FMR1 allelic complexity in premutation carriers provides no evidence for a correlation with age at amenorrhea

Abstract

Abstract Background Premutations in the Fragile X Messenger Ribonucleoprotein 1 (FMR1) gene, defined as between 55 and 200 CGGs, have been implicated in fragile X-associated primary ovarian insufficiency (FXPOI). Only 20% of female premutation carriers develop early ovulatory dysfunction, the reason for this incomplete penetrance is unknown. This study validated the mathematical model in premutation alleles, after assigning each allele a score representing allelic complexity. Subsequently, allelic scores were used to investigate the impact of allele complexity on age at amenorrhea for 58 premutation cases (116 alleles) previously published. Methods The allelic score was determined using a formula previously described by our group. The impact of each allelic score on age at amenorrhea was analyzed using Pearson’s test and a contour plot generated to visualize the effect. Results Correlation of allelic score revealed two distinct complexity behaviors in premutation alleles. No significant correlation was observed between the allelic score of premutation alleles and age at amenorrhea. The same lack of significant correlation was observed regarding normal-sized alleles, despite a nearly significant trend. Conclusions Our results suggest that the use of allelic scores combination have the potential to explain female infertility, namely the development of FXPOI, or ovarian dysfunction, despite the lack of correlation with age at amenorrhea. Such a finding is of great clinical significance for early identification of females at risk of ovulatory dysfunction, enhancement of fertility preservation techniques, and increasing the probability for a successful pregnancy in females with premutations. Additional investigation is necessary to validate this hypothesis.

Keywords

• FMR1 gene premutation
• Age at amenorrhea
• FMR1 allelic complexity
• Fragile X-associated primary ovarian insufficiency
• CGG repeats
• AGG interspersion pattern