Moreover, certain structural modifications or increased expression of this protein have been associated with the development of early onset forms of PD4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, whereas polymorphisms in the encoding locus, SNCA, have been found to affect the risk of the development of PD and certain other synucleinopathies10, 11, 12, 13, 14. The gene discussed is SNCA; the disease is Parkinson disease.