A naturally occurring variant ofMBD4causes maternal germline hypermutation in primates

Abstract

As part of an ongoing genome sequencing project at the Oregon National Primate Research Center, we identified a rhesus macaque with a rare homozygous frameshift mutation in the gene methyl-CpG binding domain 4, DNA glycosylase (MBD4). MBD4 is responsible for the repair of C > T deamination mutations at CpG dinucleotides and has been linked to somatic hypermutation and cancer predisposition in humans. We show here that MBD4-associated hypermutation also affects the germline: The six offspring of theMBD4-null dam have a fourfold to sixfold increase in de novo mutation burden. This excess burden was predominantly C > T mutations at CpG dinucleotides consistent withMBD4loss of function in the dam. There was also a significant excess of C > T at CpA sites, indicating an important, unappreciated role for MBD4 to repair deamination in CpA contexts. TheMBD4-null dam developed sustained eosinophilia later in life, but we saw no other signs of neoplastic processes associated withMBD4loss of function in humans nor any obvious disease in the hypermutated offspring. This work provides the first evidence for a genetic factor causing hypermutation in the maternal germline of a mammal and adds to the very small list of naturally occurring variants known to modulate germline mutation rates in mammals.