Identification of the first homozygous 1-bp deletion in GDF9 gene leading to primary ovarian insufficiency by using targeted massively parallel sequencing

Targeted massively parallel sequencing (TMPS) has been used in genetic diagnosis for Mendelian disorders. In the past few years, the TMPS has identified new and already described genes associated with primary ovarian insufficiency phenotype. Here, we performed a targeted gene sequencing to find a genetic diagnosis in idiopathic cases of Brazilian POI cohort. A custom SureSelectXT DNA target enrichment panel was designed and the sequencing was performed on Illumina NextSeq sequencer. We identified one homozygous 1-bp deletion variant (c.783delC) in the GDF9 gene in one patient with POI. The variant was confirmed and segregated using Sanger sequencing. The c.783delC GDF9 variant changed an aminoacid creating a premature termination codon (p.Ser262Hisfs*2). This variant was not present in all public databases (ExAC/gnomAD, NHLBI/EVS and 1000 Genomes). Moreover, it was absent in 400 alleles from fertile Brazilian women screened by Sanger sequencing. The patient's mother and her unaffected sister carried the c.783delC variant in a heterozygous state, as expected for an autosomal recessive inheritance. Here, the targeted massively parallel sequencing identified the first homozygous 1-bp deletion variant in GDF9. This finding reveals a novel inheritance pattern of pathogenic variant in GDF9 associated with POI, thus improving the genetic diagnosis of this disorder.