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Of over 7000 patients referred to a diagnostic laboratory, 28% had diagnoses based on DNA sequencing, 5% of whom had two or more diagnoses. Their phenotypes could be better understood by considering whether the implicated genes affect independent biologic processes or organ systems. Medical genetics focuses on the relationship between observed phenotypes and their underlying genotypes, modes of transmission, and risks of recurrence. Expected patterns of mendelian inheritance are often used to confirm the identification of disease genes, and deviations from mendelian expectations have led to the discovery of more complicated genetic underpinnings of disease (Fig. S1 in the Supplementary Appendix, available with the full text of this article at NEJM.org). 1 – 8 Multiple (or dual) molecular diagnoses involve more than one clinical diagnosis and more than one genetic locus (Figure 1), each segregating independently. Diagnostic whole-exome sequencing affords opportunities for providing insights into relationships . . .

Background Exome sequencing is now being incorporated into clinical care for pediatric and adult populations, but its integration into prenatal diagnosis has been more limited. One reason for this is the paucity of information about the clinical utility of exome sequencing in the prenatal setting. Methods We retrospectively reviewed indications, results, time to results (turnaround time, TAT), and impact of exome results for 146 consecutive “fetal exomes” performed in a clinical diagnostic laboratory between March 2012 and November 2017. We define a fetal exome as one performed on a sample obtained from a fetus or a product of conception with at least one structural anomaly detected by prenatal imaging or autopsy. Statistical comparisons were performed using Fisher’s exact test. Results Prenatal exome yielded an overall molecular diagnostic rate of 32% ( n  = 46/146). Of the 46 molecular diagnoses, 50% were autosomal dominant disorders ( n  = 23/46), 41% were autosomal recessive disorders ( n  = 19/46), and 9% were X-linked disorders ( n  = 4/46). The molecular diagnostic rate was highest for fetuses with anomalies affecting multiple organ systems and for fetuses with craniofacial anomalies. Out of 146 cases, a prenatal trio exome option designed for ongoing pregnancies was performed on 62 fetal specimens, resulting in a diagnostic yield of 35% with an average TAT of 14 days for initial reporting (excluding tissue culture time). The molecular diagnoses led to refined recurrence risk estimates, altered medical management, and informed reproductive planning for families. Conclusion Exome sequencing is a useful diagnostic tool when fetal structural anomalies suggest a genetic etiology, but other standard prenatal genetic tests did not provide a diagnosis.

Improved resolution of molecular diagnostic technologies enabled detection of smaller sized exonic level copy-number variants (CNVs). The contribution of CNVs to autosomal recessive (AR) conditions may be better recognized using a large clinical cohort. We retrospectively investigated the CNVs’ contribution to AR conditions in cases subjected to chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA, N=~70,000) and/or clinical exome sequencing (ES, N=~12,000) at Baylor Genetics; most had pediatric onset neurodevelopmental disorders. CNVs contributed to biallelic variations in 87 cases, including 81 singletons and three affected sibling pairs. Seventy cases had CNVs affecting both alleles, and 17 had a CNV and a single-nucleotide variant (SNV)/indel in trans. In total, 94.3% of AR-CNVs affected one gene; among these 41.4% were single-exon and 35.0% were multiexon partial-gene events. Sixty-nine percent of homozygous AR-CNVs were embedded in homozygous genomic intervals. Five cases had large deletions unmasking an SNV/indel on the intact allele for a recessive condition, resulting in multiple molecular diagnoses. AR-CNVs are often smaller in size, transmitted through generations, and underrecognized due to limitations in clinical CNV detection methods. Our findings from a large clinical cohort emphasized integrated CNV and SNV/indel analyses for precise clinical and molecular diagnosis especially in the context of genomic disorders.

