Knockdown of the mitochondria-localized protein p13 protects against experimental parkinsonism.

Mitochondrial dysfunction in the nigrostriatal dopaminergic system is a critical hallmark of Parkinson's disease (PD). Mitochondrial toxins produce cellular and behavioural dysfunctions resembling those in patients with PD Causative gene products for familial PD play important roles in mitochondrial function. Therefore, targeting proteins that regulate mitochondrial integrity could provide convincing strategies for PD therapeutics. We have recently identified a novel 13-kDa protein (p13) that may be involved in mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation. In the current study, we examine the mitochondrial function of p13 and its involvement in PD pathogenesis using mitochondrial toxin-induced PD models. We show that p13 overexpression induces mitochondrial dysfunction and apoptosis. p13 knockdown attenuates toxin-induced mitochondrial dysfunction and apoptosis in dopaminergic SH-SY5Y cells via the regulation of complex I. Importantly, we generate p13-deficient mice using the CRISPR/Cas9 system and observe that heterozygous p13 knockout prevents toxin-induced motor deficits and the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra. Taken together, our results suggest that manipulating p13 expression may be a promising avenue for therapeutic intervention in PD.

Unbiased compound screening with a reporter gene assay highlights the role of p13 in the cardiac cellular stress response.

We recently showed that a 13-kDa protein (p13), the homolog protein of formation of mitochondrial complex V assembly factor 1 in yeast, acts as a potential protective factor in pancreatic islets under diabetes. Here, we aimed to identify known compounds regulating p13 mRNA expression to obtain therapeutic insight into the cellular stress response. A luciferase reporter system was developed using the putative promoter region of the human p13 gene. Overexpression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1α, a master player regulating mitochondrial metabolism, increased both reporter activity and p13 expression. Following unbiased screening with 2320 known compounds in HeLa cells, 12 pharmacological agents (including 8 cardiotonics and 2 anthracyclines) that elicited >2-fold changes in p13 mRNA expression were identified. Among them, four cardiac glycosides decreased p13 expression and concomitantly elevated cellular oxidative stress. Additional database analyses showed highest p13 expression in heart, with typically decreased expression in cardiac disease. Accordingly, our results illustrate the usefulness of unbiased compound screening as a method for identifying novel functional roles of unfamiliar genes. Our findings also highlight the importance of p13 in the cellular stress response in heart.

p13 overexpression in pancreatic ß-cells ameliorates type 2 diabetes in high-fat-fed mice.

We examined the pancreatic function of p13 encoded by 1110001J03Rik, whose expression is decreased in pancreatic islets in high-fat-fed diabetic mice, by generating transgenic mice overexpressing p13 (p13-Tg) in pancreatic ß-cells. p13-Tg mice showed normal basal glucose metabolism; however, under high-fat feeding, these animals showed augmented glucose-induced first-phase and total insulin secretion, improved glucose disposal, greater islet area and increased mitotic insulin-positive cells. In addition, high-fat diet-induced 4-hydroxynonenal immunoreactivity, a reliable marker and causative agent of lipid peroxidative stress, was significantly decreased in p13-Tg mouse islets. These results indicate that p13 is a novel pancreatic factor exerting multiple beneficial effects against type 2 diabetes.

PACAP enhances axon outgrowth in cultured hippocampal neurons to a comparable extent as BDNF.

Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) exerts neurotrophic activities including modulation of synaptic plasticity and memory, hippocampal neurogenesis, and neuroprotection, most of which are shared with brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare morphological effects of PACAP and BDNF on primary cultured hippocampal neurons. At days in vitro (DIV) 3, PACAP increased neurite length and number to similar levels by BDNF, but vasoactive intestinal polypeptide showed much lower effects. In addition, PACAP increased axon, but not dendrite, length, and soma size at DIV 3 similarly to BDNF. The PACAP antagonist PACAP6-38 completely blocked the PACAP-induced increase in axon, but not dendrite, length. Interestingly, the BDNF-induced increase in axon length was also inhibited by PACAP6-38, suggesting a mechanism involving PACAP signaling. K252a, a TrkB receptor inhibitor, inhibited axon outgrowth induced by PACAP and BDNF without affecting dendrite length. These results indicate that in primary cultured hippocampal neurons, PACAP shows morphological actions via its cognate receptor PAC1, stimulating neurite length and number, and soma size to a comparable extent as BDNF, and that the increase in total neurite length is ascribed to axon outgrowth.

PACAP Inhibits ß-cell Mass Expansion in a Mouse Model of Type II Diabetes: Persistent Suppressive Effects on Islet Density.

Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) is a potent insulinotropic G-protein-coupled receptor ligand, for which morphoregulative roles in pancreatic islets have recently been suggested. Here, we evaluated the effects of pancreatic overexpression of PACAP on morphometric changes of islets in a severe type II diabetes model. Following cross-breeding of obese-diabetic model KKA(y) mice with mice overexpressing PACAP in their pancreatic ß-cells, the resulting KKA(y) mice with or without PACAP transgene (PACAP/+:A(y)/+ or A(y)/+ mice) were fed with a high-fat diet up to the age of 11 months. Pancreatic sections from 5- to 11-month-old littermates were examined. Histomorphometric analyses revealed significant suppression of islet mass expansion in PACAP/+:A(y)/+ mice compared with A(y)/+ mice at 11 months, but no significant difference between PACAP/+ and +/+ (wild-type) mice, as previously reported. The suppressed islet mass in PACAP/+:A(y)/+ mice was due to a decrease in islet density but not islet size. In addition, the density of tiny islets (<0.001 mm(2)) and of insulin-positive clusters in ductal structures were markedly decreased in PACAP/+:A(y)/+ mice compared with A(y)/+ mice at 5 months of age. In contrast, PACAP overexpression caused no significant effects on the level of aldehyde-fuchsin reagent staining (a measure of ß-cell granulation) or the volume and localization of glucagon-positive cells in the pancreas. These results support previously reported inhibitory effects of PACAP on pancreatic islet mass expansion, and suggest it has persistent suppressive effects on pancreatic islet density which may be related with ductal cell-associated islet neogenesis in type II diabetes.