title: Two sisters with Rett syndrome and non-identical paternally-derived microdeletions in the MECP2 gene.
abstract: The unique case of two sisters with symptoms of RTT and two quite distinct, novel, and apparently de novo microdeletions of the MECP2 gene is described. One sister possessed an 18 base-pair (bp) deletion (c.1155_1172del18) within the deletion hotspot region of exon 4, whereas the other sister exhibited a 43 bp deletion at a different location in the same exon (c.1448_1461del14+29). Although these lesions occurred on the same paternally-derived X chromosome, this is probably due to chance co-occurrence owing to the relatively high mutation rate of the MECP2 gene rather than to a constitutional mutator phenotype.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Genetics, Cardiff and Vale NHS Trust, University Hospital of Wales, Heath Park, Cardiff, CF14 4XW, UK.
authors.forename: Lyndon G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Rosser
authors.forename: Shane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: McKee
authors.forename: David S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Millar
authors.forename: Hayley
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Archer
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hughes
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Butler
authors.forename: Nadia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Chuzhanova
authors.forename: David N
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Cooper
authors.forename: Lazarus P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Lazarou