Restoration of Fbxo7 expression in dopaminergic neurons restores tyrosine hydroxylase in a mouse model of Parkinson's disease

Abstract

Mutations in FBXO7 are linked to an atypical parkinsonism. Conditional knock out (KO) of Fbxo7 in dopaminergic neurons in a mouse model caused a neurodegenerative phenotype, including a significant reduction in striatal TH staining at 6 weeks of age and a significant loss of dopaminergic neurons in the SNpc. To test whether re-expression of Fbxo7 could act as a treatment to prevent or restore TH expression in the striatum in this model, we used a rAAV vector to deliver murine Fbxo7 and a mRuby fluorescent marker to dopaminergic neurons. We found that Fbxo7 expression, both before and after the TH loss, restored its expression in the striatum and nucleus accumbens in the mouse. This study therefore highlights that Fbxo7 is important for the integrity and persistence of the dopaminergic nigrostriatal pathway in the mammalian brain, which could be of relevance to Parkinsons disease with therapeutic implications.