Intellectual disability syndromic and non-syndromic
Gene: UBAP2L Green List (high evidence)Green List (high evidence)
Mode of inheritance
MONOALLELIC, autosomal or pseudoautosomal, NOT imprinted
Phenotypes
Neurodevelopmental disorder with impaired language, behavioral abnormalities, and dysmorphic facies, MIM# 620494
Green List (high evidence)
Based on Jia et al (2022 - PMID: 35977029) speech, motor delay as well as ID are observed in individuals harboring de novo pLoF variants in UBAP2L. The gene encodes a regulator of the stress granule (SG) assembly. Extensive evidence is provided on the effect of variants as well as the role of UBAP2L and other genes for components and/or regulation of SG in pathogenesis of NDDs. Among others a Ubap2l htz deletion mouse model (behavioral and cognitive impairment, abnormal cortical development due to impaired SG assembly, etc). Data from 26 previous studies, aggregating 40,853 probands with NDDs (mostly DD/ID, also ASD) suggest enrichment for DNMs in UBAP2L or other genes previously known and further shown to be important for SG formation (incl. G3BP1/G3BP2, CAPRIN1).
Details provided below.
Not associated with any phenotype in OMIM, G2P or SysNDD.
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Jia et al (2022 - PMID: 35977029) describe 12 affected individuals with heterozygous de novo pLoF variants in UBAP2L.
Phenotype: Features included hypotonia, speech (11/11) and motor delay (8/12), ID (8/10 with formal evaluation), variable behavioral concerns (ADHD 5/11, ASD in 4/10, etc). Seizures were reported in 7/12 with 3/10 having a formal diagnosis of epilepsy. Few had microcephaly (3/10). Facial dysmorphisms were common (9/9) and included abnormal palpebral fissures, deep prominent concha, high broad forehead, hypertelorism, thin upper lip and mild synophrys (each in 4 or less individuals). Short stature or skeletal alterations were described in some (4/10 each).
Role of the gene: UBAP2L encodes an essential regulator of stress granule assembly. Stress granules are membraneless cytoplasmic compartments in eukaryotic cells, induced upon a variety of stressors and playing a role in regulation of gene expression.
Variants identified : 9 nonsense/frameshift UBAP2L variants and 3 splicing ones were reported, in all cases as de novo events, upon trio/quad exome sequencing. All were absent from gnomAD. There were no other causative variants.
Variant effect/studies (NM_014847.4 / NP_055662.3) :
- Minigene assays revealed that the 3 splice variants all resulted in out-of-frame exon skipping.
- In patient fibroblasts one of these splice variants was demonstrated to result to reduced protein levels.
- 8 of the 9 nonsense/frameshift variants were predicted to result to NMD.
- 1 nonsense variant (c.88C>T/p.Q30*) was shown to result to decreased protein expression in patient fibroblasts, with detection of the protein using an antibody for the C terminus but not the N terminus. Protein N-terminal sequencing confirmed that the protein lacked the N terminus, with utilization of an alternative start site (11 codons downstream).
- Generation of HeLa UBAP2L KO cell lines resulted in significant reduction of SG numbers which was also the case for 4 variants studied, under stress conditions.
- The protein has a DUF domain (aa 495-526) known to mediate interaction of UBAP2L with G3BP1 (a stress granule marker) with deletions of this domain leading to shuttling of UBAP2L from the cytoplasm to the nucleus. Truncating variants upstream of the DUF domain were shown to result in nuclear localization.
Mouse model :
- The authors generated Ubap2l KO model with hmz deletion of Ubap2l resulting in a lethal phenotype (2.6% survived) and htz deletion leading to behavioral issues (low preference for social novelty, anxious-like behaviors) and cognitive impairment.
- Ubap2l haploinsufficiency resulted in abnormal cortical development and lamination with reduction of neural progenitor proliferation.
- Ubap2l deficiency was shown to impair SG assembly during cortical development both under physiological stress conditions or upon utilization of an oxidative stress inducer.
Additional evidence of UBAP2L and SG overall in pathogenesis of NDDs:
- Based on DNMs from 40,853 individuals with NDDs from 26 studies (9,228 with ASD, 31,625 with DD/ID) the authors demonstrate significant excess of DNM in 31 genes encoding SG components, regulators or both, the latter being the case for UBAP2L and 2 further genes (G3BP1 and G3BP2 - both with crucial roles in SG assembly).
- Excess dn splice-site (N=3) and missense (N=5) variants in G3BP1 were observed in the above cohort [c.95+1G>A, c.353+1G>T, c.539+1G>A / p.S208C, R320C, V366M].
- Excess dn missense (N=7) variants in G3BP2 were observed in the above cohort [p.R13W, D151N, E158K, L209P, E399D, K408E, R438C].
- Generation of G3BP1 or G3BP2 KO HeLa cell lines and immunofluorescence upon use of oxidative stress inducer revealed significant reduction of stress granules.
- Generation of HeLa cell lines for 5 G3BP1 mutants (R78C*, R132I*, S208C*, R320C*, V366M) and 7 G3BP2 mutants (p.R13W*, D151N*, E158K, L209P*, E399D, K408E, R438C) revealed that several (those in asterisk) resulted in significantly fewer SG formation under oxidative stress compared to WT while the subcellular distribution of the proteins under stress was identical to WT.
- Among the identified genes for SG enriched for DNMs, CAPRIN1 was implicated in previous publications as a NDD risk gene with 3 dn missense SNVs reported (p.I373K, p.Q446H, p.L484P). CAPRIN1 binding to G3BP1/2 has been shown to promote SG formation. Significant reduction of SG was observed in CAPRIN1 KO HeLa lines. p.I373K abolished interaction with G3BP1/2 and disrupted SG formation.
Sources: LiteratureCreated: 3 Sep 2022, 10:14 a.m.
Mode of inheritance
MONOALLELIC, autosomal or pseudoautosomal, imprinted status unknown
Phenotypes
Delayed speech and language development; Motor delay; Intellectual disability; Autistic behavior; Seizures; Microcephaly; Abnormality of head or neck; Short stature; Abnormality of the skeletal system
Publications
Phenotypes for gene: UBAP2L were changed from Neurodevelopmental disorder, MONDO:0700092, UBAP2L-related; Delayed speech and language development; Motor delay; Intellectual disability; Autistic behavior; Seizures; Microcephaly; Abnormality of head or neck; Short stature; Abnormality of the skeletal system to Neurodevelopmental disorder with impaired language, behavioral abnormalities, and dysmorphic facies, MIM# 620494; Delayed speech and language development; Motor delay; Intellectual disability; Autistic behavior; Seizures; Microcephaly; Abnormality of head or neck; Short stature; Abnormality of the skeletal system
Gene: ubap2l has been classified as Green List (High Evidence).
Phenotypes for gene: UBAP2L were changed from Delayed speech and language development; Motor delay; Intellectual disability; Autistic behavior; Seizures; Microcephaly; Abnormality of head or neck; Short stature; Abnormality of the skeletal system to Neurodevelopmental disorder, MONDO:0700092, UBAP2L-related; Delayed speech and language development; Motor delay; Intellectual disability; Autistic behavior; Seizures; Microcephaly; Abnormality of head or neck; Short stature; Abnormality of the skeletal system
Mode of inheritance for gene: UBAP2L was changed from MONOALLELIC, autosomal or pseudoautosomal, imprinted status unknown to MONOALLELIC, autosomal or pseudoautosomal, NOT imprinted
Gene: ubap2l has been classified as Green List (High Evidence).
gene: UBAP2L was added gene: UBAP2L was added to Intellectual disability syndromic and non-syndromic. Sources: Literature Mode of inheritance for gene: UBAP2L was set to MONOALLELIC, autosomal or pseudoautosomal, imprinted status unknown Publications for gene: UBAP2L were set to 35977029 Phenotypes for gene: UBAP2L were set to Delayed speech and language development; Motor delay; Intellectual disability; Autistic behavior; Seizures; Microcephaly; Abnormality of head or neck; Short stature; Abnormality of the skeletal system Penetrance for gene: UBAP2L were set to unknown Review for gene: UBAP2L was set to GREEN
If promoting or demoting a gene, please provide comments to justify a decision to move it.
Genes included in a Genomics England gene panel for a rare disease category (green list) should fit the criteria A-E outlined below.
These guidelines were developed as a combination of the ClinGen DEFINITIVE evidence for a causal role of the gene in the disease(a), and the Developmental Disorder Genotype-Phenotype (DDG2P) CONFIRMED DD Gene evidence level(b) (please see the original references provided below for full details). These help provide a guideline for expert reviewers when assessing whether a gene should be on the green or the red list of a panel.
