Mutant NURR1 gene in Parkinson's disease

A method of diagnosing Parkinson's disease in an individual comprising the steps of:

• obtaining a sample from said individual;
• and
• assaying said sample for a decrease in NURR1 level, wherein said decrease indicates said individual has said Parkinson's disease.

A method of identifying an individual at risk for Parkinson's disease comprising the steps of:

• obtaining a sample from said individual;
• and
• assaying said sample for a decrease in NURR1 level, wherein said decrease indicates said individual is at risk for said Parkinson's disease.

A method of identifying an upregulator of NURR1 polynucleotide expression, comprising the steps of:

• providing a test compound to a transgenic animal, wherein said transgenic animal comprises a reporter nucleic acid sequence operably regulated by a NURR1 promoter;
• comparing the level of the reporter nucleic acid sequence expression in said animal in the absence and presence of the test compound, wherein an increase in said level following administration of said test compound indicates said test compound is an upregulator.

A method of treating Parkinson's disease in an organism, comprising the step of administering to the organism a therapeutically effective amount of a NURR1 polypeptide.

A kit for diagnosing Parkinson's disease in an animal comprising a primer for assaying a NURR1 polynucleotide.

An isolated NURR1 polynucleotide comprising a −291T-del.

An isolated NURR1 polynucleotide comprising a −245T-G-sub.

An isolated NURR1 polynucleotide comprising a 7048G7049 polymorphism.

A transgenic animal comprising a mutant NURR1 polynucleotide, said animal exhibiting at least one symptom associated with Parkinson's disease.