Abstract
Routine exome sequencing (ES) in individuals with neurodevelopmental
disorders (NDD) remains inconclusive in >50%. Research
analysis of unsolved cases can identify novel candidate genes but is
time consuming, subjective, and hard to compare between labs. The field
therefore needs automated and standardized assessment methods to
prioritize candidates for matchmaking. We developed AutoCaSc
(https://autocasc.uni-leipzig.de) based on our candidate scoring scheme
(CaSc). We validated our approach using synthetic trios and real
in-house trio ES data. AutoCaSc consistently (94.5%) scored variants in
valid novel NDD genes in the top three ranks. In 93 real trio exomes,
AutoCaSc identified most (97.5%) previously manually scored variants
while evaluating additional highly scoring variants missed in manual
evaluation. It identified candidate variants in previously undescribed
NDD candidate genes ( CNTN2, DLGAP1, SMURF1,
NRXN3, PRICKLE1). AutoCaSc enables anybody to quickly
screen a variant for its plausibility in NDD. After contributing
>40 descriptions of NDD associated genes, we provide usage
recommendations based on our extensive experience. Our implementation is
capable of pipeline integration and therefore allows screening of large
cohorts for candidate genes. AutoCaSc empowers even small labs to a
standardized matchmaking collaboration and to contribute to the ongoing
identification of novel NDD entities.