title: Ataxia telangiectasia: new neurons and ATM.
abstract: Despite the rarity of the human autosomal recessive disease ataxia telangiectasia (A-T) (affecting approximately 1/40000-1/100000), interest in the function of the mutated gene product (ATM) in this syndrome is intense. Mutation of this single gene can lead to a diverse array of features, including cancer, immune defects, infertility and radiosensitivity. However, it is the pronounced and debilitating neurodegeneration that is the hallmark of this disease. Thus, from a clinical perspective, it is ATM function in the nervous system that, arguably, is the most important to understand. Although the case for DNA damage as a causative factor for neurodegeneration in A-T is compelling, new data point to a possible link to defects in neurogenesis. Thus, whereas ATM is important for nervous system development, it could also be important for adult neurogenesis.
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: McKinnon
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001260:Ataxia Telangiectasia / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology*; D064007:Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated Proteins; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D002470:Cell Survival; D004249:DNA Damage; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D009154:Mutation; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000235:genetics; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins
chemical_list: D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins; C576324:ATM protein, human; D064007:Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated Proteins; C576325:Atm protein, mouse; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases