LC3/FtMt Colocalization Patterns Reveal the Progression of FtMt Accumulation in Nigral Neurons of Patients with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy

滋賀医科大学博士（医学）International journal of molecular sciences. 2022 Jan 4;23(1):537.令和5年度thesi

Immunohistochemical Analysis of Mitochondrial Ferritin in the Midbrain of Patients with Parkinson\u27s Disease

Mitochondrial ferritin (FtMt) is an endogenous iron-storage protein localized in the mitochondria. FtMt is mainly observed in restricted tissues, such as those in the testis, islets of Langerhans, and brain. Further, it may protect cells from oxidative stress in neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer\u27s disease and progressive supranuclear palsy. However, the role of FtMt in Parkinson\u27s disease (PD) remains unclear. Therefore, the current study investigated the localization and expression level of FtMt in the midbrain of patients with PD and healthy controls using immunohistochemical techniques. FtMt immunoreactivity was mainly detected in dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) in both healthy controls and patients with PD. In addition, FtMt-positive particles were observed outside the dopaminergic neurons in patients with PD. Based on a quantitative comparison, patients with PD had a significantly upregulated FtMt immunoreactivity in dopaminergic neurons than healthy controls. Our result might be helpful in future studies on the role of FtMt in PD