Detection of SMN1 to SMN2 gene conversion events and partial SMN1 gene deletions using array digital PCR

Neurogenetics. 2021 Mar;22(1):53-64. doi: 10.1007/s10048-020-00630-5. Epub 2021 Jan 7.

Abstract

Proximal spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a leading genetic cause of infant death worldwide, is an early-onset motor neuron disease characterized by loss of α-motor neurons and associated muscle atrophy. SMA is caused by deletion or other disabling mutations of survival motor neuron 1 (SMN1) but retention of one or more copies of the paralog SMN2. Within the SMA population, there is substantial variation in SMN2 copy number (CN); in general, those individuals with SMA who have a high SMN2 CN have a milder disease. Because SMN2 functions as a disease modifier, its accurate CN determination may have clinical relevance. In this study, we describe the development of array digital PCR (dPCR) to quantify SMN1 and SMN2 CNs in DNA samples using probes that can distinguish the single nucleotide difference between SMN1 and SMN2 in exon 8. This set of dPCR assays can accurately and reliably measure the number of SMN1 and SMN2 copies in DNA samples. In a cohort of SMA patient-derived cell lines, the assay confirmed a strong inverse correlation between SMN2 CN and disease severity. We can detect SMN1-SMN2 gene conversion events in DNA samples by comparing CNs at exon 7 and exon 8. Partial deletions of SMN1 can also be detected with dPCR by comparing CNs at exon 7 or exon 8 with those at intron 1. Array dPCR is a practical technique to determine, accurately and reliably, SMN1 and SMN2 CNs from SMA samples as well as identify gene conversion events and partial deletions of SMN1.

Keywords: Array digital PCR; CN; Copy number variation; Gene conversion; Partial deletion; SMN1; SMN2; Spinal muscular atrophy.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Gene Conversion / genetics
  • Gene Deletion
  • Humans
  • Motor Neurons / metabolism
  • Muscular Atrophy, Spinal / genetics*
  • Mutation / genetics*
  • Phenotype
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction / methods
  • Survival of Motor Neuron 1 Protein / genetics*
  • Survival of Motor Neuron 2 Protein / genetics

Substances

  • SMN1 protein, human
  • SMN2 protein, human
  • Survival of Motor Neuron 1 Protein
  • Survival of Motor Neuron 2 Protein