Association of homozygous 7048G7049 variant in the intron six of Nurr1 gene with Parkinson's disease.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether the Nurr1 gene, which is critical for the development and maintenance of nigral dopaminergic neurons, is a risk factor associated with PD.


BACKGROUND
The Nurrl gene is highly expressed in the dopaminergic neurons in the midbrain. Knockout of the gene results in agenesis of nigral dopaminergic neurons and heterozygous knockout mice increases 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-induced neurotoxicity.


METHODS
This study included 105 patients with familial PD (fPD) and 120 patients with sporadic PD (sPD) and 221 age-matched healthy control subjects. The polymorphisms and mutations of the Nurr1 gene in patients with PD were initially examined by heteroduplex analysis and sequencing analysis from PCR-amplified Nurr1 gene fragments. A polymorphism in the BseRI restriction site was identified, and a relatively large-scale analysis then was conducted by three independent investigators who were blinded to the clinical status of the subjects.


RESULTS
A homozygous 7048G7049 polymorphism was found in intron 6 of the Nurr1 gene, which was significantly higher in fPD (10/105; 9.5%) and in sPD (5/120; 4.2%) compared with healthy control subjects (2/221; 0.9%). The mean age and the SD at onset of these homozygote patients with PD was 52 +/- 15 years for fPD and 46 +/- 7 years for sPD. The clinical features of these homozygote patients with PD did not differ from those of typical PD.


CONCLUSIONS
The homozygote polymorphism of 7048G7049 in intron 6 of the Nurr1 gene is associated with typical PD.
Xu
P-Y
PY
Department of Neurology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
Liang
R
R
Jankovic
J
J
Hunter
C
C
Zeng
Y-X
YX
Ashizawa
T
T
Lai
D
D
Le
W-D
WD
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D005260:Female; D014644:Genetic Variation / Q000235:genetics*; D006720:Homozygote; D006801:Humans; D007438:Introns / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D057126:Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 4, Group A, Member 2; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000235:genetics*; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics*
D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C539882:NR4A2 protein, human; C539883:Nr4a2 protein, mouse; D057126:Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 4, Group A, Member 2; D014157:Transcription Factors