A missense variant impairing TRMT1 function in tRNA modification is linked to intellectual disability

Abstract

The human TRMT1 gene encodes a tRNA methyltransferase enzyme responsible for the formation of the dimethylguanosine (m2,2G) modification in cytoplasmic and mitochondrial tRNAs. Frameshift mutations in the TRMT1 gene have been shown to cause autosomal-recessive intellectual disability (ID) in the human population but additional TRMT1 variants remain to be characterized. Moreover, the impact of ID-associated TRMT1 mutations on m2,2G levels in ID-affected patients is unknown. Here, we describe a homozygous missense variant in TRMT1 in a patient displaying developmental delay, ID, and epilepsy. The missense variant changes a conserved arginine residue to a cysteine (R323C) within the methyltransferase domain of TRMT1 and is expected to perturb protein folding. Patient cells expressing the TRMT1-R323C variant exhibit a severe deficiency in m2,2G modifications within tRNAs, indicating that the mutation causes loss-of-function. Notably, the TRMT1 R323C mutant retains the ability to bind tRNA but is unable to rescue m2,2G formation in TRMT1-deficient human cells. Our results identify a pathogenic point mutation in TRMT1 that severely perturbs tRNA modification activity, and provide the first demonstration that m2,2G modifications are disrupted in patients with TRMT1-associated ID disorders.