ePrints

Mitochondrial dysfunction in Parkinson's Disease

Lookup NU author(s): Paul Keane, Dr Marzena Kurzawa-Akanbi, Professor Peter Blain, Dr Christopher Morris

Downloads

• Published version [.pdf]

Abstract

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive, neurodegenerative condition that has increasingly been linked with mitochondrial dysfunction and inhibition of the electron transport chain. This inhibition leads to the generation of reactive oxygen species and depletion of cellular energy levels, which can consequently cause cellular damage and death mediated by oxidative stress and excitotoxicity. A number of genes that have been shown to have links with inherited forms of PD encode mitochondrial proteins or proteins implicated in mitochondrial dysfunction, supporting the central involvement of mitochondria in PD. This involvement is corroborated by reports that environmental toxins that inhibit the mitochondrial respiratory chain have been shown to be associated with PD. This paper aims to illustrate the considerable body of evidence linkingmitochondrial dysfunction with neuronal cell death in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) of PD patients and to highlight the important need for further research in this area.

Publication metadata

Author(s): Keane PC, Kurzawa M, Blain PG, Morris CM

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: Parkinson's Disease

Year: 2011

Volume: 2011

Print publication date: 15/03/2011

Date deposited: 07/01/2013

ISSN (print): 2090-8083

ISSN (electronic): 2042-0080

Publisher: Hindawi Publishing Corporation

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.4061/2011/716871

DOI: 10.4061/2011/716871

PubMed id: 21461368

Altmetrics

Share