There’s no shortage of genes associated with Parkinson’s disease.
Known mutations in
6 genes can cause early onset or classical, late onset Parkinson’s disease, and mutations in at least 2 more can cause atypical parkinsonian syndromes.1 Additional genetic loci and identified genes increase the susceptibility to Parkinson’s disease.
Although the identified genes are not all part of the same biological pathway, identifying commonalities among them may provide clues to the disease process. One theme that emerges from these studies is the involvement of lipids.2 Investigators have identified links between Parkinson’s disease and lipids for at least 20 years.3 Lipids are integral to biological membranes, such as those that encase nerve cells and cellular organelles, and are a major component of gangliosides, a type of glycolipid concentrated in plasma membranes that participates in cell-cell recognition, adhesion, and signal transduction.4 Below is a list of genes associated with Parkinson’s disease that encode proteins with lipid-related functions.