Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0004134 (ataxia)
 15,886 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Since the detection of vitamin E in 1922, nearly 50 years passed until the recognition that there is a pathogenic vitamin E deficiency in humans. Such a deficiency can be found mostly in a disturbed resorption or transport of the vitamin (mucoviscidosis, chronic cholestasis, abetalipoproteinaemia) and leads typically to a progredient spinocerebellar ataxia in combination with a polyneuropathy. Substitution of the vitamin may hinder a further progression or even lead to an amelioration of the symptoms. Prophylactic treatment in abetalipoproteinaemia prevents the otherwise unavoidable neurological deficits. Isolated vitamin E deficiency is a rare syndrome and the causes are still obscure. We observed a 26 year old male patient with such a isolated vitamin E deficiency who was hitherto thought to suffer from Friedreich's ataxia. The clinical feature showed in addition to the "classical" symptoms of vitamin E deficiency cranial nerve involvement, perioral dystonia and pyramidal signs. Histologically (M. gastrocnemius) we saw the described typical but not specific changes (neurogenic atrophy, phosphatase-positive vacuoles with myelin bodies, cores). An oral vitamin E resorption test yielded a very shortened serum half life. These results support the hypothesis that in the pathophysiology of isolated vitamin E deficiency malelimination plays an important role in addition the known malresorptions models.
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PMID:[Isolated vitamin E deficiency]. 259

Cerebellar lesions develop in a heritable disorder characterized by recurrent episodic seizures in newborn and young calves and by ataxia in survivors of several bouts of convulsions. Earliest changes were altered patterns of phosphatase reaction products in Purkinje cells. Purkinje cells axons in the outer half of the granular layer developed fusiform or spheroidal argyrophilic swellings. Early lesions were restricted to the lingula and uvula, but cases with more persistent clinical disease involved other parts of the vermis. In ataxic calves these lesions were also in the cerebellar hemispheres. The axonal swellings showed proliferation of tubulovesicular endoplasmic reticulum, neurofibrils and mitochondria. In other swellings axoplasm was degenerate, and in some it resembled Purkinje cell cytoplasm. In some clinically normal adult transmitters of the disorder, light microscopy showed some similar swellings, but most calves that recovered had no lesions.
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PMID:Morphogenesis of cerebellar lesions in bovine familial convulsions and ataxia. 746 75

Interactions between the checkpoint abrogator UCN-01 and several pharmacological inhibitors of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) kinase (MEK)/MAPK pathway have been examined in a variety of human leukemia cell lines. Exposure of U937 monocytic leukemia cells to a marginally toxic concentration of UCN-01 (e.g., 150 nM) for 18 h resulted in phosphorylation/activation of p42/44 MAPK. Coadministration of the MEK inhibitor PD184352 (10 microM) blocked UCN-01-induced MAPK activation and was accompanied by marked mitochondrial damage (e.g., cytochrome c release and loss of DeltaPsi(m)), caspase activation, DNA fragmentation, and apoptosis. Similar interactions were noted in the case of other MEK inhibitors (e.g., PD98059; U0126) as well as in multiple other leukemia cell types (e.g., HL-60, Jurkat, CCRF-CEM, and Raji). Coadministration of PD184352 and UCN-01 resulted in reduced binding of the cdc25C phosphatase to 14-3-3 proteins, enhanced dephosphorylation/activation of p34(cdc2), and diminished phosphorylation of cyclic AMP-responsive element binding protein. The ability of UCN-01, when combined with PD184352, to antagonize cdc25C/14-3-3 protein binding, promote dephosphorylation of p34(cdc2), and potentiate apoptosis was mimicked by the ataxia telangectasia mutation inhibitor caffeine. In contrast, cotreatment of cells with UCN-01 and PD184352 did not substantially increase c-Jun-NH(2)-terminal kinase activation nor did it alter expression of Bcl-2, Bcl-x(L), Bax, or X-inhibitor of apoptosis. However, coexposure of U937 cells to UCN-01 and PD184352 induced a marked increase in p38 MAPK activation. Moreover, SB203580, which inhibits multiple kinases including p38 MAPK, partially antagonized cell death. Lastly, although UCN-01 +/- PD184352 did not induce p21(CIP1), stable expression of a p21(CIP1) antisense construct significantly increased susceptibility to this drug combination. Together, these findings indicate that exposure of leukemic cells to UCN-01 leads to activation of the MAPK cascade and that interruption of this process by MEK inhibition triggers perturbations in several signaling and cell cycle regulatory pathways that culminate in mitochondrial injury, caspase activation, and apoptosis. They also raise the possibility that disrupting multiple signaling pathways, e.g., by combining UCN-01 with MEK inhibitors, may represent a novel antileukemic strategy.
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PMID:Pharmacological inhibitors of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) kinase/MAPK cascade interact synergistically with UCN-01 to induce mitochondrial dysfunction and apoptosis in human leukemia cells. 1143 48

