Parkinson’s disease (PD), the second most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer’s, is a progressive movement disorder characterized by rigidity, tremors, and postural instability. The pathological hallmark of PD is progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra of the ventral midbrain and the presence of intracellularLewy bodies in surviving neurons of the brain stem. Research studies have shown that various genes and loci (alpha-synuclein/PARK1 and 4, parkin/PARK2, UCH-L1/PARK5, PINK1/PARK6, DJ-1/PARK7, LRRK2/PARK8, synphilin-1, and NR4A2) are genetically linked to PD. alpha-Synuclein, a 140aa protein expressed abundantly in the brain, is a major component of aggregates found in Lewy bodies. Parkin is involved in protein degradation through the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway, and investigators have shown that mutations in Parkin cause early onset of PD. In the case of autosomal recessive juvenile Parkinsonism (AR-JP), deletions have been found on chromosome 6 in the Parkin gene. PTEN induced putative kinase 1 (PINK1) is a mitochondrial serine/threonine kinase involved in the normal function and integrity of mitochondria, as well as a reduction of cytochrome c release from mitochondria. PINK1 phosphorylates Parkin and promotes its translocation to mitochondria. Mutations of PINK1 are associated with loss of protective function, mitrochondrial dysfunction, aggregation of alpha-synuclein, and proteasome dysfunction. DJ-1 is involved in multiple cellular functions; it has been shown to cooperate with Ras to increase cell transformation, to regulate transcription of the androgen receptor, and may function as an indicator of oxidative stress, while loss-of-function mutations in DJ-1 cause early onset of PD. Dopamine D2 receptor-mediated functions are greatly impaired in DJ-1 (-/-) mice, resulting in reduced long-term depression. Leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) contains amino-terminal leucine rich repeats (LRR), a Ras-like small GTP binding protein-like (ROC) domain, an MLK protein kinase domain, and a carboxy-terminal WD40-repeat. At least 20 LRRK2 mutations have been linked to PD. The most prevalent mutation, G2019S, causes increased LRRK2 kinase activity, leading to progressive neurite loss and decreased neuronal survival.
Specificity:Human
Intended Use:The Parkinson's Research Antibody Sampler BioAssay™ Kit provides an economical means of detecting target proteins related to Parkinson's disease. The kit contains enough primary and secondary antibody to perform two western blots per primary.
Applications:Suitable for use in Western Blot. Other applications not tested.
Recommended Dilution:Western Blot: 1:500-1:2000Optimal dilutions to be determined by the researcher.
Storage and Stability:May be stored at 4°C for short-term only. Aliquot to avoid repeated freezing and thawing. Store at -20°C. Aliquots are stable for 12 months after receipt. For maximum recovery of product, centrifuge the original vial after thawing and prior to removing the cap.
