Furthermore, in Wnt4 gene overexpression PD transgenic Drosophila, down-regulation autophagy and apoptosis-related proteins Ref(2)P, Pro-Caspase3, and up-regulation of Beclin1, Atg8a, Bcl2 protein were confirmed by Western Blotting.
We hypothesize that the regulation of BCL2 proteins may explain this selective vulnerability, and may even provide a novel therapeutic opportunity - strengthening weak links such as MCL1 could result in a delay or complete abrogation of cell death during PD.
While among these iridoids, catalpol, 10-O-trans-p-coumaroylcatalpol, geniposide and harpagoside, in PD improved the expressions of GDNF and Bcl-2 proteins and TH-positive neurons by increasing the levels of antioxidant enzymes, SOD and GSH-P<sub>X</sub> and down-regulating insulin/IGF signalling via activation of MEK protein.
Caffeic acid reduces A53T α-synuclein by activating JNK/Bcl-2-mediated autophagy in vitro and improves behaviour and protects dopaminergic neurons in a mouse model of Parkinson's disease.
We stratified 75 brain tissues from Alzheimer's disease into hyperphosphorylated tau positive or negative and did co-expression analyses and qRTPCR for importin-β and exportin-5 plus several bcl2 family members and compared the data to controls, Down's dementia and Parkinson's disease.
miR-34a and its target gene, BCL-2, play a possible role in the induction of apoptosis in DA neurons, and therefore, they have a potential role in the pathogenesis of PD.
To more fully understand the biological basis of Bcl-2 genes in PD, we altered the expression of Buffy in the dopamine producing neurons with and without the expression of α-synuclein, and in the developing neuron-rich eye.
Paradoxically, these BCL2 proteins, required for proper development of the dopaminergic system, may also cause vulnerability of this system in the adult, as these BCL2 proteins have recently been linked to Parkinson's disease.
Programmed cell death of the nigro-striatal dopamine neurons in PD has been suggested from the following findings on postmortem brains: (1) increased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-alpha and IL-6; (2) increased levels of apoptosis-related factors such as TNF-alpha receptor R1 (p 55), soluble Fas and bcl-2, and increased activities of caspases 1 and 3; and (3) decreased levels of neurotrophins such as brain-derived nerve growth factor (BDNF).
Proteolytic activation of proapoptotic kinase PKCdelta is regulated by overexpression of Bcl-2: implications for oxidative stress and environmental factors in Parkinson's disease.
These results, demonstrating that death of nigral neurons induced by 6-OHDA lesioning may be blocked by the expression of Bcl-2, are consistent with the notion that cell death in this model system is at least in part apoptotic in nature and suggest that a Bcl-2-expressing vector may have therapeutic potential in the treatment of Parkinson's disease.