Alpha-Synuclein Disrupted Dopamine Homeostasis Leads to Dopaminergic Neuron Degeneration in Caenorhabditis elegans

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Issue Date
2010-02-19Author
Cao, Pengxiu
Yuan, Yiyuan
Pehek, Elizabeth A.
Moise, Alexander R.
Huang, Ying
Palczewski, Krzysztof
Feng, Zhaoyang
Publisher
Public Library of Science
Type
Article
Article Version
Scholarly/refereed, publisher version
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Disruption of dopamine homeostasis may lead to dopaminergic neuron degeneration, a proposed explanation for the specific vulnerability of dopaminergic neurons in Parkinson's disease. While expression of human α-synuclein in C. elegans results in dopaminergic neuron degeneration, the effects of α-synuclein on dopamine homeostasis and its contribution to dopaminergic neuron degeneration in C. elegans have not been reported. Here, we examined the effects of α-synuclein overexpression on worm dopamine homeostasis. We found that α-synuclein expression results in upregulation of dopamine synthesis and content, and redistribution of dopaminergic synaptic vesicles, which significantly contribute to dopaminergic neuron degeneration. These results provide in vivo evidence supporting a critical role for dopamine homeostasis in supporting dopaminergic neuron integrity.
Description
This is the publisher's version, also available electronically from http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0009312
ISSN
1932-6203Collections
- Pharmacy Scholarly Works [293]
Citation
Cao, Penxiu et al. (2010). Alpha-Synuclein Disrupted Dopamine Homeostasis Leads to Dopaminergic Neuron Degeneration in Caenorhabditis elegans. PLOS One 5(2):e9312. http://www.dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0009312
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