1000/1000
Hot
Most Recent
CDP-L-ribitol pyrophosphorylase A
The CRPPA gene provides instructions for making a protein that is involved in a process called glycosylation. Through this chemical process, sugar molecules are added to certain proteins. In particular, the CRPPA protein helps produce a molecule called ribitol 5-phosphate, which is an important component of the chain of sugar molecules added to a protein called alpha (α)-dystroglycan. Glycosylation is critical for the normal function of α-dystroglycan.
The α-dystroglycan protein helps anchor the structural framework inside each cell (cytoskeleton) to the lattice of proteins and other molecules outside the cell (extracellular matrix). In skeletal muscles, glycosylated α-dystroglycan helps stabilize and protect muscle fibers. In the brain, it helps direct the movement (migration) of nerve cells (neurons) during early development.
At least 17 mutations in the CRPPA gene have been found to cause Walker-Warburg syndrome, the most severe form of a group of disorders known as congenital muscular dystrophies. Walker-Warburg syndrome causes skeletal muscle weakness and abnormalities of the brain and eyes. Because of the severity of the problems caused by this condition, affected individuals usually do not survive past early childhood.
CRPPA gene mutations involved in Walker-Warburg syndrome prevent the normal glycosylation of α-dystroglycan. As a result, α-dystroglycan can no longer effectively anchor cells to the proteins and other molecules that surround them. Without functional α-dystroglycan to stabilize the muscle fibers, they become damaged as they repeatedly contract and relax with use. The damaged fibers weaken and die over time, which affects the development, structure, and function of skeletal muscles in people with Walker-Warburg syndrome.
Defective α-dystroglycan also affects the migration of neurons during the early development of the brain. Instead of stopping when they reach their intended destinations, some neurons migrate past the surface of the brain into the fluid-filled space that surrounds it. Researchers believe that this problem with neuronal migration causes a brain abnormality called cobblestone lissencephaly, in which the surface of the brain lacks the normal folds and grooves and instead appears bumpy and irregular. Less is known about the effects of CRPPA gene mutations on other parts of the body.
Limb-girdle muscular dystrophy