Report of a newly indentified patient with mutations in BMP1 and underlying pathogenetic aspects

Osteogenesis imperfecta is a genetic condition characterized by bone fragility and recurrent fractures, which in the large majority of patients are caused by defects in the production of type I collagen. Mutations in the gene encoding bone morphogenetic protein 1 (BMP1, also known as procollagen C-endopeptidase) have been associated with osteogenesis imperfecta in two sib pairs. In this report, we describe an additional patient with osteogenesis imperfecta with normal bone density and a recurrent, homozygous c.34G>C mutation in BMP1. Western blot analysis of dermal fibroblasts from this patient showed decreased protein levels of the two alternatively spliced products of BMP1 and abnormal cleavage of the C-terminal propeptide of type I procollagen. In addition, fluorescence and electron microscopy showed impaired assembly of type I collagen fibrils in the extracellular matrix of cultured fibroblasts derived from two patients: the patient described here and a previously reported patient with a homozygous BMP1 c.747C>G mutation. We conclude that BMP1 is essential for human type I collagen fibrilogenesis.