Subregional differences in astrocytes underlie selective neurodegeneration or protection in Parkinson's disease models in culture.

ABSTRACT: Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by the selective degeneration of dopamine (DA) neurons of the substantia nigra pars compacta (SN), while the neighboring ventral tegmental area (VTA) is relatively spared. The mechanisms underlying this selectivity are not fully understood. Here, we demonstrate a vital role for subregional astrocytes in the protection of VTA DA neurons. We found that elimination of astrocytes in vitro exposes a novel vulnerability of presumably protected VTA DA neurons to the PD mimetic toxin MPP⁺ , as well as exacerbation of SN DA neuron vulnerability. Conversely, VTA astrocytes protected both VTA and SN DA neurons from MPP⁺ toxicity in a dose dependent manner, and this protection was mediated via a secreted molecule. RNAseq analysis of isola

SUBMITTER: Kostuk EW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6594409 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature