The TSP-17 tetraspanin family member protects dopaminergic neurons from 6-OHDA.

<p><b>A</b>. Extent of neurodegeneration in heterozygous and trans-heterozygous worms 72 h post 6-OHDA intoxication. <b>B</b>. Schematic gene model of the two isoforms of <i>tsp-17</i>. Alleles used in this study are indicated. <b>C</b>. Complementation of <i>tsp-17</i> expressed under its own promoter (3^rd column strain TG2439) and under the <i>dat-1</i> promoter (4^th column, strain TG2440). Data presented is from scoring the extent of neurodegeneration 72 h post 6-OHDA intoxication. Asterisks represent statistical significance of differences between <i>tsp-17</i> and the rescuing lines (****p<0.0001). <b>D</b>. 6-OHDA hypersensitivity conferred by various <i>tsp-17</i> alleles. <b>E</b>. Alignment of nematode TSP-17 to the most closely related human tetraspanins. Blue bars indicate transmembrane domains and brown bars designate extracellular loops (EC1 and EC2). The arrow indicates amino acid G109, which is mutated in the <i>C. elegans gt1681</i> and <i>vc2026</i> mutants. The red box indicates the CCG motif in the EC2, which is highly conserved throughout the tetraspanin protein family. Hs, <i>Homo sapiens</i>; Ce, <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i>; Cbn, <i>C. brenneri</i>; Cre, <i>C. remanei</i>; Cbr, <i>C. briggsae</i>.