This web page was produced as an assignment for Genetics 677, an undergraduate course at UW-Madison, Spring 2012.
ALS Cellular Pathways
Below is a map of the pathways involved in ALS from KEGG: Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes [1]. (Click the image to open enlarged version in new window.) This map not only highlights the important role of SOD1 in ALS but also the complexity of aberrant processes of the the disease.
Analysis
Much of this complex cellular pathway can be connected to SOD1 gene ontology GO terms. Mutant SOD1 seems to cause problems in mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum and the cytoplasm, all leading to neuron death. Many of these pathways may include aggregates, which have also been implicated in other neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntinton's.
1. Kanehisa M. (2000) Post-genome Informatics, Oxford University Press.