PD experience abnormal apoptosis. Research has also uncovered a protein connection to Parkinson’s Disease. Three proteins though to be contributory to the development of the disease are parkin, alpha synuclein (alphaSp22), and ubiquitin (What, 2002, 2). AlphaSp22 is manufactured by nerve cells in the dopamine pathway. Parkin normally causes AlphaSp22 to bind with ubiquitin which triggers Apoptosis, causing self-destruction. However, in individuals with PD, Parkin is abnormal and does not trigger this binding process. The result is that Apoptosis does not occur: “Instead of dying, synuclein accumulates in Lewy bodies, deposits of fibrous tissue found in all patients with PD” (What, 2002, 2).
Lewy bodies are the hallmark characteristic of the Parkinson’s Disease patient. However, researchers are unsure whether they contribute to the death of nerve cells or if they are merely a byproduct of the disorder. Other studies have shown that low levels of the B vitamin folate may
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