Divergent metabolic phenotype between two sisters with congenital generalized lipodystrophy due to double AGPAT2 homozygous mutations. a clinical, genetic and in silico study

PLoS One. 2014 Jan 31;9(1):e87173. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0087173. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

Congenital generalized lipodystrophy (CGL) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by extreme reduction of white adipose tissue (WAT) mass. CGL type 1 is the most frequent form and is caused by mutations in AGPAT2. Genetic and clinical studies were performed in two affected sisters of a Chilean family. These patients have notoriously dissimilar metabolic abnormalities that correlate with differential levels of circulating leptin and soluble leptin receptor fraction. Sequencing of AGPAT2 exons and exon-intron boundaries revealed two homozygous mutations in both sisters. Missense mutation c.299G>A changes a conserved serine in the acyltransferase NHX4D motif of AGPAT2 (p.Ser100Asn). Intronic c.493-1G>C mutation destroy a conserved splicing site that likely leads to exon 4 skipping and deletion of whole AGPAT2 substrate binding domain. In silico protein modeling provided insights of the mechanisms of lack of catalytic activity owing to both mutations.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acyltransferases / chemistry
  • Acyltransferases / genetics*
  • Acyltransferases / metabolism
  • Adult
  • Base Sequence
  • DNA Mutational Analysis
  • Female
  • Genetic Predisposition to Disease / genetics*
  • Homozygote
  • Humans
  • Leptin / blood
  • Leptin / metabolism
  • Lipodystrophy, Congenital Generalized / blood
  • Lipodystrophy, Congenital Generalized / genetics*
  • Lipodystrophy, Congenital Generalized / metabolism
  • Models, Molecular
  • Mutation*
  • Phenotype
  • Protein Structure, Tertiary
  • Receptors, Leptin / metabolism
  • Siblings*

Substances

  • Leptin
  • Receptors, Leptin
  • Acyltransferases
  • 2-acylglycerophosphate acyltransferase

Grants and funding

This work was supported with Fondecyt-Chile grants # 11100168 to V.A.C and # 1120586 to J.L.S. and Conicyt-PAI 79100019 to V.A.C. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.