Up-regulation of heat shock protein 70-1 (Hsp70-1) in human limbo-corneal epithelial cells cultivated on amniotic membrane: A proteomic study.

Transplantation of cultivated human limbo-corneal epithelial (HLE) cells has been recognized as an effective stem cell (SC) therapy for treating corneal epithelial SC deficiency caused by burn or other diseases. With this technique, cryo-preserved human intact amniotic membrane (IAM) has been successfully used as a cell culture substrate and carrier, and is reported to preferentially preserve HLE stem/progenitor cells in vitro. However, little is known about what factors released by HLE cells are involved in the progenitor cell-preserving mechanism.

PINK1 mutants associated with recessive Parkinson's disease are defective in inhibiting mitochondrial release of cytochrome c.

Mutations in PTEN-induced kinase 1 (PINK1) gene cause recessive familial type 6 of Parkinson's disease (PARK6). We investigated molecular mechanisms underlying PINK1 neuroprotective function and PARK6 mutation-induced loss of PINK1 function. Overexpression of wild-type PINK1 blocked mitochondrial release of apoptogenic cytochrome c, caspase-3 activation and apoptotic cell death induced by proteasome inhibitor MG132.