Background: Renal agenesis (RA) is one of the most severe congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract; it is known to be highly genetically heterogeneous. The purpose of this study was to explore the clinical significance of genetic diagnostics in a Chinese RA family. Methods: Five members of an RA family and 100 healthy people were recruited. Clinical exome sequencing was conducted to explore the underlying genetic cause in the affected family. Results: Exome sequencing identified a novel missense mutation (c.2333T>A, p.Val778Asp) in the GREB1L gene. This GREB1L variant was not detected in controls and was predicted to be highly damaging to the physiological function of the GREB1L protein. Conclusion: We identified a novel c.2333T>A variant in the GREB1L gene that extends the mutational spectrum associated with renal agenesis.
Keywords: Chinese; GREB1L; clinical exome sequencing; missense mutation; renal agenesis.