ATXN2

Spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 (SCA2) is a condition characterized by progressive problems with movement. SCA2 results from a mutation in the ATXN2 gene known as a trinucleotide repeat expansion. This mutation increases the length of the repeated CAG segment in the ATXN2 gene. People with 32 or more repeats CAG repeats in the ATXN2 gene develop SCA2.

It is unclear how the abnormally long CAG segment affects the function of the ataxin-2 protein. The abnormal protein apparently leads to cell death, as people with SCA2 show a loss of brain cells. Certain brain cells called Purkinje cells seem to be particularly sensitive to the presence of abnormal ataxin-2. Purkinje cells are located in the part of the brain that coordinates movement (cerebellum) and are involved in chemical signaling between nerve cells (neurons). It is unknown how the abnormal ataxin-2 protein leads to the death of Purkinje and other brain cells. Over time, the loss of these cells causes the movement problems characteristic of SCA2.

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