Phosphorylated ubiquitin is critical for mitochondrial quality assurance to inhibit onset of Parkinson's disease.

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K19037
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Pathological medical chemistry
• Research Institution: Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science
• Principal Investigator: KOYANO Fumika 公益財団法人東京都医学総合研究所, 生体分子先端研究分野, 主任研究員 (50747681)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: ミトコンドリア / リン酸化ユビキチン / パーキンソン病

Outline of Final Research Achievements

(1) We have examined phosphorylated ubiquitin staining using sporadic autopsy Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients’ brains to assess the possibility of phosphorylated ubiquitin as a biomarker. If mitochondrial quality was low in sporadic PD patients’ brains, phosphorylated ubiquitin would accumulate at mitochondria. Small amount of phosphorylated ubiquitin signal was detected in healthy midbrain with increasing age. However, in PD midbrain, several types of phosphorylated ubiquitin signals were observed in a broad area and the amount of signal was larger than that of healthy control. This strategy may be a useful diagnostic approach for impaired mitochondria-derived phosphorylated ubiquitin accumulation.
(2) POLGA-mutated PARKIN knockout mice are subjected to behavioral and pathological analysis to assess PD-like phenotype. We are now evaluating whether each mouse group shows decline in motor coordination function and the number of dopaminergic neuron with age.

Free Research Field

細胞生物学