Abstract
Neuroligin 4 (NLGN4) is a member of a cell adhesion protein family that appears to play a role in the maturation and function of neuronal synapses. Mutations in the X-linked NLGN4 gene are a potential cause of autistic spectrum disorders, and mutations have been reported in several patients with autism, Asperger syndrome, and mental retardation. We describe here a family with a wide variation in neuropsychiatric illness associated with a deletion of exons 4, 5, and 6 of NLGN4. The proband is an autistic boy with a motor tic. His brother has Tourette syndrome and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Their mother, a carrier, has a learning disorder, anxiety, and depression. This family demonstrates that NLGN4 mutations can be associated with a wide spectrum of neuropsychiatric conditions and that carriers may be affected with milder symptoms.
Similar content being viewed by others
Introduction
Neuroligins are a family of adhesion molecules expressed in postsynaptic neurons that interact with neurexins expressed in presynaptic neurons.1, 2, 3 The neuroligin–neurexin interaction is hypothesized to play a role in the amount, specificity, and stabilization of synaptic network formation.4 Studies of knockout mice for NLGN1, 2, and 3 support a role in synapse maturation and function.5
The neurexin family consists of three members (NRXN1, NRXN2, and NRXN3), each with a long α and a short β form. Great variation is achieved through alternative splice variants.6 Four members of the neuroligin family have been identified in mice (NLGN1, NLGN2, NLGN3, and NLGN4), while five members of the neuroligin family have been identified in humans: NLGN1, NLGN2, NLGN3, NLGN4, and NLGN4Y.1, 7, 8 NLGN3 and NLGN4 are both X-linked, with loci at Xq13 and Xp22.33, respectively. Mutations in these two genes have been reported in eight families that include members with mental retardation and/or pervasive developmental disorders ranging across the spectrum from Asperger syndrome to autism (Table 1).9, 10, 11, 12 One report also makes note of a carrier mother affected with a learning disorder.11 Furthermore, mutations in NRXN1 have been detected in four patients with autism.13 Several studies, however, have failed to detect a high rate of NLGN mutations in autistic patients, suggesting that NLGN mutations may only be responsible for a small subset of cases of autism.14, 15, 16, 17 A study to test for an association between NLGN4 or NLGN4Y and schizophrenia, another neuropsychiatric condition, did not yield a strong link either.18
We have recently identified a family with a novel NLGN4 deletion encompassing exons 4, 5, and 6. This mutation is predicted to result in a significantly truncated protein. This family shows a wide spectrum of different neuropsychiatric illnesses associated with the same NLGN4 mutation. In addition, it demonstrates that female carriers may also be affected in a milder manner than their male children.
Clinical presentation
The propositus, a 7-year-old boy, presented to us for evaluation of an underlying genetic cause for autism. He was born by spontaneous vaginal delivery at full term after an uneventful pregnancy without exposures to known teratogens. His early development appeared unremarkable to parents. By the age of 12 months, he was walking on his own and had spoken his first word. He progressed to a vocabulary of approximately 10–15 words; however, around the age of 2 years, his language regressed and his behavior changed. His family had difficulty in making eye contact with him, and he began to show some repetitive movements, including hand waving and placing his fingers in his ears. In addition, he developed a tic disorder consisting of a jerking of the head and arms. An EEG to evaluate seizure activity was normal. Clinical evaluation confirmed that he met DSM-IV criteria for the diagnosis of autism. Cognitively, he was severely retarded.
Medically, the patient has been otherwise relatively healthy, with the exception of recurrent otitis media requiring tympanostomy tubes. Physical examination was notable for a double hair whorl, upslanting palpebral fissures, and a slightly broad, depressed nasal root. Head circumference at the age of 7 years was 53 cm (75th percentile).
The family was of Irish and English ancestry. The patient had one sibling, a 9-year-old brother diagnosed with Tourette syndrome and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder with mild cognitive deficits. He was treated with depakote, risperdol, and cogentin, which reportedly improved the symptoms of Tourette syndrome. The mother has a learning disability, as well as depression and anxiety treated with sertraline. The maternal grandmother has anxiety. The paternal grandfather was deceased with no suggestive medical or psychiatric history. The father does not have any psychiatric, autistic, or cognitive issues either in himself or in his extended family.
