral small vessel diseases (CSVDs) account for one-fifth of stroke cases. Numerous familial cases remain unresolved after routine screening of known CSVD genes.

Objective: To identify novel genes and mechanisms associated with familial CSVD.

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  • Late-onset Pompe disease (LOPD) is a progressive muscle disorder caused by a deficiency in an enzyme, and switching to the drug avalglucosidase alfa has shown promise for patients not responding to the standard treatment, alglucosidase alfa.
  • A study analyzing data from the French Pompe registry found that after switching medications, patients exhibited stabilization in motor function, specifically in the Six-Minute Walk Test, while respiratory function remained largely unchanged.
  • Overall, while most patients experienced a slowdown in the decline of motor abilities after the switch, individual results varied, with some showing improvement and others continuing to decline.
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Ion channels mediate voltage fluxes or action potentials that are central to the functioning of excitable cells such as neurons. The KCNB family of voltage-gated potassium channels (Kv) consists of two members (KCNB1 and KCNB2) encoded by KCNB1 and KCNB2, respectively. These channels are major contributors to delayed rectifier potassium currents arising from the neuronal soma which modulate overall excitability of neurons.

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Purpose: To assess the likely pathogenic/pathogenic (LP/P) variants rates in Mendelian dementia genes and the moderate-to-strong risk factors rates in patients with Alzheimer disease (AD).

Methods: We included 700 patients in a prospective study and performed exome sequencing. A panel of 28 Mendelian and 6 risk-factor genes was interpreted and returned to patients.

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Calmodulin-binding transcriptional activator 1 (CAMTA1) is highly expressed in the brain and plays a role in cell cycle regulation, cell differentiation, regulation of long-term memory, and initial development, maturation, and survival of cerebellar neurons. The existence of human neurological phenotypes, including cerebellar dysfunction with variable cognitive and behavioral abnormalities (CECBA), associated with CAMTA1 variants, has further supported its role in brain functions. In this study, we phenotypically and molecularly characterize the largest cohort of individuals (n = 26) with 23 novel CAMTA1 variants (frameshift-7, nonsense-6, splicing-1, initiation codon-1, missense-5, and intragenic deletions-3) and compare the findings with all previously reported cases (total = 53).

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  • Variants of uncertain significance (VUS) present challenges in diagnosing rare diseases, and episignatures have emerged as potential biomarkers to help classify these variants.
  • A study analyzed DNA methylation data from different groups, including carriers of pathogenic variants and healthy controls, using a k-nearest-neighbour classifier to assess the predictive abilities of various episignatures.
  • Results revealed that while some signatures (ATRX, DNMT3A, KMT2D, NSD1) achieved 100% sensitivity, others (CREBBP-RSTS, CHD8) showed lower performance, indicating that not all episignatures are equally reliable for diagnostic use and highlighting the need for further validation with larger sample sizes.
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Pathogenic variants in ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling proteins are a recurrent cause of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs). The NURF complex consists of BPTF and either the SNF2H () or SNF2L () ISWI-chromatin remodeling enzyme. Pathogenic variants in and were previously implicated in NDDs.

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  • NR2F2 (also known as COUP-TF2) is a transcription factor crucial for mammalian development, with rare variants linked to conditions like congenital heart disease (CHD) and congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH).
  • This study reviews 17 new cases of individuals with heterozygous NR2F2 variants, confirming variability in clinical features, such as intrauterine growth restriction, heart defects, developmental delays, and various congenital anomalies.
  • The findings showcase the need for better characterization of the phenotypic range associated with NR2F2 variants and potential clinical guidelines for diagnosis and evaluation.
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  • Pathogenic variants in KMT5B, a lysine methyltransferase, are linked to global developmental issues, macrocephaly, autism, and other congenital anomalies, but the disorder is still not fully understood.
  • A study examining 43 patients revealed new significant features like hypotonia and congenital heart defects not previously associated with this condition.
  • Research using patient cell lines and KMT5B knockout mice showed that these variants lead to slow growth and highlighted alterations in pathways related to nervous system development, enhancing our understanding of the disorder's molecular mechanisms.
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Calcium (Ca) is a universal second messenger involved in synaptogenesis and cell survival; consequently, its regulation is important for neurons. ATPase plasma membrane Ca transporting 1 (ATP2B1) belongs to the family of ATP-driven calmodulin-dependent Ca pumps that participate in the regulation of intracellular free Ca. Here, we clinically describe a cohort of 12 unrelated individuals with variants in ATP2B1 and an overlapping phenotype of mild to moderate global development delay.

