Calbindin and Girk2/Aldh1a1 define resilient vs vulnerable dopaminergic neurons in a primate Parkinson's disease model.

ABSTRACT: The differential vulnerability of dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) is a critical and unresolved question in Parkinson´s disease. Studies in mice show diverse susceptibility of subpopulations of nigral dopaminergic neurons to various toxic agents. In the primate midbrain, the molecular phenotypes of dopaminergic neurons and their differential vulnerability are poorly characterized. We performed a detailed histological study to determine the anatomical distribution of different molecular phenotypes within identified midbrain neurons and their selective vulnerability in control and MPTP-treated monkeys. In the ventral tier of the SNc (nigrosome), neurons rich in Aldh1a1 and Girk2 are intermingled, whereas calbindin is the marker that best identifies the most re

SUBMITTER: Del Rey NL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11369234 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature