Curation FAME1 SAMD12

Gene SAMD12
Disease FAME1
Inheritance AD
Score

10 + 1.5 = 11.5 / 18

Genetic + experimental = total
Classification
0
18
Refuted
Moderate
Definitive
Last Updated 08/14/2025
Pubs Reviewed 5
Publication Span 6.84 years
Publication Interval 6.84 years
Curator(s) Macayla Weiner, Laurel Hiatt
Description

Intronic SAMD12 pentanucleotide repeat expansions involving pathogenic TTTCA insertion with accompanying TTTTA expansion cause autosomal dominant familial adult myoclonic epilepsy type 1 (FAME1/FCMTE1). Multiple studies report affected families across Asian populations, segregation with disease, absence of the TTTCA insertion from controls, computational and long-read detection of the expansion, length-dependent genotype-phenotype correlations, and neuronal UUUCA RNA foci supporting RNA-mediated toxicity.

Genetic evidence

Total: 10

Category
Type
Citation
Score
Details
Singular Evidence
Probands
6

Targeted long-read sequencing was performed in 77 FCMTE1 patients from 23 pedigrees; 73 SAMD12 (TTTTA)exp(TTTCA)exp alleles passed quality control for genotype analysis.

Collective Evidence
Allele
2

(TTTCA)exp counts in 73 FCMTE1 patients were inversely correlated with age at onset of cortical tremor and epilepsy, and increased during parental transmission, supporting a length-dependent pathogenic effect.

Collective Evidence
Computational
0.5

Whole-genome sequencing repeat-expansion tools detected the SAMD12 TTTCA expansion in affected individuals from Sri Lankan and Indian FAME families and not in controls; RP-PCR validated the calls.

Collective Evidence
Segregation
1.5

PMID:30194086 reported complete cosegregation of SAMD12 TTTTA and inserted TTTCA expansions with FCMTE in a Chinese family, with additional cases in two families. PMID:29939203 reported cosegregation of the SAMD12 (TTTCA)n insertion in 18 Chinese pedigrees and absence in controls.

Experimental evidence

Total: 1.5

Category
Type
Citation
Score
Details
Function
Biochemical function
1

FISH of autopsied brains from SAMD12 expansion carriers showed UUUCA-containing RNA foci in cortical neurons and Purkinje cells, supporting repeat RNA-mediated toxicity.

Function
Regulatory impact
0.5

PMID 29507423 supports reduced SAMD12 protein levels in patient brains.

Maximum score caps apply at evidence type, category, and supercategory levels, so section totals may be lower than the raw sum of row scores.