A novel synonymous mutation in the MPZ gene causing an aberrant splicing pattern and Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 1b

Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) is an inherited peripheral neuropathy with a heterogeneous genetic background. Here, we describe two CMT1B families with a mild sensory-motor neuropathy and a novel synonymous variant (c.309G > T, p.G103G) in exon 3 of the MPZ gene. Next generation sequencing analysis on a 94 CMT gene panel showed no mutations in other disease genes. In vitro splicing assay and mRNA expression analysis indicated that the c.309T variant enhances a cryptic donor splice site at position c.304 resulting in the markedly increased expression of the r.304_448del alternative transcript in patients' cells. This transcript is predicted to encode a truncated P0 protein (p.V102Cfs11*) lacking the transmembrane domain, thus suggesting a possible haploinsufficiency mechanism for this mutation. This is the third reported synonymous MPZ variant associated with CMT1 and affecting splicing. These data confirm the functional impact of synonymous variants on MPZ splicing and their possible role as disease-causing mutations rather than silent polymorphisms.