A rescuable folding defective Nav1.1 (SCN1A) Na+channel mutant causes GEFS+: common mechanism in Nav1.1 related epilepsies?

Mutations of voltage-gated Na+ channels are the most common known cause of genetically determined epilepsy; Nav1.1 (SCN1A) is the most frequent target. They can cause both mild and severe forms, also in patients harboring the same mutation. We have recently characterized in a family with extreme phenotypes the first epileptogenic folding-defective Na + channel mutant (Nav1.1-M1841T), whose loss of function is attenuated by interactions with associated proteins and drugs. We hypothesized that in vivo variability of the interactions may modulate the functional effect and thus the phenotype (Rusconi et al., 2007). Here we characterize another Nav1.1 folding-defective mutant (Na v1.1-R1916G) that, however, has been identified in a GEFS+ family with relatively mild phenotypes. This novel mutant shows a number of specific characteristics, but, similarly to Nav1.1-M1841T, it can be rescued by interactions with associated proteins and drugs. Thus, loss of function caused by folding defects that can be attenuated by molecular interactions may be a common pathogenic mechanism for Nav1.1 epileptogenic mutants. Folding defects can be present also in families showing only mild phenotypes in which, however, severe phenotypes could emerge within a permissive genetic background.