The joint efforts of Italian researchers, among which ISN-CNR researchers and American researchers from National Institute of Aging (NIA), NIH, Bethesda allowed the identification of a new gene ALS-related, Matrin 3 on Chromosome 5. MATR3 is an RNA- and DNA-binding protein that interacts with TDP-43, a disease protein linked to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia. The work is published on Nature Neuroscience. Mutations in the Matrin 3 gene cause familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Johnson JO, Pioro EP, Boehringer A, Chia R, Feit H, Renton AE, Pliner HA, Abramzon Y, Marangi G, Winborn BJ, Gibbs JR, Nalls MA, Morgan S, Shoai M, Hardy J, Pittman A, Orrell RW, Malaspina A, Sidle KC, Fratta P, Harms MB, Baloh RH, Pestronk A, Weihl CC, Rogaeva E, Zinman L, Drory VE, Borghero G, Mora G, Calvo A, Rothstein JD; ITALSGEN Consortium, Drepper C, Sendtner M, Singleton AB, Taylor JP, Cookson MR, Restagno G, Sabatelli M, Bowser R, Chiò A, Traynor BJ. Nat Neurosci. 2014 May;17(5):664-6. doi: 10.1038/nn.3688. Epub 2014 Mar 30.
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