A novel homozygous missense mutation in the FASTKD2 gene leads to Lennox-Gastaut syndrome

FASTKD2 encodes an RNA-binding protein, which is a key post-transcriptional regulator of mitochondrial gene expression. Mutations in FASTKD2 have recently been found in mitochondrial encephalomyopathy, which is characterized by a deficiency in mitochondrial function. To date, seven patients have been reported. Six patients were identified with nonsense or frameshift mutations in the FASTKD2 gene, and only one patient harbored a missense mutation and a nonsense mutation. Here, we identified a novel FASTKD2 homozygous mutation, c.911 T > C, in a patient diagnosed with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. We observed that the expression of FASTKD2 and the levels of mitochondrial 16 S rRNA were lower in the patient than in the unaffected controls. In conclusion, the missense mutation c.911 T > C caused loss of function in FASTKD2, which was associated with a new phenotype, Lennox-Gastaut syndrome.