Togaram1 is expressed in the neural tube and its absence causes neural tube closure defects

Neural tube closure defect pathomechanisms in human embryonic development are poorly understood. Here we identified spina bifida patients expressing novel variants of the TOGARAM gene family. TOGARAM1 has been associated with the ciliopathy Joubert syndrome, but its connection to spina bifida and role in neural development is unknown. We show that Togaram1 is expressed in the neural tube and Togaram1 knockout mice have abnormal cilia, reduced sonic hedgehog (Shh) signaling, abnormal neural tube patterning, and display neural tube closure defects. Neural stem cells from Togaram1 knockout embryos showed reduced cilia and defects in Shh signaling. Overexpression in IMCD3 and HEK293 cells of TOGARAM1 carrying the variant found in the spina bifida patient resulted in cilia defect along with reduced pericentriolar material one (PCM1), a critical constituent of centriolar satellites involved in transporting proteins toward the centrosome and primary cilia. Our results demonstrate the role of TOGARAM1 in regulating Shh signaling during early neural development that is critical for neural tube closure and elucidates potential mechanisms whereby the ciliopathy-associated gene TOGARAM1 gives rise to spina bifida aperta in humans.