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Intellectual disability - microarray and sequencing v3.46 POLR2A Rebecca Foulger Phenotypes for gene: POLR2A were changed from Global developmental delay; Generalized hypotonia; Feeding difficulties to Neurodevelopmental disorder with hypotonia and variable intellectual and behavioral abnormalities, 618603; Global developmental delay; Generalized hypotonia; Feeding difficulties
Intellectual disability - microarray and sequencing v2.1006 POLR2A Rebecca Foulger Classified gene: POLR2A as Green List (high evidence)
Intellectual disability - microarray and sequencing v2.1006 POLR2A Rebecca Foulger Gene: polr2a has been classified as Green List (High Evidence).
Intellectual disability - microarray and sequencing v2.1005 POLR2A Rebecca Foulger Phenotypes for gene: POLR2A were changed from Generalized hypotonia; Global developmental delay; Feeding difficulties to Global developmental delay; Generalized hypotonia; Feeding difficulties
Intellectual disability - microarray and sequencing v2.1004 POLR2A Rebecca Foulger commented on gene: POLR2A
Intellectual disability - microarray and sequencing v2.996 POLR2A Konstantinos Varvagiannis gene: POLR2A was added
gene: POLR2A was added to Intellectual disability. Sources: Literature
Mode of inheritance for gene: POLR2A was set to MONOALLELIC, autosomal or pseudoautosomal, imprinted status unknown
Publications for gene: POLR2A were set to 31353023
Phenotypes for gene: POLR2A were set to Generalized hypotonia; Global developmental delay; Feeding difficulties
Penetrance for gene: POLR2A were set to unknown
Review for gene: POLR2A was set to GREEN
gene: POLR2A was marked as current diagnostic
Added comment: Haijes et al. (2019 - PMID: 31353023) report on 16 individuals with heterozygous de novo POLR2A variants.

DD in all domains was observed in all individuals, ranging from mild to severe (in 8/16 moderate or more severe). The developmental scores were stable over time (as for eventual catch-up/decline) supporting relevance to the current panel.

POLR2A encodes RPB1, the largest subunit of RNA polymerase II (pol II). Pol II is responsible for the transcription of all protein coding genes as well as several long/short non-coding RNA genes.

Missense, in-frame deletions as well as truncating mutations were observed. POLR2A has a pLI of 1 and a Z-score for missense variants of 7.13 (one of the highest ones). The reported variants did not cluster in specific domains of the protein although many were in regions relatively depleted in benign variants in gnomAD (stretches of desert Z-scores). Measures such as the CADD scores did not discriminate between deleterious ones and those in gnomAD.

Different layers of structural analyses, functional analyses (impaired growth in S. cerevisiae in genetic background lacking transcr. factors Dst1 / Sub1 - suggesting reduced transcriptional fidelity / reduced HeLa cell viability) or phenotypic overlap were used to classify variants in probably disease causing (11), possibly disease causing (4 - only based on phenotypic overlap) or of unknown effect (1 variant - due to unavailable/incomplete phenotype).

Some variants were predicted to act by haploinsufficiency while others (missense ones) by a dominant-negative mechanism, the latter being more likely to result in severe phenotypes.

Mutations in genes encoding subunits of pol III (responsible for tRNA synthesis) are associated with leukodystrophy phenotypes with some limited overlap with POLR2A (delayed myelination/white-matter loss/tooth misalignment). Mutations in genes encoding other subunits of pol II (other than RPB1 encoded by POLR2A) have not been implicated in disease though.

POLR2A is not associated with any phenotype in OMIM/G2P. This gene is included in panels for ID offered by some diagnostic laboratories [eg. Utrecht UMC - affiliation of many co-authors of this study or GeneDx].

As a result, this gene can be considered for inclusion in the ID panel probably as green, or amber.
Sources: Literature