Pro-Survival Role for Parkinson's Associated Gene DJ-1 Revealed in Trophically Impaired Dopaminergic Neurons
Figure 2
Ret and DJ-1 are required for maintenance of GIRK-2-, but not calbindin-positive neurons.
(A–H) Photomicrographs of 24-mo-old control (A,E), DJ-1−/− (B,F), DAT-Ret single (C,G), and DAT-Ret;DJ-1 (D,H) double mutant coronal brain sections stained for GIRK2 (A–D) and calbindin (E–H). All images are higher magnification views of the stippled area in the insets of each panel. Scale bars: (d,h) 50 µm, (d′,h′) 250 µm. (I,J) Stereological quantification of GIRK-2 (I) and calbindin-immunoreactive neurons (J) in the SN of 24-mo-old mice of the indicated genotypes (n = 5 mice per genotype; n.s., not significant; * p<0.05, ** p<0.01, *** p<0.001, t test). (K–M) Photomicrographs of 24-mo-old control (K) and DAT-Ret;DJ-1 (L) double mutant coronal brain sections stained for GIRK2. Cell somas are indicated by stippled lines. Quantification of soma sizes (M). While remaining DAT-Ret SN neurons have a reduced average soma size, no further reduction is seen in DAT-Ret;DJ-1 double mutant mice (n = 5 mice per genotype; * p<0.05, t test). Scale bar: (K) 50 µm.