Fig. 4.

Parkin prevents A30P α-synuclein-induced neurodegeneration. Brain sections from animals expressing A30P/YFP (A–C) or A30P/parkin (D–F) were stained for α-synuclein. A similar expression of A30P human α-synuclein was observed in both groups. No α-synuclein staining was observed for the noninjected side (NI), lenti-YFP-injected, or lenti-parkin-injected (data not shown) animals. Silver staining (B, C, and E–I) was performed on adjacent nigral sections to detect degenerating neurons. Higher magnification shows the presence of silver-positive dark structures in both cell body and axon of nigral neurons from animals expressing A30P/YFP (C). Coexpression of parkin with A30P α-synuclein prevents the appearance of silver-positive degenerating neurons (F). Noninjected side (NI) (G) and animals expressing YFP (H) or parkin (I) did not show any specific silver staining. (Scale bars: A, B, D, E, and G–I, 140 μm; C and F, 40 μm.)