Novel Missense <i>CACNA1G</i> Mutations Associated with Infantile-Onset Developmental and Epileptic Encephalopathy

• Main Authors: Géza Berecki, Katherine L. Helbig, Tyson L. Ware, Bronwyn Grinton, Cara M. Skraban, Eric D. Marsh, Samuel F. Berkovic, Steven Petrou
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2020-08-01
• Series: International Journal of Molecular Sciences
• Subjects: <i>CACNA1G</i> mutation; voltage-dependent T-type calcium channel; developmental and epileptic encephalopathy; deep cerebellar nuclei; gain of function; loss of function
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/21/17/6333
• ISSN: 1661-6596; 1422-0067

The <i>CACNA1G</i> gene encodes the low-voltage-activated Ca_v3.1 channel, which is expressed in various areas of the CNS, including the cerebellum. We studied two missense <i>CACNA1G</i> variants, p.L208P and p.L909F, and evaluated the relationships between the severity of Ca_v3.1 dysfunction and the clinical phenotype. The presentation was of a developmental and epileptic encephalopathy without evident cerebellar atrophy. Both patients exhibited axial hypotonia, developmental delay, and severe to profound cognitive impairment. The patient with the L909F mutation had initially refractory seizures and cerebellar ataxia, whereas the L208P patient had seizures only transiently but was overall more severely affected. In transfected mammalian cells, we determined the biophysical characteristics of L208P and L909F variants, relative to the wild-type channel and a previously reported gain-of-function Ca_v3.1 variant. The L208P mutation shifted the activation and inactivation curves to the hyperpolarized direction, slowed the kinetics of inactivation and deactivation, and reduced the availability of Ca²⁺ current during repetitive stimuli. The L909F mutation impacted channel function less severely, resulting in a hyperpolarizing shift of the activation curve and slower deactivation. These data suggest that L909F results in gain-of-function, whereas L208P exhibits mixed gain-of-function and loss-of-function effects due to opposing changes in the biophysical properties. Our study expands the clinical spectrum associated with <i>CACNA1G</i> mutations, corroborating further the causal association with distinct complex phenotypes.