Hyojung Kim

Fast P3HT Exciton Dissociation and Absorption Enhancement of Organic Solar Cells by PEG-Functionalized Graphene Quantum Dots.

PEG-functionalized graphene quantum dots (GQDs) are shown to promote fast exciton dissociation in organic solar cells. Short-chain PEG promotes the most favorable interaction with other organic layers, and the overall efficiency is improved by 36% when compared to the reference devices. The mechanism of enhancement is shown to be increased absorption due to fewer charges remain-ing in the bound state.

Activation of the ATF2/CREB-PGC-1α pathway by metformin leads to dopaminergic neuroprotection

Progressive dopaminergic neurodegeneration is responsible for the canonical motor deficits in Parkinsons disease (PD). The widely prescribed anti-diabetic medicine metformin is effective in preventing neurodegeneration in animal models; however, despite the significant potential of metformin for treating PD, the therapeutic effects and molecular mechanisms underlying dopaminergic neuroprotection by metformin are largely unknown. In this study, we found that metformin induced substantial proteomic changes, especially in metabolic and mitochondrial pathways in the substantia nigra (SN). Consistent with this data, metformin increased mitochondrial marker proteins in SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells. Mitochondrial protein expression by metformin was found to be brain region specific, with metformin increasing mitochondrial proteins in the SN and the striatum, but not the cortex. As a potential upstream regulator of mitochondria gene transcription by metformin, PGC-1α promoter activity was stimulated by metformin via CREB and ATF2 pathways. PGC-1α and phosphorylation of ATF2 and CREB by metformin were selectively increased in the SN and the striatum, but not the cortex. Finally, we showed that metformin protected dopaminergic neurons and improved dopamine-sensitive motor performance in an MPTP-induced PD animal model. Together these results suggest that the metformin-ATF2/CREB-PGC-1α pathway might be promising therapeutic target for PD.

VPS35 regulates parkin substrate AIMP2 toxicity by facilitating lysosomal clearance of AIMP2

Vacuolar protein sorting-associated protein 35 (VPS35) is involved in retrograde transport of proteins from endosomes to trans-Golgi network. Gene mutations in VPS35 are linked to autosomal dominant late-onset Parkinsons disease (PD). Although the identification of VPS35 mutations has provided novel insight about its interactions with several PD-associated genes including leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) and α-synuclein, little information is available about the molecular mechanisms of cell death downstream of VPS35 dysfunction. In this study, we showed that VPS35 has a role in the lysosomal degradation of parkin substrate aminoacyl tRNA synthetase complex-interacting multifunctional protein 2 (AIMP2), of which accumulation leads to poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP1)-dependent cell death. VPS35 was co-immunoprecipitated with AIMP2, as well as lysosome-associated membrane protein-2a (Lamp2a). Interestingly, this association was disrupted by PD-associated VPS35 mutant D620N. VPS35 overexpression prevented AIMP2-potentiated cell death and PARP1 activation in SH-SY5Y cells. More importantly, knockdown of VPS35 led to PARP1 activation and cell death, which was AIMP2 dependent. These findings provide new mechanistic insights into the role of VPS35 in the regulation of AIMP2 levels and cell death. As AIMP2 accumulation was reported in PD patients brains and involved in dopaminergic cell death, identification of VPS35 as a novel regulator of AIMP2 clearance via lysosomal pathway provides alternative venue to control dopaminergic cell death in PD.

Adhesion Enhancement of Electroless-Deposited Cu on Flexible Polyimide Substrate Treated by O2 and N2 / H2 Inductively Coupled Plasmas

The detailed characterization of polyimide (PI) surfaces modified by sequential O 2 and N 2 /H 2 inductively coupled plasma (ICP) treatments was performed, and the effects of the surface morphological roughening and chemical modification of the PI surface on the adhesion properties of electroless-plated Cu on the PI systems were investigated. The increase in the surface morphological roughness induced by increasing the substrate bias power in the O 2 ICPs was primarily responsible for the enhancement of the adhesion strength of the electroless-plated Cu on PI. The amine (-NH 2 ) or amide (-NH) functional groups generated on the PI surface, due to the opening of the cyclized imide ring by the subsequent N 2 /H 2 plasma treatment, also enhanced the adhesion of the electroless Cu/PI interface. The peel tests confirmed the improvement of the adhesion strength, with the best peel strengths of ≅96 gf/mm being obtained for the sample subjected to the combined treatment of the sequential O 2 and N 2 /H 2 ICPs.

Hydrocortisone-induced parkin prevents dopaminergic cell death via CREB pathway in Parkinson’s disease model

Dysfunctional parkin due to mutations or post-translational modifications contributes to dopaminergic neurodegeneration in Parkinson’s disease (PD). Overexpression of parkin provides protection against cellular stresses and prevents dopamine cell loss in several PD animal models. Here we performed an unbiased high-throughput luciferase screening to identify chemicals that can increase parkin expression. Among promising parkin inducers, hydrocortisone possessed the most favorable profiles including parkin induction ability, cell protection ability, and physicochemical property of absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) without inducing endoplasmic reticulum stress. We found that hydrocortisone-induced parkin expression was accountable for cell protection against oxidative stress. Hydrocortisone-activated parkin expression was mediated by CREB pathway since gRNA to CREB abolished hydrocortisone’s ability to induce parkin. Finally, hydrocortisone treatment in mice increased brain parkin levels and prevented 6-hydroxy dopamine induced dopamine cell loss when assessed at 4 days after the toxin’s injection. Our results showed that hydrocortisone could stimulate parkin expression via CREB pathway and the induced parkin expression was accountable for its neuroprotective effect. Since glucocorticoid is a physiological hormone, maintaining optimal levels of glucocorticoid might be a potential therapeutic or preventive strategy for Parkinson’s disease.

Estrogen receptor activation contributes to RNF146 expression and neuroprotection in Parkinson's disease models

RNF146 is an E3 ubiquitin ligase that specifically recognizes and polyubiquitinates poly (ADP-ribose) (PAR)-conjugated substrates for proteasomal degradation. RNF146 has been shown to be neuroprotective against PAR polymerase-1 (PARP1)-induced cell death during stroke. Here we report that RNF146 expression and RNF146 inducers can prevent cell death elicited by Parkinson’s disease (PD)-associated and PARP1-activating stimuli. In SH-SY5Y cells, RNF146 expression conferred resistance to toxic stimuli that lead to PARP1 activation. High-throughput screen using a luciferase construct harboring the RNF146 promoter identified liquiritigenin as an RNF146 inducer. We found that RNF146 expression by liquiritigenin was mediated by estrogen receptor activation and contributed to cytoprotective effect of liquiritigenin. Finally, RNF146 expression by liquiritigenin in mouse brains provided dopaminergic neuroprotection in a 6-hydroxydopamine PD mouse model. Given the presence of PARP1 activity and RNF146 deficits in PD, it could be a potential therapeutic strategy to restore RNF146 expression by natural compounds or estrogen receptor activation.

CRISPR-Cas9 Mediated Telomere Removal Leads to Mitochondrial Stress and Protein Aggregation

Aging is considered the major risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases including Parkinson’s disease (PD). Telomere shortening is associated with cellular senescence. In this regard, pharmacological or genetic inhibition of telomerase activity has been used to model cellular aging. Here, we employed CRISPR-Cas9 technology to instantly remove the telomere to induce aging in a neuroblastoma cell line. Expression of both Cas9 and guide RNA targeting telomere repeats ablated the telomere, leading to retardation of cell proliferation. Instant deletion of telomere in SH-SY5Y cells impaired mitochondrial function with diminished mitochondrial respiration and cell viability. Supporting the pathological relevance of cell aging by CRISPR-Cas9 mediated telomere removal, alterations were observed in the levels of PD-associated proteins including PTEN-induced putative kinase 1, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator 1-α, nuclear respiratory factor 1, parkin, and aminoacyl tRNA synthetase complex interacting multifunctional protein 2. Significantly, α-synuclein expression in the background of telomere removal led to the enhancement of protein aggregation, suggesting positive feed-forward interaction between aging and PD pathogenesis. Collectively, our results demonstrate that CRISPR-Cas9 can be used to efficiently model cellular aging and PD.