Parkin is protective against proteotoxic stress in a transgenic zebrafish model

Mutations in the gene encoding the E3 ubiquitin ligase parkin
(PARK2) are responsible for the majority of autosomal recessive
parkinsonism. Similarly to other knockout mouse models of
PD-associated genes, parkin knockout mice do not show a substantial
neuropathological or behavioral phenotype, while loss of parkin in
Drosophila melanogaster leads to a severe phenotype, including
reduced lifespan, apoptotic flight muscle degeneration and male
sterility. In order to study the function of parkin in more detail
and to address possible differences in its role in different
species, we chose Danio rerio as a different vertebrate model
system.