PARK7/DJ1 is a ubiquitously expressed protein involved in various cellular processes including cell proliferation, RNA-binding, and oxidative stress. The protein has been found to colocalize within a subset of pathologic tau inclusions in a diverse group of neurodegenerative disorders known as tauopathies. Defects in PARK7/DJ1 are the cause of autosomal recessive early-onset Parkinson's disease 7 (PARK7). Parkinson's disease (PD) is a complex, multifactorial disorder that typically manifests after the age of 50 years. The disease is characterized by bradykinesia, resting tremor, muscular rigidity and postural instability. The pathology involves the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra and the presence of Lewy bodies (intraneuronal accumulations of aggregated proteins), in surviving neurons in various areas of the brain. PARK7 is characterized by onset before 40 years and slow progression. It has also been suggested that PARK7/DJ1 is a mitogen dependent oncogene product involved in Ras related signal transduction pathways.
