Discovery of Neurotransmission Gene May Permit Early Detection of Alzheimer’s

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                    http://neurosciencenews.com/neurotransmission-genetics-alzheimers-5536/



        At Tel Aviv University, a gene was located for a protein that turns off the signaling of neurotransmission which, consequently, is said to lead to Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The gene associated with AD is RGS2 (Regulator of Protein Signaling 2). The lower expression of this gene increases the sensitivity to the effects of amyloid-β, known as a toxic protein. The suspected gene RGS2 was pinpointed by "combining genome-wide gene expressions profiling of Alzheimer's disease blood-derived cell lines with data-mining of previously published gene expression datasets." Once they analyzed previously published datasets with the current study, they found that the RGS2 gene was reduced. To better help develop their findings, they also observed the blood-derived cell lines of post-mortem brain tissue samples from Alzheimer's patients and compared to the current discoveries. The team also found that there was a correlation between Aβ neurotoxicity and the expressed reduction of RGS2,furthermore increasing the susceptibility of brain neurons to the potentially damaging effects of Aβ.

       I enjoyed reading this article because it reminded me of the first portion of information that we learned at the beginning of the semester. When we spoke about neurotransmitters and especially the process to an action potentials connected to this article for me. It allows me to think more in depth about the deterioration of the Myelin Sheath and it's cause of Multiple Sclerosis. In this case the major focus isn't on the axon and how it's affected by having thick layers of Myelin, but rather focuses on the neurotransmitters and possible antagonistic qualities that amyloid-β (Aβ) possesses and it's impact on Alzheimer's disease. This article definitely opened my eyes to something that I've never actually taken the time to read about. I will absolutely take this into consideration and involve myself more in this type of research to better facilitate my learning.  


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