Background Although mosaic variation has been known to cause disease for decades, high-throughput sequencing technologies with the analytical sensitivity to consistently detect variants at reduced allelic fractions have only recently emerged as routine clinical diagnostic tests. To date, few systematic analyses of mosaic variants detected by diagnostic exome sequencing for diverse clinical indications have been performed. Methods To investigate the frequency, type, allelic fraction, and phenotypic consequences of clinically relevant somatic mosaic single nucleotide variants (SNVs) and characteristics of the corresponding genes, we retrospectively queried reported mosaic variants from a cohort of ~ 12,000 samples submitted for clinical exome sequencing (ES) at Baylor Genetics. Results We found 120 mosaic variants involving 107 genes, including 80 mosaic SNVs in proband samples and 40 in parental/grandparental samples. Average mosaic alternate allele fraction (AAF) detected in autosomes and in X-linked disease genes in females was 18.2% compared with 34.8% in X-linked disease genes in males. Of these mosaic variants, 74 variants (61.7%) were classified as pathogenic or likely pathogenic and 46 (38.3%) as variants of uncertain significance. Mosaic variants occurred in disease genes associated with autosomal dominant (AD) or AD/autosomal recessive (AR) (67/120, 55.8%), X-linked (33/120, 27.5%), AD/somatic (10/120, 8.3%), and AR (8/120, 6.7%) inheritance. Of note, 1.7% (2/120) of variants were found in genes in which only somatic events have been described. Nine genes had recurrent mosaic events in unrelated individuals which accounted for 18.3% (22/120) of all detected mosaic variants in this study. The proband group was enriched for mosaicism affecting Ras signaling pathway genes. Conclusions In sum, an estimated 1.5% of all molecular diagnoses made in this cohort could be attributed to a mosaic variant detected in the proband, while parental mosaicism was identified in 0.3% of families analyzed. As ES design favors breadth over depth of coverage, this estimate of the prevalence of mosaic variants likely represents an underestimate of the total number of clinically relevant mosaic variants in our cohort.

Mendelian and early-onset severe psychiatric phenotypes often involve genetic variants having a large effect, offering opportunities for genetic discoveries and early therapeutic interventions. Here, the index case is an 18-year-old boy, who at 14 years of age had a decline in cognitive functioning over the course of a year and subsequently presented with catatonia, auditory and visual hallucinations, paranoia, aggression, mood dysregulation, and disorganized thoughts. Exome sequencing revealed a stop-gain mutation in RCL1 (NM_005772.4:c.370 C > T, p.Gln124Ter), encoding an RNA 3′-terminal phosphate cyclase-like protein that is highly conserved across eukaryotic species. Subsequent investigations across two academic medical centers identified eleven additional cases of RCL1 copy number variations (CNVs) with varying neurodevelopmental or psychiatric phenotypes. These findings suggest that dosage variation of RCL1 contributes to a range of neurological and clinical phenotypes.

Chromosomal insertions are genomic rearrangements with a chromosome segment inserted into a non-homologous chromosome or a non-adjacent locus on the same chromosome or the other homologue, constituting ~2% of nonrecurrent copy-number gains. Little is known about the molecular mechanisms of their formation. We identified 16 individuals with complex insertions among 56,000 individuals tested at Baylor Genetics using clinical array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Custom high-density aCGH was performed on 10 individuals with available DNA, and breakpoint junctions were fine-mapped at nucleotide resolution by long-range PCR and DNA sequencing in 6 individuals to glean insights into potential mechanisms of formation. We observed microhomologies and templated insertions at the breakpoint junctions, resembling the breakpoint junction signatures found in complex genomic rearrangements generated by replication-based mechanism(s) with iterative template switches. In addition, we analyzed 5 families with apparently balanced insertion in one parent detected by FISH analysis and found that 3 parents had additional small copy-number variants (CNVs) at one or both sides of the inserting fragments as well as at the inserted sites. We propose that replicative repair can result in interchromosomal complex insertions generated through chromothripsis-like chromoanasynthesis involving two or three chromosomes, and cause a significant fraction of apparently balanced insertions harboring small flanking CNVs.

