Bi-allelic variants in INTS11 are associated with a complex neurological disorder

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributed

Contributors

  • Baylor College of Medicine
  • Center for Individualized Medicine
  • Molecular Genetics and Functional Genomics
  • Western Kentucky University
  • University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
  • Washington University St. Louis
  • St. Louis Children's Hospital
  • University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden
  • University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry
  • Broad Institute of Harvard University and MIT
  • Howard Hughes Medical Institute
  • Raphael Recanati Genetic Institute
  • Medical Genetics Institute of Maccabi HMO
  • Mayo Clinic Rochester, MN
  • INSERM - Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale
  • University College London
  • Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Trust
  • Unit of Neuromuscular and Neurodegenerative Disorders
  • CHU de Nantes

Abstract

The Integrator complex is a multi-subunit protein complex that regulates the processing of nascent RNAs transcribed by RNA polymerase II (RNAPII), including small nuclear RNAs, enhancer RNAs, telomeric RNAs, viral RNAs, and protein-coding mRNAs. Integrator subunit 11 (INTS11) is the catalytic subunit that cleaves nascent RNAs, but, to date, mutations in this subunit have not been linked to human disease. Here, we describe 15 individuals from 10 unrelated families with bi-allelic variants in INTS11 who present with global developmental and language delay, intellectual disability, impaired motor development, and brain atrophy. Consistent with human observations, we find that the fly ortholog of INTS11, dIntS11, is essential and expressed in the central nervous systems in a subset of neurons and most glia in larval and adult stages. Using Drosophila as a model, we investigated the effect of seven variants. We found that two (p.Arg17Leu and p.His414Tyr) fail to rescue the lethality of null mutants, indicating that they are strong loss-of-function variants. Furthermore, we found that five variants (p.Gly55Ser, p.Leu138Phe, p.Lys396Glu, p.Val517Met, and p.Ile553Glu) rescue lethality but cause a shortened lifespan and bang sensitivity and affect locomotor activity, indicating that they are partial loss-of-function variants. Altogether, our results provide compelling evidence that integrity of the Integrator RNA endonuclease is critical for brain development.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)774-789
Number of pages16
JournalAmerican journal of human genetics
Volume110
Issue number5
Publication statusPublished - 4 May 2023
Peer-reviewedNo

External IDs

PubMedCentral PMC10183469
Scopus 85153797871

Keywords

Sustainable Development Goals

Keywords

  • Adult, Animals, Humans, Drosophila/genetics, Drosophila Proteins/genetics, RNA, Messenger, Mutation/genetics, Nervous System Diseases, INTS11, brain atrophy, Drosophila, dIntS11, impaired motor development, developmental delay, CPSF3L, intellectual disability, delayed language development

Library keywords