Mechanisms of DJ-1 neuroprotection in a cellular model of Parkinson's disease

Mitochondrial dysfunction, proteasome inhibition, and α-synuclein aggregation are thought to play important roles in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD). Rare cases of early-onset PD have been linked to mutations in the gene encoding DJ-1, a protein with antioxidant and chaperone functions. In this study, we examined whether DJ-1 protects against various stresses involved in PD, and we investigated the underlying mechanisms. Expression of wild-type DJ-1 rescued primary dopaminergic neurons from toxicity elicited by rotenone, proteasome inhibitors, and mutant α-synuclein. Neurons with reduced levels of endogenous DJ-1 were sensitized to each of these insults, and DJ-1 mutants involved in familial PD exhibited decreased neuroprotective activity. DJ-1 alleviated rotenone toxicity by up-regulating total intracellular glutathione. In contrast, inhibition of α-synuclein toxicity by DJ-1 correlated with up-regulation of the stress-inducible form of Hsp70. RNA interference studies revealed that this increase in Hsp70 levels was necessary for DJ-1-mediated suppression of α-synuclein aggregation, but not toxicity. Our findings suggest that DJ-1 acts as a versatile pro-survival factor in dopaminergic neurons, activating different protective mechanisms in response to a diverse range of PD-related insults.     

Protection by the NDI1 gene against neurodegeneration in a rotenone rat model of Parkinson's disease

It is widely recognized that mitochondrial dysfunction, most notably defects in the NADH-quinone oxidoreductase (complex I), is closely related to the etiology of sporadic Parkinson's disease (PD). In fact, rotenone, a complex I inhibitor, has been used for establishing PD models both in vitro and in vivo. A rat model with chronic rotenone exposure seems to reproduce pathophysiological conditions of PD more closely than acute mouse models as manifested by neuronal cell death in the substantia nigra and Lewy body-like cytosolic aggregations. Using the rotenone rat model, we investigated the protective effects of alternative NADH dehydrogenase (Ndi1) which we previously demonstrated to act as a replacement for complex I both in vitro and in vivo. A single, unilateral injection of recombinant adeno-associated virus carrying the NDI1 gene into the vicinity of the substantia nigra resulted in expression of the Ndi1 protein in the entire substantia nigra of that side. It was clear that the introduction of the Ndi1 protein in the substantia nigra rendered resistance to the deleterious effects caused by rotenone exposure as assessed by the levels of tyrosine hydroxylase and dopamine. The presence of the Ndi1 protein also prevented cell death and oxidative damage to DNA in dopaminergic neurons observed in rotenone-treated rats. Unilateral protection also led to uni-directional rotation of the rotenone-exposed rats in the behavioral test. The present study shows, for the first time, the powerful neuroprotective effect offered by the Ndi1 enzyme in a rotenone rat model of PD.     

Mesenchymal stem cell secretome protects against alpha-synuclein-induced neurodegeneration in a Caenorhabditis elegans model of Parkinson's disease

Background aimsThe capacity of the secretome from bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) to prevent dopaminergic neuron degeneration caused by overexpression of alpha-synuclein (α-syn) was explored using two Caenorhabditis elegans models of Parkinson's disease (PD).MethodsFirst, a more predictive model of PD that overexpresses α-syn in dopamine neurons was subjected to chronic treatment with secretome. This strain displays progressive dopaminergic neurodegeneration that is age-dependent. Following chronic treatment with secretome, the number of intact dopaminergic neurons was determined. Following these initial experiments, a C. elegans strain that overexpresses α-syn in body wall muscle cells was used to determine the impact of hBMSC secretome on α-syn inclusions. Lastly, in silico analysis of the components that constitute the secretome was performed.ResultsThe human BMSC (hBMSC) secretome induced a neuroprotective effect, leading to reduced dopaminergic neurodegeneration. Moreover, in animals submitted to chronic treatment with secretome, the number of α-syn inclusions was reduced, indicating that the secretome of MSCs was possibly contributing to the degradation of those structures. In silico analysis identified possible suppressors of α-syn proteotoxicity, including growth factors and players in the neuronal protein quality control mechanisms.ConclusionsThe present findings indicate that hBMSC secretome has the potential to be used as a disease-modifying strategy in future PD regenerative medicine approaches.     