Diisopropyl phosphorofluoridate (DFP) is a type I organophosphorus compound and produces delayed neurotoxicity (OPIDN) in adult hens. A single dose of DFP (1.7 mg/kg, s.c.) produces mild ataxia in hens in 7-14 days, which develops into severe ataxia or paralysis as the disease progresses. We have previously shown altered expression of several proteins (e.g. Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaM kinase II) alpha-subunit, tau, tubulin, neurofilament protein (NF), vimentin, GFAP) and an immediate early gene (e.g. c-fos) in DFP-treated hens. Here we show an increase in protein kinase A (PKA) protein level and activity in the spinal cord at 1-day and 5-days time periods after DFP administration. We also determined the protein levels of protein kinase C (PKC), CaM kinase II and several phosphatases (i.e. phosphatase 1 (PP1), phosphatase 2A (PP2A), phosphatase 2B (PP2B) in the spinal cord of DFP-treated hens after 1, 5, 10, and 20 days). There was increase in CaM kinase II alpha subunit level after 10 and 20 days of treatment, and decrease in PKC level at 1-day and 20-days time periods in spinal cord mitochondria. In contrast, the cerebrum, which is resistant to DFP-induced axonal degeneration, did not show change in PKA and CaM Kinase II levels at any time period DFP post-administration. No alteration was found in the protein levels of PP1, PP2A, and PP2B at any time period. An early induction in PKA, which is an important protein kinase in signal transduction, followed by that of CaM kinase might be contributing towards the development of OPIDN in DFP-treated hens.
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PMID:Enhanced activity and level of protein kinase A in the spinal cord supernatant of diisopropyl phosphorofluoridate (DFP)-treated hens. Distribution of protein kinases and phosphatases in spinal cord subcellular fractions. 1145 76

The newly recognized ataxia-ocular apraxia 1 (AOA1; MIM 208920) is the most frequent cause of autosomal recessive ataxia in Japan and is second only to Friedreich ataxia in Portugal. It shares several neurological features with ataxia-telangiectasia, including early onset ataxia, oculomotor apraxia and cerebellar atrophy, but does not share its extraneurological features (immune deficiency, chromosomal instability and hypersensitivity to X-rays). AOA1 is also characterized by axonal motor neuropathy and the later decrease of serum albumin levels and elevation of total cholesterol. We have identified the gene causing AOA1 and the major Portuguese and Japanese mutations. This gene encodes a new, ubiquitously expressed protein that we named aprataxin. This protein is composed of three domains that share distant homology with the amino-terminal domain of polynucleotide kinase 3'- phosphatase (PNKP), with histidine-triad (HIT) proteins and with DNA-binding C2H2 zinc-finger proteins, respectively. PNKP is involved in DNA single-strand break repair (SSBR) following exposure to ionizing radiation and reactive oxygen species. Fragile-HIT proteins (FHIT) cleave diadenosine tetraphosphate, which is potentially produced during activation of the SSBR complex. The results suggest that aprataxin is a nuclear protein with a role in DNA repair reminiscent of the function of the protein defective in ataxia-telangiectasia, but that would cause a phenotype restricted to neurological signs when mutant.
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PMID:The gene mutated in ataxia-ocular apraxia 1 encodes the new HIT/Zn-finger protein aprataxin. 1158

Initially identified in high-grade gliomas, mutations in the PTEN tumor-suppressor are also found in many sporadic cancers and a few related autosomal dominant hamartoma syndromes. PTEN is a 3'-specific phosphatidylinositol-3,4,5-trisphosphate (PI(3,4,5)P3) phosphatase and functions as a negative regulator of PI3K signaling. We generated a tissue-specific deletion of the mouse homolog Pten to address its role in brain function. Mice homozygous for this deletion (PtenloxP/loxP;Gfap-cre), developed seizures and ataxia by 9 wk and died by 29 wk. Histological analysis showed brain enlargement in PtenloxP/loxP;Gfap-cre mice as a consequence of primary granule-cell dysplasia in the cerebellum and dentate gyrus. Pten mutant cells showed a cell-autonomous increase in soma size and elevated phosphorylation of Akt. These data represent the first evidence for the role of Pten and Akt in cell size regulation in mammals and provide an animal model for a human phakomatosis condition, Lhermitte-Duclos disease (LDD).
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PMID:Deletion of Pten in mouse brain causes seizures, ataxia and defects in soma size resembling Lhermitte-Duclos disease. 1172 26

