MSH6 encodes a protein in the DNA mismatch repair system, which fixes errors made during DNA replication. Partnering with MSH2, it forms a complex that recognizes and helps correct mismatched DNA bases, keeping the genetic code stable. Inherited mutations in MSH6 cause Lynch syndrome (hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer), raising the risk of colorectal, endometrial, ovarian, and other cancers, while mutations in both copies lead to constitutional mismatch repair deficiency. Because faulty mismatch repair drives tumor development and produces microsatellite instability, MSH6 acts as a tumor suppressor, and cancers with such repair defects often respond well to immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy.
This variant
This deep intronic deletion in MSH6 is classified as a variant of uncertain significance: current evidence neither supports nor rules out a role in Lynch syndrome. It is extremely rare and predicted not to disrupt splicing, but without functional or clinical data its impact on DNA mismatch repair and cancer risk remains unknown.
Transcript
NM_000179.3
HGVS · transcript:coding
NM_000179.3:c.4002-16_4002-10del
GRCh38
chr2:47806751 CTTTTTTT>C
GRCh37
chr2:48033890 CTTTTTTT>C
BasisPM2 Supporting (gnomAD v4 Grpmax FAF 5.02e-06 < 0.00002) plus BP4 Supporting (SpliceAI max delta 0.00 <= 0.1) trigger Rule31: Uncertain Significance with conflicting evidence.▾
PM2 Supporting (gnomAD v4 Grpmax FAF 5.02e-06 < 0.00002) plus BP4 Supporting (SpliceAI max delta 0.00 <= 0.1) trigger Rule31: Uncertain Significance with conflicting evidence.
Classification rationale
PM2BP4VUS
MSH6 c.4002-16_4002-10delunknown · exon 9i
PM2 (Supporting): absent or extremely rare in gnomAD v4, with Grpmax FAF 5.02e-06 below the <0.00002 threshold. BP4 (Supporting): SpliceAI predicts no splice impact (max delta 0.00), below the <=0.1 threshold for intronic variants. Combined under Rule31 (at least one pathogenic-supporting and one benign-supporting criterion), the final classification is Uncertain Significance due to conflicting evidence.
PM2 + BP4→VUS
Gene diagram
· NM_000179.3 · variants mapped to exon structure
MSH6NM_000179.3
Fetching transcript structure from UCSC…
Exons
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Transcript span
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Strand
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Variants mapped
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Source
UCSC ncbiRefSeqCurated
All variants in MSH6—click a row to locate it on the plot · use the link column to open its page
Variant ↕
Protein
Location
Classification
Link
Applied criteria · 2 applied · 14 assessed
MetEvidence satisfies this criterion.
Not metEvaluated against available evidence; threshold not reached.
Not assessedApplies in principle, but no evidence was found to evaluate it.
N/ADoesn't apply to this variant type.
Applied · 2
Strength Supporting Moderate Strong Very strong
✓
PM2supportingPathogenic
Met (Supporting): gnomAD v4 Grpmax FAF of 5.02e-06 is below the <0.00002 rarity threshold.
The applicable MSH6 VCEP PM2 rule is absent/extremely rare allele frequency <0.00002 in gnomAD v4 and assigns the criterion Supporting strength.gnomAD v4.1 reports Grpmax FAF 5.02e-06 and total AF 4.15327e-06 (6/1,444,646 alleles), with zero observed homozygotes. The highest population AF is 3.02691e-05 in African/African American individuals, while the VCEP rule uses Grpmax FAF; the qualifying Grpmax value is below 0.00002.
Met (Supporting): SpliceAI max delta 0.00, below the <=0.1 no-splice-impact threshold for intronic variants.
SpliceAI Lookup for NM_000179.3:c.4002-16_4002-10del: max delta score = 0.00, satisfying the VCEP BP4 splice-impact threshold of <=0.1.InSiGHT MMR VCEP (MSH6) cspec BP4 rule: 'For intronic and synonymous variants: SpliceAI predicts no splicing impact with delta score <= 0.1 as per Walker et al 2023.'
This variant is present in gnomAD v4.1 (AF= 4.15327e-06; MAF= 0.00042%, 6/1444646 alleles, homozygotes = 0) and has highest observed frequency in the African/African American population (AF= 3.02691e-05; MAF= 0.00303%, 2/66074 alleles, homozygotes = 0); grpmax FAF= 5.02e-06.
v2.1
Absent from gnomAD v2.1.
🇨🇦 CA
Absent from gnomAD-Canada v1.0.
Allele frequency by ancestry
three datasets · side by side
gnomAD v4.1
0.00042%
· 6 / 1,444,646
0 hom · FAF 0.0005%
African/African American
2 / 66,074
0.003%
South Asian
2 / 80,206
0.0025%
European (non-Finnish)
2 / 1,068,500
0.00019%
+ 7 not observed (Remaining individuals, Admixed American, European (Finnish), Amish, East Asian, Middle Eastern, Ashkenazi Jewish)