A soy protein Lunasin can ameliorate amyloid-beta 42 mediated neurodegeneration in Drosophila eye.
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ABSTRACT: Alzheimer's disease (AD), a fatal progressive neurodegenerative disorder, also results from accumulation of amyloid-beta 42 (A?42) plaques. These A?42 plaques trigger oxidative stress, abnormal signaling, which results in neuronal death by unknown mechanism(s). We misexpress high levels of human A?42 in the differentiating retinal neurons of the Drosophila eye, which results in the Alzheimer's like neuropathology. Using our transgenic model, we tested a soy-derived protein Lunasin (Lun) for a possible role in rescuing neurodegeneration in retinal neurons. Lunasin is known to have anti-cancer effect and reduces stress and inflammation. We show that misexpression of Lunasin by transgenic approach can rescue A?42 mediated neurodegeneration by blocking cell death in retinal neurons, and results in restoration of axonal targeting from retina to brain. Misexpression of Lunasin downregulates the highly conserved cJun-N-terminal Kinase (JNK) signaling pathway. Activation of JNK signaling can prevent neuroprotective role of Lunasin in A?42 mediated neurodegeneration. This neuroprotective function of Lunasin is not dependent on retinal determination gene cascade in the Drosophila eye, and is independent of Wingless (Wg) and Decapentaplegic (Dpp) signaling pathways. Furthermore, Lunasin can significantly reduce mortality rate caused by misexpression of human A?42 in flies. Our studies identified the novel neuroprotective role of Lunasin peptide, a potential therapeutic agent that can ameliorate A?42 mediated neurodegeneration by downregulating JNK signaling.
SUBMITTER: Sarkar A
PROVIDER: S-EPMC6131139 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Sep
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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