Conditional deletion of Ndufs4 in dopaminergic neurons promotes Parkinson's disease-like non-motor symptoms without loss of dopamine neurons

Sci Rep. 2017 Mar 22:7:44989. doi: 10.1038/srep44989.

Abstract

Reduction of mitochondrial complex I activity is one of the major hypotheses for dopaminergic neuron death in Parkinson's disease. However, reduction of complex I activity in all cells or selectively in dopaminergic neurons via conditional deletion of the Ndufs4 gene, a subunit of the mitochondrial complex I, does not cause dopaminergic neuron death or motor impairment. Here, we investigated the effect of reduced complex I activity on non-motor symptoms associated with Parkinson's disease using conditional knockout (cKO) mice in which Ndufs4 was selectively deleted in dopaminergic neurons (Ndufs4 cKO). This conditional deletion of Ndufs4, which reduces complex I activity in dopamine neurons, did not cause a significant loss of dopaminergic neurons in substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc), and there was no loss of dopaminergic neurites in striatum or amygdala. However, Ndufs4 cKO mice had a reduced amount of dopamine in the brain compared to control mice. Furthermore, even though motor behavior were not affected, Ndufs4 cKO mice showed non-motor symptoms experienced by many Parkinson's disease patients including impaired cognitive function and increased anxiety-like behavior. These data suggest that mitochondrial complex I dysfunction in dopaminergic neurons promotes non-motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease and reduces dopamine content in the absence of dopamine neuron loss.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Anxiety / genetics
  • Behavior, Animal
  • Cell Death
  • Cognitive Dysfunction
  • Corpus Striatum / metabolism
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Dopamine / metabolism
  • Dopaminergic Neurons / metabolism*
  • Electron Transport Complex I / genetics*
  • Gene Deletion*
  • Male
  • Maze Learning
  • Mice
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Motor Activity*
  • Parkinson Disease / genetics
  • Parkinson Disease / metabolism
  • Parkinson Disease / pathology
  • Parkinson Disease / psychology
  • Serotonin / metabolism
  • Substantia Nigra / metabolism
  • Substantia Nigra / pathology
  • Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / metabolism

Substances

  • Ndufs4 protein, mouse
  • Serotonin
  • Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase
  • Electron Transport Complex I
  • Dopamine