A missense mutation of the Na+ channel alpha(II) subunit gene Na(v)1.2 in a patient with febrile and afebrile seizures causes channel dysfunction

Generalized epilepsy with febrile seizures plus (GEFs+), a clinical subset of febrile seizures (FS), is characterized by frequent episodes beyond 6 ye ars of age (FS+) and various types of subsequent epilepsy. Mutations in bet a (1) and alpha (1)-subunit genes of voltage-gated Na+ channels have been a ssociated with GEFS+1 and 2, respectively. Here, we report a mutation resul ting in an amino acid exchange (R187W) in the gene encoding the cu-subunit of neuronal voltage-gated Na+ channel type II (Na(v)1.2) in a patient with FS associated with afebrile seizures. The mutation R187W occurring on Arg(1 87), a highly conserved residue among voltage-gated Na+ channels, was not f ound in 224 alleles of unaffected individuals. Whole-cell patch clamp recor dings on human embryonic kidney (HEK) cells expressing a rat wild-type (rNa (v)1.2) and the corresponding mutant channels showed that the mutant channe l inactivated more slowly than wild-type whereas the Na+ channel conductanc e was not affected. Prolonged residence in the open state of the R187W muta nt channel may augment Na+ influx and thereby underlie the neuronal hyperex citability that induces seizure activity. Even though a small pedigree coul d not show clear cosegregation with the disease phenotype, these findings s trongly suggest the involvement of Na(v)1.2 in a human disease and propose the R187W mutation as the genetic defect responsible for febrile seizures a ssociated with afebrile seizures.