[<sup>11</sup> C]PBB3-PET can capture four-repeat tau pathologies characteristic of N279K mutant frontotemporal dementia and parkinsonism linked to chromosome 17/MAPT.
As a result, 2 novel mutations in MAPT (p.D177V and p.P513A) were identified in a sporadic and familial patient with PNFA respectively, and one known mutation in MAPT (p.N279K) was detected in an FTD-parkinsonism family.
However, exome sequencing identified a missense mutation, N279K, in exon 10 of MAPT gene, verifying that the early parkinsonian symptoms in this family are caused by the genetic mutation for hereditary frontotemporal lobar dementia.
Pallido-ponto-nigral degeneration (PPND), caused by an N279K mutation of the MAPT gene, is 1 of a family of disorders collectively referred to as frontotemporal dementia and parkinsonism linked to chromosome 17.
Recently, we have generated transgenic mice (designated as SJLB) carrying human N279K mutant tau, one of the tau mutations causing parkinsonism linked to chromosome 17 (FTDP-17).
Autonomic function was investigated in five affected and five at-risk members of a single kinship of pallidopontonigral degeneration (PPND), which is a progressive syndrome of parkinsonism and frontotemporal dementia resulting from a mutation in the N279K tau gene on chromosome 17.
The N279K mutation is a causative genetic defect for pallidopontonigral degeneration in an American kindred that presents with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and parkinsonism.