Redox Modulation of Mitochondrial Proteins in the Neurotoxicant Models of Parkinson's Disease

Significance: Mitochondrial proteins regulate the oxidative phosphorylation, cellular metabolism, and free radical generation. Redox modulation alters the mitochondrial proteins and instigates the damage to dopaminergic neurons. Toxicants contribute to Parkinson's disease (PD) pathogenesis in conjunction with aging and genetic factors. While oxidative modulation of a number of mitochondrial proteins is linked to xenobiotic exposure, little is known about its role in the toxicant-induced PD. Understanding the role of redox modulation of mitochondrial proteins in complex cellular events leading to neurodegeneration is highly relevant.Recent Advances: Many toxicants are shown to inhibit complex I or III and elicit free radical production that alters the redox status of mitochondrial proteins. Implication of redox modulation of the mitochondrial proteins makes them a target to comprehend the underlying mechanism of toxicant-induced PD.Critical Issues: Owing to multifactorial etiology, exploration of onset and progression and treatment outcomes needs a comprehensive approach. The article explains about a few mitochondrial proteins that undergo redox changes along with the promising strategies, which help to alleviate the toxicant-induced redox imbalance leading to neurodegeneration.Future Directions: Although mitochondrial proteins are linked to PD, their role in toxicant-induced parkinsonism is not yet completely known. Preservation of antioxidant defense machinery could alleviate the redox modulation of mitochondrial proteins. Targeted antioxidant delivery, use of metal chelators, and activation of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2, and combinational therapy that encounters multiple free radicals, could ameliorate the redox modulation of mitochondrial proteins and thereby PD progression.