Canavan Disease


Canavan Disease (Canavan-Van Bogaert-Bertrand Disease; Aminoacylase 2 Deficiency; Spongy Degeneration of the Central Nervous System; Aspartoacylase Deficiency; ASP Deficiency; ACY2 Deficiency; ASPA) is a rare autosomal recessive disease caused by a defect in the ASPA gene which codes for aspartoacylase. A deficiency in this enzyme results in accumulation of N-Acetyl-L-aspartic acid in plasma, spinal fluid, and urine. Symptoms, which present at birth, include myclonus, irritability, hypotonia, motor retardation, and poor head control. The neurological complications are due to demyelination of neurons and leukodystrophy. Premature death often results, though lithim citrate can be used as a treatment.

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References

  1. Uniprot: P45381
  2. OMIM: Entry 271900
  3. Engelke, U., van der Graaf, M., Heerschap, A., Hoenderop, S., Moolenaar, S., Morava, E., Wevers, R. (2007). Handbook of 1H-NMR spectroscopy in inborn errors of metabolism: body fluid NMR spectroscopy and in vivo MR spectroscopy (pp 33, 114) (2nd ed). Heilbronn: SPS Verlagsgesellschaft
  4. Matalon R, Kaul R, Casanova J, Michals K, Johnson A, Rapin I, Gashkoff P, Deanching M: SSIEM Award. Aspartoacylase deficiency: the enzyme defect in Canavan disease. J Inherit Metab Dis. 1989;12 Suppl 2:329-31. Pubmed
  5. Shaag A, Anikster Y, Christensen E, Glustein JZ, Fois A, Michelakakis H, Nigro F, Pronicka E, Ribes A, Zabot MT, et al.: The molecular basis of canavan (aspartoacylase deficiency) disease in European non-Jewish patients. Am J Hum Genet. 1995 Sep;57(3):572-80. Pubmed
  6. Velinov M, Zellers N, Styles J, Wisniewski K: Homozygosity for mutation G212A of the gene for aspartoacylase is associated with atypical form of Canavan’s disease. Clin Genet. 2008 Mar;73(3):288-9. Epub 2007 Dec 6. Pubmed
  7. Kaul R, Gao GP, Aloya M, Balamurugan K, Petrosky A, Michals K, Matalon R: Canavan disease: mutations among Jewish and non-Jewish patients. Am J Hum Genet. 1994 Jul;55(1):34-41. Pubmed