Myeloid cell leukemia 1 (Mcl(-1)) protects against 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium ion (MPP+) induced apoptosis in Parkinson's disease.

The myeloid cell leukemia 1 (Mcl−1) is an anti-apoptotic member of the Bcl-2 family, which plays an essential role in protecting cells against apoptosis. The expression pattern and potential roles of Mcl−1 in Parkinson’s diseases (PD) are still unknown. In this study, our results indicated that 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP+) treatment augmented the expression of Mcl−1 at both messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein levels in a dose-dependent manner in SH-SY5Y cells. Moreover, we observed increased phosphorylation of Elk-1at Ser383 as well as nuclear translocation of Elk-1 in exposure to MPP+ treatment. Importantly, the elevated expression of Mcl−1 induced by MPP+ was abolished by knockdown of Elk-1. It was also found that inhibition of Mcl−1 by small RNA transfection exacerbates MPP + −induced LDH release after 48 h incubation. In addition, Hoechst 33,258 nuclear staining results demonstrated that silence of Mcl−1 induced a significant increase in apoptosis in cells when compared with the control condition. Mechanistically, the levels of cleaved Caspase3 and PARP were elevated in MPP+ treated cells, which was exacerbated by knockdown of Mcl−1. These findings suggest that Mcl−1 might be a potential therapeutic target for PD treatment.