Alpha-synuclein p.H50Q, a novel pathogenic mutation for Parkinson's disease

Background: Alpha-synuclein plays a central role in the pathophysiology of Parkinson's disease. Three missense mutations in SNCA, the gene encoding alpha-synuclein, as well as genomic multiplications have been identified as causes for autosomal-dominantly inherited Parkinsonism. Methods: Here, we describe a novel missense mutation in exon 4 of SNCA encoding a H50Q substitution in a patient with dopa-responsive Parkinson's disease with a family history of parkinsonism and dementia. Results: The variant was not observed in public databases or identified in unrelated subjects. Conclusions: The substitution's evolutionary conservation and protein modeling provide additional support for pathogenicity as the amino acid perturbs the same amphipathic alpha helical structure as the previously described pathogenic mutations.