Chromosome Parade #5: Parkinson Disease

The Chromosome Parade has been slow but it’s still chugging on; stopping today at the synuclein, alpha interacting protein (synphilin) gene (SNCAIP) on chromosome 5. One specific mutation in the SNCAIP gene has been associated with Parkinson Disease.

Because the Arg621Cys mutation has been reported in so few cases, it is unclear whether the mutation affects the risk of Parkinson disease. Some studies indicate that altered synphilin-1 proteins cluster together (aggregate), which could disturb normal cell activities and lead to the death of nerve cells.

Learn more at A Hearty Life about the effects of popular Parkinson Disease treatment–dopamine agonist drugs–on the heart.

Tags: parkinson disease, diseases, illness, health, parkinsons disease, pd, genetics, genes, dna, sncaip, chromosomes