The Role of Autophagy Associated With Causative Genes for
Parkinson’s Disease

J Korean Neurol Assoc > Volume 32(3); 2014 > Article

Journal of the Korean Neurological Association 2014;32(3): 137-144.

파킨슨병의 원인유전자와 연관된 자가포식현상

호동환, 서혜명 c 손일홍 a,b 설원기 a

원광대학교 의과대학 산본병원 인암뇌신경센터 a , 신경과 b , 한양대학교 분자생명과학과 c

The Role of Autophagy Associated With Causative Genes for Parkinson’s Disease

Dong Hwan Ho

InAm Neuroscience Research Center and Department of Neurology , Wonkwang University Sanbon Hospital, Wonkwang University School of Medicine, Gunpo, Korea

Abstract

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative motor disorder, affecting approximately 1 % of the population aged ≥60 years. Recent investigations have shown that in addition to motor symptoms such as bradykinesia, resting tremor, and gait instability, PD also causes non-motor symptoms such as insomnia, constipation, depression, and dementia. Most PD cases occurred sporadically, but 5-10% is inherited as familial PD, and several PD-causative genes have been identified and intensively studied. Autophagy is a self-degrading mechanism of balancing the energy source in response to nutrient shortage and various stresses, and is a tightly regulated and complicated process that generates double-membrane organelles. Autophagy failure has recently been observed in both animal PD models and human PD patients. The intention of this review is to introduce recent findings regarding the relationship between causative genetic mutations in PD and autophagy, from a clinical perspective. Key Words: Parkinson’s disease (PD), Autophagy, PD-causative genes, Mitophagy