A de novo missense variant in <i>GABRA4</i> alters receptor function in an epileptic and neurodevelopmental phenotype
Florian Vogel, Martin Krenn, Dominik S. Westphal, Elisabeth Graf, Matias Wagner, Steffen Leiz, Filip Koniuszewski, Maximilian Augé‐Stock, Georg Krämer, Petra Scholze, Margot Ernst
Abstract
) receptor genes cause different forms of epilepsy and neurodevelopmental disorders. To date, GABRA4, encoding the α4-subunit, has not been associated with a monogenic condition. However, preclinical evidence points toward seizure susceptibility. Here, we report a de novo missense variant in GABRA4 (c.899C>T, p.Thr300Ile) in an individual with early-onset drug-resistant epilepsy and neurodevelopmental abnormalities. An electrophysiological characterization of the variant, which is located in the pore-forming domain, shows accelerated desensitization and a lack of seizure-protective neurosteroid function. In conclusion, our findings strongly suggest an association between de novo variation in GABRA4 and a neurodevelopmental disorder with epilepsy.