Unit 7: Enzymes Case Study

Name: _______________________________________ Date: _____________

You can pick either Alzheimer's Disease or Lou Gheric's Disease for you case study. You may use the
provided articles for your first source, but you are responsible for finding the other TWO sources.

Come up with a study question and make sure your summary uses your research findings to answer your
research question:

HOW IS LOU GHERICS DISEASE LINKED TO ENZYMES?

Cited Sources, Data & Findings (at LEAST three bullets of information per
source in the box):

(Author, Title of Article, Website for each)

1. Article/ Lou Gehrigs disease.

Gehrigs disease is a disorder that attacks the nerves and

muscles.
Also known as Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
Affect the nerve cells that control the muscles we move
voluntarily.
Cause the motor neuron to weaken and waste away.
2. http://www.alzforum.org/news/research-news/sods-contribution-lou-gehrigs-
disease-unfolding

Mutations in the enzyme Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD)

have been linked to about 20 percent of familial cases of
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
Approximately 1 to 2 percent of all cases of ALS involve this
particular gene mutation.
Increased oxidative damage and disruption of axonal
transport.
3. http://www.alsa.org/research/focus-areas/genetics/sod1.html?
referrer=https://www.google.com/

Mutations must cause SOD1 to gain a toxic property.

SOD1 helps to keep cells safe from metabolic waste.
SOD1 converts reactive oxygen to harmless water.
Majority of these mutations change the amino acid sequence of
the SOD1 protein at a single position.

Summarize the information you found:

 - Include data/findings from all sources
- Complete sentences, paragraph format
- Must be at LEAST 8-10 sentences

Lou Gehrigs disease also called amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive
and usually fatal disorder that attacks the nerves and muscles. This disease affect
only motor neurons, it affect the nerve cells that control the muscles we move
voluntarily, these neurons gradually degenerate and cause the muscles under their
control to weaken and waste away. The genetic change alters an abundant
enzyme within cells called copper-zinc superoxide dismutase Cu-Zn
superoxide dismutase, now called commonly SOD1.This enzyme serves to
keep cells safe from metabolic waste that can do damage if not rendered
harmless. SOD1 converts reactive oxygen to harmless water. A copper ion
held within the enzyme carries out this chemical change. A zinc atom is also
important to the enzymes function. There are a number of theories of how SOD
mutations could lead to the death of motor neurons, including increased oxidative
and disruption of axonal transport, this lead to the development of ALS Mutations in
the gene for the enzymes superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) or copper zinc superoxide
dismutase have been found in approximately 15-20 percent of the familial cases of
ALS. Early studies of mutant SOD1 provided evidence that disease is not
caused by loss of this enzymes activity. Mice engineered to completely lack
SOD1 do not develop ALS. It is now widely accepted that the mutations must
cause SOD1 to gain a toxic property. Several reasons for the toxicity are
proposed, but none are proven.