Li, Y.L., Lin, J., Huang, X., Zeng, R.H., Zhang, G., Xu, J.N., Lin, K.J., Chen, X.S., He, M.F., Qiao, J.D., Cheng, X., Zhu, D., Xiong, Z.Q., Chen, W.J. (2024). Heterozygous Variants in KCNJ10 Cause Paroxysmal Kinesigenic Dyskinesia Via Haploinsufficiency.  Ann. Neurol. 96(4): 758--773.

FBrf0260825

Research paper

Most paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesia (PKD) cases are hereditary, yet approximately 60% of patients remain genetically undiagnosed. We undertook the present study to uncover the genetic basis for undiagnosed PKD patients. Whole-exome sequencing was performed for 106 PRRT2-negative PKD probands. The functional impact of the genetic variants was investigated in HEK293T cells and Drosophila. Heterozygous variants in KCNJ10 were identified in 11 individuals from 8 unrelated families, which accounted for 7.5% (8/106) of the PRRT2-negative probands. Both co-segregation of the identified variants and the significantly higher frequency of rare KCNJ10 variants in PKD cases supported impacts from the detected KCNJ10 heterozygous variants on PKD pathogenesis. Moreover, a KCNJ10 mutation-carrying father from a typical EAST/SeSAME family was identified as a PKD patient. All patients manifested dystonia attacks triggered by sudden movement with a short episodic duration. Patch-clamp recordings in HEK293T cells revealed apparent reductions in K[+] currents of the patient-derived variants, indicating a loss-of-function. In Drosophila, milder hyperexcitability phenotypes were observed in heterozygous Irk2 knock-in flies compared to homozygotes, supporting haploinsufficiency as the mechanism for the detected heterozygous variants. Electrophysiological recordings showed that excitatory neurons in Irk2 haploinsufficiency flies exhibited increased excitability, and glia-specific complementation with human Kir4.1 rescued the Irk2 mutant phenotypes. Our study established haploinsufficiency resulting from heterozygous variants in KCNJ10 can be understood as a previously unrecognized genetic cause for PKD and provided evidence of glial involvement in the pathophysiology of PKD. ANN NEUROL 2024;96:758-773.