PAAN/MIF nuclease inhibition prevents neurodegeneration in Parkinson's disease

Hyejin Park, Tae In Kam, Hanjing Peng, Shih Ching Chou, Amir A. Mehrabani-Tabari, Jae Jin Song, Xiling Yin, Senthilkumar S. Karuppagounder, George K. Umanah, A. V.Subba Rao, Yu Ree Choi, Akanksha Aggarwal, Sohyun Chang, Hyunhee Kim, Jiyoung Byun, Jun O. Liu, Ted M. Dawson, Valina L. Dawson

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Parthanatos-associated apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) nuclease (PAAN), also known as macrophage migration inhibitor factor (MIF), is a member of the PD-D/E(X)K nucleases that acts as a final executioner in parthanatos. PAAN's role in Parkinson's disease (PD) and whether it is amenable to chemical inhibition is not known. Here, we show that neurodegeneration induced by pathologic α-synuclein (α-syn) occurs via PAAN/MIF nuclease activity. Genetic depletion of PAAN/MIF and a mutant lacking nuclease activity prevent the loss of dopaminergic neurons and behavioral deficits in the α-syn preformed fibril (PFF) mouse model of sporadic PD. Compound screening led to the identification of PAANIB-1, a brain-penetrant PAAN/MIF nuclease inhibitor that prevents neurodegeneration induced by α-syn PFF, AAV-α-syn overexpression, or MPTP intoxication in vivo. Our findings could have broad relevance in human pathologies where parthanatos plays a role in the development of cell death inhibitors targeting the druggable PAAN/MIF nuclease.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1943-1959.e21
JournalCell
Volume185
Issue number11
DOIs
StatePublished - May 26 2022

Keywords

  • MIF
  • PARP1
  • Parkinson's disease
  • cell death
  • neurodegeneration
  • parthanatos
  • synuclein

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

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