Mutation in WRN causes Werner Syndrome which characteristics includes prematurely aged facies, scleroderma-like skin changes, cataracts, arteriosclerosis, subcutaneous calcification, and diabetes mellitus [McKusick et al. 1963; 5327241]. Inheritance is autosomal recessive and malignancy is frequent. THe frequency is 3 per million individuals in Japan [7460386].
Cells from a Werner heterozygote exit the cell cycle at a faster rate than do normal cells [8265666]. Loss of WRN promoter aberrant mitotic recombination [11316787].
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