Objective To investigate the protective effect of basic fibroblast growth factor(bFGF) gene modified mesenchymal stem cells(MSCs-bFGF)on cerebral isehemia in rats.Methods MSCs or MSCs-bFGF were transplanted into rat models of focal cerebral ischemia by intravenous injection.The neurological deficits and infarction volumes were evaluated,and the survival rate and differentiation of grafted MSCs were observed by double immunofiuoreseent labeling.Results In the rat cerebral ischemic model, both MSCs and MSCs-bFGF showed protective effect on the rats in comparison with control group.However, the protective effect was more significant in MSCs-bFGF group.Double immunofluorescent staining showed the number of BrdU-labeled and NeuN co-expression cells in MSCs-bFGF treated animals(127.40?7.43 and 11.20?3.09)were much more than in those of MSCs treated animals.While there was no significant difference between MSCs-bFGF and MSCs group in the number of GFAP co-expression cells.Conclusion MSCs transplantation has protective effect on cerebral ischemia in rats.Basic fibroblast growth factor gene modified MSCs is more effective than MSCs in neuroproteetion.

Hereditary spinocerebellar ataxias(SCA) are mainly caused by trinucleotide (CAG/CAA) repeat expansion in open reading frames of corresponding gene. However, SCA8, SCA10 and SCA12 are caused by nucleotide repeat expansion in noncoding region. Recent researches focus on the pathogenesis and hereditary traits, including the instability of nucleotide repeat, the alteration of penetrance, the bias of gender inheritance and the anticipation. The pathogenesis of these three SCA subtypes is different from other subtypes because the repeat expansion in noncoding region has mild influence on translation of polyQ protein. We suggest that the interference on DNA transcription by the abnormal nucleotide expansion, the post-transcriptional toxic effect of abnormal RNA, and the mechanism of bidirectional expression of repeat expansion transcripts play a critical role on SCA8, SCA10 and SCA12 pathogenesis.
Humans ; Models, Biological ; Spinocerebellar Ataxias ; genetics ; Trinucleotide Repeat Expansion ; genetics

Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) is the most common form of hereditary neuropathy with significant clinical and genetic heterogeneity. So far 28 genes have been cloned. The main clinical manifestations of CMT include progressive distal muscle wasting and weakness, impaired distal sensation, and diminishing or loss of tendon reflex. Patients may be classified into demyelinating type (CMT1) and axonal type (CMT2) according to electrophysiological and pathological characteristics. Establishment of a standard diagnostic procedure based on clinical, electrophysiological and pathological findings will enable accurate diagnosis in most CMT patients and provide guidance for gene consulting and prognosis.
Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease ; classification ; diagnosis ; genetics ; Humans

Neurodegenerative diseases are a group of chronic progressive neuronal damage disorders. The cause is unclear, most of them share a same pathological hallmark with misfold proteins accumulating in neurons. Carboxyl-terminus of Hsc70 interacting protein (CHIP) is a dual functional molecule, which has a N terminal tetratrico peptide repeat (TPR) domain that interacts with Hsc/Hsp70 complex and Hsp90 enabling CHIP to modulate the aberrant protein folding; and a C terminal U-box ubiquitin ligase domain that binds to the 26S subunit of the proteasome involved in protein degradation via ubiqutin-proteasome system. CHIP protein mediates interactions between the chaperone system and the ubiquitin-proteasome system, and plays an important role in maintaining the protein homeostasis in cells. This article reviews the molecular characteristics and physiological functions of CHIP, and its role in cellular metabolism and discusses the relationship between CHIP dysfunction and neurodegenerative diseases.
Animals ; Humans ; Neurodegenerative Diseases ; genetics ; metabolism ; Protein Binding ; Protein Folding ; Proteolysis ; Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases ; genetics ; metabolism

Polyglutamine (polyQ) diseases are a group of hereditary neurodegenerative disorders caused by expansion of a glutamine repeat in responsible gene products. To date, the pathogenesis of polyQ diseases is still not very clear, but many researches suggest that phosphorylation of mutant proteins plays a critical role on the process of Huntington's disease, dentatorubral-pallidoluysian atrophy, spinal bulbar muscular atrophy, spinocerebellar ataxia1 and spinocerebellar ataxia 3/Machado-Joseph disease.
Heredodegenerative Disorders, Nervous System ; genetics ; metabolism ; Humans ; Huntington Disease ; genetics ; metabolism ; Machado-Joseph Disease ; genetics ; metabolism ; Muscular Atrophy, Spinal ; Peptides ; genetics ; metabolism ; Phosphorylation ; physiology ; Spinocerebellar Degenerations ; genetics ; metabolism ; Trinucleotide Repeat Expansion ; genetics ; physiology ; Trinucleotide Repeats ; genetics

OBJECTIVE: To screen for proteins interacting with ataxin-3 by yeast two-hybrid system 3, and to discuss the function of ataxin-3 and pathogenesis of spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 and Machado-Joseph disease (SCA3/MJD). METHODS: First we sub-cloned the full reading frame of both wild-type and mutant ataxin-3 into carrier pGBKT7 (ataxin-3-bait), and then screened human brain cDNA library with ataxin-3-bait. RESULTS: We found five positive clones in 6.5 x 10(6) transformers. After sequencing, we knew all of them were novel ataxin-3 interacting proteins. Three were corresponded to the known sequences coding the known proteins, which were human Rho GDP dissociation inhibitor alpha, small ubiquitin-like modifier 1, and human neuronal amiloride-sensitive cation channel 2. Another two of the five were unknown. CONCLUSION Small ubiquitin-like modifier 1 probably interacted with ataxin-3, suggesting that the sumoylation probably participated in post-translation modifying of ataxin-3 and pathogenesis of SCA3/MJD.
Ataxin-3 ; Brain ; metabolism ; Gene Library ; Humans ; Nerve Tissue Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Nuclear Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Protein Interaction Mapping ; Repressor Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Spinocerebellar Degenerations ; genetics ; metabolism ; Two-Hybrid System Techniques ; Yeasts ; genetics

Objective To study the PINK1 aggresome formation and it's features in response to proteasomal inhibition.Methods Full-length PINK1 cDNA were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)from fetus brain cDNA library and subcloned into the EcoR I and BamH I sites of the vector pEGFP- N1.The integrity of the constructs was confirmed by sequencing.COS-7 cells were transiently transfected with PINK1-pEGFP-N1 using Lipofectamine 2000.Cells were treated by MG-132 in order to test the effect of proteasome inhibition on aggregation formation.The protein level of wild-type PINK1 with or without MG-132 treatment was confirmed by Western blot analysis.The formation of PINK1 aggregates was tested by fluorescence and the presence of ubiquitin,and ?-synuclein in PINK1 aggregates was examined by immunofluorescence and confocal microscopy.Results The expression level of PINK1 was significant increased into the form of aggregate in cells treated with MG-132;immunostaining for endogenous ubiquitin and ?-synuclein revealed a co-localization of both proteins in PINK1-positive aggregates.Conclusions In the presence of MG-132,overexpressed PINK1 forms into aggregates,whose components are ubiquitin and ?-synuclein.

Objective To construct the protein-protein interaction network of Parkinson's disease (PD) associated proteins. Methods PD-related proteins and their interaction proteins were collected by bioinformatics method from HGNC, OPHID and UniHI database. A protein-protein interaction network of PD associated proteins was designed by ProteoLens software; each protein was evaluated by its contribution to the network and the relevance scores were calculated, thus the coefficient of association of each protein in the network was noted. Results A protein-protein interaction network containing 463 PD associated proteins and 767 their interaction proteins was obtained with its index aggregation reaching 90.5% (P=0.008). The relevance scores of SNCA, PARK2, DRD2, HTRA2,NDUFV2, DJ1, DRD1, DRD3, TRAP1 and ND3 were much higher than that of the others, which indicated their important roles in the pathogenesis of PD. The relevance scores of APP, UBE2I, CLIC6 and UBB were a little higher among all the preteins, indicating that they also participated in the pathogenesis of PD. Some novel proteins, such as FLNA, FREQ, BIRC7, EPB41, EPB41L1, GIPC1,GNAZ, GRB2, KCNJ9, MAPK1, BAG5 and CYC, may also involved in the pathogenesis of PD.Conclusion A scientific and practical protein-protein interaction network of PD associated proteins is successfully constructed, which further confirms the role of some proteins in the pathogenesis of PD.Some novel proteins that might involve in PD are obtained too.

OBJECTIVETo construct specific and effective RNA interference(RNAi) plasmid for alpha-synuclein gene and investigate RNAi blockade of the aberrant aggregation of alpha-synuclein in HEK293 cells induced by overexpression of wild-type alpha-synuclein.

METHODSHairpin RNAs for four target sites were designed to construct four RNAi plasmids pSYNi-1, pSYNi-2, pSYNi-3 and pSYNi-4, using plasmid pBSHH1 vector under the control of the H1 promoter. Western blot and reverse transcription-PCR(RT-PCR) were performed to screen the most specific and effective RNAi plasmid. After confirming the sequences of the plasmids, they were co-transfected into HEK293 cells with the recombinant plasmids alpha-synuclein-pEGFP by using lipofectamin 2000. The aberrant aggregation of alpha-synuclein was measured by EGFP fluorescence and immunocytochemistry for alpha-synuclein. The inclusions in the cultured cells were identified with HE staining.

RESULTSBy Western blot and RT-PCR, pSYNi-1 showed the most effective RNAi gene silencing effect (69.6%). After transfecting the RNAi plasmid, the aberrant aggregation of alpha-synuclein in HEK293 cells induced by overexpression of wild-type alpha-synuclein was inhibited. The Lewy body-like inclusions were found in cytoplasm of cultured cells in control group, but disappeared in HEK293 cells cotransfected by pSYNi-1 and alpha-synuclein-pEGFP plasmid.

CONCLUSIONRNAi can block the aberrant aggregation and Lewy body-like inclusion formation in cytoplasm of HEK293 cell induced by overexpression of wild-type alpha-synuclein.

Blotting, Western ; Cell Line ; Genetic Vectors ; genetics ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Plasmids ; genetics ; RNA Interference ; physiology ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Transfection ; alpha-Synuclein ; genetics ; metabolism

Autosomal recessive cerebellar ataxias (ARCA) are a highly heterogeneous group of rare neurodegenerative diseases affecting both central and peripheral nervous systems. Based on pathological mechanisms, five major types of ARCA may be distinguished, which include mitochondrial ataxia, metabolic disorder, DNA repair defect ataxia, congenital ataxias and degenerative ataxia. This review summarizes clinical features, molecular genetics and recent advances in DNA sequencing of common types of ARCA.
Cerebellar Ataxia ; classification ; genetics ; metabolism ; Genes, Recessive ; Humans