Immunohistochemical and subcellular localization of Parkin protein: absence of protein in autosomal recessive juvenile parkinsonism patients.
Shimura H., Hattori N., Kubo S., Yoshikawa M., Kitada T., Matsumine H., Asakawa S., Minoshima S., Yamamura Y., Shimizu N., Mizuno Y.
Autosomal recessive juvenile parkinsonism (AR-JP) is a distinct clinical entity characterized by a selective degeneration of nigral neurons. Recently, the parkin gene responsible for AR-JP has been identified. Now, we report the subcellular localization of Parkin protein in patients with AR-JP or Parkinson's disease (PD) and in controls by immunoblotting and immunohistochemistry using antibodies raised against the Parkin molecule. Parkin protein was absent in all regions of the brains of patients with AR-JP. Parkin protein was not decreased in the brains of sporadic PD patients. Immunoreactivity was detected in a few Lewy bodies. Parkin protein was located in both the Golgi complex and cytosol.