Association analysis for genetic variants of the NMDA receptor 2b subunit (GRIN2B) and Parkinson's disease

Summary.

Recent studies have implicated N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor dysfunction in the pathogenesis and treatment of Parkinson's disease (PD). The NMDA receptor is composed of several subunits, of which, the receptor 2b subunit (GRIN2B) is of particular significance for PD. This subunit is found enriched in the basal ganglia, and PD-monotherapy potential has been determined for GRIN2B antagonists. For this study of a sample population consisting of 101 PD patients and 108 controls, we tested the hypothesis that an ACC ⇒ ACT transversion (2664^th nucleotide of the coding sequence) affecting codon 888 (tyrosine) of GRIN2B confers susceptibility to PD, or relates to the age of onset. Comparing PD patients and controls, the distribution of the GRIN2B genotypes (p = 0.754) and alleles (p = 0.269) did not differ significantly. The onset age was not significantly different comparing the three genotypic groups (p = 0.189). Our negative findings suggest that it is unlikely that the GRIN2B C2664T polymorphism plays a substantial role in conferring susceptibility to PD in the Chinese population. Further studies with other genetic variations of NMDA subunits, relating either to PD or to the therapeutic response for PD, are suggested.