Proteomic analysis of carbonylated proteins in the monkey substantia nigra after ischemia-reperfusion.

In Parkinson's disease (PD), oxidative stresses cause cell death of dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra (SN), but its molecular mechanism still remains unclarified. Our previous study of proteomic analysis in the monkey CA1 hippocampus after ischemia-reperfusion revealed reactive oxygen species (ROS)-induced carbonyl modification of a molecular chaperone, heat shock 70-kDa protein 1 (Hsp70.1), especially in its key site, Arg469. Here, to clarify the mechanism of neurodegeneration in PD, the SN tissue of the same monkey experimental paradigm was studied for identifying and characterizing carbonylated proteins by the two-dimensional gel electrophoresis with immunochemical detection of protein carbonyls (2D Oxyblot). We found carbonyl modification not only of Hsp70.1 but also of mitochondrial aconitase, dihydropyrimidinase-related protein 2, T-complex protein 1 subunit alpha, dihydrolipoyl dehydrogenase, fructose-bisphosphate aldolase C, glutamate dehydrogenase 1, and aspartate aminotransferase. Intriguingly, in the SN also, the carbonylation site of Hsp70.1 was identified to be Arg469. Since Hsp70.1 is recently known to stabilize the lysosomal membrane, its oxidative injury conceivably plays an important role in the ROS-mediated neuronal cell death by inducing lysosomal destabilization. Implications of each carbonylated proteins for the dopaminergic neuronal death were discussed, in comparison with the CA1 neuronal death.

Why are hippocampal CA1 neurons vulnerable but motor cortex neurons resistant to transient ischemia?

It is well-known that heat-shock protein 70.1 (Hsp70.1), a major protein of the human Hsp70 family, plays cytoprotective roles by both its chaperone function and stabilization of lysosomal membranes. Recently, we found that calpain-mediated cleavage of carbonylated Hsp70.1 in the hippocampal cornu Ammonis1 (CA1) contributes to neuronal death after transient global ischemia. This study aims to elucidate the differential neuronal vulnerability between the motor cortex and CA1 sector against ischemia/reperfusion. Fluoro-Jade B staining and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-nick-end-labeling analysis of the monkey brain undergoing 20min whole brain ischemia followed by reperfusion, showed that the motor cortex is significantly resistant to the ischemic insult compared with CA1. Up-regulation of Hsp70.1 but absence of its cleavage by calpain facilitated its binding with NF-κB p65/IκBα complex to minimize NF-κB p65 activation, which contributed to a neuroprotection in the motor cortex. In contrast, because activated µ-calpain cleaved carbonylated Hsp70.1 in CA1, the resultant Hsp70.1 dysfunction not only destabilized lysosomal membrane but also induced a sustained activation of NF-κB p65, both of which resulted in delayed neuronal death. We propose that the cascades underlying lysosomal stabilization and regulating NF-κB activation by Hsp70.1 may influence neuronal survival/death after the ischemia/reperfusion.