MODULE 7                                                                     Parkinson Disease

The National Center for Biotechnology Information website, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, contains a section for researching inheritable diseases in humans. This module will help you to determine whether Parkinson Disease has a genetic link, and if so, which chromosome it is associated with.

• Go to www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.
• On the right hand margin, click on “Genes and Disease” under “Hot Spots”.
• A list of diseases will display – go down to “Parkinson Disease” under “The Nervous System” heading and click.
• When “Parkinson Disease” is displayed, travel down the left hand margin to “Links” and click on “Genome View”.

• Does the graphic show a chromosome for Parkinson Disease?  

• Close that window and read the report on Parkinsons. 

• How has recent research changed thinking on inheritance of Parkinsons?

• What chromosome has been linked to family history of Parkinsons?

• Go to the top of the page and click on this chromosome graphic (if there is one).
• Locate the gene for familial Parkinson disease by clicking on MapViewer.

4) What is the gene id number?

• Now, click on the number to the right of the description of the gene. 

• What does evidence show about the factors contributing to Parkinson Disease?

• Going back to question #1, why do you think there was no chromosome identified in the graphic for Parkinson disease?

Module 7                 Answer Key:

• This graphic does not show a genetic link for familial Parkinson Disease.

• “Until relatively recently, Parkinson disease was not though to be heritable, and research was primarily focused on environmental risk factors such as viral infection or neurotoxins. However, a positive family history was gradually perceived to be a risk factor, a view that was confirmed last year when a candidate gene for some cases of Parkinson disease was mapped to chromosome 4.”  This is a direct quote from this section of the website for teachers to watch for student copying.

• The gene for familial Parkinson Disease has been linked to chromosome #4.

• The gene id number for familial Parkinson’s is 7345.

• Evidence shows environmental concerns such as neurotoxins and viral infections as well as a familial genetic link in some cases.

• The student should be able to understand that a chromosome was not implicated in #1 because there is not only a genetic link for Parkinson Disease.