Nemaline myopathy (NM) constitutes a spectrum of primary skeletal muscle disorders, the diagnosis of which is based on muscle weakness and the visualization of nemaline bodies in muscle biopsies. Mutations in several NM causal genes have been attributed to the majority of NM cases, particularly mutations in nebulin and skeletal muscle α‑actin 1 (ACTA1), which are responsible for ~70% of cases; therefore, a genetic diagnostic strategy using targeted gene sequencing may potentially improve the diagnosis of suspected NM. The present study identified a de novo mutation in ACTA1 (c.350A>G; p.Asn117Ser) in a Chinese patient using target‑capture sequencing of a panel containing 125 known causal genes for inherited muscle diseases. Clinical analyses revealed that the case described in the present study exhibited a relatively mild phenotype with regards to muscle weakness, as compared with more severe phenotypes reported in several other patients with the same mutation, thus suggesting the existence of genetic modifiers. In conclusion, this approach may be helpful for the identification of clinically undiagnosed patients with highly heterogeneous disorders.