<Emphasis Type="Italic">parkin</Emphasis> counteracts symptoms in a <Emphasis Type="Italic">Drosophila</Emphasis> model of Parkinson's disease

Background

Parkinson's disease, a prevalent neurodegenerative disease, is characterized by the reduction of dopaminergic neurons resulting in the loss of motor control, resting tremor, the formation of neuronal inclusions and ultimately premature death. Two inherited forms of PD have been linked to mutations in the α-synuclein and parkin genes. The parkin protein functions as an ubiquitin ligase targeting specific proteins for degradation. Expression of human α-synuclein in Drosophila neurons recapitulates the loss of motor control, the development of neuronal inclusions, degeneration of dopaminergic neurons and the ommatidial array to provide an excellent genetic model of PD.

Results

To investigate the role of parkin, we have generated transgenic Drosophila that conditionally express parkin under the control of the yeast UAS enhancer. While expression of parkin has little consequence, co-expression of parkin with α-synuclein in the dopaminergic neurons suppresses the α-synuclein-induced premature loss of climbing ability. In addition directed expression of parkin in the eye counteracts the α-synuclein-induced degeneration of the ommatidial array. These results show that parkin suppresses the PD-like symptoms observed in the α-synuclein-dependent Drosophila model of PD.

Conclusion

The highly conserved parkin E3 ubiquitin ligase can suppress the damaging effects of human α-synuclein. These results are consistent with a role for parkin in targeting α-synuclein to the proteasome. If this relationship is conserved in humans, this suggests that up-regulation of parkin should suppress α-synucleinopathic PD. The development of therapies that regulate parkin activity may be crucial in the treatment of PD.

     

Liquid-crystalline phase behavior of a colloidal rod-plate mixture

The phase behavior of rod-plate mixtures was investigated using model systems containing unambiguously rod- and plate-shaped colloids. We find that the theoretically disputed biaxial nematic phase is unstable with respect to demixing into an isotropic and two uniaxial nematic phases. The phase behavior at very high densities is exceptionally rich and includes the coexistence of up to four different liquid crystalline phases, which stem from the coupling between the employed particle shapes and polydispersity.     

Cross-sections for deuteron photo-disintegration from 139 to 832 MeV

The cross-sections for deuteron photo-disintegration have been measured at nine c.m. angles from 37 to 143 degrees. The minimum and maximum photon energies have been 139 and 832 MeV respectively. The results are in agreement with earlier data above 300 MeV, but are significantly larger below 200 MeV, the discrepancies being up to 50% at the lowest energies measured.     

Novel pyridine-derived platinum complexes

Pyridine-derived platinum(II) complexes with the general formula [PtCl₂L₂] (L¹: 3,5-dimethylpyridine, L²: 2-amino-5-bromopyridine, L³: 4-(4-nitrobenzyl)pyridine) were synthesized. Characterization of the synthesized complexes was made via FT-IR, UV–Vis, ¹H-NMR and ¹³C-NMR techniques. While the thermal behavior of the complexes was investigated via DTA/TG combined system, their kinetic parameters were investigated by using Flynn–Wall–Ozawa (FWO) and Kissinger–Akahira–Sunose (KAS) methods. The activation energy of the decomposition kinetics of the complexes was calculated to be 196.5–31.7 kJ mol^?1 for FWO and 203.4–29.2 kJ mol^?1 for KAS. The cytotoxic effect of the complexes against the colon cancer cell line (DLD-1), which is one of the most common types of cancer observed both in humans and animals, was investigated. The complexes showed high cytotoxicity on DLD-1. In particular, [PtCl₂L ¹₂ ] complex was found to be the most effective compounds against colon cancer cell line during the 24 h incubation period. According to these results, the pyridine-derived platinum(II) complexes would contribute to oncologic treatment as chemotherapeutic agents.

     

Substituent Effects on Hydrogen Bonding in Watson–Crick Base Pairs. A Theoretical Study

We have theoretically analyzed Watson–Crick AT and GC base pairs in which purine C8 and/or pyrimidine C6 positions carry a substituent X = H, F, Cl or Br, using the generalized gradient approximation (GGA) of density functional theory at BP86/TZ2P. The purpose is to study the effects on structure and hydrogen bond strength if X = H is substituted by a halogen atom. Furthermore, we wish to explore the relative importance of electrostatic attraction versus orbital interaction in the above multiply hydrogen-bonded systems, using a quantitative bond energy decomposition scheme. We find that replacing X = H by a halogen atom has relatively small yet characteristic effects on hydrogen bond lengths, strengths and bonding mechanism. In general, it reduces the hydrogen-bond-accepting- and increases the hydrogen-bond-donating capabilities of a DNA base. The orbital interaction component in these hydrogen bonds is found for all substituents (X = H, F, Cl, and Br) to contribute about 41% of the attractive interactions and is thus of the same order of magnitude as the electrostatic component, which provides the remaining 59% of the attraction.     

Luminescent core–shell Ca2MoO5:Eu3+-MCM-41 structure for sustained drug release

The spherical mesoporous MCM-41 coated with a novel Ca₂MoO₅:Eu³⁺ phosphor layer was prepared for the first time. The obtained Ca₂MoO₅:Eu³⁺-MCM-41 was characterized via XRD and FT-IR. The crystal system of the Ca₂MoO₅ phase was determined to be orthorhombic, and its space group was found to be Ima2 (46), and its cell parameters were a = 16.175, b = 5.1514, c = 5.6977 A°; α = β = γ = 90°. The particle dimensions of MCM-41 and Ca₂MoO₅:Eu³⁺-MCM-41 nanoparticles were determined to be 260 nm and 229 nm via scanning electron microscopy analysis. Bortezomib was loaded into the Ca₂MoO₅:Eu³⁺-MCM-41 nanoparticles under scCO₂ at 200 bars and 40 °C. The results of the TG analysis showed that the amount of drug-loaded to MCM-41 and Ca₂MoO₅:Eu³⁺-MCM-41 nanoparticles were determined to be 14.02% and 3.02%, respectively. The BET analysis showed that while the specific surface area and pore volume of MCM-41 and Ca₂MoO₅:Eu³⁺ before Bortezomib (BTZ) loading were 1,506 m²/g and 267 m²/g, respectively, after drug loading these values were found to decrease to 488 m²/g and 7.883 m²/g. It was determined that BTZ was released from the nanoparticles in a sustained manner over 66 h. The R² value, which was calculated to be 0.9739, indicated that the release kinetic of BTZ followed the Korsmeyer–Peppas model.