Altered alpha-synuclein homeostasis causing Parkinson's disease: the potential roles of dardarin.
The past decade has been a fruitful one for geneticists involved in Parkinson's disease (PD) research. The initial hurdle of identifying the first gene underlying parkinsonism was cleared with apparent ease in 1997 and four additional genes have since been found to contain mutations causing this disorder. Driving this research is the belief that these data will highlight disease mechanisms and directly implicate a pathway amenable to therapeutic intervention. This article will focus on recent genetic advances in the field, focusing on data that suggest alpha-synuclein expression is key in the etiology of PD. In addition, it will discuss the recent identification of LRRK2 mutation as a cause of PD and the potential of this finding to provide further insight into disease.
Singleton
Andrew B
AB
Molecular Genetics Unit, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Porter Neuroscience Research Center, Room 1A1000, MSC3707, 35 Lincoln Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. singleta@mail.nih.gov
D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006706:Homeostasis / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D000071158:Leucine-Rich Repeat Serine-Threonine Protein Kinase-2; D008954:Models, Biological; D009154:Mutation; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000502:physiology*; D051843:Synucleins; D051844:alpha-Synuclein
D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C497604:SNCA protein, human; D051843:Synucleins; D051844:alpha-Synuclein; C495280:LRRK2 protein, human; D000071158:Leucine-Rich Repeat Serine-Threonine Protein Kinase-2; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases