scholarly journals Drosophila phosphatidylinositol-4 kinase fwd promotes mitochondrial fission and can suppress Pink1/parkin phenotypes

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Terriente-Felix ◽  
Emma L. Wilson ◽  
Alexander J. Whitworth
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Mitochondrial Dynamics ◽  
Mitochondrial Fission ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Male Sterile ◽  
Mitochondrial Homeostasis ◽  
Locomotor Deficits ◽  
Phosphatidylinositol 4

AbstractBalanced mitochondrial fission and fusion play an important role in shaping and distributing mitochondria, as well as contributing to mitochondrial homeostasis and adaptation to stress. In particular, mitochondrial fission is required to facilitate degradation of damaged or dysfunctional units via mitophagy. Two Parkinson’s disease factors, PINK1 and Parkin, are considered key mediators of damage-induced mitophagy, and promoting mitochondrial fission is sufficient to suppress the pathological phenotypes in Pink1/parkin mutant Drosophila. We sought additional factors that impinge on mitochondrial dynamics and which may also suppress Pink1/parkin phenotypes. We found that the Drosophila phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase IIIβ homologue, Four wheel drive (Fwd), promotes mitochondrial fission downstream of the pro-fission factor Drp1. Previously described only as male sterile, we identified several new phenotypes in fwd mutants, including locomotor deficits and shortened lifespan, which are accompanied by mitochondrial dysfunction. Finally, we found that fwd overexpression can suppress locomotor deficits and mitochondrial disruption in Pink1/parkin mutants, consistent with its function in promoting mitochondrial fission. Together these results shed light on the complex mechanisms of mitochondrial fission and further underscore the potential of modulating mitochondrial fission/fusion dynamics in the context of neurodegeneration.Author SummaryMitochondria are dynamic oganelles that can fuse and divide, in part to facilitate turnover of damaged components. These processes are essential to maintain a healthy mitochondrial network, and, in turn, maintain cell viability. This is critically important in high-energy, post-mitotic tissues such as neurons. We previously identified Drosophila phosphatidylinositol-4 kinase fwd as a pro-fission factor in a cell-based screen. Here we show that loss of fwd regulates mitochondrial fission in vivo, and acts genetically downstream of Drp1. We identified new phenotypes in fwd mutants, similar to loss of Pink1/parkin, two genes linked to Parkinson’s disease and key regulators of mitochondrial homeostasis. Importantly, fwd overexpression is able to substantially suppress locomotor and mitochondrial phenotypes in Pink1/parkin mutants, suggesting manipulating phophoinositides may represent a novel route to tackling Parkinson’s disease.

scholarly journals Differential mitochondrial roles for α-synuclein in DRP1-dependent fission and PINK1/Parkin-mediated oxidation

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas J. Krzystek ◽  
Rupkatha Banerjee ◽  
Layne Thurston ◽  
JianQiao Huang ◽  
Kelsey Swinter ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oxidative Stress ◽  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Mitochondrial Dysfunction ◽  
Mitochondrial Dynamics ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Shape Distribution ◽  
Mitochondrial Homeostasis ◽  
C Terminus

AbstractMitochondria are highly dynamic organelles with strict quality control processes that maintain cellular homeostasis. Within axons, coordinated cycles of fission-fusion mediated by dynamin related GTPase protein (DRP1) and mitofusins (MFN), together with regulated motility of healthy mitochondria anterogradely and damaged/oxidized mitochondria retrogradely, control mitochondrial shape, distribution and size. Disruption of this tight regulation has been linked to aberrant oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction causing mitochondrial disease and neurodegeneration. Although pharmacological induction of Parkinson’s disease (PD) in humans/animals with toxins or in mice overexpressing α-synuclein (α-syn) exhibited mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress, mice lacking α-syn showed resistance to mitochondrial toxins; yet, how α-syn influences mitochondrial dynamics and turnover is unclear. Here, we isolate the mechanistic role of α-syn in mitochondrial homeostasis in vivo in a humanized Drosophila model of Parkinson’s disease (PD). We show that excess α-syn causes fragmented mitochondria, which persists with either truncation of the C-terminus (α-syn1–120) or deletion of the NAC region (α-synΔNAC). Using in vivo oxidation reporters Mito-roGFP2-ORP1/GRX1 and MitoTimer, we found that α-syn-mediated fragments were oxidized/damaged, but α-syn1–120-induced fragments were healthy, suggesting that the C-terminus is required for oxidation. α-syn-mediated oxidized fragments showed biased retrograde motility, but α-syn1–120-mediated healthy fragments did not, demonstrating that the C-terminus likely mediates the retrograde motility of oxidized mitochondria. Depletion/inhibition or excess DRP1-rescued α-syn-mediated fragmentation, oxidation, and the biased retrograde motility, indicating that DRP1-mediated fragmentation is likely upstream of oxidation and motility changes. Further, excess PINK/Parkin, two PD-associated proteins that function to coordinate mitochondrial turnover via induction of selective mitophagy, rescued α-syn-mediated membrane depolarization, oxidation and cell death in a C-terminus-dependent manner, suggesting a functional interaction between α-syn and PINK/Parkin. Taken together, our findings identify distinct roles for α-syn in mitochondrial homeostasis, highlighting a previously unknown pathogenic pathway for the initiation of PD.

scholarly journals PINK1: A Bridge between Mitochondria and Parkinson’s Disease

Life ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 371
Author(s):  
Filipa Barroso Gonçalves ◽  
Vanessa Alexandra Morais
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Quality Control ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Common Denominator ◽  
Mitochondrial Quality Control ◽  
Mitochondrial Homeostasis ◽  
Cellular Environment ◽  
Familial Form ◽  
Mitochondrial Functions

Mitochondria are known as highly dynamic organelles essential for energy production. Intriguingly, in the recent years, mitochondria have revealed the ability to maintain cell homeostasis and ultimately regulate cell fate. This regulation is achieved by evoking mitochondrial quality control pathways that are capable of sensing the overall status of the cellular environment. In a first instance, actions to maintain a robust pool of mitochondria take place; however, if unsuccessful, measures that lead to overall cell death occur. One of the central key players of these mitochondrial quality control pathways is PINK1 (PTEN-induce putative kinase), a mitochondrial targeted kinase. PINK1 is known to interact with several substrates to regulate mitochondrial functions, and not only is responsible for triggering mitochondrial clearance via mitophagy, but also participates in maintenance of mitochondrial functions and homeostasis, under healthy conditions. Moreover, PINK1 has been associated with the familial form of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Growing evidence has strongly linked mitochondrial homeostasis to the central nervous system (CNS), a system that is replenished with high energy demanding long-lasting neuronal cells. Moreover, sporadic cases of PD have also revealed mitochondrial impairments. Thus, one could speculate that mitochondrial homeostasis is the common denominator in these two forms of the disease, and PINK1 may play a central role in maintaining mitochondrial homeostasis. In this review, we will discuss the role of PINK1 in the mitochondrial physiology and scrutinize its role in the cascade of PD pathology.

scholarly journals Exogenous Alpha-Synuclein Evoked Parkin Downregulation Promotes Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Neuronal Cells. Implications for Parkinson’s Disease Pathology

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Wilkaniec ◽  
Anna M. Lenkiewicz ◽  
Lidia Babiec ◽  
Emilia Murawska ◽  
Henryk M. Jęśko ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Mitochondrial Dysfunction ◽  
Mitochondrial Fission ◽  
Alpha Synuclein ◽  
Post Translational Modifications ◽  
Protein Levels ◽  
Mitochondrial Homeostasis ◽  
Mitochondrial Superoxide ◽  
Mitochondrial Biosynthesis

Aberrant secretion and accumulation of α-synuclein (α-Syn) as well as the loss of parkin function are associated with the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Our previous study suggested a functional interaction between those two proteins, showing that the extracellular α-Syn evoked post-translational modifications of parkin, leading to its autoubiquitination and degradation. While parkin plays an important role in mitochondrial biogenesis and turnover, including mitochondrial fission/fusion as well as mitophagy, the involvement of parkin deregulation in α-Syn-induced mitochondrial damage is largely unknown. In the present study, we demonstrated that treatment with exogenous α-Syn triggers mitochondrial dysfunction, reflected by the depolarization of the mitochondrial membrane, elevated synthesis of the mitochondrial superoxide anion, and a decrease in cellular ATP level. At the same time, we observed a protective effect of parkin overexpression on α-Syn-induced mitochondrial dysfunction. α-Syn-dependent disturbances of mitophagy were also shown to be directly related to reduced parkin levels in mitochondria and decreased ubiquitination of mitochondrial proteins. Also, α-Syn impaired mitochondrial biosynthesis due to the parkin-dependent reduction of PGC-1α protein levels. Finally, loss of parkin function as a result of α-Syn treatment induced an overall breakdown of mitochondrial homeostasis that led to the accumulation of abnormal mitochondria. These findings may thus provide the first compelling evidence for the direct association of α-Syn-mediated parkin depletion to impaired mitochondrial function in PD. We suggest that improvement of parkin function may serve as a novel therapeutic strategy to prevent mitochondrial impairment and neurodegeneration in PD (thereby slowing the progression of the disease).

scholarly journals Oligomerization of Lrrk controls actin severing and α-synuclein neurotoxicity in vivo

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Souvarish Sarkar ◽  
Farah Bardai ◽  
Abby L. Olsen ◽  
Kelly M. Lohr ◽  
Ying-Yi Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Neuronal Degeneration ◽  
Mitochondrial Dynamics ◽  
Actin Dynamics ◽  
Human Neurons ◽  
Biochemical Analyses ◽  
And Function

Abstract Background Mutations in LRRK2 are the most common cause of familial Parkinson’s disease and typically cause disease in the context of abnormal aggregation and deposition of α-synuclein within affected brain tissue. Methods We combine genetic analysis of Lrrk-associated toxicity in a penetrant Drosophila model of wild type human α-synuclein neurotoxicity with biochemical analyses and modeling of LRRK2 toxicity in human neurons and transgenic mouse models. Results We demonstrate that Lrrk and α-synuclein interact to promote neuronal degeneration through convergent effects on the actin cytoskeleton and downstream dysregulation of mitochondrial dynamics and function. We find specifically that monomers and dimers of Lrrk efficiently sever actin and promote normal actin dynamics in vivo. Oligomerization of Lrrk, which is promoted by dominant Parkinson’s disease-causing mutations, reduces actin severing activity in vitro and promotes excess stabilization of F-actin in vivo. Importantly, a clinically protective Lrrk mutant reduces oligomerization and α-synuclein neurotoxicity. Conclusions Our findings provide a specific mechanistic link between two key molecules in the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease, α-synuclein and LRRK2, and suggest potential new approaches for therapy development.

scholarly journals Regulation of Mitochondrial Dynamics in Parkinson’s Disease—Is 2-Methoxyestradiol a Missing Piece?

Antioxidants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 248
Author(s):  
Paulina Bastian ◽  
Jaroslaw Dulski ◽  
Anna Roszmann ◽  
Dagmara Jacewicz ◽  
Alicja Kuban-Jankowska ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Mitochondrial Dynamics ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Ht22 Cells ◽  
Atp Production ◽  
Mitochondrial Homeostasis ◽  
Multiple Data ◽  
17Β Estradiol ◽  
Oxide Synthase

Mitochondria, as “power house of the cell”, are crucial players in cell pathophysiology. Beyond adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production, they take part in a generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), regulation of cell signaling and cell death. Dysregulation of mitochondrial dynamics may lead to cancers and neurodegeneration; however, the fusion/fission cycle allows mitochondria to adapt to metabolic needs of the cell. There are multiple data suggesting that disturbed mitochondrial homeostasis can lead to Parkinson’s disease (PD) development. 2-methoxyestradiol (2-ME), metabolite of 17β-estradiol (E2) and potential anticancer agent, was demonstrated to inhibit cell growth of hippocampal HT22 cells by means of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) production and oxidative stress at both pharmacologically and also physiologically relevant concentrations. Moreover, 2-ME was suggested to inhibit mitochondrial biogenesis and to be a dynamic regulator. This review is a comprehensive discussion, from both scientific and clinical point of view, about the influence of 2-ME on mitochondria and its plausible role as a modulator of neuron survival.

