The Autophagy-Related Organelle Autophagoproteasome Is Suppressed within Ischemic Penumbra.

The peri-infarct region, which surrounds the irreversible ischemic stroke area is named ischemic . This term emphasizes the borderline conditions for neurons placed within such a critical region. separates the ischemic core, where frank cell loss occurs, from the surrounding healthy brain tissue. Within such a brain region, nervous matter, and mostly neurons are impaired concerning metabolic conditions. The classic biochemical marker, which reliably marks is the over-expression of the heat shock protein 70 (HSP70). However, other proteins related to cell clearing pathways are modified within . Among these, autophagy proteins like LC3 increase in a way, which recapitulates Hsp70. In contrast, components, such as P20S, markedly decrease. Despite apparent discrepancies, the present study indicates remarkable overlapping between LC3 and P20S redistribution within . In fact, the amount of both proteins is markedly reduced within vacuoles. Specifically, a massive loss of LC3 + P20S immuno-positive vacuoles (autophagoproteasomes) is reported here. This represents the most relevant sub-cellular alteration here described in cell clearing pathways within . The functional significance of these findings remains to be determined and it will take a novel experimental stream to decipher the fine-tuning of such a phenomenon.