This is an historical archive of the activities of the MRC Anatomical Neuropharmacology Unit (MRC ANU) that operated at the University of Oxford from 1985 until March 2015. The MRC ANU established a reputation for world-leading research on the brain, for training new generations of scientists, and for engaging the general public in neuroscience. The successes of the MRC ANU are now built upon at the MRC Brain Network Dynamics Unit at the University of Oxford.

Mitochondrial proteomics as a selective tool for unraveling Parkinson's disease pathogenesis.

Expert Rev Proteomics 2010;7(2):205-26. 10.1586/epr.10.8

Mitochondrial proteomics as a selective tool for unraveling Parkinson's disease pathogenesis.

Pienaar I S, Dexter D T, Burkhard P R
Abstract:
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by the large-scale loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra and the formation of protein aggregates that accumulate in the cytoplasm of the remaining dopaminergic neurons. Most cases arise sporadically, while the precise cause remains obscure. This lack of understanding as to the etiology of PD continues to serve as a major barrier for delivering effective therapeutics. Mitochondria are potent integrators and coordinators of apoptosis, necrosis and cell survival. Neurotoxin-based and genetically modified animals, which mimic aspects of the core pathologies seen in human PD, support a role for oxidative stress, production of reactive oxygen species in excess and mitochondrial dysfunction in PD pathogenesis. This and other similar discoveries provide a convergence point for an explosion of morphological, biochemical, molecular, cell and animal model studies for investigating the contribution made by mitochondrial dysfunction to PD pathology. Proteomics screening technologies have proved to be a valuable aid in the investigator's tool bag, by which to confirm a prominent role for mitochondrial proteins in PD pathology. Here, we discuss how an improved understanding of the mitochondrial proteome through the application of high-throughput proteomics, combined with genetic studies and pharmacological manipulations to influence mitochondrial dynamics and functions, promises to give insights into PD's underlying disease mechanisms. Ultimately, such insights may pave the way towards designing novel strategies for providing symptomatic, neuroprotective and restorative therapeutic options to PD patients.