DJ‐1 mutations and parkinsonism‐dementia‐amyotrophic lateral sclerosis complex

DJ‐1 gene mutations have been found to cause early‐onset Parkinson's disease. We report a family from southern Italy with three brothers affected by early‐onset parkinsonism, dementia, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Molecular analysis of the DJ‐1 gene in two living patients showed a novel homozygous mutation in exon 7 (E163K) and a new homozygous mutation (g.168_185dup) in the promoter region of the gene. Both mutations cosegregated with the disease and were detected in a heterozygous state in the patients' mother and their healthy siblings. Our findings expand the spectrum of clinical presentations associated with mutations in DJ‐1 gene. Ann Neurol 2005;58:803–807