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The 22q11 region is prone to generating recurring Copy Number Variations (CNVs) as a result of the large numbers of Low Copy Repeats (LCRs). Typical duplications encompass the LCR-A-to-D region but atypical duplications of various sizes have also been reported. These duplications are responsible for highly variable phenotypes with incomplete penetrance and expressivity, which is challenging for adequate genetic counselling, especially in the prenatal period.

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  • DYRK1A syndrome is a common genetic cause of intellectual disability, and researchers aimed to better understand it and improve how to interpret challenging gene variants.
  • They analyzed clinical and molecular data from 50 individuals with DYRK1A variants and developed several useful tools, including a clinical score and methods to study the impact of these variants.
  • The study found that some variants thought to be harmful may not be, highlighting the need for caution in interpreting DYRK1A mutations, while the new tools will help in future assessments.
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  • Large-scale statistical analyses identify disease-gene relationships but fail to accurately represent how specific genetic variations affect observable traits and disease mechanisms.
  • The study focuses on the SATB1 gene, showing that different types of variants lead to similar yet distinct neurodevelopmental disorders, revealing notable genotype-phenotype relationships.
  • Variants causing strong chromatin binding lead to severe disorders, while those causing mild effects highlight the need for detailed studies on specific mutations to better understand the complexities of genetic diseases.
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Skraban-Deardorff syndrome (a disease related to variations in the WDR26 gene; OMIM #617616) was first described in a cohort of 15 individuals in 2017. The syndrome comprises intellectual deficiency, severe speech impairment, ataxic gait, seizures, mild hypotonia with feeding difficulties during infancy, and dysmorphic features. Here, we report on six novel heterozygous de novo pathogenic variants in WDR26 in six probands.

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Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS) is a ciliopathy characterized by retinitis pigmentosa, obesity, polydactyly, cognitive impairment and renal failure. Pathogenic variants in 24 genes account for the molecular basis of >80% of cases. Toward saturated discovery of the mutational basis of the disorder, we carefully explored our cohorts and identified a hominid-specific SINE-R/VNTR/Alu type F (SVA-F) insertion in exon 13 of BBS1 in eight families.

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CNOT1 is a member of the CCR4-NOT complex, which is a master regulator, orchestrating gene expression, RNA deadenylation, and protein ubiquitination. We report on 39 individuals with heterozygous de novo CNOT1 variants, including missense, splice site, and nonsense variants, who present with a clinical spectrum of intellectual disability, motor delay, speech delay, seizures, hypotonia, and behavioral problems. To link CNOT1 dysfunction to the neurodevelopmental phenotype observed, we generated variant-specific Drosophila models, which showed learning and memory defects upon CNOT1 knockdown.

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Purpose: Marfanoid habitus (MH) combined with intellectual disability (ID) (MHID) is a clinically and genetically heterogeneous presentation. The combination of array CGH and targeted sequencing of genes responsible for Marfan or Lujan-Fryns syndrome explain no more than 20% of subjects.

Methods: To further decipher the genetic basis of MHID, we performed exome sequencing on a combination of trio-based (33 subjects) or single probands (31 subjects), of which 61 were sporadic.

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Background: An accurate estimation of the risk of life-threatening (LT) ventricular tachyarrhythmia (VTA) in patients with LMNA mutations is crucial to select candidates for implantable cardioverter-defibrillator implantation.

Methods: We included 839 adult patients with LMNA mutations, including 660 from a French nationwide registry in the development sample, and 179 from other countries, referred to 5 tertiary centers for cardiomyopathies, in the validation sample. LTVTA was defined as (1) sudden cardiac death or (2) implantable cardioverter defibrillator-treated or hemodynamically unstable VTA.

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  • * About 25% of affected individuals met the criteria for autism, and the prevalence of epilepsy varied by sex, being more common in females, with many cases responding well to treatment.
  • * Individuals with missense variants in KMT2E showed the most severe developmental issues, including treatment-resistant epilepsy and microcephaly, highlighting the need for further research to understand the effects of these variants.
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  • A study investigated balanced chromosomal rearrangements in patients with intellectual disabilities and congenital anomalies using next-generation sequencing to identify breakpoints at a molecular level.
  • The research characterized breakpoints in 55 patients, revealing that 89% of chromosomal rearrangements were detected, with non-homologous end-joining identified as the primary repair mechanism.
  • The study found that a diagnosis could be established in about 44.8% of patients, revealing disruptions in genes and suggesting that paired-end whole genome sequencing is effective for clinical applications in structural variation analysis.
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This report presents two families with interstitial 11q24.2q24.3 deletion, associated with malformations, hematologic features, and typical facial dysmorphism, observed in Jacobsen syndrome (JS), except for intellectual disability (ID).

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