The RNA editing enzyme ADAR2 is essential for the recoding of brain transcripts. Impaired ADAR2 editing leads to early-onset epilepsy and premature death in a mouse model. Here, we report bi-allelic variants in ADARB1, the gene encoding ADAR2, in four unrelated individuals with microcephaly, intellectual disability, and epilepsy. In one individual, a homozygous variant in one of the double-stranded RNA-binding domains (dsRBDs) was identified. In the others, variants were situated in or around the deaminase domain. To evaluate the effects of these variants on ADAR2 enzymatic activity, we performed in vitro assays with recombinant proteins in HEK293T cells and ex vivo assays with fibroblasts derived from one of the individuals. We demonstrate that these ADAR2 variants lead to reduced editing activity on a known ADAR2 substrate. We also demonstrate that one variant leads to changes in splicing of ADARB1 transcript isoforms. These findings reinforce the importance of RNA editing in brain development and introduce ADARB1 as a genetic etiology in individuals with intellectual disability, microcephaly, and epilepsy.

• MeSH
• adenosindeaminasa genetika   MeSH
• alely MeSH
• alternativní sestřih genetika   MeSH
• dítě MeSH
• genetická predispozice k nemoci genetika   MeSH
• genetická variace genetika   MeSH
• HEK293 buňky MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mentální retardace genetika   MeSH
• mikrocefalie genetika   MeSH
• předškolní dítě MeSH
• proteiny vázající RNA genetika   MeSH
• sestřih RNA genetika   MeSH
• záchvaty genetika   MeSH
• Check Tag
• dítě MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• předškolní dítě MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural MeSH