The rotenone model of Parkinson's disease: genes, environment and mitochondria

Abstract

Parkinson's disease (PD) is occasionally caused by single gene mutations or by single toxic exposures, but most cases of PD are probably caused by some combination of genetic susceptibility and environmental exposure. Using rotenone as a prototype for an environmental toxicant, we argue here that genetic and environmental causes of PD converge on common pathogenic mechanisms. If so, protective strategies devised for one type of PD may be broadly useful for other forms of the disease.