INTRAGENIC LOSS OF FUNCTION MUTATIONS DEMONSTRATE THE PRIMARY ROLE OF FMR1 IN FRAGILE-X SYNDROME

Nearly all cases of fragile X syndrome result from expansion of a CGG trinucleotide repeat found in the 5′ untranslated portion of the FMR1 gene1. Methylation of the expanded repeats correlates with down-regulation of transcription of FMR1, thus fragile X syndrome is postulated to be due to a loss of function of the FMR1 gene product2–5, and this has been demonstrated at the protein level6,7. However, the nature of the mutation offers the possibility of methylation spreading to adjacent genes with consequent loss of expression and contribution to the phenotype. Deletions of FMR1 and flanking sequence (some of substantial size) have been reported in patients with phenotypes consistent with a diagnosis of fragile X syndrome8–15, however, none is strictly intragenic. We report here the identification of two different intragenic loss of function mutations in FMR1: A single de novo nucleotide deletion in a young male patient (IJ) and an inherited two basepair change in an adult male (SD), each with classical features of fragile X syndrome. © 1995 Nature Publishing Group.