Background NODAL signaling plays a critical role in embryonic patterning and heart development in vertebrates. Genetic variants resulting in perturbations of the TGF-β/NODAL signaling pathway have reproducibly been shown to cause laterality defects in humans. To further explore this association and improve genetic diagnosis, the study aims to identify and characterize a broader range of NODAL variants in a large number of individuals with laterality defects. Methods We re-analyzed a cohort of 321 proband-only exomes of individuals with clinically diagnosed laterality congenital heart disease (CHD) using family-based, rare variant genomic analyses. To this cohort we added 12 affected subjects with known NODAL variants and CHD from institutional research and clinical cohorts to investigate an allelic series. For those with candidate contributory variants, variant allele confirmation and segregation analysis were studied by Sanger sequencing in available family members. Array comparative genomic hybridization and droplet digital PCR were utilized for copy number variants (CNV) validation and characterization. We performed Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO)-based quantitative phenotypic analyses to dissect allele-specific phenotypic differences. Results Missense, nonsense, splice site, indels, and/or structural variants of NODAL were identified as potential causes of heterotaxy and other laterality defects in 33 CHD cases. We describe a recurrent complex indel variant for which the nucleic acid secondary structure predictions implicate secondary structure mutagenesis as a possible mechanism for formation. We identified two CNV deletion alleles spanning NODAL in two unrelated CHD cases. Furthermore, 17 CHD individuals were found (16/17 with known Hispanic ancestry) to have the c.778G > A:p.G260R NODAL missense variant which we propose reclassification from variant of uncertain significance (VUS) to likely pathogenic. Quantitative HPO-based analyses of the observed clinical phenotype for all cases with p.G260R variation, including heterozygous, homozygous, and compound heterozygous cases, reveal clustering of individuals with biallelic variation. This finding provides evidence for a genotypic-phenotypic correlation and an allele-specific gene dosage model. Conclusion Our data further support a role for rare deleterious variants in NODAL as a cause for sporadic human laterality defects, expand the repertoire of observed anatomical complexity of potential cardiovascular anomalies, and implicate an allele specific gene dosage model.

Background The multiple de novo copy number variant (M dn CNV) phenotype is described by having four or more constitutional de novo CNVs ( dn CNVs) arising independently throughout the human genome within one generation. It is a rare peri-zygotic mutational event, previously reported to be seen once in every 12,000 individuals referred for genome-wide chromosomal microarray analysis due to congenital abnormalities. These rare families provide a unique opportunity to understand the genetic factors of peri-zygotic genome instability and the impact of dn CNV on human diseases. Methods Chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA), array-based comparative genomic hybridization, short- and long-read genome sequencing (GS) were performed on the newly identified M dn CNV family to identify de novo mutations including dn CNVs, de novo single-nucleotide variants ( dn SNVs), and indels. Short-read GS was performed on four previously published M dn CNV families for dn SNV analysis. Trio-based rare variant analysis was performed on the newly identified individual and four previously published M dn CNV families to identify potential genetic etiologies contributing to the peri-zygotic genomic instability. Lin semantic similarity scores informed quantitative human phenotype ontology analysis on three M dn CNV families to identify gene(s) driving or contributing to the clinical phenotype. Results In the newly identified M dn CNV case, we revealed eight de novo tandem duplications, each ~ 1 Mb, with microhomology at 6/8 breakpoint junctions. Enrichment of de novo single-nucleotide variants (SNV; 6/79) and de novo indels (1/12) was found within 4 Mb of the dn CNV genomic regions. An elevated post-zygotic SNV mutation rate was observed in M dn CNV families. Maternal rare variant analyses identified three genes in distinct families that may contribute to the M dn CNV phenomenon. Phenotype analysis suggests that gene(s) within dn CNV regions contribute to the observed proband phenotype in 3/3 cases. CNVs in two cases, a contiguous gene duplication encompassing PMP22 and RAI1 and another duplication affecting NSD1 and SMARCC2 , contribute to the clinically observed phenotypic manifestations. Conclusions Characteristic features of dn CNVs reported here are consistent with a microhomology-mediated break-induced replication (MMBIR)-driven mechanism during the peri-zygotic period. Maternal genetic variants in DNA repair genes potentially contribute to peri-zygotic genomic instability. Variable phenotypic features were observed across a cohort of three M dn CNV probands, and computational quantitative phenotyping revealed that two out of three had evidence for the contribution of more than one genetic locus to the proband’s phenotype supporting the hypothesis of de novo multilocus pathogenic variation (MPV) in those families.

