Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0030567 (Parkinson's disease)
 63,064 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

We previously reported that dieldrin, one of the potential environmental risk factors for development of Parkinson's disease, induces apoptosis in dopaminergic cells by generating oxidative stress. Here, we demonstrate that the caspase-3-dependent proteolytic activation of protein kinase Cdelta (PKCdelta) mediates as well as regulates the dieldrin-induced apoptotic cascade in dopaminergic cells. Exposure of PC12 cells to dieldrin (100-300 microM) results in the rapid release of cytochrome C, followed by the activation of caspase-9 and caspase-3 in a time- and dose-dependent manner. The superoxide dismutase mimetic Mn(III)tetrakis(4-benzoic acid)porphyrin chloride significantly attenuates dieldrin-induced cytochrome C release, indicating that reactive oxygen species may contribute to the activation of pro-apoptotic factors. Interestingly, dieldrin proteolytically cleaves native PKCdelta into a 41 kDa catalytic subunit and a 38 kDa regulatory subunit to activate the kinase. The dieldrin-induced proteolytic cleavage of PKCdelta and induction of kinase activity are completely inhibited by pretreatment with 50-100 microM concentrations of the caspase inhibitors benzyloxycarbonyl-Val-Ala-Asp-fluoromethylketone (Z-VAD-FMK) and benzyloxycarbonyl-Asp-Glu-Val-Asp-fluoromethylketone (Z-DEVD-FMK), indicating that the proteolytic activation of PKCdelta is caspase-3-dependent. Additionally, Z-VAD-FMK, Z-DEVD-FMK or the PKCdelta specific inhibitor rottlerin almost completely block dieldrin-induced DNA fragmentation. Because dieldrin dramatically increases (40-80-fold) caspase-3 activity, we examined whether proteolytically activated PKCdelta amplifies caspase-3 via positive feedback activation. The PKCdelta inhibitor rottlerin (3-20 microM) dose-dependently attenuates dieldrin-induced caspase-3 activity, suggesting positive feedback activation of caspase-3 by PKCdelta. Indeed, delivery of catalytically active recombinant PKCdelta via a protein delivery system significantly activates caspase-3 in PC12 cells. Finally, overexpression of the kinase-inactive PKCdelta(K376R) mutant in rat mesencephalic dopaminergic neuronal cells attenuates dieldrin-induced caspase-3 activity and DNA fragmentation, further confirming the pro-apoptotic function of PKCdelta in dopaminergic cells. Together, we conclude that caspase-3-dependent proteolytic activation of PKCdelta is a critical event in dieldrin-induced apoptotic cell death in dopaminergic cells.
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PMID:Dieldrin induces apoptosis by promoting caspase-3-dependent proteolytic cleavage of protein kinase Cdelta in dopaminergic cells: relevance to oxidative stress and dopaminergic degeneration. 1283 55

Molecular machinery involved in apoptosis plays a role in neuronal death in neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's disease (PD) and Huntington's disease (HD). Several caspase inhibitors, such as the well-known peptidyl inhibitor carbobenzoxy-Val-Ala-Asp-fluoromethylketone (zVADfmk), can protect neurons from apoptotic death caused by mitochondrial toxins. However, the poor penetrability of zVADfmk into brain and toxicity limits its use therapeutically. In the present study, a novel peptidyl broad-spectrum caspase inhibitor, Q-VD-OPH, which offers improvements in potency, stability, and toxicity over zVADfmk, showed significant protection against 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP), 3-nitropropionic acid (3NP), and malonate toxicities. Q-VD-OPH significantly reduced dopamine depletion in striatum produced by MPTP administration and prevented MPTP-induced loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra. It significantly reduced the size of striatal lesions produced by intrastriatal malonate injections and systemic administration of 3NP. Western blots performed on tissues from the midbrain following administration of MPTP or the striatum in 3NP-treated animals showed increases of the active forms of caspase-9 and caspase-8, as well as the caspase-8-mediated proapoptotic protein Bid, which were inhibited Q-VD-OPH treatment. These findings suggest that systematically active broad-spectrum caspase inhibitors maybe useful in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases such as PD and HD.
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PMID:A novel systemically active caspase inhibitor attenuates the toxicities of MPTP, malonate, and 3NP in vivo. 1547 62

