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Cerebellar ataxia is a neurodevelopmental disorder.
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Specifications
| Breeds | |
|---|---|
| Gene | |
| Organ | |
| specimen | Swab, Blood EDTA, Blood Heparin, Semen, Tissue |
| Mode of Inheritance | |
| Chromosome | |
| Also known as | |
| Year Published |
General information
Cerebellar ataxia is a neurodevelopmental disorder. It is caused by an autosomal recessive mutation in the Ral GTPase activating protein, alpha subunit 1(RALGAPA1) gene. This gene is involved in the regulation of the activity of two small proteins, RALA and RALB. This regulation is crucial for controlling cellular processes such as growth, migration, and especially neuronal development. RALGAPA1 is highly expressed in areas of the brain that are essential for motor coordination. The mutation causes disruption of normal neuronal signalling and resulting in cerebellar ataxia in specific Belgian shepherd dogs.
Clinical features
Typically cerebellar ataxia manifests around 4 weeks of age. Affected puppies show symptoms such as an uncoordinated gait, wide stance, intention tremors, balance issues, and exaggerated movements (hypermetria). Some mild improvement in function can occur as the dog matures, due to the dog learning to compensate for the deficit with other sensory inputs and motor strategies. Then the dog can have a fairly normal life. On humane ground, euthanasia can be performed on affected dogs when functional adaptation does not occur in the brain and symptoms are permanent.
Additional information
References
Pubmed ID: 37628572
Omia ID: 2757