Mutational screening of BASP1 and transcribed processed pseudogene TPψg-BASP1 in patients with Moebius syndrome

Moebius syndrome is a rare disorder primarily characterized by congenital facial palsy, frequently accompanied by ocular abduction anomalies and occasionally associated with orofacial, limb and musculoskeletal malformations. Abnormal development of cranial nerves Ⅴ through Ⅻ underlines the disease pathogenesis. Although a genetic etiology for Moebius syndrome was proposed, molecular genetic studies to identify the causative gene（s） are scarce. In this study, we selected two candidate genes. One is BASP1 residing in a human chromosome 5p15.1-p15.2, syntenic to mouse chromosome 15qA2-qB2, to which a mouse model with facial nerve anomalies was mapped. The other is transcribed processed pseudogene TPψg-BASP1, which is located on chromosome 13q flanking the putative locus for Moebius syndrome and might be involved in the regulation of the transcripts encoded by BASP1. Mutation analyses in nineteen patients excluded these genes as being candidates for Moebius syndrome.