A new study has been first discovered a molecular link between Parkinson’s disease and defects in nerve cell communication. The work, published in Molecular Cell, provides new insights into the mechanisms underlying Parkinson’s disease, which could lead to new therapeutic strategies.

Mutations in parkin gene are responsible for an inherited form of Parkinson’s disease. Although the function of Parkin protein is not well defined, seems to be involved in the degradation of other proteins.

To understand how the mutated Parkin protein cause Parkinson’s, Dr. Fon and his colleagues sought which are mutations in the gene and, specifically, what is the role of the region that is mutated normally.

The protein binds to a protein called endofilina-A, instrumental in the synapses, specifically in the trafficking of synaptic vesicles. These findings show the molecular link between Parkinson-causing recessive genes and defects in synaptic transmission.