scholarly journals Disruption of Mitochondrial Homeostasis: The Role of PINK1 in Parkinson’s Disease

Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 3022
Author(s):  
Maria Vizziello ◽  
Linda Borellini ◽  
Giulia Franco ◽  
Gianluca Ardolino
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Dopaminergic Neurons ◽  
Gene Mutations ◽  
Neuronal Population ◽  
In Vivo Models ◽  
Mitochondrial Homeostasis

The progressive reduction of the dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra is the fundamental process underlying Parkinson’s disease (PD), while the mechanism of susceptibility of this specific neuronal population is largely unclear. Disturbances in mitochondrial function have been recognized as one of the main pathways in sporadic PD since the finding of respiratory chain impairment in animal models of PD. Studies on genetic forms of PD have provided new insight on the role of mitochondrial bioenergetics, homeostasis, and autophagy. PINK1 (PTEN-induced putative kinase 1) gene mutations, although rare, are the second most common cause of recessively inherited early-onset PD, after Parkin gene mutations. Our knowledge of PINK1 and Parkin function has increased dramatically in the last years, with the discovery that a process called mitophagy, which plays a key role in the maintenance of mitochondrial health, is mediated by the PINK1/Parkin pathway. In vitro and in vivo models have been developed, supporting the role of PINK1 in synaptic transmission, particularly affecting dopaminergic neurons. It is of paramount importance to further define the role of PINK1 in mitophagy and mitochondrial homeostasis in PD pathogenesis in order to delineate novel therapeutic targets.

scholarly journals Dynamics of Mitochondrial DNA Nucleoids Regulated by Mitochondrial Fission Is Essential for Maintenance of Homogeneously Active Mitochondria during Neonatal Heart Development

2014 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 211-223 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takaya Ishihara ◽  
Reiko Ban-Ishihara ◽  
Maki Maeda ◽  
Yui Matsunaga ◽  
Ayaka Ichimura ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mitochondrial Dna ◽  
Heart Development ◽  
Mitochondrial Dynamics ◽  
Mitochondrial Fission ◽  
Cardiomyocyte Hypertrophy ◽  
Homogeneous Distribution ◽  
Mitochondrial Homeostasis ◽  
Neonatal Heart ◽  
Neonatal Lethality

Mitochondria are dynamic organelles, and their fusion and fission regulate cellular signaling, development, and mitochondrial homeostasis, including mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) distribution. Cardiac myocytes have a specialized cytoplasmic structure where large mitochondria are aligned into tightly packed myofibril bundles; however, recent studies have revealed that mitochondrial dynamics also plays an important role in the formation and maintenance of cardiomyocytes. Here, we precisely analyzed the role of mitochondrial fissionin vivo. The mitochondrial fission GTPase, Drp1, is highly expressed in the developing neonatal heart, and muscle-specific Drp1 knockout (Drp1-KO) mice showed neonatal lethality due to dilated cardiomyopathy. The Drp1 ablation in heart and primary cultured cardiomyocytes resulted in severe mtDNA nucleoid clustering and led to mosaic deficiency of mitochondrial respiration. The functional and structural alteration of mitochondria also led to immature myofibril assembly and defective cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. Thus, the dynamics of mtDNA nucleoids regulated by mitochondrial fission is required for neonatal cardiomyocyte development by promoting homogeneous distribution of active mitochondria throughout the cardiomyocytes.

scholarly journals ROCK1 induces dopaminergic nerve cell apoptosis via the activation of Drp1-mediated aberrant mitochondrial fission in Parkinson’s disease

2019 ◽  
Vol 51 (10) ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qian Zhang ◽  
Changpeng Hu ◽  
Jingbin Huang ◽  
Wuyi Liu ◽  
Wenjing Lai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Nerve Cell ◽  
Cell Apoptosis ◽  
Regulatory Mechanism ◽  
Cell Model ◽  
Mitochondrial Fission ◽  
Nerve Cells ◽  
Pathologic Basis

