What causes Friedreich's ataxia?
There are many different causes for ataxia, ranging from inherited causes, infections, problems of the immune system to brain tumors and strokes. Chronic forms of ataxia are slowly progressive and are most often caused by a
neurodegenerative disease process with a genetic cause.
The gene for FA codes for a protein called frataxin. Normal frataxin is found in the cellular energy structures known as mitochondria, where it is thought to be involved in regulating the transport of iron. In FA, the frataxin gene on chromosome 9 is expanded with nonsense information known as a "triple repeat." This extra DNA interferes with normal production of frataxin, thereby impairing iron transport. Normally, there are 10-21 repeats of the frataxin gene. In FA, this sequence may be repeated between 200-900 times. The types of symptoms and severity of FA seems to be associated with the number of repetitions. Patients with more copies have more severe symptomatology. Researchers are still wrestling with how frataxin and the repeats on chromosome 9 are involved in causing FA. One theory suggests that FA develops in part because defects in iron transport prevent efficient use of cellular energy supplies.
The nerve cells most affected by FA are those in the spinal cord involved in relaying information between muscles and the brain. Tight control of movement requires complex feedback between the muscles promoting a movement, those restraining it, and the brain. Without this control, movements become uncoordinated, jerky, and inappropriate to the desired action. |
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