Interactions between genetic and environmental factors determine the timing of sexual maturation. Puberty begins when the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis is reactivated. At that time, mammary gland in girls and testes in boys are developed and growth and bone maturation are accelerated. When this pubertal characteristics occur before the expected age, possible cause for them is central precocious puberty. Premature pubertal development results in the shift of a fertile period, which is associated with the risk of developing certain diseases, a greater tendency towards the lower final adult stature and increased potential for psychosociological disorders. Molecular genetic testing is needed to identify the potential hereditary cause of the disease. The aim of this study was to detect genetic variants, that could be responsible for precocious puberty. We determined the sequence of the entire genome in members of four families with maternally inherited precocious puberty. We applied the whole genome sequencing followed by bioinformatic approaches in order to identify the possible genetic causes of precocious puberty. Using tools and algorithms, we identified variants in all four families located in the same gene ZNF717 and therefore determined them as potentially pathogenic. We quantitatively assessed the pathogenicity of these variants. In members of the fourth family, we verified the presence of the most likely pathogenic variant by confirmative Sanger sequencing. Results of Sanger analysis showed, that the desired variant was not present, indicating error in the approach of whole genome sequencing and subsequent bioinformatic analysis. The causes of the false positive result were discussed and the weaknesses of the whole genome sequencing method and the bioinformatic analysis were presented. The results of the initial analyses were not reliable, therefore potentially causative genetic variants in analyzed families with precocious puberty remain undetermined. Our results showed that verification of the results of next generation sequencing with a secondary method is necessary for reliable genetic diagnostics.
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