Abstract Dopamine deficiency is mainly caused by apoptosis of dopaminergic nerve cells in the substantia nigra of the midbrain and the striatum and is an important pathologic basis of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Recent research has shown that dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1)-mediated aberrant mitochondrial fission plays a crucial role in dopaminergic nerve cell apoptosis. However, the upstream regulatory mechanism remains unclear. Our study showed that Drp1 knockdown inhibited aberrant mitochondrial fission and apoptosis. Importantly, we found that ROCK1 was activated in an MPP+-induced PD cell model and that ROCK1 knockdown and the specific ROCK1 activation inhibitor Y-27632 blocked Drp1-mediated aberrant mitochondrial fission and apoptosis of dopaminergic nerve cells by suppressing Drp1 dephosphorylation/activation. Our in vivo study confirmed that Y-27632 significantly improved symptoms in a PD mouse model by inhibiting Drp1-mediated aberrant mitochondrial fission and apoptosis. Collectively, our findings suggest an important molecular mechanism of PD pathogenesis involving ROCK1-regulated dopaminergic nerve cell apoptosis via the activation of Drp1-induced aberrant mitochondrial fission.

scholarly journals 3433 Tissue Engineered Nigrostriatal Pathway as a Test-Bed for Evaluating Axonal Pathophysiology in Parkinson’s disease

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (s1) ◽  
pp. 25-25
Author(s):  
Elisia Clark ◽  
Laura Struzyna ◽  
Wisberty Gordián-Vélez ◽  
Kacy Cullen
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Confocal Microscopy ◽  
Dopaminergic Neurons ◽  
Mitochondrial Dynamics ◽  
In Vitro Test ◽  
Nigrostriatal Pathway ◽  
Test Bed

OBJECTIVES/SPECIFIC AIMS: Selective loss of long-projecting neural circuitry is a common feature of many neurodegenerative diseases, such as the vulnerable nigrostriatal pathway in Parkinson’s disease (PD). Current in vitro approaches for studying disease development generally do not mimic complex anatomical features of the afflicted substrates such as long axonal pathways between stereotypical neural populations. Such exquisite features are not only crucial for neural systems function but may also contribute to the preferential vulnerability and pathophysiological progression of these structures in neurodegenerative disease. We have previously developed micro-tissue engineered neural networks to recapitulate the anatomy of long-projecting cortical axonal tracts encased in a tubular hydrogel.1 Recently, we have extended this work to include the first tissue-engineered nigrostriatal pathway that was anatomically-inspired to replicate the structure and function of the native pathway.2 Notably, this tissue-engineered brain pathway possesses three-dimensional (3D) structure, multicellular composition, and architecture of long axonal tracts between distinct neuronal populations. Therefore, in the current study we apply this system as a biofidelic test-bed for evaluating axonal pathway development, maturation, and pathophysiology. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: Dopaminergic neurons from the ventral mesencephalon and medium spiny neurons (MSNs) from the striatum were separately isolated from rat embryos. Tissue-engineered nigrostriatal pathways were formed by initially seeding dopaminergic neuron aggregates at one end of hollow hydrogel micro-columns with a central extracellular matrix, collectively spanning up to several centimeters in length. Several days later, tissue-engineered MSN aggregate was seeded on the other end and was allowed to integrate. Immunocytochemistry (ICC) and confocal microscopy were used to assess health, cytoarchitecture, synaptic integration, and mitochondrial dynamics with stains that label cell nuclei (Hoechst) and mitochondria (MitoTracker Red) and antibodies that recognize axons (anti-β-tubulinIII), neurons/dendrites (anti-MAP2), dopaminergic neurons/axons (anti-tyrosine hydroxylase; TH), and MSNs (anti-DARPP-32). RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Seeding tubular micro-columns with dopaminergic neuronal aggregates resulted in unidirectional axonal extension, ultimately spanning >5mm by 14 days in vitro. For constructs also seeded with Tissue-engineered, ICC confirmed the presence of the appropriate neuronal sub-types in the two aggregate populations, specifically TH+ dopaminergic neurons and DARPP-32+ MSNs. Moreover, confocal microscopy revealed extensive axonal-dendritic integration and synapse formation involving the dopaminergic axons and MSN somata/dendrites. Collectively, these constructs mimicked the general cytoarchitecture of the in vivo nigrostriatal pathway: a discrete population of dopaminergic neurons with long-projecting 3D axonal tracts that were synaptically integrated with a population of MSNs. Mitochondria structure along axonal tracts was also observed using MitoTracker staining, revealing dynamic intra-axonal mitochondrial motility in this system. Ongoing studies are evaluating real-time mitochondrial dynamics and axonal physiology in this tissue-engineered nigrostriatal pathway in vitro, under both baseline conditions as well as following the addition of exogenous α-Synuclein fibrils to model synucleinopathy in PD. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: This tissue-engineered nigrostriatal pathway provides an anatomically-inspired platform with neuronal-axonal architecture that structurally and functionally emulates the nigrostriatal pathway in vivo. We are applying this paradigm as a powerful in vitro test-bed for understanding mitochondrial activity and inter-axonal energetics pathways under homeostatic as well as PD pathological conditions. Successful demonstration will serve as proof-of-concept that this technique can be used to study mitochondria pathology in personalized constructs built using cells derived from PD patients in order to evaluate pharmacological therapies targeted at improving mitochondrial resiliency and fitness so as to delay and/or prevent dopaminergic axonal/neuronal degeneration in tailored to specific PD patients.

