Background
Oculocutaneous albinism (OCA) is a genetically heterogeneous condition that is associated with reduced or absent melanin pigment in the skin, hair, and eyes, resulting in reduced vision, high sensitivity to light, and rapid and uncontrolled eye movements. To date, seventeen genes have been associated with OCA including syndromic and non-syndromic forms of the condition.
Methods
Whole exome sequencing (WES) was performed to identify pathogenic variants in nine Pakistani families with OCA, with validation and segregation of candidate variants performed using Sanger sequencing. Furthermore, the pathogenicity of the identified variants was assessed using various
in-silico
tools and 3D protein structural analysis software.
Results
WES identified biallelic variants in three genes explaining the OCA in these families, including four variants in
TYR,
three in
OCA2,
and two in
HPS1
, including two novel variants c.667C > T: p.(Gln223*) in
TYR,
and c.2009 T > C: p.(Leu670Pro) in
HPS1
.
Conclusions
Overall, this study adds further knowledge of the genetic basis of OCA in Pakistani communities and facilitates improved management and counselling services for families suffering from severe genetic diseases in Pakistan.
Supplementary Information
The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12886-024-03611-6.