Bacterial Toxin Linked to Parkinson’s
Guy A. Caldwell, Ph.D.
University of Alabama
NIEHS Grant R21ES014426
NIEHS funded researchers in Alabama discovered that a common soil bacterium produces a metabolite that disrupts a protein degradation pathway associated with Parkinson’s disease. This finding suggests that exposures to metabolites from common bacteria may contribute to the development of Parkinson’s disease.
Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder involving the loss of dopamine producing neurons from the substantia nigra region of the brain. For the past several years, scientists have speculated that environmental causes of the disease are more important than genetics because studies in twins suggest that genetic predisposition is only possibly responsible for the disease occurrence. A clinical hallmark of the disease is misfolding and accumulation of proteins, such as α-synuclein, in inclusions called Lewy Bodies.
In the current study, funded through an exploratory R21 grant, Alabama scientists discovered that a common streptomyces bacterium found in soil produces a natural proteosome inhibitor that blocks protein degradation and caused gradual degeneration of all neuronal cells examined. Dopamine neurons were particularly vulnerable to the metabolites effects. The studies were carried out in a Parkinson’s disease model using the nematode.
Citation: Caldwell KA, Tucci ML, Armagost J, Hodges TW, Chen J, Memon SB, Blalock JE, DeLeon SM, Findlay RH, Ruan Q, Webber PJ, Standaert DG, Olson JB, Caldwell GA. Investigating bacterial sources of toxicity as an environmental contributor to dopaminergic neurodegeneration. PLoS One. 2009 Oct 6;4(10):e7227.
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