Altered proteasomal function in sporadic Parkinson's disease.
Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized pathologically by preferential degeneration of the dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc). Nigral cell death is accompanied by the accumulation of a wide range of poorly degraded proteins and the formation of proteinaceous inclusions (Lewy bodies) in dopaminergic neurons. Mutations in the genes encoding alpha-synuclein and two enzymes of the ubiquitin-proteasome system, parkin and ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase L1, are associated with neurodegeneration in some familial forms of PD. We now show that, in comparison to age-matched controls, alpha-subunits (but not beta-subunits) of 26/20S proteasomes are lost within dopaminergic neurons and 20S proteasomal enzymatic activities are impaired in the SNc in sporadic PD. In addition, while the levels of the PA700 proteasome activator are reduced in the SNc in PD, PA700 expression is increased in other brain regions such as the frontal cortex and striatum. We also found that levels of the PA28 proteasome activator are very low to almost undetectable in the SNc compared to other brain areas in both normal and PD subjects. These findings suggest that failure of the ubiquitin-proteasome system to adequately clear unwanted proteins may underlie vulnerability and degeneration of the SNc in both sporadic and familial PD.
McNaught
Kevin St P
KS
Neurodegenerative Disease Research Centre, GKT School of Biomedical Sciences, King's College, London Bridge, London SE1 1UL, UK.
Belizaire
Roger
R
Isacson
Ole
O
Jenner
Peter
P
Olanow
C Warren
CW
D000368:Aged; D001921:Brain / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases / Q000172:deficiency / Q000378:metabolism*; D004298:Dopamine / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009097:Multienzyme Complexes / Q000172:deficiency / Q000378:metabolism*; D009474:Neurons / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D009928:Organ Specificity; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases / Q000172:deficiency / Q000378:metabolism*; D046988:Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex; D021122:Protein Subunits / Q000172:deficiency / Q000378:metabolism; D013378:Substantia Nigra / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology
D009097:Multienzyme Complexes; D021122:Protein Subunits; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases; D046988:Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex; C061553:ATP dependent 26S protease; D004298:Dopamine