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Pantothenate Kinase-Associated Neurodegeneration (PKAN) is a form of Neurodegeneration with Brain Iron Accumulation (NBIA) associated with mutations in the pantothenate kinase 2 gene (PANK2). Pantothenate kinases catalyze the rate-limiting step of coenzyme A synthesis and Pank2 is the only pantothenate kinase isoform in humans that is localized to mitochondria. Acanthocytosis, the occurrence of spiculated erythrocytes, is observed in about 10% of the PKAN patients. Therefore PKAN is also classified together with other rare neurodegenerative diseases like Chorea Acanthocytosis (ChAc) and McLeod syndrome (MLS) into the Neuroacanthocytosis (NA) syndromes. It has not been investigated yet whether acanthocytosis in PKAN is associated with a specific subset of Pank2 mutations. In this study, we analyzed acanthocytosis of a cohort of 25 PKAN patients from the Dominican Republic that are homozygous for the c.680 A>G mutation in the PANK2 gene as compared to control donors that are heterozygous or wild-type with respect to this mutation. 3D modeling of this mutation indicated that the replacement of a tyrosine by a cysteine at position 227 in Pank2 disrupts a polar interaction within the A domain of the enzyme. Mean acanthocyte count was elevated in the cohort of patients, however, acanthocytosis varied among the patients with nearly half of them showing high (>20%) or elevated acanthocytosis and the rest showing mild (6-10%) or no (<6%) acanthocytosis. Heterozygous control donors revealed a tendency to mild acanthocytosis. Based on the insight that Pank2 is a normal constituent of red blood cells and de novo biosynthesis of coenzyme A is likely to take place in the erythrocyte cytosol we propose a hypothetical model that accounts for the variability in the occurrence of acanthocytic cells in PKAN.
Pubmed ID: 25915509 RIS Download
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View all literature mentionsThe NBIA Disorders Association, formerly known as Hallervorden-Spatz Syndrome Association, (HSSA) was originally founded in 1996 by President, Patricia Wood. The goals of the association are to raise funds to support research pertinent to NBIA; to provide emotional support to those afflicted with NBIA and their families; and to raise public awareness of NBIA. The NBIA Disorders Association is accepting applications for one-year grants for clinical and translational research studies related to the early detection, diagnosis, or treatment of patients with NBIA. Neurodegeneration with Brain Iron Accumulation (NBIA) is a group of rare, genetic, neurological disorders characterized by the accumulation of iron deposits in the brain and progressive degeneration of the nervous system. It typically first appears in childhood. Presenting signs and symptoms may include difficulty walking, loss of balance, and problems related to speech. Those affected suffer a progressive loss of muscle control, sudden involuntary muscle spasms, and uncontrolled tightening of the muscles. Symptoms may also include disorientation, seizures, and deterioration of intellectual ability. Approximately half of the cases diagnosed have been linked to a mutation of a gene known as PANK2. At the present time, symptoms may be treated but there is no cure. The purpose of the NBIA Disorders Association Research Grant Program is to encourage meritorious research studies designed to improve the diagnosis or treatment of NBIA. The research can be conducted in the United States, countries of the European Union, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, South Africa, Japan, or Israel, and in other countries where adequate supervision of grant administration is possible. Grants will be awarded to qualified researchers to initiate pilot studies, the results of which are intended to be used to obtain larger multi-year grant funding. Evaluation of proposals will follow NIH guidelines and include careful consideration of experimental or protocol design, objectivity or relevance of parameters measured, and statistical analysis plan. Proposals that address the following areas will be given priority: * Therapeutics Development: ** Development of pantethine and its derivatives ** Development of other rational therapeutics * Animal & Cellular Models: ** Development of a new rodent disease model by targeted insertion of a ''human disease'' mutation into Pank2 ** Development of induced pluripotent stem cell lines. *** Development of animal and cellular models will be considered for multi-year funding with adequate budget justification. Proposals should detail a research plan and a budget for the initial phase of the work, with the option to contract further work out to a commercial enterprise. * Biomarker Discovery and Assay Development: ** Metabolomics ** Coenzyme A / acyl coenzyme A measurement using accessible (peripheral and central) tissue/fluid * New NBIA gene discovery
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