Partial duplication of the CRYBB1-CRYBA4 locus is associated with autosomal dominant congenital cataract

• Published in: European journal of human genetics : EJHG Vol. 25; no. 6; pp. 711 - 718
• Main Authors: Siggs, Owen M, Javadiyan, Shari, Sharma, Shiwani, Souzeau, Emmanuelle, Lower, Karen M, Taranath, Deepa A, Black, Jo, Pater, John, Willoughby, John G, Burdon, Kathryn P, Craig, Jamie E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Nature Publishing Group 01.06.2017
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; beta-Crystallin A Chain - genetics; beta-Crystallin B Chain - genetics; Cataract - genetics; Cataract - pathology; Cataracts; Child; Child, Preschool; Chromosome 22; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 22 - genetics; Copy number; Crystallin; DNA Copy Number Variations; Eye Diseases, Hereditary - genetics; Eye Diseases, Hereditary - pathology; Female; Gene Duplication; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Pedigree; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; Structural proteins; Visual perception
• ISSN: 1018-4813; 1476-5438
• DOI: 10.1038/ejhg.2017.33

Congenital cataract is a rare but severe paediatric visual impediment, often caused by variants in one of several crystallin genes that produce the bulk of structural proteins in the lens. Here we describe a pedigree with autosomal dominant isolated congenital cataract and linkage to the crystallin gene cluster on chromosome 22. No rare single nucleotide variants or short indels were identified by exome sequencing, yet copy number variant analysis revealed a duplication spanning both CRYBB1 and CRYBA4. While the CRYBA4 duplication was complete, the CRYBB1 duplication was not, with the duplicated CRYBB1 product predicted to create a gain of function allele. This association suggests a new genetic mechanism for the development of isolated congenital cataract.