Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0030567 (Parkinson's disease)
 63,064 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Microtubules form important cytoskeletal structures that play a role in establishing and maintaining neuronal polarity, regulating neuronal morphology, transporting cargo, and scaffolding signaling molecules to form signaling hubs. Within a neuronal cell, microtubules are found to have variable lengths and can be both stable and dynamic. Microtubule associated proteins, post-translational modifications of tubulin subunits, microtubule severing enzymes, and signaling molecules are all known to influence both stable and dynamic pools of microtubules. Microtubule dynamics, the process of interconversion between stable and dynamic pools, and the proportions of these two pools have the potential to influence a wide variety of cellular processes. Reduced microtubule stability has been observed in several neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), and tauopathies like Progressive Supranuclear Palsy. Hyperstable microtubules, as seen in Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia (HSP), also lead to neurodegeneration. Therefore, the ratio of stable and dynamic microtubules is likely to be important for neuronal function and perturbation in microtubule dynamics might contribute to disease progression.
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PMID:Neurodegeneration and microtubule dynamics: death by a thousand cuts. 2690 11

Mutations in the PARK2 gene have been implicated in the pathogenesis of early-onset Parkinson's disease. We present a case of movement disorder in a 4-year-old child from consanguineous parents and with a family history of Dopamine responsive dystonia, who was diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson's disease based on initial identification of a pathogenic PARK2 mutation. However, the evolution of the child's clinical picture was unusually rapid, with a preponderance of pyramidal rather than extrapyramidal symptoms, leading to re-investigation of the case with further imaging and genetic sequencing. Interestingly, a second homozygous mutation in the FA2H gene, implicated in Hereditary spastic paraplegia, was revealed, appearing to have contributed to the novel phenotype observed, and highlighting a potential interaction between the two mutated genes.
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PMID:The Interaction of Genetic Mutations in PARK2 and FA2H Causes a Novel Phenotype in a Case of Childhood-Onset Movement Disorder. 3119 42

Variants in the PNPLA6 gene are known to cause 4 distinct phenotypes. One known phenotype is Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia type 39 (HSP 39), a rare neurodegenerative condition characterized by variable onset of lower limb spasticity, weakness and ataxia. Little is known about complications of HSP 39 in adulthood. Here, we report a family of three siblings who presented with bilateral lower limb spasticity in childhood, consistent with HSP, with confirmed bi-allellic PNPLA6 mutations. Two siblings developed parkinsonian features in middle age, a novel finding in this sibship. The proband had a positive dopamine transporter scan, indicating degeneration in dopaminergic neurons, and dopa-responsive extrapyramidal symptoms. Testing for known genetic causes of Parkinsonism was negative. The PNPLA6 gene encodes neuropathy target esterase, an enzyme involved in lipid metabolism that is critical to the stability of cell membranes. We hypothesize that the development of Parkinsonism in these patients may be related to the PNPLA6 mutations, as lipid dysregulation has been implicated in the pathogenesis of Parkinson disease.
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PMID:Bi-allelic variants in PNPLA6 possibly associated with Parkinsonian features in addition to spastic paraplegia phenotype. 3262 94