ATXN1
Chr 6ADataxin 1
Also known as: ATX1, D6S504E, SCA1
The autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxias (ADCA) are a heterogeneous group of neurodegenerative disorders characterized by progressive degeneration of the cerebellum, brain stem and spinal cord. Clinically, ADCA has been divided into three groups: ADCA types I-III. ADCAI is genetically heterogeneous, with five genetic loci, designated spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA) 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6, being assigned to five different chromosomes. ADCAII, which always presents with retinal degeneration (SCA7), and ADCAIII often referred to as the `pure' cerebellar syndrome (SCA5), are most likely homogeneous disorders. Several SCA genes have been cloned and shown to contain CAG repeats in their coding regions. ADCA is caused by the expansion of the CAG repeats, producing an elongated polyglutamine tract in the corresponding protein. The expanded repeats are variable in size and unstable, usually increasing in size when transmitted to successive generations. The function of the ataxins is not known. This locus has been mapped to chromosome 6, and it has been determined that the diseased allele contains 40-83 CAG repeats, compared to 6-39 in the normal allele, and is associated with spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1). Alternative splicing results in multiple transcript variants, with one variant encoding multiple distinct proteins, ATXN1 and Alt-ATXN1, due to the use of overlapping alternate reading frames. [provided by RefSeq, Nov 2017]
Population Genetics & Constraint
gnomAD v4 — loss-of-function & missense intolerance
Highly LoF-intolerant (top ~10% of genes)
Mild missense constraint
This gene — mechanism propensity
This gene has evidence for multiple mechanisms of pathogenicity (loss-of-function and gain-of-function). Both the Badonyi & Marsh prediction and the broader genomic evidence point to loss-of-function as the predominant mechanism. Different variants in this gene may act through different mechanisms — interpret in context of the specific variant.
Literature Evidence
Predictions from Badonyi M, Marsh JA. PLoS ONE. 2024;19(8):e0307312. Mechanism ranking also informed by gnomAD constraint, ClinVar, and ClinGen data.
References
ClinVar Variant Classifications
191 submitted variants in ClinVar
Classification Summary
Curated Variants Distribution
Classified variants from ClinVar · 5 ACMG categories
| Classification | LoF | Missense + Inframe | Non-coding | Synonymous | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pathogenic | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Likely Pathogenic | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
VUS | 6 | 107 | 2 | 1 | 116 |
Likely Benign | 0 | 29 | 2 | 10 | 41 |
Benign | 1 | 12 | 1 | 4 | 18 |
Conflicting | — | 5 | |||
| Total | 7 | 148 | 6 | 15 | 181 |
LoF = frameshift, stop gained/lost, canonical splice · Counts from ClinVar esearch · Updated hourly
View in ClinVar →21 pathogenic / likely-pathogenic (of 36) ClinVar copy-number / structural variants overlap ATXN1 — these span large chromosomal regions, not the gene specifically, and are excluded from the counts above. Explore in CNV tools →
Protein Context — Lollipop Plot
ATXN1 · protein map & ClinVar variants
Showing all ClinVar variants across the protein. Search a specific variant to highlight its position.
External Resources
Links to major genomics databases and tools
Clinical Trials
Active and recruiting trials from ClinicalTrials.gov
No active trials found for this gene.
Search ClinicalTrials.gov →External Resources
Links to major genomics databases and tools