SCA31_BEAN1

Gene
BEAN1
Disease
SCA31
Inheritance
AD
Classification
Definitive
Total Score
12
Publications Reviewed
4
Publication Span
13.33 years
Last Updated
08/11/2025
Curator(s)
Macayla Weiner, Laurel Hiatt

Description

SCA31 is an autosomal dominant, late-onset progressive cerebellar ataxia associated with a 2.5–3.8 kb complex pentanucleotide repeat insertion containing pathogenic (TGGAA)n at the shared intronic BEAN1/TK2 locus. The insertion was reported in 160 affected individuals from 98 SCA31 families, was absent from disease controls and SCA4 subjects, and rare control insertions were shorter and lacked the (TGGAA)n component. Repeat insertion length inversely correlates with age at onset, and patient Purkinje cells show sense-direction RNA foci, supporting a toxic RNA gain-of-function mechanism. The locus-disease relationship is classified as Definitive.

Genetic evidence

Total: 9

Singular EvidenceProbandsPMID:198789146The pathogenic 2.5–3.8 kb BEAN1/TK2 intronic repeat insertion containing (TGGAA)n was identified in 160 affected individuals from 98 SCA31 families.
Collective EvidenceAllelePMID:198789141Insertion length inversely correlated with age at onset (r = -0.41, p = 0.010, n = 39), with subtle expansion documented in one family showing mild anticipation.
StatisticsCase-control dataPMID:198789142The SCA31 insertion was found in affected individuals and was absent from 21 disease controls and SCA4 subjects; 2/860 control chromosomes carried shorter insertions lacking (TGGAA)n and were considered non-pathogenic.
3 rows

Experimental evidence

Total: 3

FunctionBiochemical functionPMID:363712660.5BEAN1 (TGGAA)n repeat is transcribed to (UGGAA)n RNA that forms RNA foci in Purkinje cells and binds TDP-43, FUS, and hnRNP A2/B1.
FunctionProtein interactionPMID:365636080.5Review-level, locus-specific evidence: TDP-43 is described as suppressing (UGGAA)n-mediated neurotoxicity; original interaction experiments are cited within the review but not presented in this source.
FunctionRegulatory impactPMID:233314131Review-level, locus-specific evidence: the (TGGAA)n-containing insertion lies in the BEAN/TK2 shared intronic region and insertion length inversely correlates with age at onset, supporting length-dependent toxicity.
Functional AlterationPatient cellsPMID:365636081Review-level evidence: the source summarizes neurotoxic RNA foci in human SCA31 Purkinje cells; original patient-cell experimental data are not presented in this review.
4 rows

Note: Maximum score caps apply at evidence type, category, and supercategory levels, so section totals may be lower than the raw sum of row scores.