Identification and characterization of mutations in FANCL gene: A second case of Fanconi anemia belonging to FA-L complementation group

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Abstract
Fanconi anemia (FA) is a rare autosomal recessive or X‐linked disorder characterized by aplastic anemia, cancer susceptibility and cellular sensitivity to DNA crosslinking agents. Eight FA proteins (FANCA, FANCB, FANCC, FANCE, FANCF, FANCG, FANCL and FANCM) and three non‐FA proteins (FAAP100, FAAP24 and HES1) form an FA nuclear core complex, which is required for monoubiquitination of the FANCD2‐FANCI dimer upon DNA damage. FANCL possesses a PHD/RING‐finger domain and is a putative E3 ubiquitin ligase subunit of the core complex. In this study, we report an FA patient with an unusual presentation belonging to the FA‐L complementation group. The patient lacks an obvious FA phenotype except for the presence of a café‐au‐lait spot, mild hypocellularity and a family history of leukemia. The molecular diagnosis and identification of the FA subgroup was achieved by FA complementation assay. We identified bi‐allelic novel mutations in the FANCL gene and functionally characterized them. To the best of our knowledge, this is the second reported case belonging to the FA‐L complementation group.