Mutations that predispose an individual to increased risk of Parkinson's disease from pesticides

Study uses patient-derived stem cells to show that a mutation in the alpha-synuclein gene causes increased vulnerability to pesticides, leading to Parkinson's disease.A team of researchers has brought new clarity to the picture of how gene-environmental interactions can kill nerve cells that make dopamine. Dopamine is the neurotransmitter that sends messages to the part of the brain that controls movement and coordination. Their discoveries, described in a paper published online in Cell, include identification of a molecule that protects neurons from pesticide damage.