p53-dependent neuronal cell death in a DJ-1-deficient zebrafish model of Parkinson's disease

Mutations in DJ-1 lead to early onset Parkinson's disease (PD). The aim of this study was to elucidate further the underlying mechanisms leading to neuronal cell death in DJ-1 deficiency in vivo and determine whether the observed cell loss could be prevented pharmacologically. Inactivation of DJ-1 in zebrafish, Danio rerio, resulted in loss of dopaminergic neurons after exposure to hydrogen peroxide and the proteasome inhibitor MG132. DJ-1 knockdown by itself already resulted in increased p53 and Bax expression levels prior to toxin exposure without marked neuronal cell death, suggesting subthreshold activation of cell death pathways in DJ-1 deficiency. Proteasome inhibition led to a further increase of p53 and Bax expression with widespread neuronal cell death. Pharmacological p53 inhibition either before or during MG132 exposure in vivo prevented dopaminergic neuronal cell death in both cases. Simultaneous knockdown of DJ-1 and the negative p53 regulator mdm2 led to dopaminergic neuronal cell death even without toxin exposure, further implicating involvement of p53 in DJ-1 deficiency-mediated neuronal cell loss. Our study demonstrates the utility of zebrafish as a new animal model to study PD gene defects and suggests that modulation of downstream mechanisms, such as p53 inhibition, may be of therapeutic benefit.     

Structural effects of Parkinson's disease linked DJ-1 mutations

Mutations in the protein DJ-1 are associated with familial forms of Parkinson's disease, indicating that DJ-1 may be involved in pathways related to the etiology of this disorder. Here we have used solution state NMR and circular dichroism spectroscopies to evaluate the extent of structural perturbations associated with five different Parkinson's disease linked DJ-1mutations: L166P, E64D, M26I, A104T, and D149A. Comparison of the data with those obtained for the wild-type protein shows that the L166P mutation leads to severe and global destabilization and unfolding of the protein structure, while the structure of the E64D mutation, as expected, is nearly unperturbed. Interestingly, the remaining three mutants all show different degrees of structural perturbation, which are accompanied by a reduction in the thermodynamic stability of the protein. The observed structural and thermodynamic differences are likely to underlie any functional variations between these mutants and the wild type, which in turn are likely responsible for the pathogenicity of these mutations.     

Pink1, Parkin, DJ-1 and mitochondrial dysfunction in Parkinson's disease

Mutations in PARKIN, PTEN-induced kinase 1 (PINK1) and DJ-1 are found in autosomal recessive forms and some sporadic cases of Parkinson's disease. Recent work on these genes underscores the central importance of mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress in Parkinson's disease. In particular, pink1 and parkin loss-of-function mutants in Drosophila show similar phenotypes, and pink1 acts upstream of parkin in a common genetic pathway to regulate mitochondrial function. DJ-1 has a role in oxidative stress protection, but a direct role of DJ-1 in mitochondrial function has not been fully established. Importantly, defects in mitochondrial function have also been identified in patients who carry both PINK1 and PARKIN mutations, and in those who have sporadic Parkinson's disease. Future studies of the biochemical interactions between Pink1 and Parkin, and identification of other components in this pathway, are likely to provide insight into Parkinson's disease pathogenesis, and might identify new therapeutic targets.     

