Although pesticide exposure is linked to an increased risk of Parkinson's disease, a new study tries to explain why some individuals at high risk develop the disease while others do not.
Researchers at the University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA) found that certain rare gene variants were enriched in patients with more severe Parkinson's disease who were also more exposed to pesticides.
"These variants also appear to be detrimental to protein function, suggesting that disruption of lysosomal activity combined with pesticide exposure may underlie the development of Parkinson's disease," they said in the paper published in the journal NPJ Parkinson's Disease.
For the study, the team used genetic data from nearly 800 California residents suffering from Parkinson's disease, many of whom had long-term exposure to 10 pesticides used on cotton crops for at least a decade before developing the neurological disease. did.
Their genetic makeup examined for rare gene variants associated with lysosome function
'S.This was compared to the high risk of pesticides.
"Although the specific interactions between pesticides and the expression of their genetic variants require further study, the results suggest that in an individual with such variants, long-term exposure to cotton pesticides may lead to changes in the formation of toxic compounds. The ability of cells to break down damaged proteins and organelles.
disease,” said Dr. Brent Fogel, corresponding author and professor of neurology and human genetics at UCLA.
"On a day-to-day basis, these variants are not having much of an impact. Under the right stress, such as exposure to certain pesticides, they can get worse and, over time, lead to the development of Parkinson's disease.This is called gene-environment interaction," Fogel said.
Researchers at the University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA) found that certain rare gene variants were enriched in patients with more severe Parkinson's disease who were also more exposed to pesticides.
"These variants also appear to be detrimental to protein function, suggesting that disruption of lysosomal activity combined with pesticide exposure may underlie the development of Parkinson's disease," they said in the paper published in the journal NPJ Parkinson's Disease.
For the study, the team used genetic data from nearly 800 California residents suffering from Parkinson's disease, many of whom had long-term exposure to 10 pesticides used on cotton crops for at least a decade before developing the neurological disease. did.
Their genetic makeup examined for rare gene variants associated with lysosome function
'S.This was compared to the high risk of pesticides.
"Although the specific interactions between pesticides and the expression of their genetic variants require further study, the results suggest that in an individual with such variants, long-term exposure to cotton pesticides may lead to changes in the formation of toxic compounds. The ability of cells to break down damaged proteins and organelles.
disease,” said Dr. Brent Fogel, corresponding author and professor of neurology and human genetics at UCLA.
"On a day-to-day basis, these variants are not having much of an impact. Under the right stress, such as exposure to certain pesticides, they can get worse and, over time, lead to the development of Parkinson's disease.This is called gene-environment interaction," Fogel said.