Routine chromosome analysis revealed a normal karyotype of 46, XY. A chromosome microarray (Signature Genomics Laboratory) revealed a small deletion at Xp22.3. No other deletions or abnormalities were detected by the microarray. The deletion was located approximately 1 Mb from the steroid sulfatase locus, leaving this region intact. To further delineate the nature of the deletion, we proceeded with analysis of the NLGN4 gene located at Xp22.33. This revealed a deletion encompassing exons 4, 5, and 6 (Figure 1a and b). Sequencing across the break point confirmed that the deletion encompasses 756 797 bp (Chr.X 5935194-5179398, UCSC Genome Browser on Human, March 2006 Assembly), and that there are currently no other known genes in the deleted region (Figures 2, 3). Chromosome analysis of the mother and the father showed normal 46, XX and 46, XY karyotypes, respectively. Further evaluation of the family showed that his brother and mother both carry this deletion. His mother declined further testing to determine X-chromosome inactivation status. The maternal grandmother declined testing secondary to severe fear of needle sticks, medical testing, and doctors. It should be noted that no deletions were detected on testing of samples from 96 healthy controls. In addition, specific testing for exon 5 or 6 deletions was negative on another 288 healthy controls.
Materials and methods
Genomic DNA was extracted from blood using the Puregene kit (Gentra, Minneapolis, MN, USA) as per manufacturer's instructions. The NLGN4 primers were designed to specifically amplify the NLGN4 copy on the X chromosome (Xp22.32–p22.31). A homologous NLGN gene is found on the Y chromosome (NLGN4Y, Yq11.221). All seven exons were amplified in nine amplicons (exons 2, 5, and 6 are amplified in two segments). PCR was performed using the AmpliTaq Gold with GeneAmp PCR kit (Roche, Branchburg, NJ, USA), as per the manufacturer's instructions. PCR products were verified by agarose gel electrophoresis. Amplification abnormalities were confirmed in a second independent PCR amplification. Cycle sequencing was performed using the Big Dye Terminator kit, v1.1 (Applied Biosystems, Foster City, CA, USA), as per the manufacturer's instructions. Cycle sequencing products were purified using the CleanSeq magnetic bean purification kit (Agencourt, Beverly, MA, USA). Purified products were run an on Applied Biosystems 3730 automated fluorescent sequencer.
Discussion
Neuroligins are an intriguing study target for neuropsychiatric conditions due to their potential role in synapse function and neuron-to-neuron recognition. Lack of expression of specific neuroligins could affect neuronal interactions within the synaptic network, leading to consequent neuropathology.
This family's varied neuropsychiatric phenotypes suggest that mutations in NLGN4 may be associated with a wider clinical spectrum than previously described, including depression, anxiety, and tic disorders. Their varied phenotypes, all associated with the same mutation, suggest that epigenetic factors play a role in determining presentation. This also suggests that derangement of core elements of synapse function may be associated with multiple neuropsychiatric conditions.
Gene dosage may be integral to neuroligin function as suggested by the mother's relatively mild symptoms (as compared with her sons) of a learning disorder, anxiety, and depression. Knowledge of the mother's X-chromosome inactivation status would be valuable in this interpretation, but was unfortunately not available. This may have important genetic counseling implications, as carrier mothers with mild symptoms may be at risk to have severely affected offspring.
References
Ichtchenko K, Hata Y, Nguyen T et al: Neuroligin 1: a splice site-specific ligand for beta-neurexins. Cell 1995; 81: 435–443.
Lise MF, El-Husseini A : The neuroligin and neurexin families: from structure to function at the synapse. Cell Mol Life Sci 2006; 63: 1833–1849.
Boucard AA, Chubykin AA, Comoletti D, Taylor P, Sudhof TC : A splice code for trans-synaptic cell adhesion mediated by binding of neuroligin 1 to alpha- and beta-neurexins. Neuron 2005; 48: 229–236.
Levinson JN, Chery N, Huang K et al: Neuroligins mediate excitatory and inhibitory synapse formation: involvement of PSD-95 and neurexin-1beta in neuroligin-induced synaptic specificity. J Biol Chem 2005; 280: 17312–17319.
