Research Applications for Striatech Products
Nature Communications (Jul 23, 2024)
Mutant mice with rod-specific VPS35 deletion exhibit retinal α-synuclein pathology-associated degeneration
Fu C, Yang N, Chuang JZ, Nakajima N, Iraha S, Roy N, Wu Z, Jiang Z, Otsu W, Radu RA, Yang HH, Lee MP, Worgall TS, Xiong WC, Sung CH
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50189-0 >>
This study investigates the role of VPS35, a key component of the retromer complex, in Parkinson’s disease (PD) and its impact on vision. Researchers found that mice with VPS35-deficient rod cells in their retinas experienced synapse loss, visual deficits, and progressive degeneration. These changes were accompanied by the formation of Lewy body-like inclusions and phospho-α-synuclein aggregation. The study reveals a protein network involving VPS35 and HSC70, with VPS35 deficiency leading to accumulation of aggregates in late endosomes. Activated microglia were observed engulfing these aggregates, appearing as bright dots in fundus imaging. The OptoDrum with the ScotopicKit were used to measure visual acuity in mice under scotopic conditions.