Manganese (Mn) exposure causes manganism, a neurological disorder similar to Parkinson's disease. However, the cellular mechanism by which Mn induces dopaminergic neuronal cell death remains unclear. In the present study, we sought to investigate the key downstream apoptotic cell signaling events that contribute to Mn-induced cell death in mesencephalic dopaminergic neuronal (N27) cells. Mn exposure induced a dose-dependent increase in neuronal cell death in N27 cells. The cell death was accompanied by sequential activation of mitochondrial-dependent proapoptotic events, including cytochrome c release, caspase-3 activation, and DNA fragmentation, but not caspase-8 activation, indicating that the mitochondrial-dependent apoptotic cascade primarily triggers Mn-induced apoptosis. Notably, Mn treatment proteolytically activated protein kinase Cdelta (PKCdelta), a member of a novel class of protein kinase C. The caspase-3 specific inhibitor benzyloxycarbonyl-Asp-Glu-Val-Asp-fluoromethylketone (Z-DEVD-FMK) significantly blocked PKCdelta cleavage and its kinase activity, indicating that caspase-3 mediates the proteolytic activation. Cotreatment with the PKCdelta inhibitor rottlerin or the caspase-3 inhibitor Z-DEVD-FMK almost completely blocked Mn-induced DNA fragmentation. Additionally, N27 cells expressing a catalytically inactive PKCdelta(K376R) protein (PKCdelta dominant negative mutant) or a caspase cleavage resistant PKCdelta(D327A) protein (PKCdelta cleavage resistant mutant) were found to be resistant to Mn-induced apoptosis. To further establish the proapoptotic role of PKCdelta, RNA interference-mediated gene knockdown was performed. Small interfering RNA suppression of PKCdelta expression protected N27 cells from Mn-induced apoptotic cell death. Collectively, these results suggest that caspase-3-dependent proteolytic activation of PKCdelta plays a key role in Mn-induced apoptotic cell death.
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PMID:Protein kinase Cdelta is a key downstream mediator of manganese-induced apoptosis in dopaminergic neuronal cells. 1560 81

Apoptosis is implicated in many neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson's disease (PD). Neuroprotective strategies targeting apoptosis need to preserve functional integrity of the saved cells to be effective. The aim of the present study was to evaluate a novel approach for analyzing neuronal function that monitors cellular metabolic responses to receptor activation using the microphysiometer. N-Acetyl-sphingosine (C2-ceramide) induced cell death of the neuronal cell line, Cath.a-differentiated (CAD) cells, which resemble catecholaminergic cells of the CNS, and provide a useful in vitro model for the cells affected in PD. C2-ceramide also suppressed the metabolic response of CAD cells to muscarinic receptor activation. Pretreatment with the caspase inhibitor Boc-Asp-(OMe)-fluoromethylketone (BAF) plus neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) reduced C2- ceramide-induced CAD cell death, delaying cell death more effectively than either agent alone; and, most significantly, BAF and NT-3 enabled the cells remaining 24 h after toxin treatment to generate a normal metabolic response to the muscarinic agonist carbachol. On the basis of these results, we suggest that measuring metabolic responses to receptor activation is a useful method for following neuronal viability after toxin treatment and that the combination of caspase inhibitors and neurotrophic factors might be a plausible strategy for improving neuronal survival, with critical preservation of metabolic function.
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PMID:Metabolic activity: a novel indicator of neuronal survival in the murine dopaminergic cell line CAD. 1605 47

Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder which is in most cases of unknown etiology. Mutations of the Park-2 gene are the most frequent cause of familial parkinsonism and parkin knockout (PK-KO) mice have abnormalities that resemble the clinical syndrome. We investigated the interaction of genetic and environmental factors, treating midbrain neuronal cultures from PK-KO and wild-type (WT) mice with rotenone (ROT). ROT (0.025-0.1 microm) produced a dose-dependent selective reduction of tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactive cells and of other neurons, as shown by the immunoreactivity to microtubule-associated protein 2 in PK-KO cultures, suggesting that the toxic effect of ROT involved dopamine and other types of neurons. Neuronal death was mainly apoptotic and suppressible by the caspase inhibitor t-butoxycarbonyl-Asp(OMe)-fluoromethyl ketone (Boc-D-FMK). PK-KO cultures were more susceptible to apoptosis induced by low doses of ROT than those from WT. ROT increased the proportion of astroglia and microglia more in PK-KO than in WT cultures. Indomethacin, a cyclo-oxygenase inhibitor, worsened the effects of ROT on tyrosine hydroxylase cells, apoptosis and astroglial (glial fibrillary acidic protein) cells. N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester, an inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase, increased ROT-induced apoptosis but did not change tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactive or glial fibrillary acidic protein area. Neither indomethacin nor N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester had any effect on the reduction by ROT of the mitochondrial potential as measured by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide. Microglial NADPH oxidase inhibition, however, protected against ROT. The roles of p38 MAPK and extracellular signal-regulated kinase signaling pathways were tested by treatment with SB20358 and PD98059, respectively. These compounds were inactive in ROT-naive cultures but PD98059 slightly increased cellular necrosis, as measured by lactate dehydrogenase levels, caused by ROT, without changing mitochondrial activity. SB20358 increased the mitochondrial failure and lactate dehydrogenase elevation induced by ROT. Minocycline, an inhibitor of microglia, prevented the dropout of tyrosine hydroxylase and apoptosis by ROT; the addition of microglia from PK-KO to WT neuronal cultures increased the sensitivity of dopaminergic neurons to ROT. PK-KO mice were more susceptible than WT to ROT and the combined effects of Park-2 suppression and ROT reproduced the cellular events observed in Parkinson's disease. These events were prevented by minocycline.
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PMID:Susceptibility to rotenone is increased in neurons from parkin null mice and is reduced by minocycline. 1657 51

Our previous studies indicate that the KDI (Lys-Asp-Ile) tripeptide of gamma1 laminin protects central neurons from mechanical trauma and excitotoxicity. At least part of the neuroprotective effect of the KDI tripeptide may be mediated by its inhibitory function on ionotropic glutamate receptors. We studied the protective effect of the KDI tripeptide against 6-hydroxy-dopamine (6-OHDA) induced neurotoxicity in a rat experimental model of Parkinson's disease (PD). We found that a single unilateral injection of the KDI tripeptide into the substantia nigra before an injection of 6-OHDA protected the dopaminergic neurons from the neurotoxicity of 6-OHDA. Compared to rats treated with 6-OHDA alone, the KDI + 6-OHDA-treated substantia nigra was relatively intact with large numbers of dopaminergic neurons present at the injection side. In the rats treated with 6-OHDA alone, no dopaminergic neurons were detected, and the substantia nigra-area at the injection side was filled with blood-containing cavities. Quantification of the rescue effect of the KDI tripeptide indicated that, in animals receiving KDI before 6-OHDA, 33% of tyrosine hydroxylase-positive dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra were present as compared to the contralateral non-injected side. In animals receiving 6-OHDA alone, only 1.4% of the tyrosine hydroxylase expressing dopaminergic neurons could be verified. If this much protection were achieved in humans, it would be sufficient to diminish or greatly alleviate the clinical symptoms of PD. We propose that the KDI tripeptide or its derivatives might offer a neuroprotective biological alternative for treatment of PD.
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PMID:KDI tripeptide of gamma1 laminin protects rat dopaminergic neurons from 6-OHDA induced toxicity. 1681 Jun 83

