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Whole-exome sequencing identifies rare, functional CFH variants in families with macular degeneration

Lookup NU author(s): Dr Edwin Wong, Professor David KavanaghORCiD

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Abstract

We sequenced the whole exome of 35 cases and 7 controls from 9 age-related macular degeneration (AMD) families in whom known common genetic risk alleles could not explain their high disease burden and/or their early-onset advanced disease. Two families harbored novel rare mutations in CFH(R53C and D90G). R53C segregates perfectly with AMD in 11 cases (heterozygous) and 1 elderly control (reference allele) (LOD = 5.07, P = 6.7 x 10(-7)). In an independent cohort, 4 out of 1676 cases but none of the 745 examined controls or 4300 NHBLI Exome Sequencing Project (ESP) samples carried the R53C mutation (P = 0.0039). In another family of six siblings, D90G similarly segregated with AMD in five cases and one control (LOD = 1.22, P = 0.009). No other sample in our large cohort or the ESP had this mutation. Functional studies demonstrated that R53C decreased the ability of FH to perform decay accelerating activity. D90G exhibited a decrease in cofactor-mediated inactivation. Both of these changes would lead to a loss of regulatory activity, resulting in excessive alternative pathway activation. This study represents an initial application of the whole-exome strategy to families with early-onset AMD. It successfully identified high impact alleles leading to clearer functional insight into AMD etiopathogenesis.

Publication metadata

Author(s): Yu Y, Triebwasser MP, Wong EKS, Schramm EC, Thomas B, Reynolds R, Mardis ER, Atkinson JP, Daly M, Raychaudhuri S, Kavanagh D, Seddon JM

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: Human Molecular Genetics

Year: 2014

Volume: 23

Issue: 19

Pages: 5283-5293

Print publication date: 01/10/2014

Online publication date: 20/05/2014

Acceptance date: 06/05/2014

Date deposited: 30/01/2015

ISSN (print): 0964-6906

ISSN (electronic): 1460-2083

Publisher: Oxford University Press

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/hmg/ddu226

DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddu226

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