A gain-of-function variant in DIAPH1 causes dominant macrothrombocytopenia and hearing loss
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Macrothrombocytopenia (MTP) is a heterogeneous group of disorders characterized by enlarged and reduced numbers of circulating platelets, sometimes resulting in abnormal bleeding. In most MTP, this phenotype arises because of altered regulation of platelet formation from megakaryocytes (MKs). We report the identification of DIAPH1, which encodes the Rho-effector diaphanous-related formin 1 (DIAPH1), as a candidate gene for MTP using exome sequencing, ontological phenotyping, and similarity regression. We describe 2 unrelated pedigrees with MTP and sensorineural hearing loss that segregate with a DIAPH1 R1213* variant predicting partial truncation of the DIAPH1 diaphanous autoregulatory domain. The R1213* variant was linked to reduced proplatelet formation from cultured MKs, cell clustering, and abnormal cortical filamentous actin. Similarly, in platelets, there was increased filamentous actin and stable microtubules, indicating constitutive activation of DIAPH1. Overexpression of DIAPH1 R1213* in cells reproduced the cytoskeletal alterations found in platelets. Our description of a novel disorder of platelet formation and hearing loss extends the repertoire of DIAPH1-related disease and provides new insight into the autoregulation of DIAPH1 activity.
Date Issued
2016-06-09
Date Acceptance
2016-01-16
Citation
Blood, 2016, 127 (23), pp.2903-2914
ISSN
0006-4971
Publisher
American Society of Hematology
Start Page
2903
End Page
2914
Journal / Book Title
Blood
Volume
127
Issue
23
Copyright Statement
© 2016 by The American Society of Hematology
Sponsor
Medical Research Council (MRC)
Medical Research Council
Identifier
PII: blood-2015-10-675629
Grant Number
MR/J011711/1
Subjects
BRIDGE-BPD Consortium
Immunology
Cardiovascular Medicine And Haematology
Clinical Sciences
Paediatrics And Reproductive Medicine
Publication Status
Published