Whole-exome sequencing to identify novel mutations of nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome in a Chinese population

BACKGROUND: Nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome (NBCCS) is a rare autosomal dominant disease with a complex genetic etiology. Although three causative genes (PTCH1, PTCH2, SUFU) have been identified through linkage analysis and Sanger sequencing, the genetic background of NBCCS hasn’t been fully u nderstood. METHODS: We performed a whole-exome sequencing (WES) in a Han Chinese NBCCS family and two unaffected volunteers to search for its causative gene. Bioinformatic analysis was used to select candidate genes and analyze the functional networks of each candidate gene. RESULTS: A total of 8 single-nucleotide variants (SNVs) were detected in PTCH1, PTCH2 and SUFU in all the 5 subjects, however none of them was considered the pathogenic genetic mutation in this NBCCS family. The following filtering process identified 17 novel candidate genes (GBP3, AMPD1, ASPM, UNC5C, RBM46, HSPA1L, PNPLA1, GPR126, AP5Z1, ZFHX4, KIF24, C10orf128, COX15, GPRC5A, UGGT2, RHBDF1, RPUSD1). Among them ZFHX4 had been already identified as a new basal cell carcinoma susceptibility loci through a genome-wide association study (GWAS) and was considered the most likely pathogenic gene for this NBCCS family. The functional network analysis revealed that ZFHX4 may be involved in notch signaling pathway. CONCLUSIONS: Our study reported the identification of 17 novel candidate genes in a Han Chinese family through WES. ZFHX4 may be a susceptibility gene for NBCCS in Chinese population.