Jornal de Imunologia Clínica e Celular
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Implication of Epigenetic Modifications in Neurodegenerative Disorders: Traces and Imprints

Roshan Kumar Singh, Sandeep Satapathy, Abhilasha Singh and Kashyap Bhuyan

Neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Huntington’s and ALS; present a complex biological disorder resulting loss of synaptic connections, neuronal damage and decay in old and elderly persons. Such a degrading process of neurons affects the central nervous system and results in loss of cognitive abilities, memory, sensory abilities and impairs the motor neuron functions. Thus, understanding the biology of neurodegenerative diseases has been crucial in ensuring healthy aged life. Although several cases of familial neurodegenerative disorders have been reported, yet the mechanism for sporadic neuronal degeneration remains largely unknown. Therefore, in this review we aim to understand the role of environmental triggers, i.e. epigenetics in affecting the normal functioning and coordination of host nervous system. A distinct signature mark of neurodegenerative disorders involves misfolding and structural aberration in native proteins leading to formation of intracellular fibrillary tangles, Lewy bodies, extracellular plaques, to name a few. This paper focusses primarily on four kinds of neurodegenerative disorders as mentioned above and reviewed the role of DNA/histone methylation, acetylation, ubiquitination along with mutational changes to the native protein product.