MedGen

The i and I antigens of the I blood group system (110800) are carbohydrate structures carried on glycolipids and glycoproteins and are characterized as straight or branched glycochains composed of repeating N-acetyllactosamine (LacNAc) units, respectively. Conversion of i antigen into an I-active structure requires the activity of the I-branching enzyme, beta-1,6-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase (GCNT2; 600429), which adds the decisive GlcNAc-beta-1-6 branch onto the straight poly-LacNAc chains. Expression of the i and I antigens on red blood cells (RBCs) is reciprocal and developmentally regulated. Adult human RBCs predominantly express I antigen, whereas fetal and neonatal RBCs predominantly express i antigen. After birth, I antigen levels increase gradually as i antigen levels fall, with the normal Ii status of adult RBCs reached after about 13 to 20 months. Mutations that specifically affect 1 of the 3 variants produced by the GCNT2 gene cause the rare adult i phenotype (see 110800), in which adult RBCs are rich in i antigen and contain low levels of I antigen. Mutations that eliminate all 3 GCNT2 variants cause the adult i phenotype with congenital cataract (review by Yu and Lin, 2011). [from OMIM]

Oculopharyngodistal myopathy-3 (OPDM3) is a neuromyodegenerative disease characterized by progressive muscle weakness with ocular, facial, pharyngeal, and distal limb involvement, resulting in dysarthria and gait difficulties. The onset of the disorder is usually in adulthood, although childhood onset has rarely been reported. Additional features include hyporeflexia, proximal muscle weakness, neck muscle weakness, dysarthria, dysphagia, and ptosis. Some patients may develop pigmentary retinopathy, peripheral neuropathy, or hearing loss. Cognition is usually not affected, but there may be deficits or psychiatric manifestations. Brain imaging tends to show a leukoencephalopathy, often with a characteristic linear signal along the corticomedullary junction on brain imaging. Skin and muscle biopsy show intranuclear inclusions and rimmed vacuoles. Many of the clinical features are reminiscent of NIID, suggesting that these disorders likely fall within a broad phenotypic spectrum of diseases with neuromyodegenerative features associated with abnormal repeat expansions in this gene (summary by Ogasawara et al., 2020 and Yu et al., 2021). For a discussion of genetic heterogeneity of OPDM, see OPDM1 (164310). [from OMIM]