Science Sub-Journal: Inactivated protein complex associated with Parkinson's-like symptoms

A special protein complex plays a key role in keeping genes off, and its inactivation causes nerve cells to fail to produce enough essential neurotransmitters

"We've seen that if this protein complex is inactivated, the ability of genes that control other functions to stay closed is impaired

After neurons are formed during fetal development, they usually retain their properties and functions

Without the function of the PRC2 complex, mature neurons that produce important neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin will gradually lose their properties and functions

Johan Holmberg said: "If we can see that the mechanisms that control gene regulation are part of the cause of diseases that damage the nervous system, this may open up interesting new possibilities for diagnosis and treatment, but there is still a long way to go

The study was done by knocking out an important component of the PRC2 protein complex in mouse nerve cells

The researchers now plan to further investigate whether the mechanisms studied in mouse models are indeed associated

Article title

PRC2-mediated repression is essential to maintain identity and function of differentiate dopaminergic and serotonergic neurons