In Brief
Potential Accomplices in Parkinson's Disease Discovered
Parkinson's disease causes the dopamine producing nerve cells in the brain to deteriorate. This results in the characteristic symptoms of the disease. Scientists at the German Cancer Research Centre discovered that in Parkinson's patients precisely these nerve cells contain defective nucleoli. Nucleoli are tiny structures inside the nucleus, which are necessary for the vitally important protein synthesis. In mice, the DKFZ researchers showed that damage on the nucleoli causes symptoms similar to Parkinson's and therefore could be the cause of the disease.
"Apparently, defective nucleoli provoke oxidative stress within the cell. This can cause massive cell damage and constitute an important prerequisite for the nerve damage typical of Parkinson's", says Dr Rosanna Parlato. "Precisely the dopamine producing nerve cells are particularly sensitive as regards oxidative stress." However, the researchers do not know for sure whether the damaged nucleoli are indeed the sole cause for neurodegeneration. "But in any case the nucleolus functions as a stress sensor, enabling us to recognise an endangered cell."
