A 40-year-old woman is enrolled in a research study. She has a 10-year history of Parkinson's disease with resting tremor, bradykinesia, and cogwheel rigidity . One of her siblings recently started having similar symptoms. Genetic analysis is performed on the patient and her affected sibling. The results show a loss-of-function mutation in a gene that leads to an accumulation of misfolded proteins. Which of the following biochemical processes is most likely defective in this patient?

Question

A 40-year-old woman is enrolled in a research study.  She has a 10-year history of Parkinson's disease with resting tremor, bradykinesia, and cogwheel rigidity .  One of her siblings recently started having similar symptoms.  Genetic analysis is performed on the patient and her affected sibling.  The results show a loss-of-function mutation in a gene that leads to an accumulation of misfolded proteins.  Which of the following biochemical processes is most likely defective in this patient?

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Eductional Objective: Ubiquitin is a protein that undergoes ATP-dependent attachment to other proteins, labeling them for degradation.  These modified proteins enter the proteasome and are degraded into small peptides.  Impairment of the ubiquitin-proteasome system can contribute to the development of neurodegenerative disorders, including Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases

A 40-Year-Old Woman Is Enrolled in a Research Study