title: Neurodegeneration: nicked to death.
abstract: Ataxia oculomotor apraxia-1 is a neurological disorder that arises from mutations in the gene encoding the protein aprataxin. A recent study demonstrates that aprataxin is critical for the processing of obstructive DNA termini, suggesting a broader role for DNA single-strand break repair in neurodegenerative disease.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Gerontology, National Institute on Aging Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, Maryland, USA. wilsonda@grc.nia.nih.gov
authors.forename: David M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: Mark P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Mattson
mesh_terms: D016923:Cell Death / Q000502:physiology*; D002524:Cerebellar Ataxia / Q000235:genetics* / Q000503:physiopathology; D053904:DNA Breaks, Single-Stranded; D004260:DNA Repair; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: C438188:APTX protein, human; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins