Ciliopathies

Gene: PRKACB

Green List (high evidence)

Palencia-Campos et al (2020 - PMID: 33058759) report on the phenotype of 3 individuals heterozygous for PRKACA and 4 individuals heterozygous for PRKACB pathogenic variants.

Gene included in this panel due to significant phenotypic overlap with ciliopathies.

The most characteristic features in all individuals with PRKACA/PRKACB mutation, included postaxial polydactyly of hands (6/7 bilateral, 1/7 unilateral) and feet (4/7 bilateral, 1/7 unilateral), brachydactyly and congenital heart defects (CHD 5/7) namely a common atrium or AVSD. Two individuals with PRKACA variant who did not have CHD had offspring with the same variant and an AVSD.

Other variably occurring features included short stature, limbs, narrow chest, abnormal teeth, oral frenula, nail dysplasia. One individual with PRKACB variant presented tumors.

Intellectual disability was reported in 2/4 individuals with PRKACB variant (1/4: mild, 1/4: severe). The 3 individuals with PRKACA variant did not present ID.

As the phenotype was overall suggestive of Ellis-van Creveld syndrome (or the allelic Weyers acrofacial dysostosis), although these diagnoses were ruled out following analysis of EVC and EVC2 genes.

WES was carried out in all.

PRKACA : A single heterozygous missense variant was identified in 3 individuals from 3 families (NM_002730.4:c.409G>A / p.Gly137Arg) with 1 of the probands harboring the variant in mosaic state (28% of reads) and having 2 similarly affected offspring. The variant was de novo in one individual and inherited in a third one having a similarly affected fetus (narrow thorax, postaxial polyd, AVSD).

PRKACB : 4 different variants were identified (NM_002731.3: p.His88Arg/Asn, p.Gly235Arg, c.161C>T - p.Ser54Leu). One of the individuals was mosaic for the latter variant, while in all other cases the variant had occurred de novo.

Protein kinase A (PKA) is a tetrameric holoenzyme formed by the association of 2 catalytic (C) subunits with a regulatory (R) subunit dimer. Activation of PKA is achieved through binding of 2 cAMP molecules to each R-subunit, and unleashing(/dissociation) of C-subunits to engage substrates. PRKACA/B genes encode the Cα- and Cβ-subunits while the 4 functionally non-redundant regulatory subunits are encoded by PRKAR1A/1B/2A/2B genes.

The authors provide evidence that the variants confer increased sensitivity of PKA holoenzymes to activation by cAMP (compared to wt).

By performing ectopic expression of wt or mt PRKACA/B (variants studied : PRKACA p.Gly137Arg / PRKACB p.Gly235Arg) in NIH 3T3 fibroblasts, the authors demonstrate that inhibition of hedgehog signaling likely underlyies the developmental defects observed in affected individuals.

As for PRKACA, the authors cite another study where a 31-month old female with EvC syndrome diagnosis was found to harbor the aforementioned variant (NM_001304349.1:c.637G>A:p.Gly213Arg corresponding to NM_002730.4:c.409G>A / p.Gly137Arg) as a de novo event. Without additional evidence at the time, the variant was considered to be a candidate for this subject's phenotype (Monies et al 2019 – PMID: 31130284).
Sources: Literature

Created: 25 Oct 2020, 6:24 a.m.

Mode of inheritance
MONOALLELIC, autosomal or pseudoautosomal, NOT imprinted

Phenotypes
Cardioacrofacial dysplasia 2, MIM# 619143; Postaxial hand polydactyly; Postaxial foot polydactyly; Common atrium; Atrioventricular canal defect; Narrow chest; Abnormality of the teeth; Intellectual disability

Publications

• 33058759

Mode of pathogenicity
Loss-of-function variants (as defined in pop up message) DO NOT cause this phenotype - please provide details in the comments