Rudrarup Bhattacharjee, Lachlan A Jolly, Mark A Corbett, Ing Chee Wee, Sushma R Rao, Alison E Gardner, Tarin Ritchie, Eline J H van Hugte, Ummi Ciptasari, Sandra Piltz, Jacqueline E Noll, Nazzmer Nazri, Clare L van Eyk, Melissa White, Dani Fornarino, Cathryn Poulton, Gareth Baynam, Lyndsey E Collins-Praino, Marten F Snel, Nael Nadif Kasri, Kim M Hemsley, Paul Q Thomas, Raman Kumar, Jozef Gecz
We implicated the X-chromosome THOC2 gene, which encodes the largest subunit of the highly-conserved TREX (Transcription-Export) complex, in a clinically complex neurodevelopmental disorder with intellectual disability as the core phenotype. To study the molecular pathology of this essential eukaryotic gene, we generated a mouse model based on a hypomorphic Thoc2 exon 37-38 deletion variant of a patient with ID, speech delay, hypotonia, and microcephaly. The Thoc2 exon 37-38 deletion male (Thoc2Δ/Y ) mice recapitulate the core phenotypes of THOC2 syndrome including smaller size and weight, and significant deficits in spatial learning, working memory and sensorimotor functions...
February 8, 2024: Nature Communications