Frequency
Manitoba oculotrichoanal syndrome is estimated to occur in 2 to 6 in 1,000 people in a small isolated Ojibway-Cree community in northern Manitoba, Canada. Although this region has the highest incidence of the condition, it has also been diagnosed in a few people from other parts of the world.
Causes
Manitoba oculotrichoanal syndrome is caused by mutations in the FREM1 gene.
The FREM1 gene provides instructions for making a protein that is involved in the formation and organization of basement membranes, which are thin, sheet-like structures that separate and support cells in many tissues.
The FREM1 protein is one of a group of proteins, including proteins called FRAS1 and FREM2, that interact during embryonic development as components of basement membranes. Basement membranes help anchor layers of cells lining the surfaces and cavities of the body (epithelial cells) to other embryonic tissues, including those that give rise to connective tissues such as skin and cartilage.
The FREM1 gene mutations that have been identified in people with Manitoba oculotrichoanal syndrome delete genetic material from the FREM1 gene or result in a premature stop signal that leads to an abnormally short FREM1 protein. These mutations most likely result in a nonfunctional protein.
Absence of functional FREM1 protein interferes with its role in embryonic basement membrane development and may also affect the location, stability, or function of the FRAS1 and FREM2 proteins. The features of Manitoba oculotrichoanal syndrome may result from the failure of neighboring embryonic tissues to fuse properly due to impairment of the basement membranes' anchoring function.
Inheritance
This condition is inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern, which means both copies of the gene in each cell have mutations. The parents of an individual with an autosomal recessive condition each carry one copy of the mutated gene, but they typically do not show signs and symptoms of the condition.
Other Names for This Condition
- Marles Greenberg Persaud syndrome
- Marles syndrome
- Marles-Greenberg-Persaud syndrome
- MOTA
Additional Information & Resources
Genetic Testing Information
Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center
Patient Support and Advocacy Resources
Catalog of Genes and Diseases from OMIM
Scientific Articles on PubMed
References
- Li C, Marles SL, Greenberg CR, Chodirker BN, van de Kamp J, Slavotinek A, Chudley AE. Manitoba Oculotrichoanal (MOTA) syndrome: report of eight new cases. Am J Med Genet A. 2007 Apr 15;143A(8):853-7. doi: 10.1002/ajmg.a.31446. Citation on PubMed
- Li C, Slavotinek A. FREM1 Autosomal Recessive Disorders. 2008 Jul 9 [updated 2019 May 9]. In: Adam MP, Feldman J, Mirzaa GM, Pagon RA, Wallace SE, Amemiya A, editors. GeneReviews(R) [Internet]. Seattle (WA): University of Washington, Seattle; 1993-2025. Available from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK1728/ Citation on PubMed
- Marles SL, Greenberg CR, Persaud TV, Shuckett EP, Chudley AE. New familial syndrome of unilateral upper eyelid coloboma, aberrant anterior hairline pattern, and anal anomalies in Manitoba Indians. Am J Med Genet. 1992 Apr 1;42(6):793-9. doi: 10.1002/ajmg.1320420609. Citation on PubMed
- Slavotinek AM, Baranzini SE, Schanze D, Labelle-Dumais C, Short KM, Chao R, Yahyavi M, Bijlsma EK, Chu C, Musone S, Wheatley A, Kwok PY, Marles S, Fryns JP, Maga AM, Hassan MG, Gould DB, Madireddy L, Li C, Cox TC, Smyth I, Chudley AE, Zenker M. Manitoba-oculo-tricho-anal (MOTA) syndrome is caused by mutations in FREM1. J Med Genet. 2011 Jun;48(6):375-82. doi: 10.1136/jmg.2011.089631. Epub 2011 Apr 20. Citation on PubMed or Free article on PubMed Central
- Yeung A, Amor D, Savarirayan R. Familial upper eyelid coloboma with ipsilateral anterior hairline abnormality: two new reports of MOTA syndrome. Am J Med Genet A. 2009 Feb 15;149A(4):767-9. doi: 10.1002/ajmg.a.32743. Citation on PubMed
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