title: Chaperone suppression of alpha-synuclein toxicity in a Drosophila model for Parkinson's disease.
abstract: Parkinson's disease is a movement disorder characterized by degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta. Dopaminergic neuronal loss also occurs in Drosophila melanogaster upon directed expression of alpha-synuclein, a protein implicated in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease and a major component of proteinaceous Lewy bodies. We report that directed expression of the molecular chaperone Hsp70 prevented dopaminergic neuronal loss associated with alpha-synuclein in Drosophila and that interference with endogenous chaperone activity accelerated alpha-synuclein toxicity. Furthermore, Lewy bodies in human postmortem tissue immunostained for molecular chaperones, also suggesting that chaperones may play a role in Parkinson's disease progression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania and University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
authors.forename: Pavan K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Auluck
authors.forename: H Y Edwin
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: John Q
authors.initials: JQ
authors.lastname: Trojanowski
authors.forename: Virginia M Y
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Nancy M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Bonini
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D050883:HSC70 Heat-Shock Proteins; D050956:HSP40 Heat-Shock Proteins; D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D002479:Inclusion Bodies / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure; D016631:Lewy Bodies / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008297:Male; D009410:Nerve Degeneration; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D019636:Neurodegenerative Diseases / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D020734:Parkinsonian Disorders / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D051843:Synucleins; D019076:Transgenes; D051844:alpha-Synuclein
chemical_list: D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D050883:HSC70 Heat-Shock Proteins; D050956:HSP40 Heat-Shock Proteins; D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; C424447:Hsc70-4 protein, Drosophila; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C497604:SNCA protein, human; D051843:Synucleins; D051844:alpha-Synuclein; D004298:Dopamine