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Dryad

Interaction between the TBC1D24 TLDc domain and the KIBRA C2 domain is disrupted by two epilepsy-associated TBC1D24 missense variants

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Sep 30, 2025 version files 2.63 MB

Abstract

Mutations of human TBC1D24 are associated with deafness, epilepsy, or DOORS syndrome (deafness, onychodystrophy, osteodystrophy, cognitive disability, and seizures). The causal relationships between TBC1D24 variants and the different clinical phenotypes are not understood. Our hypothesis is that phenotypic heterogeneity of missense mutations of TBC1D24 results, in part, from perturbed binding of different protein partners. To discover novel protein partners of TBC1D24, we conducted yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) screen using mouse full-length TBC1D24 as bait. Kidney and brain protein (KIBRA), a scaffold protein encoded by Wwc1, was identified as a partner of TBC1D24. KIBRA functions in the Hippo signaling pathway and is important for human cognition and memory. The TBC1D24 TLDc domain binds to KIBRA full-length and to its C2 domain, confirmed by Y2H assays. No interaction was detected with Y2H assays between the KIBRA C2 domain and TLDc domains of NCOA7, MEAK7, and OXR1. Two epilepsy-associated recessive variants (Gly511Arg and Ala515Val) in the TLDc domain of human TBC1D24 disrupt the interaction with the human KIBRA C2 domain. In the case of mouse constructs, Y2H assays show only mouse TBC1D24 Ala517Val corresponding to Ala515Val of human TBC1D24 abolished the interaction between mouse TBC1D24 and mouse KIBRA. This study reveals a pathogenic mechanism of TBC1D24-associated epilepsy, linking the TBC1D24 and KIBRA pathways. The interaction of TBC1D24-KIBRA is physiologically meaningful and necessary to reduce the risk of epilepsy.