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Hands shake and wobble as the decades pass … moreso in some.
A recently evolved “T” allele (rs12720208) in the 3′ untranslated region (3′ UTR) of the FGF20 gene has been implicated in the risk of Parkinson’s Disease … namely by creating a wobbly G:U base-pair between microRNA-433 (miR-433) and the FGF20 transcript. Since the normal function of microRNA-433 is to repress translation of proteins (such as FGF20), it is suspected that the PD risk “T” allele carriers make relatively more FGF20 … which, in turn … leads to the production of higher levels of alpha-synuclein (the main component of Lewy body fibrils, a pathological marker of diseases such as PD). This newly evolved T-allele has also been associated with brain structural differences in healthy individuals.
My hands will shake and wobble as the decades pass … but not because I carry the G:U wobble pairing between miR-433:FGF20. My 23andMe profile shows that I carry 2 C alleles and will produce the thermodynamically favorable G:C pairing. Something to keep in mind as I lose my mind in the decades to come.
Genes 2 Brains 2 Mind 2 Me 