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Severe microcephaly

Gene: TYW1

Amber List (moderate evidence)

TYW1 (tRNA-yW synthesizing protein 1 homolog)
EnsemblGeneIds (GRCh38): ENSG00000198874
EnsemblGeneIds (GRCh37): ENSG00000198874
OMIM: 611243, Gene2Phenotype
TYW1 is in 3 panels

1 review

Ida Ertmanska (Genomics England Curator)

I don't know

Comment on list classification: There are 2 sibs reported in literature with a biallelic TYW1 variant and severe microcephaly (more than -3 SD). Mouse and zebrafish knockout models showed microcephaly, supportive of the disease association. Based on available evidence, this gene can only be rated Amber on this panel.
Created: 27 Mar 2026, 2:30 p.m. | Last Modified: 27 Mar 2026, 2:32 p.m.
Panel Version: 8.39
PMID: 34077496 Li et al., 2021
2 Chinese sibs (non-consanguineous parents) reported with comp het TYW1 variants: NM_018264: c.616C>T, p.R206C & c.1166G>A, p. R389Q.
Proband CP_012_1, male - Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence IQ = 40 at 7 years old (moderate ID); head circumference at 6yrs: 47.5 cm (−3.26 SD).
CP_012_2, older sister - diagnosed with mixed type cerebral palsy (spasticity, dyskinesia), IQ <50 (moderate ID). Head circumference was 49 cm at 14yrs (−3.64 SD).
Parents confirmed heterozygous for 1 variant each. TYW1:c.616C>T - MAF in gnomADv4 = 0.0004900, including 1 homozygote. TYW1:c.1166G>A MAF in gnomAD v4 = 0.0001559, no homozygotes.

Functional evidence: TYW1 protein levels dramatically reduced in proband compared to controls; tyw1 deficiency in zebrafish resulted in ectopic neuronal cell migration in the brain and undifferentiated motor neuronal cells in the spinal cord - this was rescued by WT human and zebrafish tyw1 mRNA, but not by mRNA with patients' mutations. In addition, tyw1 knockdown zebrafish showed recuded swimming capacity. Kncokout tyw1-/- mice showed impaired motor function and reduced cognition in behavioural tests. Microcephaly and neurological manifestation were observed in both mice and zebrafish.

PMID: 38706838 Sun et al., 2024
Fucntional evidence: Study used brain organoid model and human embryonic stem cells to show that translation efficiency of UUU codon was compromised in TYW1−/− cells. Also, neuron differentiation was impaired when TYW1 was depleted.

TYW1 is not yet associated with a phenotype in OMIM, ClinGen or G2P (accessed 17 Mar 2026).
Sources: Literature
Created: 27 Mar 2026, 2:29 p.m. | Last Modified: 27 Mar 2026, 2:31 p.m.
Panel Version: 8.38

Mode of inheritance
BIALLELIC, autosomal or pseudoautosomal

Phenotypes
cerebral palsy, MONDO:0006497; microcephaly, MONDO:0001149

Publications

Details

Mode of Inheritance
BIALLELIC, autosomal or pseudoautosomal
Sources
  • Expert Review Amber
  • Literature
Phenotypes
  • cerebral palsy, MONDO:0006497
  • microcephaly, MONDO:0001149
OMIM
611243
Clinvar variants
Variants in TYW1
Penetrance
None
Publications
Panels with this gene

History Filter Activity

27 Mar 2026, Gel status: 2

Entity classified by Genomics England curator

Ida Ertmanska (Genomics England Curator)

Gene: tyw1 has been classified as Amber List (Moderate Evidence).

27 Mar 2026, Gel status: 1

Removed Tag

Ida Ertmanska (Genomics England Curator)

Tag watchlist was removed from gene: TYW1.

27 Mar 2026, Gel status: 1

Entity classified by Genomics England curator

Ida Ertmanska (Genomics England Curator)

Gene: tyw1 has been classified as Red List (Low Evidence).

27 Mar 2026, Gel status: 1

Created, Added New Source, Added Tag, Set mode of inheritance, Set publications, Set Phenotypes

Ida Ertmanska (Genomics England Curator)

gene: TYW1 was added gene: TYW1 was added to Severe microcephaly. Sources: Literature watchlist tags were added to gene: TYW1. Mode of inheritance for gene: TYW1 was set to BIALLELIC, autosomal or pseudoautosomal Publications for gene: TYW1 were set to 34077496 Phenotypes for gene: TYW1 were set to cerebral palsy, MONDO:0006497; microcephaly, MONDO:0001149 Review for gene: TYW1 was set to AMBER