In vivo investigation of DJ-1 function in DJ-1 knockout mice

Two genetic mutations in the DJ-1 gene have been identified earlier this year that can cause early-onset Parkinson's disease. Since both mutations are believed to cause loss of function of the DJ-1 gene, it seems that loss of DJ-1 function will lead to Parkinson's disease. Zhuang reasons that the most straightforward approach to test this hypothesis is to generate mammalian animal models with loss of DJ-1 function and examine the consequences. He and his team have recently generated mice with loss of DJ-1 function (DJ-1 knockout mice). They are in the process of analyzing the motor function and dopamine neuron function in these mice. They will first test whether loss of DJ-1 function can indeed lead to dopamine neuron loss and Parkinson's disease like motor impairment. If so, they will examine the molecular pathways that lead to dopamine neuron degeneration. These studies may lead to the discovery of new therapeutic targets for Parkinson's disease.