Array CGH is becoming an important clinical assay for unbalanced chromosome abnormalities whether cells grow in culture or not and in cases of analysis on one or few cells.

This review analyzes data concerning patients with cardiomyopathies or skeletal myopathies associated with a variation in the intermediate filament (IF) synemin gene ( SYNM), also referred to as desmuslin ( DMN). Molecular studies demonstrate that synemin copolymerizes with desmin and vimentin IF and interacts with vinculin, α-actinin, α-dystrobrevin, dystrophin, talin, and zyxin. It has been found that synemin is an A-kinase-anchoring protein (AKAP) that anchors protein kinase A (PKA) and modulates the PKA-dependent phosphorylation of several cytoskeletal substrates such as desmin. Because several IF proteins, including desmin, have been implicated in human genetic disorders such as dominant or recessive congenital and adult-onset myopathy, synemin becomes a significant candidate for cardiac and skeletal myopathies of unknown etiology. Because SYNM is a new candidate gene that displays numerous sequence polymorphisms, in this review, we summarize the genetic and clinical literature about SYNM mutations. Protein-changing variants (missense, frameshifts, nonsense) were further evaluated based on structural modifications and amino acid interactions. We present in silico modeling of helical salt-bridges between residues to evaluate the impact of the synemin networks crucial to interactions with cytoskeletal proteins. Finally, a discussion is featured regarding certain variants that may contribute to the disease state.

Here we summarize the clinical and molecular findings in a 68-year-old female with dysmorphic features, mild-to-moderate intellectual disability, and behavioral findings suggesting autism spectrum disorder. SNP array analysis demonstrated a 257 kb deletion comprising exon 6 of AUTS2. This clinical report provides the natural history in the eldest patient yet to be reported, and complements the existing evidence suggesting that disruption of the AUTS2 leads to a recently delineated neurodevelopmental phenotype with a wide spectrum, namely "AUTS2 Syndrome." © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

This case illustrates that microarray CGH is a rapid, powerful and sensitive technology to identify small de novo unbalanced chromosomal abnormalities and can be applied in prenatal diagnosis.

Background: In routine Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) men with severe oligozoospermia or azoospermia should be informed about the risk of de novo congenital or chromosomal abnormalities in ICSI program. Also the benefits of preimplantation or prenatal genetic diagnosis practice need to be explained to the couple.