Ricardo Harripaul, Elisabetta Morini, Monica Salani, Emily Logan, Emily Kirchner, Jessica Bolduc, Anil Chekuri, Benjamin Currall, Rachita Yadav, Serkan Erdin, Michael E Talkowski, Dadi Gao, Susan Slaugenhaupt
Familial dysautonomia (FD) is a rare recessive neurodevelopmental disease caused by a splice mutation in the Elongator acetyltransferase complex subunit 1 (ELP1) gene. This mutation results in a tissue-specific reduction of ELP1 protein, with the lowest levels in the central and peripheral nervous systems (CNS and PNS, respectively). FD patients exhibit complex neurological phenotypes due to the loss of sensory and autonomic neurons. Disease symptoms include decreased pain and temperature perception, impaired or absent myotatic reflexes, proprioceptive ataxia, and progressive retinal degeneration...
January 4, 2024: Scientific Reports