Neuroprotective effect of osmotin against ethanol-induced apoptotic neurodegeneration in the developing rat brain

Fetal alcohol syndrome is a neurological and developmental disorder caused by exposure of developing brain to ethanol. Administration of osmotin to rat pups reduced ethanol-induced apoptosis in cortical and hippocampal neurons. Osmotin, a plant protein, mitigated the ethanol-induced increases in cytochrome c, cleaved caspase-3, and PARP-1. Osmotin and ethanol reduced ethanol neurotoxicity both in vivo and in vitro by reducing the protein levels of cleaved caspase-3, intracellular [Ca²⁺]_cyt, and mitochondrial transmembrane potential collapse, and also upregulated antiapoptotic Bcl-2 protein. Osmotin is a homolog of adiponectin, and it controls energy metabolism via phosphorylation. Adiponectin can protect hippocampal neurons against ethanol-induced apoptosis. Abrogation of signaling via receptors AdipoR1 or AdipoR2, by transfection with siRNAs, reduced the ability of osmotin and adiponectin to protect neurons against ethanol-induced neurodegeneration. Metformin, an activator of AMPK (adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase), increased whereas Compound C, an inhibitor of AMPK pathway, reduced the ability of osmotin and adiponectin to protect against ethanol-induced apoptosis. Osmotin exerted its neuroprotection via Bcl-2 family proteins and activation of AMPK signaling pathway. Modulation of AMPK pathways by osmotin, adiponectin, and metformin hold promise as a preventive therapy for fetal alcohol syndrome.     

Neuroprotective effects of ginkgetin against neuroinjury in Parkinson's disease model induced by MPTP via chelating iron

Abstract

Disruption of neuronal iron homeostasis and oxidative stress are closely related to the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD). Ginkgetin, a natural biflavonoid isolated from leaves of Ginkgo biloba L, has many known effects, including anti-inflammatory, anti-influenza virus, and anti-fungal activities, but its underlying mechanism of the neuroprotective effects in PD remains unclear. The present study utilized PD models induced by 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP⁺) and 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1, 2, 3, 6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) to explore the neuroprotective ability of ginkgetin in vivo and in vitro. Our results showed that ginkgetin could provide significant protection from MPP⁺-induced cell damage in vitro by decreasing the levels of intracellular reactive oxygen species and maintaining mitochondrial membrane potential. Meanwhile, ginkgetin dramatically inhibited cell apoptosis induced by MPP+ through the caspase-3 and Bcl2/Bax pathway. Moreover, ginkgetin significantly improved sensorimotor coordination in a mouse PD model induced by MPTP by dramatically inhibiting the decrease of tyrosine hydroxylase expression in the substantia nigra and superoxide dismutase activity in the striatum. Interestingly, ginkgetin could strongly chelate ferrous ion and thereby inhibit the increase of the intracellular labile iron pool through downregulating L-ferritin and upregulating transferrin receptor 1. These results indicate that the neuroprotective mechanism of ginkgetin against neurological injury induced by MPTP occurs via regulating iron homeostasis. Therefore, ginkgetin may provide neuroprotective therapy for PD and iron metabolism disorder related diseases.     

Zonisamide reduces nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurodegeneration in a mouse genetic model of Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a chronic neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the loss of nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons and consequent motor dysfunction. Zonisamide (1,2‐benzisoxazole‐3‐methanesulfonamide), which was originally developed as an antiepileptic drug, has been found to have therapeutic benefits for PD. However, the pharmacological mechanisms behind the beneficial actions of zonisamide in PD are not fully understood. Here, we investigated the neuroprotective effects of zonisamide on nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons of the Engrailed mutant mouse, a genetic model of PD. Chronic administration of zonisamide in Engrailed mutant mice was shown to improve the survival of nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons compared with that under saline treatment. In addition, dopaminergic terminals in the striatum and the motor function were improved in zonisamide‐treated Engrailed mutant mice to the levels of those in control mice. To clarify the mechanism behind the neuroprotective effects of zonisamide, the contents of neurotrophic factors were determined after chronic administration of zonisamide. Brain‐derived neurotrophic factor content was increased in the striatum and ventral midbrain of the zonisamide‐treated mice compared to saline‐treated mice. These findings imply that zonisamide reduces nigrostriatal dopaminergic cell death through brain‐derived neurotrophic factor signaling and may have similar beneficial effects in human parkinsonian patients as well.

