RCPS_EIF4A3

Gene
EIF4A3
Disease
RCPS
Inheritance
AR
Classification
Definitive
Total Score
15
Publications Reviewed
3
Publication Span
4.24 years
Last Updated
06/02/2025
Curator(s)
Laurel Hiatt

Description

Richieri-Costa-Pereira syndrome (RCPS) is an autosomal recessive acrofacial dysostosis caused primarily by biallelic EIF4A3 5' UTR repeat expansions, most commonly 15-16 repeats compared with 3-12 repeats in controls, with additional pathogenic compound heterozygosity involving a 14-repeat allele and EIF4A3 missense variant. The locus-disease relationship is supported by affected families/probands with biallelic EIF4A3 variants, linkage and segregation at 17q25.3, reduced EIF4A3 expression and neural crest/osteochondrogenic defects in patient-derived cells, and zebrafish and mouse models of EIF4A3 deficiency that reproduce craniofacial developmental abnormalities relevant to RCPS.

Genetic evidence

Total: 9

Singular EvidenceProbandsPMID:291122436Seven affected individuals from six families had RCPS clinical features and biallelic EIF4A3 variants involving 14-, 15-, or 16-repeat 5' UTR expansion alleles and/or c.809A>G in trans; the cohort included mild and severe presentations and expanded the phenotypic/genotypic spectrum.
Collective EvidenceSegregationPMID:243608103Linkage and segregation in 20 affected individuals from 17 families refined the RCPS locus to 17q25.3 and showed significant linkage at rs2289534 (maximum LOD 9.533); expanded EIF4A3 5' UTR alleles segregated with autosomal-recessive disease in tested families.
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Experimental evidence

Total: 6

Functional AlterationPatient cellsPMID:283347802RCPS patient-derived iPSCs were differentiated into iNCCs and nMSCs; RCPS iNCCs showed reduced EIF4A3 mRNA/protein and decreased wound-healing migration, while nMSCs showed altered chondrogenic markers and premature osteogenic differentiation.
ModelsNon-human model organismPMID:283347803Gene-level, not repeat-allele-specific: conditional Eif4a3 haploinsufficient mouse models, including NCC-specific Wnt1-Cre;Eif4a3lx/+ embryos, showed RCPS-relevant craniofacial defects including impaired mandibular development, micrognathia, reduced Meckel's cartilage, premature clavicle ossification, and mandibular hypoplasia.
ModelsNon-human model organismPMID:243608102Gene-level, not repeat-allele-specific: zebrafish eif4a3 morpholino knockdown caused craniofacial cartilage and bone underdevelopment, lower-jaw clefting, and underdeveloped pharyngeal arches; most abnormalities were rescued by eif4a3-EGFP mRNA.
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Note: Maximum score caps apply at evidence type, category, and supercategory levels, so section totals may be lower than the raw sum of row scores.