DJ-1 is dispensable for human stem cell homeostasis

our data showed that the absence of DJ-1 had no adverse effects on proliferation, differentiation, and oxidative stress responses of human stem cells such as hNSCs and hMSCs as well as hVECs, suggesting that loss of DJ-1 function alone is insufficient to disrupt the homeostasis of these human cells. In addition, we found that CHCHD2 was upregulated upon DJ-1 deficiency, which may account for the absence of severe phenotypes in various types of DJ-1-deficient cells. For the first time, our study revealed the 'see-saw' expression pattern of two Parkinson’s disease-associated genes, providing potential clues for understanding the mechanisms of DJ-1- and CHCHD2-associated Parkinson’s disease. Transcriptional profiles of DJ-1-deficient and WT hMSCs and hNSCs.