Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinoses and Possible Pathogenic Mechanism

The neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses (NCLs) consist of eight autosomal recessively inherited storage disorders characterized by lysosomal inclusions of autofluorescent lipofuscins and rapid neurodegenerative progression. The NCLs include eight forms that result from genetic deficiency on genes CLN1to CLN8,respectively: four classic forms with clinical onset at varying ages—infantile (INCL), late-infantile (LINCL), juvenile (JNCL), and adult (ANCL)—and four variants of late-infantile onset—the Finnish variant LINCL (fLINCL), Portuguese variant LINCL (pLINCL), Turkish variant LINCL (tLINCL), and progressive epilepsy with mental retardation (EPMR). The genes CLN1and CLN2have been characterized to encode lysosomal hydrolytic enzymes, but CLN3, CLN5,and CLN8encode transmembranous proteins with unknown function. Although clinical and pathological abnormalities have been recognized to be similar in all eight forms, the molecular mechanism explaining NCL pathogenesis remains unclear. In this review, the molecular basis for NCLs and a possible pathogenic mechanism are discussed.