SIN3A

The information for this summary of SIN3A-related syndrome comes from research publications. This is not meant to take the place of medical advice.

Click here for our full SIN3A Gene Guide

The online Gene Guide includes more information about SIN3A such as the chance of having another child with this condition, behavior and development concerns linked to SIN3A-related syndrome or specialists to consider for people with this condition. Share this resource with family members or your clinical providers.

SIN3A-related syndrome is also called Witteveen-Kolk syndrome (WITKOS). For this webpage, we will be using the name SIN3A-related syndrome to encompass the wide range of variants observed in the people identified.

What is SIN3A-related syndrome?

SIN3A-related syndrome happens when there are changes to the SIN3A gene. These changes can keep the gene from working as it should.

Key Role

The SIN3A gene plays a key role in controlling other genes, especially in a region of the brain called the cerebral cortex.

Symptoms

Because the SIN3A gene is important for brain activity, many people who have SIN3A-related syndrome have:

  • Mild intellectual disability or developmental delay
  • Motor delays
  • Small head
  • Short height
  • Hyperactivity
  • Limb defects
  • Birth defects, including in the heart, eye, or intestinal tract
  • Behavioral issues
  • Seizures

How many people have SIN3A-related syndrome?

As of 2024, about 87 people with SIN3A-related syndrome have been identified in a medical clinic. The first case of SIN3A-related syndrome was described in 2012. Scientists expect to find more people who have the syndrome as access to genetic testing improves.

Learn more about the SIN3A gene and connect with other Simons Searchlight families with the resources below:

+

Support Resources

+

GeneReviews

GeneReviews are a great resource to bring to your child’s clinicians. These publications provide a summary of current research on genetic conditions and information on ongoing care.

There are currently no GeneReviews for SIN3A.

+

Research Article Summaries

We currently do not have any article summaries for SIN3A, but we add resources to our website as they become available.

The information available about SIN3A is limited, and families and doctors share a critical need for more information. As we learn more from children who have this gene change, we expect our list of resources and information to grow.

 

  • Witteveen JS. et al. Nature Genetics, 48, 877-887, (2016). Haploinsufficiency of MeCP2-interacting transcriptional co-repressor SIN3A causes mild intellectual disability by affecting the development of cortical integrity, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27399968/.
  • Balasubramanian M. et al. European Journal of Human Genetics, Epub ahead of print, (2021). Comprehensive study of 28 individuals with SIN3A-related disorder underscoring the associated mild cognitive and distinctive facial phenotype, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33437032/.
  • Narumi-Kishimoto Y. et al. European Journal of Medical Genetics, 62, 103547, (2019). Novel SIN3A mutation identified in a Japanese patient with Witteveen-Kolk syndrome, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30267900/.
  • van Dongen LCM. et al. American Journal of Medical Genetics Part A, 182, 2384-2390, (2020). Behavior and cognitive functioning in Witteveen-Kolk syndrome, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32783353/.

Full versions of published research articles can be found on PubMed. PubMed is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) online database that is free. It has a collection of both medical and scientific research articles. A PubMed search for SIN3A articles can be found here.

You can also visit the Simons Foundation’s SFARI Gene website to see information for researchers about this gene.

+

Research Opportunities

Simons Searchlight

Help the Simons Searchlight  team learn more about SIN3A genetic changes by taking part in our research. You can learn more about the project and sign up here.

External Research Opportunity: FaceMatch

FaceMatch is a platform that helps parents and doctors contribute to an international secure image database of both undiagnosed and diagnosed children across the globe. *This study is not affiliated with Simons Searchlight. Learn more about FaceMatch.

+

Family Stories

We do not currently have any stories from SIN3A families.

Click here to share your family’s story!