Mutations in SIL1 cause Marinesco-Sjogren syndrome, a cerebellar ataxia with cataract and myopathy

SIL1 (also called BAP) acts as a nucleotide exchange factor for the Hsp70 chaperone BiP (also called GRP78), which is a key regulator of the main functions of the endoplasmic reticulum. We found nine distinct mutations that would disrupt the SIL1 protein in individuals with Marinesco-Sjogren syndrome, an autosomal recessive cerebellar ataxia complicated by cataracts, developmental delay and myopathy. Identification of SIL1 mutations implicates Marinesco-Sjogren syndrome as a disease of endoplasmic reticulum dysfunction and suggests a role for this organelle in multisystem disorders.