Publications by authors named "Nuzhat Rana"

Purpose: This study aims to comprehensively delineate the phenotypic spectrum of ACTL6B-related disorders, previously associated with both autosomal recessive and autosomal dominant neurodevelopmental disorders. Molecularly, the role of the nucleolar protein ACTL6B in contributing to the disease has remained unclear.

Methods: We identified 105 affected individuals, including 39 previously reported cases, and systematically analysed detailed clinical and genetic data for all individuals.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

This study reports on biallelic homozygous and monoallelic variants in in three unrelated families presenting with epileptic encephalopathy associated with a broad neurological involvement characterized by microcephaly, intellectual disability, seizures, and global developmental delay. encodes for a transmembrane protein that is involved in controlling neurite outgrowth and inhibitory synapse development and that has an important role in brain function and neurological diseases. Using primary cultures of hippocampal neurons carrying patients' SLITRK3 variants and in combination with electrophysiology, we demonstrate that recessive variants are loss-of-function alleles.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Neurodevelopmental disorders are major indications for genetic referral and have been linked to more than 1500 loci including genes encoding transcriptional regulators. The dysfunction of transcription factors often results in characteristic syndromic presentations; however, at least half of these patients lack a genetic diagnosis. The implementation of machine learning approaches has the potential to aid in the identification of new disease genes and delineate associated phenotypes.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Studies on genomic secondary findings (SFs) are diverse in participants' characteristics, sequencing methods, and versions of the ACMG SF list. Based on whole genome sequencing and the version 3.1 of the ACMG SF list, we studied SFs in 863 individuals from five different regions in Pakistan.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Hereditary spastic paraplegias (HSP) are a group of neurodegenerative diseases that present with weakness and stiffness in the lower limb muscles and lead to progressive neurological decline. Bi-allelic loss-of-function variants in genes that encode subunits of the adaptor protein complex 4 (AP-4) lead to complex HSP. This study aimed to identify causative genetic variants in consanguineous families with HSP from Azerbaijan and Pakistan.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) is a group of genetically and clinically heterogeneous peripheral nervous system disorders. Few studies have identified genetic causes of CMT in the Pakistani patients.

Methods: This study was performed to identify pathogenic mutations in five consanguineous Pakistani CMT families negative for PMP22 duplication.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Pathogenic variants of encoding the β subunit of the guanine nucleotide-binding protein cause IDDCA syndrome, an autosomal recessive neurodevelopmental disorder associated with cognitive disability and cardiac arrhythmia, particularly severe bradycardia.

Methods: We used echocardiography and telemetric ECG recordings to investigate consequences of loss in mouse.

Results: We delineated a key role of in heart sinus conduction and showed that -inhibitory signalling is essential for parasympathetic control of heart rate (HR) and maintenance of the sympathovagal balance.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • * Researchers identified 32 individuals with microcephaly, neurodevelopmental issues, and other neurological symptoms due to mutations in NARS1, revealing reduced levels of NARS1 mRNA and enzyme activity in affected cells.
  • * The study suggests that these mutations lead to neurodevelopmental diseases through mechanisms like toxic gain-of-function for new mutations and partial loss-of-function for recessive mutations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Developmental and epileptic encephalopathies (DEEs) are serious genetic disorders that cause seizures and problems with development in kids.
  • The study looked at 22 people from 15 families who had a severe form of epilepsy and found a specific genetic change in the UGP2 gene that was common among them.
  • This genetic change affects a protein important for the brain, leading to issues in how brain cells work and causing symptoms like vision problems and developmental delays.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The redox state of the neural progenitors regulates physiological processes such as neuronal differentiation and dendritic and axonal growth. The relevance of endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-associated oxidoreductases in these processes is largely unexplored. We describe a severe neurological disorder caused by bi-allelic loss-of-function variants in thioredoxin (TRX)-related transmembrane-2 (TMX2); these variants were detected by exome sequencing in 14 affected individuals from ten unrelated families presenting with congenital microcephaly, cortical polymicrogyria, and other migration disorders.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF