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Subcellular Compartmentalization of P‐ERKs in the Lewy Body Disease Substantia Nigra
Author(s) -
CHU CHARLEEN T.,
ZHU JIANHUI
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
annals of the new york academy of sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.712
H-Index - 248
eISSN - 1749-6632
pISSN - 0077-8923
DOI - 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2003.tb07486.x
Subject(s) - neuropathology , substantia nigra , medicine , gerontology , pathology , parkinson's disease , disease
Extracellular signal–regulated kinases (ERKs) are involved in regulating neuronal survival, differentiation, and plasticity. Recent studies also indicate that ERKs can play a detrimental role in models of oxidative neuronal injury. 1,2 Our previous studies showed discrete cytoplasmic accumulations of phophorylated ERKs (P-ERKs) in Parkinson’s disease and other Lewy body diseases, and in 6-hydroxydopamine–treated neuronal cell cultures. 3 As the effects of ERK phosphorylation are critically dependent upon subcellular localization and access to downstream targets, we investigated the subcellular distribution of P-ERKs in Lewy body disease using double-label confocal microscopy. The association of P-ERK granules with a subset of (sometimes enlarged) mitochondria suggests a potential interaction between mitochondrial function and the ERK signaling pathway in degenerating dopaminergic neurons.