A comprehensive, unbiased inventory of synuclein forms present in Lewy bodies from patients with dementia with Lewy bodies was carried out using two-dimensional immunoblot analysis, novel sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays with modification-specific synuclein antibodies, and mass spectroscopy. The predominant modification of alpha-synuclein in Lewy bodies is a single phosphorylation at Ser-129. In addition, there is a set of characteristic modifications that are present to a lesser extent, including ubiquitination at Lys residues 12, 21, and 23 and specific truncations at Asp-115, Asp-119, Asn-122, Tyr-133, and Asp-135. No other modifications are detectable by tandem mass spectrometry mapping, except for a ubiquitous N-terminal acetylation. Small amounts of Ser-129 phosphorylated and Asp-119-truncated alpha-synuclein are present in the soluble fraction of both normal and disease brains, suggesting that these Lewy body-associated forms are produced during normal metabolism of alpha-synuclein. In contrast, ubiquitination is only detected in Lewy bodies and is primarily present on phosphorylated synuclein; it therefore likely occurs after phosphorylated synuclein has deposited into Lewy bodies. This invariant pattern of specific phosphorylation, truncation, and ubiquitination is also present in the detergent-insoluble fraction of brain from patients with familial Parkinson's disease (synuclein A53T mutation) as well as multiple system atrophy, suggesting a common pathogenic pathway for both genetic and sporadic Lewy body diseases. These observations are most consistent with a model in which preferential accumulation of normally produced Ser-129 phosphorylated alpha-synuclein is the key event responsible for the formation of Lewy bodies in various Lewy body diseases.
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PMID:Phosphorylation of Ser-129 is the dominant pathological modification of alpha-synuclein in familial and sporadic Lewy body disease. 1684 63

Oxidative stress and apoptosis are considered common mediators of many neurodegenerative disorders including Parkinson's disease (PD). Recently, we identified that PKCdelta, a member of the novel PKC isoform family, is proteolytically activated by caspase-3 to induce apoptosis in experimental models of PD [Eur. J. Neurosci. 18 (6):1387-1401, 2003; Antioxid. Redox Signal. 5 (5):609-620, 2003]. Since caspase-3 cleaves PKCdelta between proline and aspartate residues at the cleavage site 324DIPD327 to activate the kinase, we developed an irreversible and competitive peptide inhibitor, Z-Asp(OMe)-Ile-Pro-Asp(OMe)-FMK (z-DIPD-fmk), to mimic the caspase-3 cleavage site of PKCdelta and tested its efficacy against oxidative stress-induced cell death in PD models. Cotreatment of z-DIPD-fmk with the parkinsonian toxins MPP(+) and 6-OHDA dose dependently attenuated cytotoxicity, caspase-3 activation, and DNA fragmentation in a mesencephalic dopaminergic neuronal cell model (N27 cells). However, z-DIPD-fmk treatment did not block MPP(+)-induced increases in caspase-9 enzyme activity. The z-DIPD-fmk peptide was much more potent (IC50 6 microM) than the most widely used and commercially available caspase-3 inhibitor z-DEVD-fmk (IC50 18 microM). Additionally, z-DIPD-fmk more effectively blocked PKCdelta cleavage and proteolytic activation than the cleavage of another caspase-3 substrate, poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP). Importantly, the peptide inhibitor z-DIPD-fmk completely rescued TH(+) neurons from MPP(+)- and 6-OHDA-induced toxicity in mouse primary mesencephalic cultures. Collectively, these results demonstrate that the PKCdelta cleavage site is a novel target for development of a neuroprotective therapeutic strategy for PD.
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PMID:A novel peptide inhibitor targeted to caspase-3 cleavage site of a proapoptotic kinase protein kinase C delta (PKCdelta) protects against dopaminergic neuronal degeneration in Parkinson's disease models. 1704 26

