Umeå University's logo

umu.sePublications
Change search
CiteExportLink to record
Permanent link

Direct link
Cite
Citation style
  • apa
  • ieee
  • modern-language-association-8th-edition
  • vancouver
  • Other style
More styles
Language
  • de-DE
  • en-GB
  • en-US
  • fi-FI
  • nn-NO
  • nn-NB
  • sv-SE
  • Other locale
More languages
Output format
  • html
  • text
  • asciidoc
  • rtf
GDNF is important for striatal organization and maintenance of dopamine neurons grown in the presence of the striatum
Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Integrative Medical Biology (IMB), Histology and Cell Biology.
Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Integrative Medical Biology (IMB), Histology and Cell Biology.
Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Radiation Sciences, Diagnostic Radiology.
Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Integrative Medical Biology (IMB), Histology and Cell Biology.
Show others and affiliations
2014 (English)In: Neuroscience, ISSN 0306-4522, E-ISSN 1873-7544, Vol. 270, p. 1-11Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) exerts neuroprotective and neurorestorative effects on neurons and GDNF plays a significant role in maintenance of the dopamine neurons utilizing grafting to create a nigrostriatal microcircuit of Gdnf knockout (Gdnf(-/-)) tissue. To further evaluate the role of GDNF on organization of the nigrostriatal system, single or double grafts of ventral mesencephalon (VM) and lateral ganglionic eminence (LGE) with mismatches in Gdnf genotypes were performed. The survival of single grafts was monitored utilizing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and cell survival and graft organization were evaluated with immunohistochemistry. The results revealed that the size of VM single grafts did not change over time independent of genotype, while the size of the LGE transplants was significantly reduced already at 2weeks postgrafting when lacking GDNF. Lack of GDNF did not significantly affect the survival of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-positive neurons in single VM grafts. However, the survival of TH-positive neurons was significantly reduced in VM derived from Gdnf(+/+) when co-grafted with LGE from the Gdnf(-/-) tissue. In contrast, lack of GDNF in the VM portion of co-grafts had no effect on the survival of TH-positive neurons when co-grafted with LGE from Gdnf(+/+) mice. The TH-positive innervation of co-grafts was sparse when the striatal co-grafts were derived from the Gdnf(-/-) tissue while dense and patchy when innervating LGE producing GDNF. The TH-positive innervation overlapped with the organization of dopamine and cyclic AMP-regulated phosphoprotein-relative molecular mass 32,000 (DARPP-32)-positive neurons, that was disorganized in LGE lacking GDNF production. In conclusion, GDNF is important for a proper striatal organization and for survival of TH-positive neurons in the presence of the striatal tissue.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2014. Vol. 270, p. 1-11
Keywords [en]
GDNF, GDNF knockout, dopamine, substantia nigra, striatum, DARPP-32
National Category
Neurosciences
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-88075DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2014.04.008ISI: 000336624000001PubMedID: 24726488Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-84899138441OAI: oai:DiVA.org:umu-88075DiVA, id: diva2:713446
Available from: 2014-04-23 Created: 2014-04-23 Last updated: 2023-03-24Bibliographically approved
In thesis
1. GDNF and alpha-synuclein in nigrostriatal degeneration
Open this publication in new window or tab >>GDNF and alpha-synuclein in nigrostriatal degeneration
2014 (English)Doctoral thesis, comprehensive summary (Other academic)
Abstract [en]

