FIG. 5.

DJ-1 degradation by MMP3 in the substantia nigra (SN) of mice treated with MPTP. (A) Representative double immunofluorescence staining for tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) (green) and DJ-1 (red) in SN DA neurons of WT and MMP-3 null mice after MPTP treatment. Scale bar = 100 μm. WT or MMP-3 null mice received four intraperitoneal (i.p.) injections of vehicle or MPTP (4 × 15 mg/kg at 2 h intervals) and were sacrificed after 7 days (n = 5 per group). (B and D) Western blot analysis showing MMP3, DJ-1, and TH levels in the SN of WT (B) or MMP3 null mice (D) injected with MPTP. (C and E) The intensity of each band was determined densitometrically and normalized against β-actin. KO, MMP3 null mice; WT, wild-type mice. **p < 0.05; ***p < 0.01 vs. vehicle or WT + vehicle, ++p < 0.05 vs. WT+MPTP treated. (To see this illustration in color the reader is referred to the web version of this article at www.liebertonline.com/ars).