This report describes general characteristics of the group of disorders classified as Meier-Gorlin syndrome (MGS). Meier-Gorlin syndrome is a genetically heterogeneous disorder, with multiple genes and mapped loci. Many of the genes implicated in this syndrome encode components of the origin recognition complex or the subsequent pre-replication complex, which are required for DNA replication. A comprehensive list of MGS subtypes, as defined by OMIM, can be found by following the link in the "OMIM phenotypic series" section, below. A subset of these are listed in the table below, with links to more detailed reports for subtypes that have been investigated using fly models.
[updated Sep. 2018 by FlyBase; FBrf0222196]
The Meier-Gorlin syndrome is a rare disorder characterized by severe intrauterine and postnatal growth retardation, microcephaly, bilateral microtia, and aplasia or hypoplasia of the patellae (summary by Shalev and Hall, 2003; pubmed:14564153). While almost all cases have primordial dwarfism with substantial prenatal and postnatal growth retardation, not all cases have microcephaly, and microtia and absent/hypoplastic patella are absent in some. Despite the presence of microcephaly, intellect is usually normal (Bicknell et al., 2011; pubmed:21358632). [from MIM:224690; 2018.09.26]
Mutations in one of five genes (ORC1, ORC4, ORC6, CDT1, and CDC6) of the pre-replication complex, involved in DNA-replication, are detected in approximately 67-78% of patients with MGS (de Munnik, et al., 2015; pubmed:26381604).
Most subtypes of Meier-Gorlin syndrome exhibit autosomal recessive inheritance. [from MIM:PS224690; 2018.09.26]
The origin recognition complex (ORC) bound at replication origins serves as the foundation for assembly of the pre-replication complex (pre-RC) (https://www.genenames.org/cgi-bin/genefamilies/set/960).