How is the tau gene
involved in
Parkinson’s?
Rohan
Project information
Lead researcher
Dr Rohan de Silva
Location
University College London
Cost
£34,957 over 8 months
Start date
January 2013
Type of project
Innovation grant
Project code
K-1212
Project background
People with Parkinson’s don’t have enough of a chemical called dopamine because some
nerve cells in their brain have died. We don’t yet understand why people get Parkinson’s, but
genes, lifestyle and environmental factors are all thought to be involved.
The aim of this study is to understand how a small change in a gene called ‘tau’ contributes to
increased risk of Parkinson’s and other similar conditions, including Alzheimer’s and
Parkinson’s-like disorders. The tau gene produces the tau protein, which all nerve cells need to
stay healthy. However, each nerve cell needs a precise dose of the tau protein – too much
causes problems. Excess tau protein seems to get tangled up inside the cells affected in
Alzheimer’s and multiple system atrophy.
•
Why study the connection between Parkinson’s and tau? Recent genetic studies
have found that people who carry a certain form of the gene that makes the tau protein
are at increased risk of Parkinson’s.
•
There are two main versions of the tau gene: H1 and H2. Genetic studies show that
people who have the H1 form of the tau gene are more likely to get Parkinson's than
those with the H2 form. However, it’s not yet clear why the H1 gene makes people
more susceptible to developing Parkinson’s.
What the researchers are doing
In this project, the researchers will use nerve cells grown in the laboratory to investigate why
people with the H1 form of the tau gene have an increased risk of Parkinson’s.
It may be explained by subtle structural changes to DNA called ‘epigenetics’ which switch our
genes on and off. Genes are the instructions our cells use to make proteins. So, when a cell
needs a protein it switches on the relevant gene. But epigenetic changes - usually extra
molecules attached to the DNA - affect how active our genes are and how much protein they
make. Rohan wants to know whether epigenetic changes in the H1 gene cause cells to make
too much tau protein and trigger the problems that lead to nerve cell death in Parkinson’s.
How the research will help people with Parkinson’s
The results of these experiments will help shed light on how subtle changes in the tau
protein may be involved in the development of Parkinson’s.
Understanding why certain forms of the tau gene increase risk of developing Parkinson’s,
may hold exciting potential for developing new drugs and treatments that could one day
help slow down, stop or even prevent Parkinson’s altogether.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Find out more about our research, visit our website: parkinsons.org.uk/research
Or contact the Parkinson’s UK research team at:
Call
020 7963 9313
Email
[email protected]
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