Hereditary myotonia in cats associated with a new homozygous missense variant p.Ala331Pro in the muscle chloride channel ClC‐1

Three‐related cats were evaluated for a history of short‐strided gait and temporary recumbency after startle. Neurological examination, electromyography (EMG), muscle biopsies, and a chloride voltage‐gated channel 1 (CLCN1) molecular study were performed. Clinically, all 3 cats presented myotonia with warm‐up phenomenon and myotonic discharges during EMG examination. Muscle biopsies showed normal muscle architecture and variation in the diameter of myofiber size with the presence of numerous hypertrophic fibers. The molecular study revealed a missense variant (c.991G>C, p.Ala331Pro) in exon 9 of the CLCN1 gene, responsible for the first chloride channel extracellular loop. This mutation was screened in 104 control phenotypically normal unrelated cats, and all were wildtype. The alanine at this position is conserved in ClC‐1 (chloride channel protein 1) in different species, and 2 mutations at this amino acid position are associated with human myotonia. This is the third CLCN1 mutation described in the literature associated with hereditary myotonia in cats and the first in domestic animals located in an extracellular muscle ClC‐1 loop.