scholarly journals Dl-3-n-Butylphthalide Alleviates Behavioral and Cognitive Symptoms Via Modulating Mitochondrial Dynamics in the A53T-α-Synuclein Mouse Model of Parkinson’s Disease

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Huiying Li ◽  
Hongquan Wang ◽  
Ling Zhang ◽  
Manshi Wang ◽  
Yanfeng Li
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Mouse Model ◽  
Transgenic Mice ◽  
Dopaminergic Neurons ◽  
Mitochondrial Dynamics ◽  
Mitochondrial Fission ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Mitochondrial Morphology ◽  
Cognitive Symptoms

BackgroundAggregation and neurotoxicity of the presynaptic protein α-synuclein and the progressive loss of nigral dopaminergic neurons are believed to be the key hallmarks of Parkinson’s disease (PD). A53T mutant α-synuclein causes early onset PD and more severe manifestations. A growing body of evidence shows that misfolding or deposition of α-synuclein is linked to the maintenance of mitochondrial dynamics, which has been proven to play an important role in the pathogenesis of PD. It has been observed that Dl-3-n-butylphthalide (NBP) may be safe and effective in improving the non-tremor-dominant PD. However, the potential mechanism remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate whether NBP could decrease the loss of dopaminergic neurons and α-synuclein deposition and explore its possible neuroprotective mechanisms.MethodsA total of 20 twelve-month-old human A53T α-synuclein transgenic mice and 10 matched adult C57BL/6 mice were included in the study; 10 adult C57BL/6 mice were selected as the control group and administered with saline (0.2 ml daily for 14 days); 20 human A53T α-synuclein transgenic mice were randomly divided into A53T group (treated in the same manner as in the control group) and A53T + NBP group (treated with NBP 0.2 ml daily for 14 days). Several markers of mitochondrial fission and fusion and mitophagy were determined, and the behavioral, olfactory, and cognitive symptoms were assessed as well.ResultsIn the present study, it was observed that the A53T-α-synuclein PD mice exhibited anxiety-like behavioral disturbance, impairment of coordination ability, memory deficits, and olfactory dysfunction, loss of dopaminergic neurons, and α-synuclein accumulation. Meanwhile, the mitofusin 1 expression was significantly decreased, and the mitochondrial number and dynamin-related protein 1, Parkin, and LC3 levels were increased. The detected levels of all markers were reversed by NBP treatment, and the mitochondrial morphology was partially recovered.ConclusionIn the present study, a valuable neuropharmacological role of NBP has been established in the A53T-α-synuclein PD mouse model. Possible neuroprotective mechanisms might be that NBP is involved in the maintenance of mitochondrial dynamics including mitochondrial fission and fusion and clearance of damaged mitochondria. It is essential to perform further experiments to shed light on the precise mechanisms of NBP on mitochondrial homeostasis.

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