To summarize (Fig. 7I), the current study proposes that (i) different neurotoxins could potentially activate distinct downstream mechanisms, implicating that degenerative changes among neurodegenerative diseases may not be common (ii) the inter-relationship between apoptosis and autophagy could be one of the important regulatory mechanisms in 3-NPA neurotoxicity (iii) Autophagy in the 3-NPA model entails mTORC2 (iv) growth factors such as BDNF could promote ongoing autophagic process. The gene discussed is BDNF; the disease is neurodegenerative disease.