RGD Reference Report - Human microphthalmia associated with mutations in the retinal homeobox gene CHX10. - Rat Genome Database

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Human microphthalmia associated with mutations in the retinal homeobox gene CHX10.

Authors: Ferda Percin, E  Ploder, LA  Yu, JJ  Arici, K  Horsford, DJ  Rutherford, A  Bapat, B  Cox, DW  Duncan, AM  Kalnins, VI  Kocak-Altintas, A  Sowden, JC  Traboulsi, E  Sarfarazi, M  McInnes, RR 
Citation: Ferda Percin E, etal., Nat Genet 2000 Aug;25(4):397-401.
RGD ID: 734779
Pubmed: PMID:10932181   (View Abstract at PubMed)
DOI: DOI:10.1038/78071   (Journal Full-text)

Isolated human microphthalmia/anophthalmia, a cause of congenital blindness, is a clinically and genetically heterogeneous developmental disorder characterized by a small eye and other ocular abnormalities. Three microphthalmia/anophthalmia loci have been identified, and two others have been inferred by the co-segregation of translocations with the phenotype. We previously found that mice with ocular retardation (the or-J allele), a microphthalmia phenotype, have a null mutation in the retinal homeobox gene Chx10 (refs 7,8). We report here the mapping of a human microphthalmia locus on chromosome 14q24.3, the cloning of CHX10 at this locus and the identification of recessive CHX10 mutations in two families with non-syndromic microphthalmia (MIM 251600), cataracts and severe abnormalities of the iris. In affected individuals, a highly conserved arginine residue in the DNA-recognition helix of the homeodomain is replaced by glutamine or proline (R200Q and R200P, respectively). Identification of the CHX10 consensus DNA-binding sequence (TAATTAGC) allowed us to demonstrate that both mutations severely disrupt CHX10 function. Human CHX10 is expressed in progenitor cells of the developing neuroretina and in the inner nuclear layer of the mature retina. The strong conservation in vertebrates of the CHX10 sequence, pattern of expression and loss-of-function phenotypes demonstrates the evolutionary importance of the genetic network through which this gene regulates eye development.

RGD Manual Disease Annotations    Click to see Annotation Detail View
TermQualifierEvidenceWithReferenceNotesSourceOriginal Reference(s)
blindness susceptibilityIAGP 734779microphthalmia more ...RGD 
blindness susceptibilityISOVSX2 (Homo sapiens)734779; 734779microphthalmia more ...RGD 

Objects Annotated

Genes (Rattus norvegicus)
Vsx2  (visual system homeobox 2)

Genes (Mus musculus)
Vsx2  (visual system homeobox 2)

Genes (Homo sapiens)
VSX2  (visual system homeobox 2)


Additional Information