An increased incidence of diabetes mellitus due to abnormal insulin secretion in the pancreas has been noted in people with Friedreich's ataxia. Scoliosis is also found in some people with this disorder. It is thought to be a result of poor posture and lack of coordination. After many years of research, the gene responsible for Friedreich's ataxia was found on chromosome 9. This gene is known as X25.
Genes are segments of DNA that contain information necessary to make proteins.
Proteins are molecules that determine how we are made, what we look like and how we will function. Friedreich's ataxia occurs because of a suppression of this protein, Frataxin. This suppression results in a deficiency of Frataxin in the tissues and cells. An explanation of why this happens is described below. These coding sequences are called exons.