Loss of the Parkinson’s disease-associated protein DJ-1 impacts dopamine metabolism in astrocytes

The selective loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra is a hallmark of Parkinson’s disease (PD), yet the contribution of glial cells to this vulnerability is not fully understood. Studies in rodent models suggest that astrocytes can take up and metabolize dopamine (DA), potentially protecting neurons by detoxifying reactive DA metabolites via glutathione S-transferase mu 2 (GSTM2) release. However, these mechanisms remain underexplored in human systems, particularly in the context of PD. Here, we used CRISPR-engineered iPSC-derived human astrocytes with a PD-linked DJ-1 mutation and isogenic controls to investigate astrocytic DA metabolism. Upon DA exposure, control astrocytes upregulated quinone-reducing enzymes NAD(P)H quinone dehydrogenase 1 (NQO1) and GSTM2, whereas DJ-1 mutant astrocytes failed to adaptively respond. In addition, only control astrocytes presented with increased DA quinone products upon DA exposure, not DJ-1 mutants. These results demonstrate astrocytic DA handling being disrupted in DJ-1-linked PD, implicating astroglial dysfunction as an important contributor to PD pathogenesis and potential target for therapeutic intervention.