Screening of a large Rubinstein–Taybi cohort identified many novel variants and emphasizes the importance of the CREBBP histone acetyltransferase domain

Abstract Pathogenic variants within the CREBBP and EP300 genes account for the majority of individuals with Rubinstein–Taybi syndrome (RSTS). Data are presented from a large cohort of 395 individuals referred for diagnostic testing of CREBBP , and of the 19 CREBBP missense variants classified as likely pathogenic in this study, 17 were within the histone acetyltransferase (HAT) domain, providing evidence that this domain is critical to the normal function of the CREBBP protein (CBP). The data presented here, combined with other published results, suggest that the presence of a missense variant within the CBP HAT domain can be considered as moderate evidence of pathogenicity in the context of official variant interpretation guidelines. Within our study cohort, 129 had a pathogenic or likely pathogenic CREBBP variant and 5 had a variant of uncertain significance (VUS) which warranted familial studies. 147 of the remaining probands were also screened for EP300 and a further 16 pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants were identified, plus one VUS. Therefore, this analysis has provided a molecular diagnosis in at least 145 individuals with RSTS (37%) and identified a wide range of variants ( n = 133) of which 103 were novel.