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Parkinson’s disease-associated DJ-1 modulates innate immunity signaling in Caenorhabditis elegans

  • Basic Neurosciences, Genetics and Immunology - Short Communication
  • Published:
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Abstract

DJ-1 is a neuroprotective gene mutated in recessive Parkinson’s disease (PD). In addition to direct protective functions in neurons, DJ-1 regulates neuroinflammatory signaling in primary mouse brain astrocytes. To assess the influence of DJ-1 on innate immunity signaling in vivo, we have generated djr-1 knockout Caenorhabditis elegans. When grown on pathogenic gram-negative bacteria, djr-1−/− worms showed stronger phosphorylation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (PMK-1) and hyper-induction of PMK-1 target genes. Thus, PD-associated DJ-1 contributes to regulation of innate immunity.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the German Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) National Genome Research Network (NGFNplus) and the Hertie Foundation. We are grateful to Shohei Mitani (National Bioresource Project, Tokyo Women’s Medical University School of Medicine) for providing the C. elegans djr-1 single mutants. The sek-1 and nsy-1 mutant C. elegans strains were obtained from the Caenorhabditis Genetics Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. Anti-PMK-1 was kindly provided by Kunihiro Matsumoto (Nagoya University).

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  1. Jens Waak

    Present address: Nexigen GmbH, Ludwig-Erhard-Allee 2, 53175, Bonn, Germany

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Functional Neurogenetics, Department of Neurodegeneration, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Tübingen, Otfried-Müller-Strasse 27, 72076, Tübingen, Germany

    Elena M. Cornejo Castro, Jens Waak, Stephanie S. Weber, Fabienne C. Fiesel, Wolfdieter Springer & Philipp J. Kahle

  2. Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, University Clinics Tübingen, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Strasse 6, 72076, Tübingen, Germany

    Philipp Oberhettinger, Monika Schütz & Ingo B. Autenrieth

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  1. Elena M. Cornejo Castro
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Correspondence to Wolfdieter Springer or Philipp J. Kahle.

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Cornejo Castro, E.M., Waak, J., Weber, S.S. et al. Parkinson’s disease-associated DJ-1 modulates innate immunity signaling in Caenorhabditis elegans . J Neural Transm 117, 599–604 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00702-010-0397-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00702-010-0397-4

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