Studies in yeast are providing critical insights into the mechanisms of neurodegeneration in Parkinson's disease (PD). A recent study shows that disruption of vesicular trafficking between the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and the Golgi, caused by the overexpression and/or aggregation of alpha-synuclein, is linked to degeneration of dopamine neurons. Overexpression of proteins that are known to enhance ER-to-Golgi transport rescue defective trafficking in yeast, worm, fly, and cellular models of PD.
Bernard Schneider, Roman Chrast, Catherine Maclachlan, Nathalie Marie Géraldine Bernard, Cylia Cloé Rochat, Omar El Mansour, Manisha Juneja