A. There are plausible disease-causing mutations(i) within, affecting or encompassing an interpretable functional region(ii) of this gene identified in multiple (>3) unrelated cases/families with the phenotype(iii).
OR
B. There are plausible disease-causing mutations(i) within, affecting or encompassing cis-regulatory elements convincingly affecting the expression of a single gene identified in multiple (>3) unrelated cases/families with the phenotype(iii).
OR
C. As definitions A or B but in 2 or 3 unrelated cases/families with the phenotype, with the addition of convincing bioinformatic or functional evidence of causation e.g. known inborn error of metabolism with mutation in orthologous gene which is known to have the relevant deficient enzymatic activity in other species; existence of an animal model which recapitulates the human phenotype.
AND
D. Evidence indicates that disease-causing mutations follow a Mendelian pattern of causation appropriate for reporting in a diagnostic setting(iv).
AND
E. No convincing evidence exists or has emerged that contradicts the role of the gene in the specified phenotype.
(i)Plausible disease-causing mutations: Recurrent de novo mutations convincingly affecting gene function. Rare, fully-penetrant mutations - relevant genotype never, or very rarely, seen in controls. (ii) Interpretable functional region: ORF in protein coding genes miRNA stem or loop. (iii) Phenotype: the rare disease category, as described in the eligibility statement. (iv) Intermediate penetrance genes should not be included.
It’s assumed that loss-of-function variants in this gene can cause the disease/phenotype unless an exception to this rule is known. We would like to collect information regarding exceptions. An example exception is the PCSK9 gene, where loss-of-function variants are not relevant for a hypercholesterolemia phenotype as they are associated with increased LDL-cholesterol uptake via LDLR (PMID: 25911073).
If a curated set of known-pathogenic variants is available for this gene-phenotype, please contact us at panelapp@genomicsengland.co.uk
We classify loss-of-function variants as those with the following Sequence Ontology (SO) terms:
Term descriptions can be found on the PanelApp homepage and Ensembl.
If you are submitting this evaluation on behalf of a clinical laboratory please indicate whether you report variants in this gene as part of your current diagnostic practice by checking the box
Standardised terms were used to represent the gene-disease mode of inheritance, and were mapped to commonly used terms from the different sources. Below each of the terms is described, along with the equivalent commonly-used terms.
A variant on one allele of this gene can cause the disease, and imprinting has not been implicated.
A variant on the paternally-inherited allele of this gene can cause the disease, if the alternate allele is imprinted (function muted).
A variant on the maternally-inherited allele of this gene can cause the disease, if the alternate allele is imprinted (function muted).
A variant on one allele of this gene can cause the disease. This is the default used for autosomal dominant mode of inheritance where no knowledge of the imprinting status of the gene required to cause the disease is known. Mapped to the following commonly used terms from different sources: autosomal dominant, dominant, AD, DOMINANT.
A variant on both alleles of this gene is required to cause the disease. Mapped to the following commonly used terms from different sources: autosomal recessive, recessive, AR, RECESSIVE.
The disease can be caused by a variant on one or both alleles of this gene. Mapped to the following commonly used terms from different sources: autosomal recessive or autosomal dominant, recessive or dominant, AR/AD, AD/AR, DOMINANT/RECESSIVE, RECESSIVE/DOMINANT.
A variant on one allele of this gene can cause the disease, however a variant on both alleles of this gene can result in a more severe form of the disease/phenotype.
A variant in this gene can cause the disease in males as they have one X-chromosome allele, whereas a variant on both X-chromosome alleles is required to cause the disease in females. Mapped to the following commonly used term from different sources: X-linked recessive.
A variant in this gene can cause the disease in males as they have one X-chromosome allele. A variant on one allele of this gene may also cause the disease in females, though the disease/phenotype may be less severe and may have a later-onset than is seen in males. X-linked inactivation and mosaicism in different tissues complicate whether a female presents with the disease, and can change over their lifetime. This term is the default setting used for X-linked genes, where it is not known definitately whether females require a variant on each allele of this gene in order to be affected. Mapped to the following commonly used terms from different sources: X-linked dominant, x-linked, X-LINKED, X-linked.
The gene is in the mitochondrial genome and variants within this can cause this disease, maternally inherited. Mapped to the following commonly used term from different sources: Mitochondrial.
Mapped to the following commonly used terms from different sources: Unknown, NA, information not provided.
For example, if the mode of inheritance is digenic, please indicate this in the comments and which other gene is involved.