Fig. 2

Overexpression of AMPKα2, but not the truncated 1-310α2 variant, has neuroprotective effects against α-syn in vivo. a Immunostaining for HA-tag shows the induced overexpression of either AMPKα2 or the 1-310α2 variant in the rat SN, 1 month after vector injection. b TH immunostaining of the SN, 1 month after AAV-AMPKα2 vector injection. Note that AMPKα2 overexpression does not cause any loss of dopaminergic neurons. c Immunofluorescent staining for α-syn showing overexpression in the SNpc, 4 months after co-injection of the α-syn and AMPKα vectors. Scale bar: 1 mm. d Relative quantification of integrated α-syn immunofluorescence intensity in the midbrain, near the site of vector injection. Note the significant decrease in α-syn abundance in the groups co-injected with a vector encoding AMPKα2 or the 1-310α2 variant. e Representative TH immunostaining of the SN. f Stereological quantification of the loss of TH-positive neurons in the SNpc. Data represent the percentage loss of neurons compared to the non-injected hemisphere. Note the significant neuroprotective effect of overexpressing the AMPKα2 subunit in the SN. Statistical analysis: one-way ANOVA with Tukey’s HSD post hoc test; for c: n = 5 (control), n = 6 (α2), n = 5 (1-310α2); for f: n = 9 (control), n = 11 (α2), n = 7 (1-310α2); *P < 0.05; **P < 0.01; ***P < 0.001. In panels a, b and e: *indicates the injected hemisphere.