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Determinants of dopaminergic neuron loss in Parkinson's disease
Author(s) -
Surmeier Dalton James
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
the febs journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.981
H-Index - 204
eISSN - 1742-4658
pISSN - 1742-464X
DOI - 10.1111/febs.14607
Subject(s) - pars compacta , substantia nigra , dopaminergic , neuroscience , parkinson's disease , disease , alpha synuclein , dopamine , pathogenesis , medicine , pathology , biology
The cardinal motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease ( PD ) are caused by the death of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta ( SN c). Alpha‐synuclein ( aSYN ) pathology and mitochondrial dysfunction have been implicated in PD pathogenesis, but until recently it was unclear why SN c dopaminergic neurons should be particularly vulnerable to these two types of insult. In this brief review, the evidence that SN c dopaminergic neurons have an anatomical, physiological, and biochemical phenotype that predisposes them to mitochondrial dysfunction and synuclein pathology is summarized. The recognition that certain traits may predispose neurons to PD ‐linked pathology creates translational opportunities for slowing or stopping disease progression.