Loss of Non-Apoptotic Role of Caspase-3 in the PINK1 Mouse Model of Parkinson's Disease.

ABSTRACT: Caspases are a family of conserved cysteine proteases that play key roles in multiple cellular processes, including programmed cell death and inflammation. Recent evidence shows that caspases are also involved in crucial non-apoptotic functions, such as dendrite development, axon pruning, and synaptic plasticity mechanisms underlying learning and memory processes. The activated form of caspase-3, which is known to trigger widespread damage and degeneration, can also modulate synaptic function in the adult brain. Thus, in the present study, we tested the hypothesis that caspase-3 modulates synaptic plasticity at corticostriatal synapses in the phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) induced kinase 1 (PINK1) mouse model of Parkinson's disease (PD). Loss of PINK1 has been previously associated

SUBMITTER: Imbriani P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6678522 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature