Figure 1

Tools and paradigm to address Ret function in mediating GDNF neuroprotective and regenerative effect in the MPTP mouse model of PD. (a–f) Coronal striatum sections are shown for the three mouse genotypes (DAT-Cre, Ret^lx/lx and DAT-Ret^lx/lx) which were transduced with an adeno-associated virus of the serotype 5 encoding EGFP under the GFAP promoter to target astrocytes (AAV5-EGFP). (a–c) EGFP expression in the striatum of the left brain hemisphere at low resolution (scale bar, 500 μm). (d–f) EGFP expression in green co-localizes in astrocytes immunohistochemically stained in red with antibodies against GFAP (scale bar, 20 μm). (g) Schema shows absolute values of GDNF measured by ELISA in pg/mg tissue (red numbers) and fold of GDNF overexpression (blue numbers) of AAV5-GDNF injected mice in comparison to AAV5-EGFP injected wild-type animals with 40 pg GDNF/mg tissue in the striatum and 18 pg GDNF/mg tissue in the nigra. Only 1.3% of the GDNF expressed in the infected striatum is retrograde transported into the ipsilateral substantia nigra (green number). (h) Schema illustrating the experimental paradigm used