Astrocytic JWA deletion exacerbates dopaminergic neurodegeneration by decreasing glutamate transporters in mice

Astrocytic JWA exerts neuroprotective roles by alleviating oxidative stress and inhibiting inflammation. However, the molecular mechanisms of how astrocytic JWA is involved in dopaminergic neurodegeneration in Parkinson’s disease (PD) remain largely unknown. In this study, we found that astrocyte-specific JWA knockout mice (JWA CKO) exacerbated dopamine (DA) neuronal loss and motor dysfunction, and reduced the levels of DA and its metabolites in a 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1, 2, 3, 6-tetrahydropyridine/probenecid (MPTP/p)-induced PD model. Astrocytic JWA deficiency repressed expression of excitatory amino-acid transporter 2 (GLT-1) and glutamate uptake both in vivo and in vitro. Further, the regulation of GLT-1 expression was involved in JWA-triggered activation of the MAPK and PI3K signaling pathways. JWA-increased GLT-1 expression was abolished by inhibitors of MEK and PI3K. Silencing CREB also abrogated JWA-increased GLT-1 expression and glutamate uptake. Additionally, JWA deficiency activated glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), and increased the expression of STAT3. Similarly to the MPTP model, paraquat (PQ) exposure produced PD-like phenotypes in JWA CKO mice. Taken together, our findings provide novel insights into astrocytic JWA function in the pathogenesis of neurotoxin mouse models of PD.