Pallido-nigral spheroids associated with iron deposition have been observed in some aged clinically normal nonhuman primates. In humans, similar findings are observed in neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation diseases, which, in some cases, show associated mutations in pantothenate kinase 2 gene (PANK2). Here we present an aged gorilla, 40 years old, suffering during the last 2 years of...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Patients with a clinical diagnosis of neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation (NBIA, formerly called Hallervorden-Spatz syndrome) often have mutations in PANK2, the gene encoding pantothenate kinase 2. We investigated correlations between brain MR imaging changes, mutation status, and clinical disease features. METHODS Brain MRIs from patients with NBIA were re...

Pantothenate-Kinase-Associated-Neurodegeneration (PKAN) is a devastating disease, resulting from mutations in pantothenate kinase 2 (PANK2), one of the four human pantothenate kinase genes (PANK1-4). Interestingly, PanK2 appears to be the only mitochondria-targeted human PanK. It is unknown whether the mitochondria-targeted PanK is associated with any unique function, nor whether PKAN is due so...

Pantothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneration (PKAN, formerly known as Hallervorden-Spatz syndrome) is a rare but devastating neurodegenerative disorder, resulting from an inherited defect in coenzyme A biosynthesis. As pathology in the human condition is limited to the central nervous system, specifically the retina and globus pallidus, we have generated a mouse knock-out of the orthologous...

Pantothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneration (PKAN) is a familial or sporadic disease characterized by extrapyramidal and corticospinal signs with dementia. Patients show iron accumulation in the basal ganglia, with neuronal loss and gliosis. A mutation of pantothenate kinase (PANK2) gene localized on chromosome 20p13 has been described in familiar forms, as well as in sporadic patients. We...

Pantothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneration (formerly Hallervorden-Spatz syndrome), the most prevalent form of neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation, is a rare degenerative brain disease characterised by predominantly extrapyramidal dysfunction resulting from mutations in the PANK2 (pantothenate kinase 2) gene. Using DNA mutation analysis, the authors identified a novel missense m...

Pallido-nigral spheroids associated with iron deposition have been observed in some aged clinically normal nonhuman primates. In humans, similar findings are observed in neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation diseases, which, in some cases, show associated mutations in pantothenate kinase 2 gene (PANK2). Here we present an aged gorilla, 40 years old, suffering during the last 2 years of...

The pantothenate kinases (PanK) catalyze the first and the rate-limiting step in coenzyme A (CoA) biosynthesis and regulate the amount of CoA in tissues by differential isoform expression and allosteric interaction with metabolic ligands. The four human and mouse PanK proteins share a homologous carboxy-terminal catalytic domain, but differ in their amino-termini. These unique termini direct th...

BACKGROUND Neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation (NBIA), formerly known as Hallervorden-Spatz syndrome, is a heterogeneous group of disorders with different treatment options. CASE REPORTS In the first case, progressively generalizing dystonic symptoms appeared during childhood. A mutation in the gene encoding pantothenate kinase 2 (PANK2) was found. Brain MRI showed bilateral hypers...