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NPC1 encodes a lysosomal protein involved in cholesterol transport. Biallelic mutations in this gene may lead to Niemann-Pick disease type C (NPC), a lysosomal storage disorder. The role of NPC1 in alpha synucleinopathies is still unclear, as different genetic, clinical, and pathological studies have reported contradictory results. This study aimed to evaluate the association of NPC1 variants with the synucleinopathies Parkinson's disease (PD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), and rapid eye movement-sleep behavior disorder (RBD). We analyzed common and rare variants from 3 cohorts of European descent: 1084 RBD cases and 2945 controls, 2852 PD cases and 1686 controls, and 2610 DLB cases and 1920 controls. Logistic regression models were used to assess common variants while optimal sequence Kernel association tests were used to assess rare variants, both adjusted for sex, age, and principal components. No variants were associated with any of the synucleinopathies, supporting that common and rare NPC1 variants do not play an important role in alpha synucleinopathies., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The LRRK2 p.G2019S Parkinson's disease (PD) variant is associated with elevated glucocerebrosidase (GCase) activity in peripheral blood. We aimed to evaluate the association of other LRRK2 variants with PD and its association with GCase activity. LRRK2 and GBA were fully sequenced in 1123 PD patients and 576 controls from the Columbia and PPMI cohorts, in which GCase activity was measured in dried blood spots by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. LRRK2 p.M1646T was associated with increased GCase activity in the Columbia University cohort (β = 1.58, p = 0.0003), and increased but not significantly in the PPMI cohort (β = 0.29, p = 0.58). p.M1646T was associated with PD (odds ratio = 1.18, 95% confidence interval = 1.09-1.28, p = 7.33E-05) in 56,306 PD patients and proxy-cases, and 1.4 million controls. Our results suggest that the p.M1646T variant is associated with risk of PD with a small effect and with increased GCase activity in peripheral blood., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Rare mutations in genes originally discovered in multigenerational families have been associated with increased risk of Parkinson's disease (PD). The involvement of rare variants in DNAJC13, UCHL1, HTRA2, GIGYF2, and EIF4G1 loci has been poorly studied or has produced conflicting results across cohorts. However, they are still being often referred to as "PD genes" and used in different models. To further elucidate the role of these 5 genes in PD, we fully sequenced them using molecular inversion probes in 2408 patients with PD and 3444 controls from 3 different cohorts. A total of 788 rare variants were identified across the 5 genes and 3 cohorts. Burden analyses and optimized sequence Kernel association tests revealed no significant association between any of the genes and PD after correction for multiple comparisons. Our results do not support an association of the 5 tested genes with PD. Combined with previous studies, it is unlikely that any of these genes plays an important role in PD. Their designation as "PARK" genes should be reconsidered., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Mutations in the sphingomyelin phosphodiesterase 1 (SMPD1) gene were reported to be associated with Parkinson's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies. In the current study, we aimed to evaluate the role of SMPD1 variants in isolated rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (iRBD). SMPD1 and its untranslated regions were sequenced using targeted next-generation sequencing in 959 iRBD patients and 1287 controls from European descent. Our study reports no statistically significant association of SMPD1 variants and iRBD. It is hence unlikely that SMPD1 plays a major role in iRBD., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Biallelic variants in NPC1, a gene coding for a lysosomal transmembrane protein involved in cholesterol trafficking, may cause Niemann-Pick disease type C (NPC). A few cases of NPC1 variant carriers with Parkinson's disease (PD) have been reported. In addition, pathologic studies have demonstrated phosphorylated alpha-synuclein and Lewy pathology in brains of NPC patients. Therefore, we aimed to examine whether NPC1 genetic variants may be associated with PD. Full sequencing of NPC1 was performed in 2657 PD patients and 3647 controls from 3 cohorts, using targeted sequencing with molecular inversion probes. A total of 9 common variants and 126 rare variants were identified across the 3 cohorts. To examine their association with PD, regression models adjusted for age, sex, and origin were performed for common variants, and optimal sequence Kernel association test (SKAT-O) was performed for rare variants. After correction for multiple comparisons, common and rare NPC1 variants were not associated with PD. Our results do not support a link between heterozygous variants in NPC1 and PD., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

GCH1 encodes the enzyme guanosine triphospahte (GTP) cyclohydrolase 1, essential for dopamine synthesis in nigrostriatal cells, and rare mutations in GCH1 may lead to Dopa-responsive dystonia (DRD). While GCH1 is implicated in genomewide association studies in Parkinson's disease (PD), only a few studies examined the role of rare GCH1 variants in PD, with conflicting results. In the present study, GCH1 and its 5' and 3' untranslated regions were sequenced in 1113 patients with PD and 1111 controls. To examine the association of rare GCH1 variants with PD, burden analysis was performed. Three rare GCH1 variants, which were previously reported to be pathogenic in DRD, were found in five patients with PD and not in controls (sequence Kernel association test, p = 0.024). A common haplotype, tagged by rs841, was associated with a reduced risk for PD (OR = 0.71, 95% CI = 0.61-0.83, p = 1.24 × 10 -4 ), and with increased GCH1 expression in brain regions relevant for PD (www.gtexportal.org). Our results support a role for rare, DRD-related variants, and common GCH1 variants in the pathogenesis of PD., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)