& Heldr., were screened against acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) associated with Alzheimer's disease as well as tyrosinase (TYR) linked to Parkinson's disease using ELISA microplate assay at 200 μg/mL.
Tyrosinase (TYR) plays a vital role in melanin biosynthesis and is widely regarded as a relatively specific marker for melanocytic lesions which involve vitiligo, malignant cutaneous melanoma, Parkinson's disease (PD), etc.
On these premises, tyrosinase, a key copper enzyme known for its role in the synthesis of melanin in skin and hair, has been proposed to take part in the oxidative chemistry related to Parkinson disease.
Stable transfection of wild-type parkin suppressed tyrosinase-induced apoptosis, and PD-associated mutations abolished the neuroprotective effect of parkin.
This argues against a strong genetic association between tyrosinase and PD, although the observed contribution to cellular toxicity suggests that a biochemical association is likely.