Without DJ-1, the D2 Receptor Doesn’t Play

Dopamine is an essential neuromodulator of the central nervous system whose activity is mediated through interaction with membrane receptors. Among these, the D2 receptor plays a pivotal role in regulating postsynaptic functions as well as dopamine synthesis and release from dopaminergic neurons. Parkinson's disease and parkinsonism are neurodegenerative diseases of dopaminergic neurons affecting the human brain. These diseases are clinically defined by a decrease in dopamine levels that manifest as motor impairements. In this issue of Neuron, Goldberg et al. report of an exciting link between the loss of function of DJ-1, a protein associated with familial parkinsonism, and D2 receptor activity.