Alpha-synuclein (alpha-syn) is the major protein component of the insoluble fibrils that make up Lewy bodies, the hallmark lesions of Parkinson's disease. Its C-terminal region contains motifs of charged amino acids that potentially bind metal ions, as well as several identified phosphorylation sites. We have investigated the metal-binding properties of synthetic model peptides and phosphopeptides that correspond to residues 119-132 of the C-terminal, polyacidic stretch of human alpha-syn, with the sequence Ac-Asp-Pro-Asp-Asn-Glu-Ala-Tyr-Glu-Met-Pro-Ser-Glu-Glu-Gly (alpha-syn119-132). The peptide pY125 replaces tyrosine with phosphotyrosine, whereas pS129 replaces serine with phosphoserine. By using Tb(3+) as a luminescent probe of metal binding, we find a marked selectivity of pY125 for Tb(3+) compared with pS129 and alpha-syn119-132, a result confirmed by isothermal titration calorimetry. Truncated or alanine-substituted peptides show that the phosphoester group on tyrosine provides a metal-binding anchor that is supplemented by carboxylic acid groups at positions 119, 121, and 126 to establish a multidentate ligand, while two glutamic acid residues at positions 130 and 131 contribute to binding additional Tb(3+) ions. The interaction of other metal ions was investigated by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, which confirmed that pY125 is selective for trivalent metal ions over divalent metal ions, and revealed that Fe(3+) and Al(3+) induce peptide dimerization through metal ion cross-links. Circular dichroism showed that Fe(3+) can induce a partially folded structure for pY125, whereas no change was observed for pS129 or the unphosphorylated analog. The results of this study show that the type and location of a phosphorylated amino acid influence a peptide's metal-binding specificity and affinity as well as its overall conformation.
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PMID:Phosphorylation-dependent metal binding by alpha-synuclein peptide fragments. 1708 19

Mutations in the LRRK2 (leucine-rich repeat kinase-2) gene cause late-onset PD (Parkinson's disease). LRRK2 contains leucine-rich repeats, a GTPase domain, a COR [C-terminal of Roc (Ras of complex)] domain, a kinase and a WD40 (Trp-Asp 40) motif. Little is known about how LRRK2 is regulated, what its physiological substrates are or how mutations affect LRRK2 function. Thus far LRRK2 activity has only been assessed by autophosphorylation and phosphorylation of MBP (myelin basic protein), which is catalysed rather slowly. We undertook a KESTREL (kinase substrate tracking and elucidation) screen in rat brain extracts to identify proteins that were phosphorylated by an activated PD mutant of LRRK2 (G2019S). This led to the discovery that moesin, a protein which anchors the actin cytoskeleton to the plasma membrane, is efficiently phosphorylated by LRRK2, at Thr558, a previously identified in-vivo-phosphorylation site that regulates the ability of moesin to bind actin. LRRK2 also phosphorylated ezrin and radixin, which are related to moesin, at the residue equivalent to Thr558, as well as a peptide (LRRKtide: RLGRDKYKTLRQIRQ) encompassing Thr558. We exploited these findings to determine how nine previously reported PD mutations of LRRK2 affected kinase activity. Only one of the mutations analysed, namely G2019S, stimulated kinase activity. Four mutations inhibited LRRK2 kinase activity (R1941H, I2012T, I2020T and G2385R), whereas the remainder (R1441C, R1441G, Y1699C and T2356I) did not influence activity. Therefore the manner in which LRRK2 mutations induce PD is more complex than previously imagined and is not only caused by an increase in LRRK2 kinase activity. Finally, we show that the minimum catalytically active fragment of LRRK2 requires an intact GTPase, COR and kinase domain, as well as a WD40 motif and a C-terminal tail. The results of the present study suggest that moesin, ezrin and radixin may be LRRK2 substrates, findings that have been exploited to develop the first robust quantitative assay to measure LRRK2 kinase activity.
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PMID:LRRK2 phosphorylates moesin at threonine-558: characterization of how Parkinson's disease mutants affect kinase activity. 1744 91


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