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Update on the Genetics of Dystonia

  • Genetics (V Bonifati, Section Editor)
  • Published:
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Abstract

Mainly due to the advent of next-generation sequencing (NGS), the field of genetics of dystonia has rapidly grown in recent years, which led to the discovery of a number of novel dystonia genes and the development of a new classification and nomenclature for inherited dystonias. In addition, new findings from both in vivo and in vitro studies have been published on the role of previously known dystonia genes, extending our understanding of the pathophysiology of dystonia. We here review the current knowledge and recent findings in the known genes for isolated dystonia TOR1A, THAP1, and GNAL as well as for the combined dystonias due to mutations in GCH1, ATP1A3, and SGCE. We present confirmatory evidence for a role of dystonia genes that had not yet been unequivocally established including PRKRA, TUBB4A, ANO3, and TAF1. We finally discuss selected novel genes for dystonia such as KMT2B and VAC14 along with the challenges for gene identification in the NGS era and the translational importance of dystonia genetics in clinical practice.

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Acknowledgments

Katja Lohmann is supported by the DFG (LO 1555/4-1 and LO 1555/3-2). Christine Klein is a recipient of a career development award from the Hermann and Lilly Schilling Foundation. Further, Katja Lohmann and Christine Klein are supported by the German Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF, DYSTRACT consortium, 01GM1514B) and a Research Unit of the DFG (FOR2488).

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  1. Institute of Neurogenetics, University of Luebeck, Maria-Goeppert-Str. 1, 23562, Luebeck, Germany

    Katja Lohmann & Christine Klein

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  1. Katja Lohmann
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Katja Lohmann declares no conflict of interest.

Christine Klein has received personal fees from Centogene and from the Else Kroener Fresenius Foundation.

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Lohmann, K., Klein, C. Update on the Genetics of Dystonia. Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep 17, 26 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11910-017-0735-0

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