Accumulation of manganese in the cells disrupts protein transport leading to the hereditary parkinsonian syndrome. Scientists studied the genetic mutation that causes the disease, using X-ray fluorescence at synchrotrons DESY and ESRF.
Parkinsonian syndrome is a set of diseases with symptoms similar to Parkinson's disease. Some are caused by high quantities of manganese, a metal essential to the body at trace levels. This is especially so for a hereditary form of the disease caused by a genetic mutation responsible for a toxic accumulation of manganese in cells.
Parkinsons Disease
Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disease caused by progressive dopamine brain cells loss. Symptoms of Parkinson's disease are correctable to an extent.
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‘Manganese accumulation affects the transport of protein moving outside the cell, thereby impairing nerve function and causing parkinsonian symptoms.’
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The team of researchers has shown a key mechanism for the disease caused by this mutation. At the DESY synchrotron (Hamburg, Germany), they have been able to locate manganese inside individual cells, (1) using the fluorescent signature it produces under an X-ray beam. Manganese concentrates essentially in the Golgi apparatus, a cellular compartment which acts as a dispatch center for proteins. The proteins receive a label and are accordingly packaged within vesicles to other compartments, or to the outside of the cell. It is in these vesicles--barely 50 nm in diameter--that manganese accumulates, as the researchers have demonstrated by repeating their experiments in the ESRF synchrotron (The European synchrotron, Grenoble), with even higher sensitivity and spatial resolution. This is the only place in the world where the equipment's spatial resolution and sensitivity were sufficient to detect the minute amounts of manganese in the vesicles.
The researchers think that this manganese accumulation disturbs protein export towards the outside of the cell, altering nerve cell function and leading to parkinsonian symptoms. This must still be confirmed by reproducing these experiments with neurons from animal models for this disease, which are being developed.
Source: Eurekalert
Source: Eurekalert
Nutritional Management of Parkinsons disease
Parkinson's disease is a brain disorder which leads to many other related effects. Nutrition plays an important role in management of the disease.
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 Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome (WPW)Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome is caused due to an extra electrical pathway in the heart, which increases the heart rate. | Advertisement
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Apert Syndrome
Apert syndrome is a rare inherited condition marked by abnormal shape of the face and skull due to premature fusion of the bones, and webbing of hands and feet.
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