Novel compound heterozygous mutation in the POC1B gene underlie peripheral cone dystrophy in a Chinese family

Purpose: To describe the clinical characteristics of a Chinese family with peripheral cone dystrophy (PCD) and identify the gene mutations causing PCD.

Methods: The Chinese PCD pedigree underwent comprehensive ophthalmic examinations, including visual acuity, slit lamp examination, fundoscopy, visual field examination, autofluorescence, fluorescence fundus angiography and indocyanine green angiography, full-field electroretinograms, and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography. The targeted next-generation sequencing of COD or cone-rod dystrophy (CORD) genes was used to identify the causative mutation.

Result: The fundus characteristics of the Chinese patient were consistent with PCD. The novel compound heterozygous mutation, c.1354C>T and c.710A>G, in POC1B was identified in the patient, the mutations were segregated with the PCD phenotype in the family and were absent from ethnically matched control chromosomes. Prediction analysis demonstrated the novel missense mutation, POC1B c.710A>G, might be damaging.

Conclusions: PCD was a type of COD or CORD and the novel compound heterozygous mutation in POC1B was responsible for PCD phenotype in the family.