Novel splice site mutation of aspartoacylase gene in a Turkish patient with Canavan disease

Canavan disease is a severe, progressive autosomal recessive neurodegenerative leukodystrophy. Canavan disease occurs more frequently among Ashkenazi Jewish individuals with two predominant mutations in the aspartoacylase (ASPA) gene. The disease is less frequent in non-jewish individuals and the mutations randomly reside on the ASPA gene, with one mutation seen more frequently among patients of European extraction. In the present study we report a novel homozygous donor splice site mutation of intron 4 in a child with first-cousin parents of Turkish extraction.