Functional Characterization of Neurodegenerative Disease Genes via Gene Ontology Enrichment Analysis

Neurodegenerative disorders remain the leading cause of disability and illness worldwide; however a true cure that targets the progression and onset of these diseases has not yet been developed. I hypothesized that multiple genes frequently associated with Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and dementia would share enrichment through overlapping biological processes and cellular components, despite having diverged molecular functions indicating shared neurodegenerative mechanisms with disease-specific effectors. I can report that many of the commonly associated genes with these disorders have similar roles in biological processes but are far more specialized in their individual molecular function, with little commonality in terms of cellular components. This holds promise to the future of research in this area, suggesting that broader research should target the processes they are responsible for, whereas disease specific research should focus on the functions they impact on a molecular level.