PUBLICATION

Melatonin rescues zebrafish embryos from the parkinsonian phenotype restoring the Parkin/PINK1/DJ-1/MUL1 network

Authors
Díaz-Casado, M.E., Lima, E., García, J.A., Doerrier, C., Aranda, P., Sayed, R.K., Guerra-Librero, A., G Escames, G., López, L.C., Acuña-Castroviejo, D.
ID
ZDB-PUB-160412-7
Date
2016
Source
Journal of pineal research   61(1): 96-107 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Keywords
MPTP, Melatonin, Parkinson′s disease, Zebrafish, mitochondrial complex I, mitochondrial-related genes
MeSH Terms
  • Animals
  • Embryo, Nonmammalian/metabolism*
  • MPTP Poisoning/drug therapy*
  • MPTP Poisoning/genetics
  • MPTP Poisoning/metabolism
  • Melatonin/pharmacology*
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins/genetics
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins/metabolism*
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases/genetics
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases/metabolism*
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases/genetics
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases/metabolism*
  • Zebrafish/genetics
  • Zebrafish/metabolism*
  • Zebrafish Proteins/genetics
  • Zebrafish Proteins/metabolism*
PubMed
27064726 Full text @ J. Pineal Res.
Abstract
Multiple studies reporting mitochondrial impairment in Parkinson's disease (PD) involve knockout or knockdown models to abrogate the expression of mitochondrial-related genes, including Parkin, PINK1, and DJ-1 ones. Melatonin has significant neuroprotective properties, which have been related to its ability to boost mitochondrial bioenergetics. The meaning and molecular targets of melatonin in PD are yet unclear. Zebrafish are an outstanding model of PD because they are vertebrates, their dopaminergic system is comparable to the nigrostriatal system of humans, and their brains express the same genes as mammals. The exposure of 24 hpf zebrafish embryos to MPTP leads to a significant inhibition of the mitochondrial complex I and the induction of sncga gene, responsible for enhancing γ-synuclein accumulation, which is related to mitochondrial dysfunction. Moreover, MPTP inhibited the parkin/PINK1/DJ-1 expression, impeding the normal function of the Parkin/PINK1/DJ-1/MUL1 network to remove damaged mitochondria. This situation remains over time, and removing MPTP from the treatment did not stop the neurodegenerative process. On the contrary, mitochondria become worse during the next two days without MPTP, and the embryos developed a severe motor impairment that cannot be rescued because the mitochondrial-related gene expression remained inhibited. Melatonin, added together with MPTP or added once MPTP was removed, prevented and recovered, respectively, the parkinsonian phenotype once it was established, restoring gene expression and normal function of the Parkin/PINK1/DJ-1/MUL1 loop and, also, the normal motor activity of the embryos. The results show, for the first time, that melatonin restores brain function in zebrafish suffering with Parkinson-like disease. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Genes / Markers
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Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping