Continued lessons from the INS gene: an intronic mutation causing diabetes through a novel mechanism.

BACKGROUND: Diabetes in neonates usually has a monogenic aetiology; however, the cause remains unknown in 20-30%. Heterozygous INS mutations represent one of the most common gene causes of neonatal diabetes mellitus.
METHODS: Clinical and functional characterisation of a novel homozygous intronic mutation (c.187+241G>A) in the insulin gene in a child identified through the Monogenic Diabetes Registry (http://monogenicdiabetes.uchicago.edu).
RESULTS: The proband had insulin-requiring diabetes from birth. Ultrasonography revealed a structurally normal pancreas and C-peptide was undetectable despite readily detectable amylin, suggesting the presence of dysfunctional β cells. Whole-exome sequencing revealed the novel mutation. In silico analysis predicted a mutant mRNA product resulting from preferential recognition of a newly created splice site. Wild-type and mutant human insulin gene constructs were derived and transiently expressed in INS-1 cells. We confirmed the predicted transcript and found an additional transcript created via an ectopic splice acceptor site.
CONCLUSIONS: Dominant INS mutations cause diabetes via a mutated translational product causing endoplasmic reticulum stress. We describe a novel mechanism of diabetes, without β cell death, due to creation of two unstable mutant transcripts predicted to undergo nonsense and non-stop-mediated decay, respectively. Our discovery may have broader implications for those with insulin deficiency later in life. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.