Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41671379›Full record

ArticleScience advances2026

VMAT2 dysfunction impairs vesicular dopamine uptake, driving its oxidation and α-synuclein pathology in DJ-1-linked Parkinson's neurons.

Leonie M Heger, Francesco Gubinelli, Andreas J Huber, Aida Cardona-Alberich, Matteo Rovere, Ulf Matti, Stephan A Müller, Sankarshana R Nagaraja, Lena Jaschkowitz, Martina Schifferer and 5 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Science advances, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Review
  3. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

15 authors.

Leonie M HegerMetabolic Biochemistry, Biomedical Center (BMC), Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.ORCID 0009-0000-3899-1565
Francesco GubinelliMetabolic Biochemistry, Biomedical Center (BMC), Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-5306-8012
Andreas J HuberMetabolic Biochemistry, Biomedical Center (BMC), Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.
Aida Cardona-AlberichMetabolic Biochemistry, Biomedical Center (BMC), Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.ORCID 0009-0009-1852-5941
Matteo RovereMetabolic Biochemistry, Biomedical Center (BMC), Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-3260-4955
Ulf MattiAbberior Instruments GmbH, Göttingen, Germany.ORCID 0000-0001-5548-1081
Stephan A MüllerNeuroproteomics, School of Medicine and Health, TUM University Hospital, Technical University of Munich, Germany.ORCID 0000-0003-3414-307X
Sankarshana R NagarajaMunich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Munich, Germany.
Lena JaschkowitzMetabolic Biochemistry, Biomedical Center (BMC), Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.ORCID 0009-0007-9022-0726
Martina SchiffererGerman Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-0500-8218
Wolfgang WurstGerman Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany.ORCID 0000-0003-4422-7410
Stefan F LichtenthalerNeuroproteomics, School of Medicine and Health, TUM University Hospital, Technical University of Munich, Germany.ORCID 0000-0003-2211-2575
Christian BehrendsMunich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Munich, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-9184-7607
Sivakumar SambandanLaboratory of Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen, Germany.ORCID 0000-0001-5471-6141
Lena F BurbullaMetabolic Biochemistry, Biomedical Center (BMC), Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.ORCID 0009-0008-5440-1148

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by α-synuclein accumulation and dopaminergic neuron degeneration, with dopamine (DA) oxidation emerging as a key pathological driver. However, the mechanisms underlying this neurotoxic process remain unclear. Using PD patient-derived and CRISPR-engineered induced pluripotent stem cell midbrain dopaminergic neurons lacking DJ-1, we identified defective sequestration of cytosolic DA into synaptic vesicles, which culminated in DA oxidation and α-synuclein pathology. In-depth proteomics, state-of-the-art imaging, and ultrasensitive DA probes uncovered that decreased vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT2) protein and function impaired vesicular DA uptake, resulting in reduced vesicle availability and abnormal vesicle morphology. Furthermore, VMAT2 activity and vesicle endocytosis are processes dependent on adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP), which is notably reduced in DJ-1-deficient dopaminergic neurons. ATP supplementation restored vesicular function and alleviated DA-related pathologies in mutant dopaminergic neurons. This study reveals an ATP-sensitive mechanism that regulates DA homeostasis through VMAT2 and vesicle dynamics in midbrain dopaminergic neurons, highlighting enhanced DA sequestration as a promising therapeutic strategy for PD.

Indexed as

alpha-SynucleinDopamineDopaminergic NeuronsParkinson DiseaseProtein Deglycase DJ-1Vesicular Monoamine Transport ProteinsAdenosine TriphosphateAnimalsHumansInduced Pluripotent Stem CellsMesencephalonOxidation-ReductionSynaptic VesiclesAdenosine Triphosphatealpha-SynucleinDopaminePARK7 protein, humanProtein Deglycase DJ-1SLC18A2 protein, humanVesicular Monoamine Transport Proteins

Identifiers

PMID41671379
PMCPMC12893317

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.