CHD7 mutation database published

We are proud with another ​MOLGENIS for the CHARGE syndrome using ​Observ-OM published in ​Human Mutation. CHD7 is a member of the chromodomain helicase DNA-binding (CHD) protein family that plays a role in transcription regulation by chromatin remodeling. Loss-of-function mutations in ICHD7 are known to cause CHARGE syndrome, an autosomal dominant malformation syndrome in which several organ systems, for example the central nervous system, eye, ear, nose and mediastinal organs, are variably involved. In this paper, we review all the currently described ICHD7 variants, including 184 new pathogenic mutations found by our laboratories. In total, we compiled 531 different pathogenic ICHD7 alterations from 515 previously published patients with CHARGE syndrome and 296 unpublished patients analyzed by our laboratories. The mutations are equally distributed along the coding region of ICHD7 and most are nonsense or frameshift mutations. Most mutations are unique, but we identified 96 recurrent mutations, predominantly arginine to stop codon mutations. We built a locus-specific database listing all the variants that is easily accessible at www.CHD7.org. In addition, we summarize the latest data on CHD7 expression studies, animal models and functional studies, and we discuss the latest clinical insights into CHARGE syndrome.