     

Neuroprotective activities of palmitoylethanolamide in an animal model of Parkinson's disease

The biochemical and cellular changes that occur following treatment with 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahyropyridine (MPTP) are remarkably similar to that seen in idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD). PD is characterized by the degeneration of dopaminergic nigrostriatal neurons, which results in disabling motor disturbances. Activation of glial cells and the consequent neuroinflammatory response is increasingly recognized as a prominent neuropathological feature of PD. There is currently no effective disease-modifying therapy. Targeting the signaling pathways in glial cells responsible for neuroinflammation represents a promising new therapeutic approach designed to preserve remaining neurons in PD. Chronic treatment with palmitoylethanolamide (PEA, 10 mg/kg, i.p.), initiated 24 hr after MPTP injection (20 mg/kg), protected against MPTP-induced loss of tyrosine hydroxylase positive neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta. Treatment with PEA reduced MPTP-induced microglial activation, the number of GFAP-positive astrocytes and S100β overexpression, and protected against the alterations of microtubule-associated protein 2a,b-, dopamine transporter-, nNOS- positive cells in the substantia nigra. Furthermore, chronic PEA reversed MPTP-associated motor deficits, as revealed by the analysis of forepaw step width and percentage of faults. Genetic ablation of peroxisome proliferator activated receptor (PPAR)-α in PPAR-αKO mice exacerbated MPTP systemic toxicity, while PEA-induced neuroprotection seemed be partially PPARα-dependent. The effects of PEA on molecules typically involved in apoptotic pathways were also analyzed. Our results indicate that PEA protects against MPTP-induced neurotoxicity and the ensuing functional deficits even when administered once the insult has been initiated.     

ROS removal by DJ-1: Arabidopsis as a new model to understand Parkinson disease

Reactive oxygen species represent one of the principal factors that cause cell death and scavenging of reactive oxygen species by superoxide dismutase-related pathway is essential for cell survival. The Parkinson disease-related DJ-1 protein (also known as PARK7) has been implicated in resistance against oxidative stress in dopaminergic neurons however, its molecular mechanism has to date been unknown. We have used Arabidopsis thaliana as a model system to demonstrate that DJ-1, in both plant and mammalian cells, directly influence SOD activity in a highly conserved manner thereby preventing cell death. These data not only provides evidence for the molecular mechanisms associated with DJ-1-induced Parkinson disease but also highlight the unprecedented value of plants as a tool in understanding human disease mechanisms.Key words: DJ-1, stress, cell death, Parkinson disease, ArabidopsisReactive oxygen species (ROS) are involved in a myriad of fundamental biological processes including cell signaling and cellular defense pathways in plants and animals.^1–3 Despite its role as a signaling molecule, inappropriate and elevated levels of ROS have a major impact on the etiology of neurodegenerative diseases, such as for example Parkinson disease (PD), and in oxidative stress responses in plants. In general ROS can cause damage to DNA, lipids, proteins and various cofactors. During normal physiological conditions, when ROS are continuously generated, antioxidant defense systems are adequately equipped to prevent ROS-induced tissue dysfunction.^4,5 However upon elevated ROS generation the cellular antioxidant systems either recruit additional factors to minimize ROS-induced damage or cells suffer the consequences of cell death. Because of this dichotomy, where ROS plays a vital role during growth and development but can also have overwhelming damaging effects, it is clear that strict regulatory mechanisms need to be in place to effectively control ROS levels. In both plant and mammalian cells elevated ROS levels lead to cell death and in various human disease such as PD, Alzheimer disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and Huntington disease proteins involved in stress-related pathways are often mutated.⁶In both plants and mammals mitochondria act as an important source of ROS however, plants also produce ROS in chloroplasts as part of photosynthetic activity. Combined with the fact that plants are sessile organisms it suggests that, although similar in nature, plants most probably have more complex antioxidant systems than other organisms.Strategies for removing excess ROS are similar in plants and humans. The principle ROS removal pathway involves superoxide dismutases (SOD) (or copper/zinc superoxide dismutase-CSD in plants), glutathione peroxidases (GPX) and catalases (CAT) localized in the cytosol, mitochondria and chloroplasts (Fig. 1). SOD converts superoxide anion to H₂O₂, which is then detoxified to H₂O by GPX and CAT. In Arabidopsis, besides SOD, GPX and CAT, there are five ascorbate peroxidases (APX) located in the cytosol and chloroplasts, involved in scavenging ROS generated during photosynthesis.^7,8 Therefore, SOD, GPX, CAT and APX, together with other auxiliary proteins, form the main line of defense against ROS.Open in a separate windowFigure 1Involvement of DJ-1-like proteins in ROS scavenging pathways. Produced O₂^- is converted to H₂O₂ by SOD in human or CSD (Arabidopsis SOD) in Arabidopsis. H₂O₂ is then converted to H₂O by GPX or CAT (catalase) in human or APX, GPX or CAT in Arabidopsis. DJ-1-like proteins interact with SOD or GPX in humans and CSD, GPX and APX in Arabidopsis. It is assumed here that DJ-1-like proteins may also interact with catalases (broken arrows).DJ-1 was originally identified as an oncogene and represents a ubiquitous redox-responsive cytoprotective protein with diverse functions where one of its main roles have been attributed to oxidative stress protection.⁹ Numerous studies have shown that several DJ-1 mutations in humans cause autosomal recessive, early onset PD however, its mode of action has been elusive in terms of having a direct influence on neuronal cell death.¹⁰ In an attempt to clarify the mechanism of DJ-1 we established Arabidopsis thaliana as a new and novel model system.¹¹ The Arabidopsis genome contains three DJ-1 homologs compared to the single DJ-1 locus found in humans and we showed that two of these (AtDJ-1b and AtDJ-1c) localizes to chloroplasts whilst one, AtDJ-1a, localizes to the cytosol and nucleus as observed for human DJ-1.¹¹ As mutated DJ-1 in mammals leads to cell death we identified and characterized a DJ-1 loss-of-function mutant which showed increased cell death in aging plants. Using Bimolecular Fluorescence Complementation (BiFC) and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) assays we showed that AtDJ-1a interacts with CSD1, the cytosolic SOD in Arabidopsis, and with human SOD1 in plant cells. Further we demonstrated that the human DJ-1 protein interacts with SOD1 in mammalian CHO cells.¹¹ Similar approaches were also employed to show that AtDJ-1a and human DJ-1 had an interaction with GPX2 in plant and mammalian cells.¹¹Enzyme assays revealed that AtDJ-1a and DJ-1 stimulated SOD/CSD1 activity and that only the copper-loaded forms of AtDJ-1a and DJ-1 had this effect suggesting that AtDJ-1a/DJ-1 may provide copper for SOD/CSD1.¹¹ Although the observed SOD activation provides clues towards the role of DJ-1 in detoxification of ROS, SOD only converts superoxide anion to H₂O₂ which must further be detoxified to H₂O by GPX and CAT. Although we showed that AtDJ-1a and human DJ-1 can interact with AtGPX2 and GPX2, respectively, we observed no changes in GPX2 activity upon DJ-1 interaction. The reason for this may be several-fold. First, cellular GPX2 activity levels may be sufficient to convert SOD-generated H₂O₂ to H₂O. Second, DJ-1 may indeed have no effect on GPX2 activity but simply act as an anchor to dock GPX2 in the vicinity of SOD. To test whether the DJ-1/SOD/GPX2 complex recruits other auxiliary proteins we have also shown that AtDJ-1a interacts with the Arabidopsis cytosolic APX1 protein (Fig. 2, unpublished data). It is also highly possible that DJ-1 interacts with catalase or at least influences its activity (Fig. 1). Although we have no data to date indicating a functional significance of the DJ-1/APX1 interaction we speculate that DJ-1 indeed acts as a scaffold protein bringing together SOD, GPX and possibly APX1 to mediate and control ROS scavenging, ultimately preventing oxidative stress-induced cell death (Fig. 3).Open in a separate windowFigure 2Interaction of AtDJ-1a with APX1. AtDJ-1a tagged with the N-terminal region of GFP and APX1 tagged with the C-terminal region of GFP gene were co-transformed into tobacco cells. The observed GFP signal in (B) demonstrates an AtDJ-1a/APX1 interaction through reconstitution of functional GFP molecules. (A) Negative control.Open in a separate windowFigure 3Working model of AtDJ-1a and DJ-1 mode of action. AtDJ-1a and DJ-1 interacts with SOD and GPX2 leading to SOD activation in a copper-dependent fashion. It is proposed that AtDJ-1a and DJ-1 delivers copper to SOD enhancing its activity whilst GPX2 is anchored by AtDJ-1 and DJ-1 to the protein complex to ensure conversion of the SOD-generated H₂O₂ to H₂O.The fact that Arabidopsis has three DJ-1 homologs where two of these, AtDJ-1b and AtDJ-1c, are localized to chloroplasts¹¹ underlines the protective role of DJ-1-like proteins during oxidative stress in plants. From our localization studies it appears that AtDJ-1b is localized to the chloroplast stroma whilst AtDJ-1c is localized to both the stroma and the thylakoid membranes (unpublished data). Whether AtDJ-1b and AtDJ-1c act in isolation or in concert and how these two proteins are involved in photosynthesis-induced ROS regulation is unclear but represent exciting future challenges.The notion that plants can be used as tools to increase our understanding of human disease mechanisms is somewhat obscure to the general scientific community. The fact remains that many discoveries with direct relevance to human health and disease have been elaborated using Arabidopsis, and several processes important to human biology are more easily studied in this versatile model plant.¹² The use of Arabidopsis to understand human disease states has several advantages: (1) Arabidopsis represents a well established model organism with a fully annotated genome, (2) The Arabidopsis genome contains homologs of numerous genes involved in human disease, (3) The identification and generation of Arabidopsis mutants is simple and requires little effort, (4) Arabidopsis growth and maintenance requires little infrastructure and running costs and (5) Arabidopsis research has few ethical constraints.Despite the advantages of Arabidopsis as a model system for elucidating human disease mechanisms it is important to appreciate that Arabidopsis and plant research in general can only reach its full potential in the field of medical research if combined with complementary, and perhaps more conventional, model systems.     

