LncRNA-UCA1 promotes PD development by upregulating SNCA

M. Lu, W.-L. Sun, J. Shen, M. Wei, B. Chen, Y.-J. Qi, C.-S. Xu

Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Huai’an First People’s Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Huai’an, China. dmqr43@163.com

---

• Neurology

OBJECTIVE: The study aims to investigate whether Long non-coding RNA (LncRNA)-UCA1 can regulate the progression of Parkinson’s disease (PD) by mediating a-synuclein (SNCA) expression.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: PD mouse model was first constructed by intraperitoneal injection of MPTP. SH-SY5Y cells were treated with MPP+ for inducing in vitro PD model. Expression levels of lncRNA-UCA1 and SNCA in brain tissues extracted from PD mice and MPP+-induced SH-SY5Y cells were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Protein expression of SNCA was accessed by Western blot. After transfection of pcDNA-NC+DMSO, pcDNA-UCA1+DMSO, pcDNA-NC+α-amantin or pcDNA-UCA1+α-amanitin in SH-SY5Y cells, SNCA expression was detected. Cell viability and SNCA expression were determined after UCA1 overexpression or knockdown in SH-SY5Y cells. Neuronal apoptosis in MPP+-induced SH-SY5Y cells was detected by flow cytometry after the UCA1 knockdown.

RESULTS: UCA1 and SNCA were highly expressed in brain tissues extracted from PD mice and MPP+-induced SH-SY5Y cells. UCA1 overexpression remarkably upregulated mRNA and protein expressions of SNCA in SH-SY5Y cells. Higher viability was seen after the UCA1 knockdown in MPP+-induced SH-SY5Y cells. UCA1 knockdown remarkably inhibited caspase-3 activity and decreased MPP+-induced neuronal apoptosis in SH-SY5Y cells.

CONCLUSIONS: LncRNA-UCA1 promotes the occurrence and progression of PD by upregulating SNCA expression.

Free PDF Download