Early-onset leukoencephalopathy due to a homozygous missense mutation in the DARS2 gene

Abstract

Mutations in the DARS2 gene are known to cause leukoencephalopathy with brainstem and spinal cord involvement and lactate elevation (LBSL), a rare autosomal recessive neurological disorder. It was originally described as juvenile-onset slowly progressive ataxia and spasticity, but recent reports suggest a broader clinical spectrum. Most patients were found to carry compound heterozygous DARS2 mutations, and only very few patients with homozygous mutations have been described so far. We present here an 8-month-old boy carrying a homozygous missense mutation in DARS2 who clinically showed severe neurological deterioration after a respiratory tract infection, followed by an almost complete remission of symptoms. This report further extends the knowledge about the clinical and molecular genetic spectrum of LBSL.

Keywords: DARS2; LBSL; Leukoencephalopathy; Magnetic resonance imaging; Mitochondriopathy.