Publications by authors named "Kelly Farwell"

Article Synopsis
  • Exome sequencing has improved the identification of genes associated with Mendelian disorders, particularly in cases with unclear diagnoses, revealing more frequent phenotypic variations due to genetic mutations.
  • Research indicates that missense variants in the CDC42 gene, related to various growth and developmental issues, lead to a range of clinical symptoms, including facial and immunological abnormalities, similar to those seen in Noonan syndrome.
  • The study shows that mutations in CDC42 can disrupt its normal function, affecting cellular processes in different ways and complicating the classification of related disorders, highlighting the need for thorough functional analysis in understanding these syndromes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: With the expanded availability of next generation sequencing (NGS)-based clinical genetic tests, clinicians seeking to test patients with Mendelian diseases must weigh the superior coverage of targeted gene panels with the greater number of genes included in whole exome sequencing (WES) when considering their first-tier testing approach. Here, we use an in silico analysis to predict the analytic sensitivity of WES using pathogenic variants identified on targeted NGS panels as a reference.

Methods: Corresponding nucleotide positions for 1533 different alterations classified as pathogenic or likely pathogenic identified on targeted NGS multi-gene panel tests in our laboratory were interrogated in data from 100 randomly-selected clinical WES samples to quantify the sequence coverage at each position.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Large-scale cohort-based whole exome sequencing of individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) has identified numerous novel candidate disease genes; however, detailed phenotypic information is often lacking in such studies. De novo mutations in pogo transposable element with zinc finger domain (POGZ) have been identified in six independent and diverse cohorts of individuals with NDDs ranging from autism spectrum disorder to developmental delay.

Methods: Whole exome sequencing was performed on five unrelated individuals.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Diagnostic exome sequencing (DES) is an effective tool for diagnosis in intractable cases where the underlying cause is thought be genetic. It is commonly assumed that patients with a family history of consanguinity will have increased detection rates for rare autosomal recessive Mendelian disorders through DES. Herein, we analyzed the diagnostic yield and relevant inheritance patterns within the DES cases with a reported consanguineous family history.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Heritable connective tissue diseases are a highly heterogeneous family of over 200 disorders that affect the extracellular matrix. While the genetic basis of several disorders is established, the etiology has not been discovered for a large portion of patients, likely due to rare yet undiscovered disease genes. By performing trio-exome sequencing of a 55-year-old male proband presenting with multiple symptoms indicative of a connective disorder, we identified a heterozygous missense alteration in exon 1 of the Elastin Microfibril Interfacer 1 (EMILIN1) gene, c.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: Exome sequencing is a successful option for diagnosing individuals with previously uncharacterized genetic conditions, however little has been reported regarding its utility in a prenatal setting. The goal of this study is to describe the results from a cohort of fetuses for which exome sequencing was performed.

Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of the first seven cases referred to our laboratory for exome sequencing following fetal demise or termination of pregnancy.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Elongator is a multi-subunit protein complex essential to transcription elongation, histone acetylation, and tRNA modification. The complex consists of six highly conserved protein subunits, called Elongator Proteins (ELP) 1-6. Apart from an association with intellectual disability (ID), there is limited clinical information about patients with ELP2 variants.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: Diagnostic exome sequencing was immediately successful in diagnosing patients in whom traditional technologies were uninformative. Herein, we provide the results from the first 500 probands referred to a clinical laboratory for diagnostic exome sequencing.

Methods: Family-based exome sequencing included whole-exome sequencing followed by family inheritance-based model filtering, comprehensive medical review, familial cosegregation analysis, and analysis of novel genes.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Analysis of spontaneous multiple mutations in normal and tumor cells may constrain hypotheses about the mechanisms responsible for multiple mutations and provide insight into the mutator phenotype. In a previous study, spontaneous doublets in Big Blue mice were dramatically more frequent than expected by chance and exhibited a mutation pattern similar to that observed for single mutations [Mutat. Res.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

To supplement a previous analysis of spontaneous tandem-base mutations (TBM) in the lacI gene of Big Blue((R)) mice, 2658 additional mutants were sequenced from 13 tissues and 44 spontaneous TBM were identified (tripling the sample size). Previous findings were confirmed and generalized and several new observations were made. TBM differ from single and other double mutations in that TBM frequency varies dramatically with tissue type.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF