The tumour-suppressor phosphatase with tensin homology (PTEN) is the most important negative regulator of the cell-survival signalling pathway initiated by phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K). Although PTEN is mutated or deleted in many tumours, deregulation of the PI3K-PTEN network also occurs through other mechanisms. Crosstalk between the PI3K pathways and other tumorigenic signalling pathways, such as those that involve Ras, p53, TOR (target of rapamycin) or DJ1, can contribute to this deregulation. How does the PI3K pathway integrate signals from numerous sources, and how can this information be used in the rational design of cancer therapies?

The quest to disentangle the aetiopathogenesis of Parkinson's disease has been heavily influenced by the genes associated with the disease. The alpha-synuclein-centric theory of protein aggregation with the adjunct of parkin-driven proteasome deregulation has, in recent years, been complemented by the discovery and increasing knowledge of the functions of DJ1, PINK1 and OMI/HTRA2, which are all associated with the mitochondria and have been implicated in cellular protection against oxidative damage. We critically review how these genes fit into and enhance our understanding of the role of mitochondrial dysfunction in Parkinson's disease, and consider how oxidative stress might be a potential unifying factor in the aetiopathogenesis of the disease.

Defects of mitochondrial metabolism cause a wide range of human diseases that include examples from all medical subspecialties. This review updates the topic of mitochondrial diseases by reviewing the most important recent advances in this area. The factors influencing inheritance, maintenance and replication of mtDNA are reviewed and the genotype-phenotype of mtDNA disorders has been expanded, with new insights into epidemiology, pathogenesis and its role in ageing. Recently identified nuclear gene mutations of mitochondrial proteins include mutations of frataxin causing Friedreich's ataxia, PINK1, DJ1 causing Parkinson's disease and POLG causing infantile mtDNA depletion syndrome, ophthalmoplegia, parkinsonism, male subfertility and, in a transgenic mouse model, premature senescence. Mitochondrial defects in neurodegenerative diseases include Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and Huntington's disease. Improved understanding of mtDNA inheritance and mutation penetrance patterns, and novel techniques for mtDNA modification offer significant prospects for more accurate genetic counselling and effective future therapies.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are post-transcriptional gene expression regulators, playing key roles in neuronal development, plasticity and disease. Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder, characterized by the presence of protein inclusions or Lewy bodies and a progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the midbrain. Here, we have evaluated miRNA expression deregulation in PD brain samples. MiRNA expression profiling revealed decreased expression of miR-34b and miR-34c in brain areas with variable neuropathological affectation at clinical (motor) stages (Braak stages 4 and 5) of the disease, including the amygdala, frontal cortex, substantia nigra and cerebellum. Furthermore, misregulation of miR-34b/c was detected in pre-motor stages (stages 1-3) of the disease, and thus in cases that did not receive any PD-related treatment during life. Depletion of miR-34b or miR-34c in differentiated SH-SY5Y dopaminergic neuronal cells resulted in a moderate reduction in cell viability that was accompanied by altered mitochondrial function and dynamics, oxidative stress and reduction in total cellular adenosin triphosphate content. MiR-34b/c downregulation was coupled to a decrease in the expression of DJ1 and Parkin, two proteins associated to familial forms of PD that also have a role in idiopathic cases. Accordingly, DJ1 and Parkin expression was reduced in PD brain samples displaying strong miR-34b/c downregulation. We propose that early deregulation of miR-34b/c in PD triggers downstream transcriptome alterations underlying mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress, which ultimately compromise cell viability. A better understanding of the cellular pathways controlling and/or controlled by miR-34b/c should allow identification of targets for development of therapeutic approaches.

We reported that the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress pathway involving CHOP, a member of the C/EBP transcription factor family, plays a key role in nitric oxide (NO)-mediated apoptosis of macrophages and pancreatic beta cells. We also showed that the cytosolic chaperone pair of hsp70 and dj1 (hsp40/hdj-1) or dj2 (HSDJ/hdj-2) prevents NO-mediated apoptosis upstream of cytochrome c release from mitochondria. To analyze roles of the chaperone pair in preventing apoptosis, RAW 264.7 macrophages stably expressing hsp70 and dj1 or dj2 were established. The chaperone pair prevented LPS/IFN-gamma-induced and NO-mediated apoptosis downstream of CHOP induction. hsp70 mutant protein lacking the ATPase domain or the C-terminal EEVD sequence were not effective in preventing CHOP-induced apoptosis. A mutant dj2 lacking the C-terminal prenylation CaaX motif, was also not effective. When wild-type RAW 264.7 cells were treated with LPS/IFN-gamma, NO-mediated apoptosis was induced, and proapoptotic Bcl-2 family protein Bax was translocated from cytosol to mitochondria. This translocation was prevented in cells stably expressing hsp70/dj2, and in CHOP knockout cells. Overexpression of CHOP in wild-type cells also induced translocation of Bax and this translocation was prevented in cells expressing hsp70/dj2. CHOP-induced apoptosis was prevented by Bax knock-down. Coimmunoprecipitation experiments showed that Bax interacts with both hsp70 and dj1/dj2. ATPase domain of hsp70 was necessary for the binding with Bax. These findings indicate that CHOP-induced apoptosis is mediated by translocation of Bax from the cytosol to the mitochondria, and hsp70/dj1 or dj2 chaperone pair prevents apoptosis by interacting with Bax and preventing translocation to the mitochondria.

Parkinson disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder. In most instances, PD is thought to result from a complex interaction between multiple genetic and environmental factors, though rare monogenic forms of the disease do exist. Mutations in 6 genes (SNCA, LRRK2, PRKN, DJ1, PINK1, and ATP13A2) have conclusively been shown to cause familial parkinsonism. In addition, common variation in 3 genes (MAPT, LRRK2, and SNCA) and loss-of-function mutations in GBA have been well-validated as susceptibility factors for PD. The function of these genes and their contribution to PD pathogenesis remain to be fully elucidated. The prevalence, incidence, clinical manifestations, and genetic components of PD are discussed in this review.

Pathological data from autopsies genotyped for Parkinson's disease (PD)-related mutations in alpha-synuclein, Parkin, PINK1, DJ1, LRRK2, and glucocerebrosidase have accumulated in recent years. The aim of this review is to systematically review all pathological reports of mutation carriers and to identify pathological patterns and gaps in the currently available data. A systematic review of the English literature was done using the terms "Parkinson's disease," "brain pathology," "autopsy," the specific gene nomenclature, and any combination of the above. Most studies included reports of convenience samples: either cases that were preidentified as mutation carriers before autopsy or screens of Lewy body brain banks. Nineteen autopsies of alpha-synuclein mutation carriers, 49 of LRRK2 mutation carriers, nine of Parkin mutation carriers, one of a PINK1 mutation carrier, and 86 of glucocerebrosidase mutation carriers were identified. Most autopsies of alpha-synuclein, LRRK2 G2019S, and glucocerebrosidase mutation carriers demonstrated Lewy body pathology, as opposed to Parkin and LRRK2 non-G2019S mutation carriers. However, there was a marked variability in pathological findings, even among carriers of identical mutations. Pathological data from DJ1 mutation carriers, nonmanifesting mutation carriers (e.g., of LRRK2 mutations), and carriers of a single Parkin mutation were lacking. In gathering together all studies of PD autopsies with an identified genetic risk, this review highlights the wealth of information generated as well as shortcomings in the available data. In particular, there is a need for larger, unbiased pathological studies. Differential association of Lewy pathology with specific mutations may reflect heterogeneity in pathogenic mechanisms among the different PD-related genes.

BACKGROUND

There is an urgent need to discover more sensitive and specific biomarkers to improve early diagnosis and screen high-risk patients for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Pancreatic juice is an ideal specimen for PDAC biomarkers discovery, because it is an exceptionally rich source of proteins released from pancreatic cancer cells.

METHODS

To identify novel potential biomarkers for PDAC from pancreatic juice, we carried out difference gel electrophoresis (DIGE) and tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) to compare the pancreatic juice profiling from 9 PDAC patients and 9 cancer-free controls. Of the identified differently expressed proteins, three up-regulated proteins in pancreatic cancer juice, matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), oncogene DJ1 (DJ-1) and alpha-1B-glycoprotein precursor (A1BG), were selected for validation by Western blot and immunohistochemistry. Serum MMP-9 levels were also detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

RESULTS

Fourteen proteins were up-regulated and ten proteins were down-regulated in cancerous pancreatic juice compared with cancer-free controls. Increased MMP-9, DJ-1 and A1BG expression in cancerous pancreatic juice were confirmed by Western blot. Immunohistochemical study showed MMP-9, DJ-1 and A1BG positively expressed in 82.4%, 72.5% and 86.3% of pancreatic cancer tissues, significantly higher than that in normal pancreas tissues. Up-regulation of DJ-1 was associated with better differentiation (p < 0.05). Serum MMP-9 levels were significantly higher in PDAC (255.14 ng/ml) than those in chronic pancreatitis (210.22 ng/ml, p = 0.009) and healthy control (203.77 ng/ml, p = 0.027).

CONCLUSIONS

The present proteome analysis revealed MMP-9, DJ-1 and A1BG proteins as elevated in pancreatic juice from PDAC, which suggest their further utility in PDAC diagnosis and screening. This is the first time A1BG was identified as a potential biomarker in pancreatic cancer associated samples. The measurement of serum MMP-9 might be clinically useful for PDAC diagnosis.

Parkinson disease (PD; Parkinson's) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease, characterized by the progressive loss of dopamine neurons and the accumulation of Lewy bodies. Increasing evidence suggests that deficits in mitochondrial function, oxidative and nitrosative stress, the accumulation of aberrant or misfolded proteins, and ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) dysfunction may represent the principal molecular pathways that commonly underlie the pathogenesis. The relative role of genetic and environmental factors has been the focus of research and debate. The recent discovery of a number of disease-causing genes (SNCA, Parkin/PARK2, UCHL1, PINK1, DJ1/PARK7, and LRRK2) in familial and sporadic forms of PD has provided considerable insights into the pathophysiology of this complex disorder. The frequency of these gene mutations may vary according to ethnicity and to the specific gene. A gene dosage effect is observed in some cases, and the phenotype of some of the mutation carriers closely resembles typical PD. Penetrance of some of the recurrent mutations is incomplete and may vary with age. Further research to unravel the etiopathology could identify biochemical or genetic markers for potential neuroprotective trials.

In Parkinson's disease (PD) there is a selective loss of certain midbrain dopaminergic (DA) neurons. The most vulnerable neurons reside in the substantia nigra zona compacta (SNC), whereas the DA neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and interfascicular (IF) nucleus are less vulnerable to degeneration. Many sporadic PD patients have a defect in mitochondria respiration, and some of the genes that cause PD are mitochondrial-related (e.g., PINK1, Parkin, DJ1). The present study sought to determine whether mitochondria mass is different in SNC neurons compared to other midbrain DA neurons and to non-DA neurons in the mouse. At the electron microscopic level, mitochondria in the SN DA neurons occupy 40% less of the soma and dendritic area than in the SN non-DA neurons. The area occupied by mitochondria in the SN DA neurons is also lower than in the VTA neurons, although not different from the IF neurons. The red nucleus somata have the largest percentage of the somata occupied by mitochondria (12%). Mitochondria size is related to somata size; the largest mitochondria are found in the red nucleus neurons and the smallest mitochondria are found in the IF neurons. At the light microscopic level, SNC, VTA and IF DA neurons have <50% of the cytoplasm immunostained with the mitochondrial antibody 1D6, whereas non-DA neurons in the same midbrain regions contain mitochondria areas up to >65% of the cytoplasm area. These data indicate that mitochondria size and mass are not the same for all neurons, and the SNC DA neurons have relatively low mitochondria mass. The low mitochondria mass in SNC DA neurons may contribute to the selective vulnerability of these neurons in certain rodent models of PD.

Mutations in seven genes are robustly associated with autosomal dominant (SNCA, LRRK2, EIF4G1, VPS35) or recessive (parkin/PARK2, PINK1, DJ1/PARK7) Parkinson's disease (PD) or parkinsonism. Changes in a long list of additional genes have been suggested as causes for parkinsonism or PD, including genes for hereditary ataxias (ATXN2, ATXN3, FMR1), frontotemporal dementia (C9ORF72, GRN, MAPT, TARDBP), DYT5 (GCH1, TH, SPR), and others (ATP13A2, CSF1R, DNAJC6, FBXO, GIGYF2, HTRA2, PLA2G6, POLG, SPG11, UCHL1). This review summarizes the clinical features of diseases caused by mutations in these genes, and their frequencies. Point mutations and multiplications in SNCA cause cognitive or psychiatric symptoms, parkinsonism, dysautonomia and myoclonus with widespread alpha-synuclein pathology in the central and peripheral nervous system. LRRK2 mutations may lead to a clinical phenotype closely resembling idiopathic PD with a puzzling variety in neuropathology. Mutations in parkin/PARK2, PINK1 or DJ1/PARK7 may cause early-onset parkinsonism with a low risk for cognitive decline and a pathological process usually restricted to the brainstem. Carriers of mutations in the other genes may develop parkinsonism with or without additional symptoms, but rarely a disease resembling PD. The pathogenicity of several mutations remains unconfirmed. Although some mutations occur with high frequency in specific populations, worldwide all are very rare. The genetic cause of the majority of patients with sporadic or hereditary PD remains unknown in most populations. Clinical genetic testing is useful for selected patients. Testing strategies need to be adapted individually based on clinical phenotype and estimated frequency of the mutation in the patient's population.

The etiology of Parkinson's disease (PD) has long been thought to involve both genetic and environmental factors, but until recently there has been no direct evidence to support either one as a causative factor. However, in the past 8 years six different genes have been identified as causing familial PD. Together, they support the notion that common pathogenetic mechanisms exist across the etiologic spectrum of PD. Specifically, mutations in alpha-synuclein, parkin, UCHL1, DJ1, PINK1, and LRRK2 cause PD, with a Mendelian pattern of inheritance. DJ1 and PINK1 are mitochondrial proteins and overexpression of alpha-synuclein and parkin induce mitochondrial defects. These same proteins are involved in the response to oxidative stress and affect proteasomal function. In contrast, few environmental factors have been characterized. Nevertheless, those toxins that have been demonstrated to have the ability to cause nigrostriatal cell death appear to interact by interfering with mitochondrial function, inducing oxidative stress, and modifying proteasomal function. Therefore, common themes are beginning to emerge in the etiopathogenesis of PD. This bodes well for research focused on the development of treatments that will modify the course of PD.

BACKGROUND

Inferences about protein function are often made based on sequence homology to other gene products of known activities. This approach is valuable for small families of conserved proteins but can be difficult to apply to large superfamilies of proteins with diverse function. In this study we looked at sequence homology between members of the DJ-1/ThiJ/PfpI superfamily, which includes a human protein of unclear function, DJ-1, associated with inherited Parkinson's disease.

RESULTS

DJ-1 orthologs in a variety of eukaryotic species cluster together in a single group. The most closely related group is the bacterial ThiJ genes. These are kinases involved in the biosynthesis of thiamine, a function that has been dispensed with evolutionarily in most eukaryotes where thiamine is an essential nutrient. The similarity with other characterized members of the superfamily, including proteases, is more remote. This is congruent with the recently solved crystal structures that fail to demonstrate the presence of a catalytic triad required for protease activity.

CONCLUSIONS

DJ-1 may have evolved from the bacterial gene encoding ThiJ kinase. However, as this function has been dispensed with in eukaryotes it appears that the gene has been co-opted for another function.

The identification of single genes linked to heritable forms of Parkinson disease (PD) has challenged the previously held view of a nongenetic etiology for this progressive movement disorder. Detailed analyses of individuals with mutations in SNCA, Parkin, PINK1, DJ1 or LRRK2 have greatly advanced our knowledge of preclinical and clinical, morphological, and pathological changes in PD. These genetic breakthroughs have had profound implications for scientists, neurologists and patients alike. Such advances have provided unique opportunities to pursue the mechanisms of neuronal degeneration in models of PD pathogenesis, thereby reinforcing the significance of oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction. With emerging clues from familial variants, researchers have begun to explore factors that lead to the expression of the more common, sporadic disease phenotype (idiopathic PD), including interactions between various genes, modifying effects of susceptibility alleles and epigenetic factors, and the influence of environmental agents and aging on the expression of PD-linked genes. These genetic leads have added to the urgency of developing translational drug treatments, and neurologists and their patients are confronting considerations relating to DNA testing. In this article, we summarize recent progress in establishing a neurogenetic component of PD, emphasize the need for developing PD biomarkers to improve diagnostic accuracy (in both clinical practice and therapeutic trials), and discuss scenarios in which specific DNA tests might be considered for diagnostic purposes. In the absence of consensus guidelines for DNA testing in PD and of any neuroprotective treatment for this nonfatal disorder, we remind ourselves of the omnipresent mandate, 'Primum nil nocere!' ('First, do no harm!').

Defects in mitochondrial OXPHOS are associated with diverse and mostly intractable human disorders. The single-subunit alternative oxidase (AOX) found in many eukaryotes, but not in arthropods or vertebrates, offers a potential bypass of the OXPHOS cytochrome chain under conditions of pathological OXPHOS inhibition. We have engineered Ciona intestinalis AOX for conditional expression in Drosophila melanogaster. Ubiquitous AOX expression produced no detrimental phenotype in wild-type flies. However, mitochondrial suspensions from AOX-expressing flies exhibited a significant cyanide-resistant substrate oxidation, and the flies were partially resistant to both cyanide and antimycin. AOX expression was able to complement the semilethality of partial knockdown of both cyclope (COXVIc) and the complex IV assembly factor Surf1. It also rescued the locomotor defect and excess mitochondrial ROS production of flies mutated in dj-1beta, a Drosophila homolog of the human Parkinson's disease gene DJ1. AOX appears to offer promise as a wide-spectrum therapeutic tool in OXPHOS disorders.

DnaJ is an essential cochaperone of mammalian heat shock cognate 70 (hsc70) protein. We previously found that dj2 (HSDJ/hdj-2/rdj1), rather than dj1 (hsp40/hdj-1), is a partner DnaJ for the hsc70-based chaperone system. Here, we compared the distribution of dj1, dj2, and the newly found dj3 (cpr3/DNJ3/HIRIP4/rdj2) in cultured cells. Both dj3 as well as dj2 were farnesylated and were ubiquitously expressed. In immunocytochemical and subfractionation studies, these two proteins colocalized with hsc70 under normal conditions. However, dj1 and hsc70 apparently colocalized in the nucleoli after heat shock. Simultaneous depletion of dj2 and dj3 from rabbit reticulocyte lysate markedly reduced mitochondrial import of pre-ornithine transcarbamylase and refolding of guanidine-denatured luciferase. Re-addition of either dj2 or dj3 led to recovery of these reactions. In a reconstituted system, both hsc70-dj2 and hsc70-dj3 were effective in protein refolding. Anti-apoptotic protein bag-1 further stimulated ATP hydrolysis and protein refolding by both pairs. Thus, dj2 and dj3 are the partner DnaJs of hsc70 within the cell, functionally similar and much more efficient than dj1, and bag-1 is a positive cochaperone of the hsc70-dj2 and hsc70-dj3 systems.

There is increasing evidence linking mitochondrial dysfunction to neurodegenerative diseases. Mitochondria are critical regulators of cell death, a key feature of neurodegeneration. Mutations in mitochondrial DNA and oxidative stress both contribute to ageing, which is the greatest risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases. This is the case in Alzheimer's disease, in which there is evidence that both beta-amyloid and the amyloid precursor protein may directly interact with mitochondria, leading to increased free radical production. In the case of Huntington's disease (HD), recent evidence suggests that the coactivator PGC1alpha, a key regulator of mitochondrial biogenesis in respiration, is down-regulated in patients with HD and in several animal models of this neurodegenerative disorder. In Parkinson's disease, the autosomal recessive genes parkin, DJ1 and PINK1 are all linked to either oxidative stress or mitochondrial dysfunction. In amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, there is strong evidence that mutant superoxide dismutase directly interacts with the outer mitochondrial membrane as well as the intermembrane space and matrix. Therefore, an impressive number of disease specific proteins interact with mitochondria. Therapies that target basic mitochondrial processes such as energy metabolism in free radical generation, or specific interactions of disease-related protein with mitochondria, hold great promise.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the frequency and clinical characteristics of carriers of previously identified mutations in 6 genes associated with early-onset Parkinson disease (PD) and provide empirical data that can be used to inform genetic counseling.

METHODS

Cross-sectional observational study.

METHODS

Thirteen movement disorders centers.

METHODS

Nine hundred fifty-three individuals with early-onset PD defined as age at onset (AAO) younger than 51 years. Participants included 77 and 139 individuals of Hispanic and Jewish ancestry, respectively. Intervention Mutations in SNCA, PRKN, PINK1, DJ1, LRRK2, and GBA were assessed. A validated family history interview and the Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale were administered. Demographic and phenotypic characteristics were compared among groups defined by mutation status. Main Outcome Measure Mutation carrier frequency stratified by AAO and ethnic background.

RESULTS

One hundred fifty-eight (16.6%) participants had mutations, including 64 (6.7%) PRKN, 35 (3.6%) LRRK2 G2019S, 64 (6.7%) GBA, and 1 (0.2%) DJ1. Mutation carriers were more frequent in those with an AAO of 30 years or younger compared with those with AAO between 31 and 50 years (40.6% vs 14.6%, P < .001), in individuals who reported Jewish ancestry (32.4% vs 13.7%, P < .001), and in those reporting a first-degree family history of PD (23.9% vs 15.1%, P = .01). Hispanic individuals were more likely to be PRKN carriers than non-Hispanic individuals (15.6% vs 5.9%, P = .003). The GBA L444P mutation was associated with a higher mean Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale III score after adjustment for covariates.

CONCLUSIONS

Individuals of Jewish or Hispanic ancestry with early-onset PD, those with AAO of 30 years or younger, and those with a history of PD in a first-degree relative may benefit from genetic counseling.

Transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs) have become powerful tools for targeted genome editing. Here we demonstrate efficient targeted mutagenesis in medaka (Oryzias latipes), which serves as an excellent vertebrate model for genetics and genomics. We designed and constructed a pair of TALENs targeting the medaka DJ-1 gene, a homolog of human DJ-1 (PARK7). These TALENs induced a number of insertions and deletions in the injected embryos with extremely high efficiency. This induction of mutations occurred in a dose-dependent manner. All screened G0 fish injected with the TALENs transmitted the TALEN-induced mutations to the next generation with high efficiency (44-100%). We also confirmed that these TALENs induced site-specific mutations because none of the mutations were found at potential off-target sites. In addition, the DJ-1 protein was lost in DJ-1(Δ7/Δ7) fish that carried a TALEN-induced frameshift mutation in both alleles. We also investigated the effect of the N- and C-terminal regions of the transcription activator-like (TAL) effector domain on the gene-disrupting activity of DJ1-TALENs and found that 287 amino acids at the N terminus and 63 amino acids at the C terminus of the TAL domain exhibited the highest disrupting activity in the injected embryos. Our results suggest that TALENs enable us to rapidly and efficiently establish knockout medaka strains. This is the first report of targeted mutagenesis in medaka using TALENs. The TALEN technology will expand the potential of medaka as a model system for genetics and genomics.

Neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's disease and others are due to accumulation of abnormal proteins which fold improperly and impair neuronal function. Accumulation of these proteins could be achieved by several mechanisms including mutation, overproduction or impairment of its degradation. Inhibition of the normal protein degradation is produced by blockade of the ubiquitin proteasome system. We have shown that epoxomicin, a proteasome inhibitor, increases the levels of proteins involved in neurodegenerative disorders such as α-synuclein and hyper phosphorylated tau in NB69 human neuroblastoma cells and that such increase correlates with an enhanced rate of cell death. We then investigated whether the stimulation of autophagy, an alternative mechanism for elimination of abnormal proteins, by treatment with trehalose, counteracts the effects of proteasomal blockade. Trehalose, a disaccharide present in many non-mammalian species, known to enhance autophagy, protects cells against various environmental stresses. Treatment with trehalose produced a dose and time-dependent increase in the number of autophagosomes and markers of autophagy in NB69 cells. Trehalose did not change the number of total neither the number of dividing cells in the culture but it completely prevented the necrosis of NB69 induced by epoxomicin. In addition, the treatment with trehalose reverted the accumulation, induced by epoxomicin, of polyubiquitinated proteins, total and phosphorylated tau, p-GSK-3, and α-synuclein, as well as the α-synuclein intracellular aggregates. The effects of trehalose were not mediated through activation of free radical scavenging compounds, like GSH, or mitochondrial proteins, like DJ1, but trehalose reduced the activation of ERK and chaperone HSP-70 induced by epoxomicin. Inhibition of ERK phosphorylation prevented the epoxomicin-induced cell death. Inhibition of autophagy reverted the neuroprotective effects of trehalose in epoxomicin-induced cell death. These results suggest that trehalose is a powerful modifier of abnormal protein accumulation in neurodegenerative diseases.

DnaJ homologues function in cooperation with hsp70 family members in various cellular processes including intracellular protein trafficking and folding. Three human DnaJ homologues present in the cytosol have been identified: dj1 (hsp40/hdj-1), dj2 (HSDJ/hdj-2), and neuronal tissue-specific hsj1. dj1 is thought to be engaged in folding of nascent polypeptides, whereas functions of the other DnaJ homologues remain to be elucidated. To investigate roles of dj2 and dj1, we developed a system of chaperone depletion from and readdition to rabbit reticulocyte lysates. Using this system, we found that heat shock cognate 70 protein (hsc70) and dj2, but not dj1, are involved in mitochondrial import of preornithine transcarbamylase. Bacterial DnaJ could replace mammalian dj2 in mitochondrial protein import. We also tested the effects of these DnaJ homologues on folding of guanidine-denatured firefly luciferase. Unexpectedly, dj2, but not dj1, together with hsc70 refolded the protein efficiently. We propose that dj2 is the functional partner DnaJ homologue of hsc70 in the mammalian cytosol. Bacterial DnaJ protein could replace mammalian dj2 in the refolding of luciferase. Thus, the cytosolic chaperone system for mitochondrial protein import and for protein folding is highly conserved, involving DnaK and DnaJ in bacteria, Ssa1-4p and Ydj1p in yeast, and hsc70 and dj2 in mammals.

Mutations in the parkin gene have been identified as a common cause of autosomal recessive inherited Parkinson disease (PD) associated with early disease manifestation. However, based on linkage data, mutations in other genes contribute to the genetic heterogeneity of early-onset PD (EOPD). Recently, two mutations in the DJ1 gene were described as a second cause of autosomal recessive EOPD (PARK7). Analyzing the PARK7/DJ1 gene in 104 EOPD patients, we identified a third mutation, c.192G>C (p.E64D), associated with EOPD in a patient of Turkish ancestry and characterized the functional significance of this amino acid substitution. In the patient, a substantial reduction of dopamine uptake transporter (DAT) binding was found in the striatum using [(18)F]FP-CIT and PET, indicating a serious loss of presynaptic dopaminergic afferents. His sister, homozygous for E64D, was clinically unaffected but showed reduced dopamine uptake when compared with a clinically unaffected brother, who is heterozygous for E64D. We demonstrate by crystallography that the E64D mutation does not alter the structure of the DJ1 protein, however we observe a tendency towards decreased levels of the mutant protein when overexpressed in HEK293 or COS7 cells. Using immunocytochemistry in contrast to the homogenous nuclear and cytoplasmic staining in HEK293 cells overexpressing wild-type DJ1, about 5% of the cells expressing E64D and up to 80% of the cells expressing the recently described L166P mutation displayed a predominant nuclear localization of the mutant DJ1 protein.

Parkinson's disease (PD) has been considered a paradigm of degenerative diseases of the nervous system characterized by motor impairment (parkinsonism) due to malfunction and loss of dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra pars compacta. However, PD is a systemic disease of the nervous system with variegated clinical symptoms appearing before parkinsonism and due to the involvement of selected nuclei of the medulla oblongata, pons, autonomic nervous system and olfactory structures, among others. Furthermore, recent clinical data have shown modifications in behavior, personality changes and cognitive impairment leading to dementia. Lewy pathology, hallmark of PD, in the cerebral cortex does not correlate with cognitive impairment. However, recent studies have shown abnormal mitochondria content and function, and increased oxidative stress and oxidative responses in the cerebral cortex in PD. Furthermore, several key PD-related proteins are oxidatively damaged, including alpha-synuclein, beta-synuclein, superoxide dismutases, parkin, DJ1, UCHL1 and enzymes involved in glycolysis and energy metabolism. DNA and RNA are also targets of oxidative damage. Furthermore, abnormal phosphorylation of alpha-synuclein and tau occurs at the cortical synapses. Finally, abnormal cortical metabolism has been revealed with neuroimaging methods. These data demonstrate early involvement of the cerebral cortex in PD due to the convergence of multiple metabolic defects. Lewy pathology is a relative late event, geared to isolate unremoved damaged protein, with little significance on cortical neurological deficits.

Oxidative stress plays a major role in multiple sclerosis (MS), a chronic inflammatory central nervous system (CNS) disease. Invading leukocytes contribute to cell damage and demyelination by producing excessive amounts of cytotoxic mediators, including reactive oxygen species (ROS). To counteract the damaging effects of ROS the CNS is endowed with a repertoire of endogenous antioxidant enzymes, which are regulated by the transcription factor NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2). Upon exposure to ROS, Nrf2 translocates to the nucleus allowing transcriptional activation of various antioxidant enzymes. DJ1 is a protein that is involved in the stabilization of Nrf2 and hence acts as a positive regulator of Nrf2-driven antioxidant protection. Here, we investigate the (sub)cellular localization of Nrf2 and DJ1 in various MS lesion stages and show that Nrf2 is strikingly upregulated in active MS lesions, in both the nucleus and the cytoplasm of infiltrating macrophages and to a lesser extent in reactive astrocytes. Simultaneously, DJ1 protein expression is predominantly increased in astrocytes in both active and chronic inactive MS lesions compared to control brain tissue and normal-appearing white matter. Together, our findings suggest that persistent Nrf2-mediated transcription occurs in active MS lesions, but that this endogenous response is insufficient to prevent ROS-induced cellular damage, which is abundant in inflammatory MS lesions.