Parkinson’s disease is a common neurological disorder with a complex etiology. The disease is characterized by a progressive loss of dopaminergic cells in the substantia nigra, which leads to motor function and sometimes cognitive function disabilities. One of the pathological hallmarks in Parkinson’s disease is the cytoplasmic inclusions called Lewy bodies found in the dopamine neurons. The aggregated protein α-synuclein is a main component of Lewy bodies. In view of severe symptoms and the upcoming of problematic side effects that are developed by the current most commonly used treatment in Parkinson’s disease, new treatment strategies need to be elucidated. One such strategy is replacing the lost dopamine neurons with new dopamine-rich tissue. To improve survival of the implanted neurons, neurotrophic factors have been used. Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), which was discovered in 1993, improves survival of ventral mesencephalic dopamine neurons and enhances dopamine nerve fiber formation according to several studies. Thus, GDNF can be used to improve dopamine-rich graft outgrowth into the host brain as well as inducing sprouting from endogenous remaining nerve fibers. This study was performed on Gdnf gene-deleted mice to investigate the role of GDNF on the nigrostriatal dopamine system. The transplantation technique was used to create a nigrostriatal microcircuit from ventral mesencephalon (VM) and the lateral ganglionic eminence (LGE) from different Gdnf gene-deleted mice. The tissue was grafted into the lateral ventricle of wildtype mice. The results revealed that reduced concentrations of GDNF, as a consequence from the Gdnf gene deletion, had effects on survival of dopamine neurons and the dopamine innervation of the nigrostriatal microcircuit. All transplants had survived at 3 months independently of Gdnf genotype, however, the grafts derived from Gdnf gene-deleted tissue had died at 6 months. Transplants with partial Gdnf gene deletion survived up to 12 months after transplantation. Moreover, the dopaminergic innervation of striatal co-grafts was impaired in Gdnf gene-deleted tissue. These results highlight the role of GDNF for long-term maintenance of the nigrostriatal dopamine system. To further investigate the role of GDNF expression on survival and organization of the nigrostriatal dopamine system, VM and LGE as single or combined to double co-grafts created from mismatches in Gdnf genotypes were transplanted into the lateral ventricle of wildtype mice. Survival of the single grafts was monitored over one year using a 9.4T MR scanner. The size of single LGE transplants was significantly reduced by the lack of GDNF already at 2 weeks postgrafting while the size of single VM was maintained over time, independently of GDNF expression. The double grafts were evaluated at 2 months, and the results revealed that lack of GDNF in LGE reduced the dopamine cell survival, while no loss of dopamine neurons was found in VM single grafts. The dopaminergic innervation of LGE was affected by absence of GDNF, which also caused a disorganization of the striatal portion of the co-grafts. Small, cytoplasmic inclusions were frequently found in the dopamine neurons in grafts lacking GDNF expression. These inclusions were not possible to classify as Lewy bodies by immunohistochemistry and the presence of phospho-α-synuclein and ubiquitin; however, mitochondrial dysfunction could not be excluded. To further study the death of the dopamine neurons by the deprivation of GDNF, the attention was turned to how Lewy bodies are developed. With respect to the high levels of α-synuclein that was found in the striatum, this area was selected as a target to inject the small molecule – FN075, which stimulates α-synuclein aggregation, to further investigate the role of α-synuclein in the formation of cytoplasmic inclusions. The results revealed that cytoplasmic inclusions, similar to those found in the grafts, was present at 1 month after the injection, while impairment in sensorimotor function was exhibited, the number of dopamine neurons was not changed at 6 months after the injection. Injecting the templator to the substantia nigra, however, significantly reduced the number of TH-positive neurons at 3 months after injection. In conclusion, these studies elucidate the role of GDNF for maintenance and survival of the nigrostriatal dopamine system and mechanisms of dopamine cell death using small molecules that template the α-synuclein aggregation.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Umeå: Umeå universitet, 2014. p. 61
Series
Umeå University medical dissertations, ISSN 0346-6612 ; 1665
Keywords
Parkinson's disease, GDNF, ventral mesencephalon, lateral ganglionic eminence, alpha-synuclein
National Category
Neurosciences
Research subject
Developmental Neurosciences
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-91811 (URN)978-91-7601-098-3 (ISBN)
Public defence
2014-09-18, BiA201, IMB, Biologihuset, Umeå, 09:00 (English)
Opponent
Supervisors
Available from: 2014-08-28 Created: 2014-08-18 Last updated: 2018-06-07Bibliographically approved

Open Access in DiVA

No full text in DiVA

Other links

Publisher's full textPubMedScopus

Authority records

Chermenina, MariaNevalainen, NinaOrädd, GregerStrömberg, Ingrid

Search in DiVA

By author/editor
Chermenina, MariaNevalainen, NinaOrädd, GregerStrömberg, Ingrid
By organisation
Histology and Cell BiologyDiagnostic RadiologyDepartment of Integrative Medical Biology (IMB)
In the same journal
Neuroscience
Neurosciences

Search outside of DiVA

GoogleGoogle Scholar

doi
pubmed
urn-nbn

Altmetric score

doi
pubmed
urn-nbn
Total: 987 hits
CiteExportLink to record
Permanent link

Direct link
Cite
Citation style
  • apa
  • ieee
  • modern-language-association-8th-edition
  • vancouver
  • Other style
More styles
Language
  • de-DE
  • en-GB
  • en-US
  • fi-FI
  • nn-NO
  • nn-NB
  • sv-SE
  • Other locale
More languages
Output format
  • html
  • text
  • asciidoc
  • rtf