A novel variant in PAX6 as the cause of aniridia in a Chinese family

Abstract Background: Aniridia is a kind of congenital human panocular anomaly, which is related to PAX6 commonly. Methods: A Chinese Aniridia pedigree underwent ophthalmic examinations, including visual acuity, slit lamp and fundoscopy examination. The targeted next-generation sequencing of Aniridia genes was used to identify the causative mutation. Results: A novel heterozygous PAX6 nonsense mutation c.619A>T (p.K207*) was identified in the Chinese autosomal dominant family with aniridia. Phenotypes related to the novel mutation include nystagmus, iris defect, cataract and absence of macular fovea. Conclusion: The novel nonsense mutation in PAX6 was responsible for aniridia phenotype in the family. which expands the spectrum of the PAX6 mutation and its associated phenotype.