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Fig. 4 | Translational Neurodegeneration

Fig. 4

From: Astrocytes and retrograde degeneration of nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons in Parkinson’s disease: removing axonal debris

Fig. 4

The degenerating axons and spheroids accumulate DAergic mitochondria. The fluorescent mitochondria were found in DAergic neurons but not in other brain cells in YFP-Mito-DAn mice. Noradrenergic neurons of the nucleus accumbens present TH (a1) but not YFP immunoreactivity (a2). DAergic nigrostriatal neurons present both TH and YFP immunoreactivity, a fact observed in their cell somata (b1, b2) and in their axons in the MFB (c1, c2). d1d4 A normal DAergic axon of the MFB with fluorescent mitochondria, and a nearby astrocytic process with no fluorescent mitochondria (successive z-axis slices obtained 0.4 microns thick). e1, e2 Elongated mitochondria (white arrows) observed in DAergic axons of the normal striatal tissue. The retrograde damage of DAergic neurons produced degenerating axons in the MFB where the mitochondria were broken into small pieces (f1, f2). These mitochondria were finally retained within the spheroids (g1, g2). h An electron microscopy image showing a degenerating DAergic axon of the MFB with TH and DAT immunoreactivity and containing a long damaged mitochondria (Mit) and an autophagosome (Aph)

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