| Summary: | Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta. It is now believed that the mitochondrion is central to the pathologies of PD. Sirtuin 3 (SIRT3) is a mitochondrial nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide dependent protein deacetylase. Within the mitochondria, SIRT3 deacetylates substrates of oxidative phosphorylation and antioxidant pathways to promote cellular functioning. Given that mitochondria impairments are central to PD, and that SIRT3 promotes mitochondrial health, the mechanisms underlying the protective effects of SIRT3 in a catecholaminergic SH-SY5Y cell model of PD were assessed. The results of this current study demonstrated that SIRT3 overexpression is cytoprotective in SH-SY5Y cells since it stabilizes mitochondrial membrane potential and ATP levels and reduces reactive oxygen species after exposure to toxins that mimic cell death mechanisms in PD. Taken together, SIRT3’s beneficial effects presents itself as an excellent candidate for Parkinson’s disease medicine.
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