SLC6A3 and Parkinson disease: VMAT2 overexpression protects neurons from MPTP (1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine)-induced Parkinson's disease-related neurodegeneration, whereas overexpression of dopamine transporter (DAT) leads to spontaneous loss of midbrain dopamine neurons and sensitive to MPTP-induced neurotoxicity (Lohr et al, 2014; Lohr et al, 2016; Masoud et al, 2015).