Aging disrupts the coordination between mRNA and protein expression in mouse and human midbrain.

ABSTRACT: Age-related dopamine (DA) neuron loss is a primary feature of Parkinson's disease. However, it remains unclear whether similar biological processes occur during healthy aging, albeit to a lesser degree. We therefore determined whether midbrain DA neurons degenerate during aging in mice and humans. In mice, we identified no changes in midbrain neuron numbers throughout aging. Despite this, we found age-related decreases in midbrain mRNA expression of tyrosine hydroxylase (Th), the rate limiting enzyme of DA synthesis. Among midbrain glutamatergic cells, we similarly identified age-related declines in vesicular glutamate transporter 2 (Vglut2) mRNA expression. In co-transmitting Th ⁺/Vglut2 ⁺ neurons, Th and Vglut2 transcripts d

SUBMITTER: Buck SA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11160743 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature