Abstract
Parkinson disease (PD) is caused by loss of dopamine, which is synthesized from tyrosine by two enzymes, tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and 4-dihydroxy-L-phenylalanine decarboxylase (DDC). DJ-1 is a causative gene for the familial form of PD, but little is known about the roles of DJ-1 in dopamine synthesis. In this study, we found that DJ-1 directly bound to TH and DDC and positively regulated their activities in human dopaminergic cells. Mutants of DJ-1 found in PD patients, including heterozygous mutants, lost their activity and worked as dominant-negative forms toward wild-type DJ-1. When cells were treated with H(2)O(2), 6-hydroxydopamine, or 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium, changes in activities of TH and DDC accompanied by oxidation of cysteine 106 of DJ-1 occurred. It was found that DJ-1 possessing Cys-106 with SH and SOH forms was active and that DJ-1 possessing Cys-106 with SO(2)H and SO(3)H forms was inactive in terms of stimulation of TH and DDC activities. These findings indicate an essential role of DJ-1 in dopamine synthesis and contribution of DJ-1 to the sporadic form of PD.