Abstract

Mutations in mitochondrial genes, oxidative insults, imbalance in redox mechanisms and dysregulated mitophagy are some of the leading causes for mitochondrial dysfunction and subsequent neurodegeneration in Parkinson’s disease. Targeting mitochondrial dysfunction and prolonging neuronal survival could potentially prove to be useful neuroprotective strategies. In some recent investigations, peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma coactivator 1 alpha mediated mitochondrial biogenesis and its ability to restore reactive oxygen species-detoxifying enzymes have been observed in preclinical studies. In this review, we discuss about physiological importance of peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma coactivator 1 alpha along with a list of its activators that could prove useful as possible neuroprotectants in Parkinson’s disease.

Keywords: Mitochondrial biogenesis, Mitochondrial transcription factor A, Neurodegeneration, Parkinson’s disease, Reactive oxygen species, Sirtuin 1.