Biallelic PI4KA variants cause neurological, intestinal and immunological disease

Phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase IIIa (PI4KIII alpha/PI4KA/OMIM:600286) is a lipid kinase generating phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate (PI4P), a membrane phospholipid with critical roles in the physiology of multiple cell types. PI4KIII alpha's role in PI4P generation requires its assembly into a heterotetrameric complex with EFR3, TTC7 and FAM126. Sequence alterations in two of these molecular partners, TTC7 (encoded by TTC7A or TCC7B) and FAM126, have been associated with a heterogeneous group of either neurological (FAM126A) or intestinal and immunological (TTC7A) conditions. Here we show that biallelic PI4KA sequence alterations in humans are associated with neurological disease, in particular hypomyelinating leukodystrophy. In addition, affected individuals may present with inflammatory bowel disease, multiple intestinal atresia and combined immunodeficiency. Our cellular, biochemical and structural modelling studies indicate that PI4KA-associated phenotypical outcomes probably stem from impairment of PI4KIII alpha-TTC7-FAM126's organ-specific functions, due to defective catalytic activity or altered intra-complex functional interactions. Together, these data define PI4KA gene alteration as a cause of a variable phenotypical spectrum and provide fundamental new insight into the combinatorial biology of the PI4KIII alpha-FAM126-TTC7-EFR3 molecular complex.

Automated summary

Biallelic PI4KA sequence alterations in humans are associated with neurological disease, particularly hypomyelinating leukodystrophy, as well as potentially causing inflammatory bowel disease, multiple intestinal atresia, and combined immunodeficiency. These phenotypical outcomes are likely due to impaired organ-specific functions of the PI4KIII alpha-TTC7-FAM126 complex resulting from defective catalytic activity or altered intra-complex functional interactions. The data defines PI4KA gene alteration as a cause of a variable phenotypical spectrum and provides new insight into the biology of the PI4KIII alpha-FAM126-TTC7-EFR3 molecular complex.