Role of nitric oxide in a progressive neurodegeneration model of Parkinson's disease in the rat

Abstract

This study was undertaken to investigate the nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity in the striatum following 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) induced neurodegeneration in rats. Constitutive NOS (cNOS) activity remained unaltered at 3, 7 and 14 days after lesion, while a 43% and 45% decrease was observed at 30 and 50 days, respectively. Inducible NOS (iNOS) activity was detected only on the 3rd day after lesion and not in subsequent days or the control striatum. N^G-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) pretreatment blocked the amphetamine-induced rotations and inhibited the iNOS activity at the 3rd day after the 6-OHDA injection. L-NAME pretreatment also significantly restored the striatal dopamine (DA), dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) and homovanillic acid (HVA) levels in 6-OHDA treated rats. Thus a possible role of nitric oxide in 6-OHDA induced neurodegeneration is suggested.     

Increased level of DJ-1 in the cerebrospinal fluids of sporadic Parkinson's disease

DJ-1 is an antioxidant protein whose loss of function by gene mutations has been linked to familial Parkinson's disease (PD). The main objective of the present study was to determine if this molecule was also involved in the pathogenesis of sporadic PD. For this purpose, quantitative immunoblot assays were performed to evaluate DJ-1 in cerebrospinal fluids (CSF) collected from sporadic PD patients (n=40) and non-PD controls (n=38). The results showed that the CSF DJ-1 levels in PD were significantly higher than those in non-PD controls. Especially, upregulation of CSF DJ-1 in the early stage of PD (Yahr I-II) were distinct compared to those in the advanced stage of PD (Yahr III-IV) and non-PD controls (p<0.001 by ANOVA with post hoc Bonferroni's test), suggesting a protective role of DJ-1 against oxidative stress during the early stage. Thus, we propose that CSF DJ-1 could be a possible biomarker for early sporadic PD.