Post-translational Modifications in Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a complex neurodegenerative disorder characterised by progressive degeneration of the dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra leading to severe motor complications. The etiology of the disease is unknown with its sporadic form accounting for 90% of cases. To date, over 20 genes have been identified as the cause of the inherited form of PD, many of them linked to the protein alpha-synuclein and mitochondrial function. Post-translational modifications of proteins allow cells to dynamically control signalling networks and diversify protein functions. This chapter will discuss briefly the main types of post-translational modifications, how to study them and how they affect proteins involved in PD.