Background: GBA mutations are numerically the most significant genetic risk factor for Parkinson's disease (PD), yet these mutations have low penetrance, suggesting additional mechanisms.
Objectives: The objective of this study was to determine if the penetrance of GBA in PD can be explained by regulatory effects on GBA and modifier genes.
Methods: Genetic variants associated with the regulation of GBA were identified by screening 128 common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the GBA locus for spatial cis-expression quantitative trail locus (supported by chromatin interactions).
Results: We identified common noncoding SNPs within GBA that (1) regulate GBA expression in peripheral tissues, some of which display α-synuclein pathology and (2) coregulate potential modifier genes in the central nervous system and/or peripheral tissues. Haplotypes based on 3 of these SNPs delay disease onset by 5 years. In addition, SNPs on 6 separate chromosomes coregulate GBA expression specifically in either the substantia nigra or cortex, and their combined effect potentially modulates motor and cognitive symptoms, respectively.
Conclusions: This work provides a new perspective on the haplotype-specific effects of GBA and the genetic etiology of PD, expanding the role of GBA from the gene encoding the β-glucocerebrosidase (GCase) to that of a central regulator and modifier of PD onset, with GBA expression itself subject to distant regulation. Some idiopathic patients might possess insufficient GBA-encoded GCase activity in the substantia nigra as the result of distant regulatory variants and therefore might benefit from GBA-targeting therapeutics. The SNPs' regulatory impacts provide a plausible explanation for the variable phenotypes also observed in GBA-centric Gaucher's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies. © 2020 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals, LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/mds.28144 | DOI Listing |
Environ Monit Assess
January 2025
Department of Geography, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, 999077, China.
Excessive total suspended matter (TSM) concentrations can exert a considerable impact on the growth of aquatic organisms in fishponds, representing a significant risk to aquaculture health. This study revised existing unified models using empirical data to develop an optimized TSM retrieval model tailored for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) (R = 0.69, RMSE = 7.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMol Genet Metab
December 2024
Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, Medical School, University of Naples Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy; CEINGE-Biotecnologie Avanzate Franco Salvatore s.c.ar.l., 80145 Naples, Italy. Electronic address:
Background: Newborn screening (NBS) is a simple, non-invasive test that allows for the early identification of genetic diseases within the first days of a newborn's life. The aim of NBS is to detect potentially fatal or disabling conditions in newborns as early as possible, before the onset of disease symptoms. Early diagnosis enables timely treatments and improves the quality of life for affected patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPLoS One
January 2025
Medical Faculty, Department of Neurology, Otto von Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany.
For the last 38 years, all neuroprotective agents for patients with ischemic stroke have failed in clinical trials. The innate immune system, particularly microglia, is a much-discussed target for neuroprotective agents. Promising results for neuroprotection by inhibition of integrins with drugs such as natalizumab in animal stroke models have not been translated into clinical practice.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAlzheimers Dement
December 2024
Wisconsin Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA.
Background: To aid development of prevention strategies, we investigated whether a composite measure of late-midlife lifestyle health was associated with (1) change in brain tau burden, vascular burden and neurodegeneration and (2) cognitive trajectories when accounting for these brain changes.
Method: We included 324 individuals from the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer's Prevention. Late-midlife lifestyle was assessed using the Lifestyle for Brain Health (LIBRA) score, encompassing 12 risk-and protective factors for cognitive decline and dementia.
Background: In people with Parkinson's disease (PD), mutations in GBA and LRRK2 are associated with different clinical phenotypes which might be related to differential involvement of the cholinergic system. We aimed to investigate cholinergic basal forebrain (cBF) volume in asymptomatic and symptomatic mutation carriers in comparison to idiopathic PD and healthy controls and associations with cognitive decline.
Method: This study included 149 asymptomatic GBA and 169 asymptomatic LRRK2 mutation carriers, 112 LRRK2 carriers and 60 GBA carriers with PD, 492 idiopathic PD, and 180 healthy controls from the Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI).
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