SLITRK1

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SLITRK1 ("SLIT and NTRK-like family, member 1") is a human gene on chromosome 13q31.1. In 2005, medical researchers demonstrated that some types of frameshift mutations in SLITRK1 appear to be found in certain members of a group of Tourette syndrome patients, but were not found in most of the members of the larger study sample. SLITRK1 was postulated as a cause of Tourette syndrome.

It is hypothesized that this mutation in SLITRK1 may be a direct or indirect cause (tourettism) of Tourette's Syndrome in this small subset (1-2%) of Tourette's patients. The ultimate impact of this research finding to the population of Tourette Syndrome patients as a whole is unclear. SLITRK1, while not a major gene implicated in the cause of Tourette syndrome, can help contribute to understanding of Tourette's.^[1]^[2]

A subsequent examination of the region of the SLITRK1 gene found the mutation in none of 82 patients with Tourette syndrome. The authors concluded that tests to detect variant(s) in the gene probably would have little diagnostic utility.^[3]

[edit] Notes

^ Grados MA, Walkup JT. A new gene for Tourette's syndrome: a window into causal mechanisms? Trends Genet. 2006 Jun;22(6):291-3. PMID 16678301
^ Abelson JF. et al. Sequence variants in SLITRK1 are associated with Tourette's syndrome. Science. 2005 Oct 14;310(5746):317-20. PMID 16224024
^ Deng H, Le WD, Xie WJ, Jankovic J. Examination of the SLITRK1 gene in Caucasian patients with Tourette syndrome. Acta Neurol Scand. 2006 Dec;114(6):400-2. PMID 17083340