The tumor suppressor phosphatase PTEN can promote apoptosis of mitotic cells by inhibiting activation of the cell survival kinase Akt. PTEN is essential for normal embryonic development, PTEN expression is associated with neuronal differentiation, and deletion of PTEN in the mouse brain results in seizures, ataxia, and other abnormalities. However, the possible roles of PTEN in regulating neuronal survival are not known. We provide evidence that PTEN sensitizes hippocampal neurons to excitotoxic death in culture and in vivo. Overexpression of wild-type PTEN decreased, while a dominant-negative PTEN increased, levels of activated Akt in cultured hippocampal neurons. Wild-type PTEN promoted, while dominant-negative PTEN prevented, apoptotic death of neurons exposed to the excitatory amino acid neurotransmitter glutamate. Hippocampal neurons of mice with reduced PTEN levels were more resistant to seizure-induced death compared to wild-type littermates. These findings demonstrate a cell death function of PTEN in hippocampal neurons and identify PTEN as a potential therapeutic target for neurodegenerative disorders that involve excitotoxicity and apoptosis. The ability of PTEN to modify neuronal sensitivity to glutamate also suggests possible roles for PTEN in regulating developmental and synaptic plasticity.
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PMID:PTEN regulates Akt kinase activity in hippocampal neurons and increases their sensitivity to glutamate and apoptosis. 1262 4

Inherited prion diseases are linked to insertional and point mutations in the prion protein (PrP) gene, which favor conversion of PrP into a conformationally altered, pathogenic isoform. The cellular mechanism by which this process causes neurological dysfunction is unknown. Transgenic (Tg) (PG14) mice express a mouse PrP homolog of a nine-octapeptide insertion associated with an inherited prion disorder. These mice develop a progressive neurological syndrome characterized by ataxia and cerebellar atrophy due to synaptic degeneration in the molecular layer and massive apoptosis of granule neurons. To investigate the molecular events that may contribute to neurological dysfunction, we carried out a differential proteomic analysis of cerebella from Tg(PG14) mice at the preclinical, onset, and symptomatic phases of their neurological illness. 2-D maps of cerebellar proteins from Tg(PG14) mice were compared to those obtained from age-matched Tg(WT) mice that express wild-type PrP and remain healthy. Proteins whose levels were significantly modified in at least one stage of the Tg(PG14) disease were identified by PMF. Analysis detected a preclinical decrease of the calcium/calmodulin-dependent phosphatase calcineurin (CaN) in granule neurons, suggesting that dysregulation of CaN activity induced by mutant PrP may be responsible for the cerebellar dysfunction in Tg(PG14) mice.
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PMID:Analysis of the cerebellar proteome in a transgenic mouse model of inherited prion disease reveals preclinical alteration of calcineurin activity. 1657 73

PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homologue deleted on chromosome 10) is a tumor suppressor that can inhibit proliferation and migration and controls apoptosis in a number of cell types, mainly through inhibition of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) signaling pathway. Patients carrying inactivating mutations of PTEN show a prevalence to develop tumors that can coincide with neurological defects such as mental retardation, ataxia and seizures. A number of in vitro and in vivo studies were instrumental in uncovering a direct correlation between deregulated PI3K/PTEN signaling and changes in neuronal morphogenesis, which is likely to have profound bearings upon the pathogenesis of neurological symptoms. This review outlines recent work on the function of PTEN during vertebrate brain development and the current understanding of the signaling pathways downstream of PTEN that control neuronal connectivity in the brain.
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PMID:Function of PTEN during the formation and maintenance of neuronal circuits in the brain. 1807 55

The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) signaling pathway modulates growth, proliferation and cell survival in diverse tissue types and plays specialized roles in the nervous system including influences on neuronal polarity, dendritic branching and synaptic plasticity. The tumor-suppressor phosphatase with tensin homology (PTEN) is the central negative regulator of the PI3K pathway. Germline PTEN mutations result in cancer predisposition, macrocephaly and benign hamartomas in many tissues, including Lhermitte-Duclos disease, a cerebellar growth disorder. Neurological abnormalities including autism, seizures and ataxia have been observed in association with inherited PTEN mutation with variable penetrance. It remains unclear how loss of PTEN activity contributes to neurological dysfunction. To explore the effects of Pten deficiency on neuronal structure and function, we analyzed several ultra-structural features of Pten-deficient neurons in Pten conditional knockout mice. Using Golgi stain to visualize full neuronal morphology, we observed that increased size of nuclei and somata in Pten-deficient neurons was accompanied by enlarged caliber of neuronal projections and increased dendritic spine density. Electron microscopic evaluation revealed enlarged abnormal synaptic structures in the cerebral cortex and cerebellum. Severe myelination defects included thickening and unraveling of the myelin sheath surrounding hypertrophic axons in the corpus callosum. Defects in myelination of axons of normal caliber were observed in the cerebellum, suggesting intrinsic abnormalities in Pten-deficient oligodendrocytes. We did not observe these abnormalities in wild-type or conditional Pten heterozygous mice. Moreover, conditional deletion of Pten drastically weakened synaptic transmission and synaptic plasticity at excitatory synapses between CA3 and CA1 pyramidal neurons in the hippocampus. These data suggest that Pten is involved in mechanisms that control development of neuronal and synaptic structures and subsequently synaptic function.
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PMID:Phosphatase and tensin homolog, deleted on chromosome 10 deficiency in brain causes defects in synaptic structure, transmission and plasticity, and myelination abnormalities. 1808 64


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