Figure 8
From: Cathepsin D expression level affects alpha-synuclein processing, aggregation, and toxicity in vivo
Cathepsin D deficiency enhances α-synuclein toxicity in the retina of fly brain. (A) Normal retina in one-day old, human SNCA cDNA-transgenic flies (α-Syn-WT; Feany and Bender, 2000). (B) At day 30 these flies show mild degeneration; arrow indicates vacuole. (C) Normal morphology of retina at day 1 in flies expressing human SNCA cDNA in the absence of endogenous fly cathD (α-Syn-WT, cathD-). (D) Marked degeneration of retinal neurons occurs by day 30 in flies ectopically expressing human SNCA cDNA in the absence of fly cathD. Note the appearance of numerous vacuoles, and the thinning and loss of retinal architecture. (E) Deletion of fly ctsd in the absence of aSyn expression (cathD-)does not cause retinal degeneration at day 30. Scale bar, 20 μm.