CTCF variants in 39 individuals with a variable neurodevelopmental disorder broaden the mutational and clinical spectrum.

Purpose: Pathogenic variants in the chromatin organizer CTCF were previously reported in seven individuals with a neurodevelopmental disorder (NDD).

Methods: Through international collaboration we collected data from 39 subjects with variants in CTCF. We performed transcriptome analysis on RNA from blood samples and utilized Drosophila melanogaster to investigate the impact of Ctcf dosage alteration on nervous system development and function.

Missense Variants in RHOBTB2 Cause a Developmental and Epileptic Encephalopathy in Humans, and Altered Levels Cause Neurological Defects in Drosophila.

Although the role of typical Rho GTPases and other Rho-linked proteins in synaptic plasticity and cognitive function and dysfunction is widely acknowledged, the role of atypical Rho GTPases (such as RHOBTB2) in neurodevelopment has barely been characterized. We have now identified de novo missense variants clustering in the BTB-domain-encoding region of RHOBTB2 in ten individuals with a similar phenotype, including early-onset epilepsy, severe intellectual disability, postnatal microcephaly, and movement disorders. Three of the variants were recurrent.