James Lupski, Orly Reiner and colleagues report seven individuals with submicroscopic copy number gains in the 17p13.3 region, supported by additional studies in transgenic mice. Duplications overlapping PAFAH1B1 (encoding LIS1) were associated with mild brain structural abnormalities, moderate to severe developmental delay and failure to thrive. Deletions of the PAFAH1B1 gene (encoding LIS1) in 17p13.3 result in isolated lissencephaly sequence, and extended deletions including the YWHAE gene (encoding 14-3-3ε) cause Miller-Dieker syndrome. We identified seven unrelated individuals with submicroscopic duplication in 17p13.3 involving the PAFAH1B1 and/or YWHAE genes, and using a 'reverse genomics' approach, characterized the clinical consequences of these duplications. Increased PAFAH1B1 dosage causes mild brain structural abnormalities, moderate to severe developmental delay and failure to thrive. Duplication of YWHAE and surrounding genes increases the risk for macrosomia, mild developmental delay and pervasive developmental disorder, and results in shared facial dysmorphologies. Transgenic mice conditionally overexpressing LIS1 in the developing brain showed a decrease in brain size, an increase in apoptotic cells and a distorted cellular organization in the ventricular zone, including reduced cellular polarity but preserved cortical cell layer identity. Collectively, our results show that an increase in LIS1 expression in the developing brain results in brain abnormalities in mice and humans.

Background In medical genetics, discovery and characterization of disease trait contributory genes and alleles depends on genetic reasoning, study design, and patient ascertainment; we suggest a segmental haploid genetics approach to enhance gene discovery and molecular diagnostics. Methods We constructed a genome-wide map for nonallelic homologous recombination (NAHR)-mediated recurrent genomic deletions and used this map to estimate population frequencies of NAHR deletions based on large-scale population cohorts and region-specific studies. We calculated recessive disease carrier burden using high-quality pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants from ClinVar and gnomAD. We developed a NIRD (NAHR deletion Impact to Recessive Disease) score for recessive disorders by quantifying the contribution of NAHR deletion to the overall allele load that enumerated all pairwise combinations of disease-causing alleles; we used a Punnett square approach based on an assumption of random mating. Literature mining was conducted to identify all reported patients with defects in a gene with a high NIRD score; meta-analysis was performed on these patients to estimate the representation of NAHR deletions in recessive traits from contemporary human genomics studies. Retrospective analyses of extant clinical exome sequencing (cES) were performed for novel rare recessive disease trait gene and allele discovery from individuals with NAHR deletions. Results We present novel genomic insights regarding the genome-wide impact of NAHR recurrent segmental variants on recessive disease burden; we demonstrate the utility of NAHR recurrent deletions to enhance discovery in the challenging context of autosomal recessive (AR) traits and biallelic variation. Computational results demonstrate new mutations mediated by NAHR, involving recurrent deletions at 30 genomic regions, likely drive recessive disease burden for over 74% of loci within these segmental deletions or at least 2% of loci genome-wide. Meta-analyses on 170 literature-reported patients implicate that NAHR deletions are depleted from the ascertained pool of AR trait alleles. Exome reanalysis of personal genomes from subjects harboring recurrent deletions uncovered new disease-contributing variants in genes including COX10 , ERCC6 , PRRT2 , and OTUD7A . Conclusions Our results demonstrate that genomic sequencing of personal genomes with NAHR deletions could dramatically improve allele and gene discovery and enhance clinical molecular diagnosis. Moreover, results suggest NAHR events could potentially enable human haploid genetic screens as an approach to experimental inquiry into disease biology.