Cause found for some neurological ills

MADISON, Wis., Dec. 7 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists, working with a common form of brewer's yeast, say they've discovered a novel protein function that might cause neurological disorders.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers say their study shows how a mutation in a single gene can have widespread effects on regulation of a cell's genetic program, causing some genes to be read more than normal and others less than normal.

Working with yeast, Professor David Brow, the senior author of the study, and colleagues demonstrated a protein called Sen1 plays an important early role in determining which of a cell's genetic messages are read and how much of the information is used.

The medical scientists found mutations in the human version of Sen1 are linked with neurological diseases, including a rare form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, as well as various movement disorders.

By exploring how Sen1 works in yeast, Brow said he hopes to produce a better understanding of the interplay of protein and gene regulation in human disease.

The study appears in the current issue of the journal Molecular Cell.