Question: What are the genetic changes related to lissencephaly with cerebellar hypoplasia ?
Answer: LCH can be caused by mutations in the RELN or TUBA1A gene. The RELN gene provides instructions for making a protein called reelin. In the developing brain, reelin turns on (activates) a signaling pathway that triggers nerve cells (neurons) to migrate to their proper locations. The protein produced from the TUBA1A gene is also involved in neuronal migration as a component of cell structures called microtubules. Microtubules are rigid, hollow fibers that make up the cell's structural framework (the cytoskeleton). Microtubules form scaffolding within the cell that elongates in a specific direction, altering the cytoskeleton and moving neurons. Mutations in either the RELN or TUBA1A gene impair the normal migration of neurons during fetal development. As a result, neurons are disorganized, the normal folds and grooves of the brain do not form, and brain structures do not develop properly. This impairment of brain development leads to the neurological problems characteristic of LCH.
Source: GHR