Many human neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease are caused by the death of specific populations of nerve cells. Using a strain of mutant mouse known aslurcher-- which has a peculiar gait caused by the loss of neurons in a brain structure that is important for motor coordination -- a new study has shown that cell death is due to a mutation in the δ2 subunit of the glutamate receptor.
