Molecular mechanisms of spinal muscular atrophy.

نویسنده

  • Charlotte J Sumner
چکیده

Significant strides have been made during the past decade in the understanding of the molecular mechanisms that lead to the autosomal recessive motor neuron disease spinal muscular atrophy. Genetic studies revealed that spinal muscular atrophy is caused by mutation of the telomeric copy of the survival motor neuron gene ( SMN1), with all patients retaining at least one copy of the centromeric form of the gene, SMN2. SMN2 produces reduced amounts of full-length SMN messenger ribonucleic acid because of alterative splicing of SMN2 -derived transcripts, a process that is governed by specific cisand trans-acting factors. The resulting insufficient expression level of full-length SMN protein likely causes the disease manifestations of spinal muscular atrophy; however, the mechanism for the selective vulnerability of the motor unit to deficiency of this ubiquitously expressed protein remains unknown. It also remains unclear specifically when and where in the motor unit SMN is required. Despite the remaining questions, progress has been made in developing therapeutic strategies targeted to specific points along the pathogenetic pathway of spinal muscular atrophy. Histone deacetylase inhibitors will be discussed as an example.

برای دانلود رایگان متن کامل این مقاله و بیش از 32 میلیون مقاله دیگر ابتدا ثبت نام کنید

ثبت نام

اگر عضو سایت هستید لطفا وارد حساب کاربری خود شوید

منابع مشابه

Spinal Muscular Atrophy: A Short Review Article

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a genetic disorder which affect nervous system and is characterized with progressive distal motor neuron weakness. The survival motor neuron (SMN) protein level reduces in patients with SMA. Two different genes code survival motor neuron protein in human genome. Skeletal and intercostal muscles denervation lead to weakness, hypotony, hyporeflexia, respiratory fa...

متن کامل

A Patient with Tuberous Sclerosis Complex and Spinal Muscular Atrophy; A Case Report

Background Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC), and Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) are two inherited disorders while they are genetically independent. TSC is characterized by the formation of multiple hamartomas in nearly all organs. SMA is a destructive neurological disorder leading to progressive muscular weakness and atrophy. Case Presentation</e...

متن کامل

Drawing Word co-occurrence map of Spinal Muscular Atrophy disease

Introduction:  The purpose of this article is to evaluate the status of articles in the field of Spinal Muscular Atrophy According to the Scientometrics indices Word co-occurrence map of this field . Methods: The present study is an applied one with a quantitative approach and a descriptive approach. It has been done using scientometrics and the co-occurrence words analysis technique. Document...

متن کامل

Molecular Mechanisms of Neurodegeneration in Spinal Muscular Atrophy

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is an autosomal recessive motor neuron disease with a high incidence and is the most common genetic cause of infant mortality. SMA is primarily characterized by degeneration of the spinal motor neurons that leads to skeletal muscle atrophy followed by symmetric limb paralysis, respiratory failure, and death. In humans, mutation of the Survival Motor Neuron 1 (SMN1)...

متن کامل

Spinal Muscular Atrophy: Classification, Diagnosis, Background, Molecular Mechanism and Development of Therapeutics

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is an autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disease and one of the most common genetic causes of infant death. The loss or mutation of the SMN1 gene results in reduced SMN protein level leading to motor neuron death and progressive muscle atrophy. Although recent progress has been made in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of ...

متن کامل

ذخیره در منابع من


  با ذخیره ی این منبع در منابع من، دسترسی به آن را برای استفاده های بعدی آسان تر کنید

عنوان ژورنال:
  • Journal of child neurology

دوره 22 8  شماره 

صفحات  -

تاریخ انتشار 2007