EHMT1 pathogenic variants and 9q34.3 microdeletions share altered DNA methylation patterns in patients with Kleefstra syndrome

Abstract

Aim: Kleefstra syndrome (KS) is a rare neurodevelopmental disorder caused by haploinsufficiency of the euchromatic histone lysine methyltransferase 1 gene, EHMT1 , due to either a submicroscopic 9q34.3 deletion or a pathogenic EHMT1 variant. KS is characterized by intellectual disability, autistic-like features, heart defects, hypotonia and distinctive facial features. Here, we aimed to (1) identify a unique DNA methylation signature in patients with KS, and (2) demonstrate the efficacy of DNA methylation in predicting the pathogenicity of copy number and sequence variants.