Melatonin as a Neuroprotective Agent in the Rodent Models of Parkinson’s Disease: Is it All Set to Irrefutable Clinical Translation?

Parkinson’s disease (PD), a neurodegenerative disorder, is characterized by the selective degeneration of the nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons, continuing or permanent deficiency of dopamine, accretion of an abnormal form of alpha synuclein in the adjacent neurons, and dysregulation of ubiquitin proteasomal system, mitochondrial metabolism, permeability and integrity, and cellular apoptosis resulting in rigidity, bradykinesia, resting tremor, and postural instability. Melatonin, an indoleamine produced almost in all the organisms, has anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, and anti-oxidant nature. Experimental studies employing 1-methyl 4-phenyl 1, 2, 3, 6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP), 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA), methamphetamine, rotenone, and maneb and paraquat models have shown an enormous potential of melatonin in amelioration of the symptomatic features of PD. Although a few reviews published previously have described the multifaceted efficacy of melatonin against MPTP and 6-OHDA rodent models, due to development and validation of the newer models as well as the extensive studies on the usage of melatonin in entrenched PD models, it is worthwhile to bring up to date note on the usage of melatonin as a neuroprotective agent in PD. This article presents an update on the usage and applications of melatonin in PD models along with incongruous observations. The impending implications in the clinics, success, limitations, and future prospective have also been discussed in this article.     

Characterization of a 65 kDa NIF in the nuclear matrix of the monocot Allium cepa that interacts with nuclear spectrin‐like proteins

Plant cells have a well organized nucleus and nuclear matrix, but lack orthologues of the main structural components of the metazoan nuclear matrix. Although data is limited, most plant nuclear structural proteins are coiled‐coil proteins, such as the NIFs (nuclear intermediate filaments) in Pisum sativum that cross‐react with anti‐intermediate filament and anti‐lamin antibodies, form filaments 6–12 nm in diameter in vitro, and may play the role of lamins. We have investigated the conservation and features of NIFs in a monocot species, Allium cepa, and compared them with onion lamin‐like proteins. Polyclonal antisera against the pea 65 kDa NIF were used in 1D and 2D Western blots, ICM (imunofluorescence confocal microscopy) and IEM (immunoelectron microscopy). Their presence in the nuclear matrix was analysed by differential extraction of nuclei, and their association with structural spectrin‐like proteins by co‐immunoprecipitation and co‐localization in ICM. NIF is a conserved structural component of the nucleus and its matrix in monocots with M_r and pI values similar to those of pea 65 kDa NIF, which localized to the nuclear envelope, perichromatin domains and foci, and to the nuclear matrix, interacting directly with structural nuclear spectrin‐like proteins. Its similarities with some of the proteins described as onion lamin‐like proteins suggest that they are highly related or perhaps the same proteins.     

Identification of two major loci that suppress hearing loss and cochlear dysmorphogenesis in Eya1bor/bor mice

The Eya1(bor) mutant hypomorph contains an intracisternal A particle insertion in intron 7 of the Eya1 gene that results in a 50% reduction in wild-type mRNA levels. The homozygous mutants have middle and inner ear defects and variable kidney abnormalities. The severity of the disorder is affected by genetic background. In contrast to complete deafness and cochlear agenesis in the C3HeB/FeJ strain, F2 Eya1(bor/bor) mutants from an intercross between C3HeB/FeJ-Eya1(bor/+) and C57BL/6J showed variable auditory brain-stem responses and cochlear coiling. In this study, using these F2 Eya1(bor/bor) mutants, we have identified two major loci, Mead1 (modifier of Eya1-associated deafness 1) and Mead2, that are responsible for suppression of the original phenotypes. We have narrowed these two loci to 5.4 and 4.4 cM, respectively, in congenic lines. Quantitative PCR demonstrated that this modifying effect did not result from an increase in wild-type Eya1 mRNA, suggesting Mead1 and Mead2 are interacting directly or indirectly with Eya1 during inner ear development.     

Myosin Vb Mediated Plasma Membrane Homeostasis Regulates Peridermal Cell Size and Maintains Tissue Homeostasis in the Zebrafish Epidermis

The epidermis is a stratified epithelium, which forms a barrier to maintain the internal milieu in metazoans. Being the outermost tissue, growth of the epidermis has to be strictly coordinated with the growth of the embryo. The key parameters that determine tissue growth are cell number and cell size. So far, it has remained unclear how the size of epidermal cells is maintained and whether it contributes towards epidermal homeostasis. We have used genetic analysis in combination with cellular imaging to show that zebrafish goosepimples/myosin Vb regulates plasma membrane homeostasis and is involved in maintenance of cell size in the periderm, the outermost epidermal layer. The decrease in peridermal cell size in Myosin Vb deficient embryos is compensated by an increase in cell number whereas decrease in cell number results in the expansion of peridermal cells, which requires myosin Vb (myoVb) function. Inhibition of cell proliferation as well as cell size expansion results in increased lethality in larval stages suggesting that this two-way compensatory mechanism is essential for growing larvae. Our analyses unravel the importance of Myosin Vb dependent cell size regulation in epidermal homeostasis and demonstrate that the epidermis has the ability to maintain a dynamic balance between cell size and cell number.     

The hTH-GFP Reporter Rat Model for the Study of Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson disease (PD) is the second leading neurodegenerative disease in the US. As there is no known cause or cure for PD, researchers continue to investigate disease mechanisms and potential new therapies in cell culture and in animal models of PD. In PD, one of the most profoundly affected neuronal populations is the tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-expressing dopaminergic (DA) neurons of the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc). These DA-producing neurons undergo degeneration while neighboring DA-producing cells of the ventral tegmental area (VTA) are largely spared. To aid in these studies, The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) partnered with Thomas Jefferson University and Taconic Inc. to generate new transgenic rat lines carrying the human TH gene promoter driving EGFP using a 11 kb construct used previously to create a hTH-GFP mouse reporter line. Of the five rat founder lines that were generated, three exhibited high level specific GFP fluorescence in DA brain structures (ie. SN, VTA, striatum, olfactory bulb, hypothalamus). As with the hTH-GFP mouse, none of the rat lines exhibit reporter expression in adrenergic structures like the adrenal gland. Line 12141, with its high levels of GFP in adult DA brain structures and minimal ectopic GFP expression in non-DA structures, was characterized in detail. We show here that this line allows for anatomical visualization and microdissection of the rat midbrain into SNpc and/or VTA, enabling detailed analysis of midbrain DA neurons and axonal projections after toxin treatment in vivo. Moreover, we further show that embryonic SNpc and/or VTA neurons, enriched by microdissection or FACS, can be used in culture or transplant studies of PD. Thus, the hTH-GFP reporter rat should be a valuable tool for Parkinson''s disease research.