Varoqueaux F, Aramuni G, Rawson RL et al: Neuroligins determine synapse maturation and function. Neuron 2006; 51: 741–754.
Ullrich B, Ushkaryov YA, Sudhof TC : Cartography of neurexins: more than 1000 isoforms generated by alternative splicing and expressed in distinct subsets of neurons. Neuron 1995; 14: 497–507.
Ichtchenko K, Nguyen T, Sudhof TC : Structures, alternative splicing, and neurexin binding of multiple neuroligins. J Biol Chem 1996; 271: 2676–2682.
Bolliger MF, Frei K, Winterhalter KH, Gloor SM : Identification of a novel neuroligin in humans which binds to PSD-95 and has a widespread expression. Biochem J 2001; 356: 581–588.
Jamain S, Quach H, Betancur C et al: Mutations of the X-linked genes encoding neuroligins NLGN3 and NLGN4 are associated with autism. Nat Genet 2003; 34: 27–29.
Laumonnier F, Bonnet-Brilhault F, Gomot M et al: X-linked mental retardation and autism are associated with a mutation in the NLGN4 gene, a member of the neuroligin family. Am J Hum Genet 2004; 74: 552–557.
Yan J, Oliveira G, Coutinho A et al: Analysis of the neuroligin 3 and 4 genes in autism and other neuropsychiatric patients. Mol Psychiatry 2005; 10: 329–332.
Talebizadeh Z, Lam DY, Theodoro MF, Bittel DC, Lushington GH, Butler MG : Novel splice isoforms for NLGN3 and NLGN4 with possible implications in autism. J Med Genet 2006; 43: e21.
Feng J, Schroer R, Yan J et al: High frequency of neurexin 1beta signal peptide structural variants in patients with autism. Neurosci Lett 2006; 409: 10–13.
Talebizadeh Z, Bittel DC, Veatch OJ, Butler MG, Takahashi TN, Miles JH : Do known mutations in neuroligin genes (NLGN3 and NLGN4) cause autism? J Autism Dev Disord 2004; 34: 735–736.
Gauthier J, Bonnel A, St-Onge J et al: NLGN3/NLGN4 gene mutations are not responsible for autism in the Quebec population. Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet 2005; 132: 74–75.
Ylisaukko-oja T, Rehnstrom K, Auranen M et al: Analysis of four neuroligin genes as candidates for autism. Eur J Hum Genet 2005; 13: 1285–1292.
Blasi F, Bacchelli E, Pesaresi G, Carone S, Bailey AJ, Maestrini E : Absence of coding mutations in the X-linked genes neuroligin 3 and neuroligin 4 in individuals with autism from the IMGSAC collection. Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet 2006; 141: 220–221.
Sand P, Langguth B, Hajak G et al: Screening for Neuroligin 4 (NLGN4) truncating and transmembrane domain mutations in schizophrenia. Schizophr Res 2006; 82: 277–278.
Acknowledgements
We are grateful to this family for all their help. We would also like to thank Dr Joseph T Coyle for helpful discussions during the preparation of this manuscript.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Conflict of interest
The authors have no conflict of interest to report.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Lawson-Yuen, A., Saldivar, JS., Sommer, S. et al. Familial deletion within NLGN4 associated with autism and Tourette syndrome. Eur J Hum Genet 16, 614–618 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejhg.5202006
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejhg.5202006
Keywords
This article is cited by
-
The distribution of neuroligin4, an autism-related postsynaptic molecule, in the human brain
Molecular Brain (2023)
-
Rare X-linked variants carry predominantly male risk in autism, Tourette syndrome, and ADHD
Nature Communications (2023)
-
Autism-associated variants of neuroligin 4X impair synaptogenic activity by various molecular mechanisms
Molecular Autism (2020)
-
Novel human sex-typing strategies based on the autism candidate gene NLGN4X and its male-specific gametologue NLGN4Y
Biology of Sex Differences (2019)
-
Analysis of the SNP rs3747333 and rs3747334 in NLGN4X gene in autism spectrum disorder: a meta-analysis
Annals of General Psychiatry (2019)