| First Author | Hao Ling-Yang | Year | 2010 |
| Journal | Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A | Volume | 107 |
| Pages | 9747-52 | PubMed ID | 20457924 |
| Abstract Text | Mutations or deletions in PARKIN/PARK2, PINK1/PARK6, and DJ-1/PARK7 lead to autosomal recessive parkinsonism. In Drosophila, deletions in parkin and pink1 result in swollen and dysfunctional mitochondria in energy-demanding tissues. The relationship between DJ-1 and mitochondria, however, remains unclear. We now report that Drosophila and mouse mutants in DJ-1 show compromised mitochondrial function with age. Flies deleted for DJ-1 manifest similar defects as pink1 and parkin mutants: male sterility, shortened lifespan, and reduced climbing ability. We further found poorly coupled mitochondria in vitro and reduced ATP levels in fly and mouse DJ-1 mutants. Surprisingly, up-regulation of DJ-1 can ameliorate pink1, but not parkin, mutants in Drosophila; cysteine C104 (analogous to C106 in human) is critical for this rescue, implicating the oxidative functions of DJ-1 in this property. These results suggest that DJ-1 is important for proper mitochondrial function and acts downstream of, or in parallel to, pink1. These findings link DJ-1, pink1, and parkin to mitochondrial integrity and provide the foundation for therapeutics that link bioenergetics and parkinsonism. | Doi | 10.1073/pnas.0911175107 |
| Issue | 21 | Month | May |
