A correction for this article has been published in Molecular Neurodegeneration 2009, 4:30

Research article

Dissembled DJ-1 high molecular weight complex in cortex mitochondria from Parkinson's disease patients

Hikmet Nural¹ , Ping He¹ , Thomas Beach² , Lucia Sue² , Weiming Xia³ and Yong Shen¹

¹  Haldeman Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Sun Health Research Institute, Sun City, Arizona, USA

²  Civin Laboratory for Neuropathology and Brain Donation Program, Sun Health Research Institute, Sun City, Arizona, USA

³  Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

author email corresponding author email

Molecular Neurodegeneration 2009, 4:23doi:10.1186/1750-1326-4-23

Published:	4 June 2009

Abstract

The PARK7 gene encodes a protein, DJ-1, with several functions such as protection of cells from oxidative stress, sperm maturation and fertilization, and chaperone activity. Mutations in the PARK7 gene are associated with autosomal recessive early-onset Parkinson's disease (PD). DJ-1 has been reported to be expressed in multiple cells in the central nerve system. Here, by using both native and denatured Western blots, we examined levels of total DJ-1 and high molecular weight complexes of DJ-1 (HMW) in both the substantia nigra and cortex from rapidly autopsied 18 PD and 9 non-pathological control (NPC) brains. We have discovered that the level of total DJ-1 protein is significantly reduced in the substantia nigra in brains of sporadic PD patients. Moreover, in the PD cortex mitochondria fraction, the HMW DJ-1 complex is significantly lower than in the NPC. These results suggest abnormal DJ-1 expression levels and DJ-1 complex changes may contribute to PD pathogenesis.