{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,21]],"date-time":"2026-09-21T18:28:02Z","timestamp":1790015282670,"version":"4.0.1"},"reference-count":23,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"9","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,8,29]],"date-time":"2021-08-29T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1630195200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100000925","name":"National Health and Medical Research Council","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["979859"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["979859"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100000925","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/100003359","name":"Scoliosis Research Society","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["H8853"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["H8853"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100003359","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Genes"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Multiple synostoses syndrome type 4 (SYNS4; MIM 617898) is an autosomal dominant disorder characterized by carpal-tarsal coalition and otosclerosis-associated hearing loss. SYSN4 has been associated with GDF6 gain-of-function mutations. Here we report a five-generation SYNS4 family with a reduction in GDF6 expression resulting from a chromosomal breakpoint 3\u2032 of GDF6. A 30-year medical history of the family indicated bilateral carpal-tarsal coalition in ~50% of affected family members and acquired otosclerosis-associated hearing loss in females only, whereas vertebral fusion was present in all affected family members, most of whom were speech impaired. All vertebral fusions were acquired postnatally in progressive fashion from a very early age. Thinning across the 2nd cervical vertebral interspace (C2-3) in the proband during infancy progressed to block fusion across C2-7 and T3-7 later in life. Carpal-tarsal coalition and pisiform expansion were bilaterally symmetrical within, but varied greatly between, affected family members. This is the first report of SYNS4 in a family with reduced GDF6 expression indicating a prenatal role for GDF6 in regulating development of the joints of the carpals and tarsals, the pisiform, ears, larynx, mouth and face and an overlapping postnatal role in suppression of aberrant ossification and synostosis of the joints of the inner ear (otosclerosis), larynx and vertebrae. RNAseq gene expression analysis indicated &gt;10 fold knockdown of NOMO3, RBMXL1 and NEIL2 in both primary fibroblast cultures and fresh white blood cells. Together these results provide greater insight into the role of GDF6 in skeletal joint development.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/genes12091354","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,8,29]],"date-time":"2021-08-29T21:45:16Z","timestamp":1630273516000},"page":"1354","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":13,"title":["GDF6 Knockdown in a Family with Multiple Synostosis Syndrome and Speech Impairment"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"12","author":[{"given":"Raymond A.","family":"Clarke","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Ingham Institute, School of Psychiatry, University of NSW, Sydney, NSW 2170, Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Zhiming","family":"Fang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Ingham Institute, School of Psychiatry, University of NSW, Sydney, NSW 2170, Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Dedee","family":"Murrell","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Medicine, St George Hospital, University of NSW, Sydney, NSW 2217, Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Tabrez","family":"Sheriff","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Medicine, St George Hospital, University of NSW, Sydney, NSW 2217, Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6296-8306","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Valsamma","family":"Eapen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Ingham Institute, School of Psychiatry, University of NSW, Sydney, NSW 2170, Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,8,29]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"116","DOI":"10.1016\/S0012-1606(02)00022-2","article-title":"Multiple joint and skeletal patterning defects caused by single and double mutations in the mouse Gdf6 and Gdf5 genes","volume":"254","author":"Settle","year":"2003","journal-title":"Dev. 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