Variable foci. A few weeks ago, we discussed the recent gene finding in Familial Partial Epilepsy with Variable Foci, a rare but puzzling familial epilepsy syndrome. DEPDC5 was identified as the culprit gene. However, the potential function of the gene product left researcher scratching their heads. Now, a recent paper in Science suggests that DEPDC5 might interact with the mTOR pathway, the master regulator of growth. Should we reconsider the role of the mTOR pathway in genetic focal epilepsies? Continue reading
Tag Archives: Familial Focal Epilepsy with Variable Foci
Familial Partial Epilepsy with Variable Foci and mutations in DEPDC5
A long story, a complicated phenotype. Massive parallel sequencing technologies were an innovation in neurogenetics and made the discovery of many genes underlying familial epilepsies possible. However, some epilepsy syndromes turned out to be more “stubborn” than others. Now, in a back-to-back submission in Nature Genetics, two groups report on the gene underlying Familial Partial Epilepsy with Variable Foci (FPEVF). And no, it’s not an ion channel this time. Continue reading
