Neurobiology of Disease (Apr 2001)

Genetic Analysis of Synphilin-1 in Familial Parkinson's Disease

  • M. Farrer,
  • A. Destée,
  • C. Levecque,
  • A. Singleton,
  • S. Engelender,
  • E. Becquet,
  • V. Mouroux,
  • F. Richard,
  • L. Defebvre,
  • R. Crook,
  • D. Hernandez,
  • C.A. Ross,
  • J. Hardy,
  • P. Amouyel,
  • M-C. Chartier-Harlin

Journal volume & issue
Vol. 8, no. 2
pp. 317 – 323

Abstract

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α-Synuclein is present in Lewy bodies of patients with both sporadic and familial Parkinson's disease. However, pathogenic mutations Ala30Pro and Ala53Thr in α-synuclein are rare causes of disease. Synphilin-1 has been demonstrated to associate with α-synuclein and promote the formation of cytosolic inclusions in vitro. Two-point genetic linkage analysis of a dinucleotide repeat within the synphilin-1 gene initially implicated this locus as a cause of Parkinson's disease in three of nine families. However, subsequent haplotype, sequencing, and association analyses in these three families and an independent case-control series suggest that variability within the locus does not confer susceptibility to Parkinson's disease.